[mojoinco]

Hola!
Virgin post here.

I attempted to search for an answer to my question, but being separated by the english language, will need a bit of help.

So, took my 2001 soft top SWB Tractara (Vitara) into my shop for a few days of parts 'refinement'.
Most of the parts are new, but a few from my old Chevy Tracker (98 Vitara SWB soft top).

Installed:
5.125 steel front housing/3rd member (previously built & installed in my 98),
5.125 rear 3rd member (from '98),
OME struts (from 98),
OME front spgs (slightly used 4 door medium springs),
OME rear spgs (new swb light),
Doetschtech (sp) shocks,
used 1st gen locking hubs
camber bolts.
And a few maintenance items.

Removed: all the parts for the air locking 4wd features, diffs/ front housing.

Problem: I noticed the front right side cv stob is not locking into the side gear. I seem to recall I needed to swap in the 1st gen stob or the whole 1/2 shaft. Can anyone confirm this? Or, do you have a 2nd gen stob handy to measure? I have a spare 98 1/2 shaft handy to measure.

Got sidetracked with getting the whole 1/2 shaft into the new center section and forgot to measure it. It makes the 1st gen replacement seem easy. Anyhow, figuring you folks might just be in the height of the wheeling season and have some parts fresh in hand, and its cold here (-18 C the other night) and the ground is white (warming though!).

=======================================================

Waiting for a set of 15" wheels to arrive and remount my BFG AT's (235x15) from my 98, and an alignment. Then prioritize:

Panhard bar drop mount?
Dropped diff mounts?
Rear shocks are too long -- new shocks or go big and put spacers on?
Spacers on the front (to level it out)? Probably wait until spring and building new bumpers.
New top (including a $500 US plastic mount on the targa bar-- may have to make one or have a sheetmetal specialist make me one for that much).
Bumpers.
Tire carrier, jack, jerry can mounts.
Trailer hitch (might just buy a used one and either sell it later or integrate the bits into a bumper).
Cruise control (wondering if GV units will work; v6 or 2L?).
Tilt steering columnl (thinking a LWB GV should fit -- easy to find).
Modify LWB GV rear seats to fit (as far as I can tell, 2nd gen SWB units in the US didn't have a twin bucket/folding seat option).

More things than will get done this winter.

Thanks in advance!

[mojoinco]

I think I found an answer!

This is for a Grand Vitara / aka GV. The original source info is gone, so glad it got cut and pasted to here: http://nbs4x4club.com/forum/index.php?topic=268.0

So, what I needed to know. The GV [mid] shaft may be different, but the stb / spud should be the same :

Now, the Passenger side (right side):
Compare the two CV stubs. Notice that the GV is
shorter than the Kick. The difference in the two side
lengths is because the airdiff moves the centerline
over about 1" towards the passenger side. The
passenger side is a floating stub, and the shorter it
is, the weaker it is. YOU ARE MAKING THE FRONT END
STRONGER!

What you want to do here is swap the Kick stub onto
the longer GV mid-shaft and outer CV.

I guess I needed something (else) to do tomorrow AM.

[mojoinco]

The correct spud is ~ 9 mm longer than the 2001.

The midshafts had a different spine count, so instead of swapping the inner CV joint, I had to swap the spuds. Just something to be aware of.

[christover1]

Thanks for sharing your information, it is appreciated.

[mojoinco]

No problem. Ask for help, then one ought to be willing to 'spread the love'!