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How to make your own coil spacers for Track/Kicks

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Offline Digger

  • 1991
  • 1
  • Gender: Male
  • 1996 Suzuki X-90 4X4
How to make your own coil spacers for Track/Kicks
« on: July 10, 2005, 08:24:51 PM »
I've had a lot of interest and since I've now made back my investment in tools, I thought I would explain the process so that any of you that think you're up for it can try making your own. I know there are many other ways to do this, but this is the method I use and works pretty well.

Tools needed:

Drill Press(adjustable speed that can go below 1000 rpm)
4-1/4" hole saw(2" tall) (found mine at Lowes for $45)
2-1/2" hole saw(2" tall) (Lowes, $35)
Arbor/pilot bit for hole saws (Lowes $16)
Some sort of chamferring bit. I use a cone shaped high speed dremel bit, but a router bit would work also.

Materials needed:

1 square foot of 1-1/2" thick(or whatever thickness you want) UHMW Polyetheylene. This stuff is super tough, easy to work with, will never break down and is lightweight. I got mine at www.MSCDirect.com for around $40 for a sheet that small.
Armorall(lubricates the bits very nicely).
Two 1" tall rings of 2-1/2" diameter radiator hose(Advance Auto Parts, $12 for the only 2-1/2" hose they have).

Total: around $108 if you need to buy everything from scratch, not counting the drill press)

Now that you have collected all the parts and tools, let's make some spacers! ;D

Put the 4-1/4" hole saw on the arbor, then chuck it into the drill press. Turn the press speed down as low as you can, I use 750 RPM. Any faster and you melt through instead of cutting through. Now cut out 4 disks from your material. Stick as close to the edge as you can so the saw actually sticks out the side of the material without interferring with the roundness of the disk and it will cut much faster as the sawdust has an exit. Cut the last 1/8" from the other side and the plug is much easier to get out of the saw. Go slow and easy and squirt armorall as needed into the cut to keep the saw spinning easily.

Now you have four 4-1/4" round, 1-1/2" tall disks. Let's bore them out!

Change the arbor to the 2-1/2" hole saw and chuck it into the drill press. Now using the same hole in the center left by the arbor's guide bit, cut a 2-1/2" plug out of the center of each disk. Again using armorall as needed and cutting the last 1/8" from the other side. Once you have all 4 bored out, you might want to clean up the inside surface a little. I use a dremel with a drum sander.

Now you need to chamfer the inside upper edge so it fits in the spring cup. I chuck a cone shaped high speed dremel bit into my drill press to do this, but you can also use a router bit or even the drum sander on a dremel. The chamfer needs to be around 1/4" to fit all the way up into the spring cup.

There! Now you have just made your own coil spacers! Clean up the edges if you like and slap those puppies into your ride!(be sure to get the alignment checked after install).

You can save money off of the $108 total if you can find the material cheaper or use scrap from a machine shop and if you happen to have the hole saws already, there's even more savings. I would not recomend using wood or regular plastic, they just aren't durable enough, and aluminum doesn't cut very well with holesaws.

So if you think you're up for it, go to it and good luck! ;D

BTW: I still have a few sets available for sale in the garage sale forum if this sounds like too much work! ;) LOL!!!
Had a cool sig pic till I changed the text... sigh...
90 Tracker: "Silver", 2" BL, 1-1/2" Coil Spacers, Strut mount flip, Calmini Header, Winch, 31" Swamper radials, Sold.
98 Suzuki X-90: Calmini 2" Sus, 1-1/4" whl spcrs, 2" Exhaust, Cobra Safari Bar, Neon, Sold.
96 Suzuki X-90: Mostly stock daily driver(for now)

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Offline Maroon Monsoon

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Re: How to make your own coil spacers for Track/Kicks
« Reply #1 on: January 16, 2006, 06:15:39 PM »
what did you use the radiator hose for? also, which part is camfered... I am just slightly musunderstandning I think, do you think you could post a pic? it would be greatly apreciated. also, I thought the front spacers were supposed to be different than the rear, I guess I was wrong
2000 Grand Vitara.. boondox coil spacer lift w/ pro comp 2 inch lift shocks and ome struts. 225/75 R16 Kumho Mt's, powdercoated wheels, rear brake line relocation and stuff to acomodate. custom exhaust and intake along with some 1 off accesories.

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Offline Digger

  • 1991
  • 1
  • Gender: Male
  • 1996 Suzuki X-90 4X4
Re: How to make your own coil spacers for Track/Kicks
« Reply #2 on: January 16, 2006, 07:43:07 PM »
The rear bumpstops are tapered. When you put the spacers above the stock rubber isolators, the taper allows the top of the spring and the spring isolator to slide around a little. You put a rubber ring on the bumpstop inside the stock isolator to center it on the bumpstop and keep everything from moving around. The front bumpstops aren't tapered, so they don't need the rubber rad hose rings. The chamferred part is the inside upper edge of the spacer. The coil cups are rounded where the bumpstops were pressed out of the plate that the cups were made out of from the factory. This created a rounded section that you have to shape the top of the spacer to fit otherwise it wont seat all the way up in the coil cup.

As for the thickness of the coil spacers front and rear, that's personal preference. A lot of trackers have sagging front ends, so using spacers the same thickness front and rear levels the truck nicely. But if your tracker sits the way you like without any spacers, you would want to add a taller spacer in the rear to match the front, for example you would put 1" spacers up front and 1-1/2" spacers in the rear for an even approximate 1-1/2" lift all around. If you plan on adding a heavy bumper or winch up front, you'll want taller spacers to make up for the sag created by the extra weight.
Had a cool sig pic till I changed the text... sigh...
90 Tracker: "Silver", 2" BL, 1-1/2" Coil Spacers, Strut mount flip, Calmini Header, Winch, 31" Swamper radials, Sold.
98 Suzuki X-90: Calmini 2" Sus, 1-1/4" whl spcrs, 2" Exhaust, Cobra Safari Bar, Neon, Sold.
96 Suzuki X-90: Mostly stock daily driver(for now)

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Offline Uncivilized

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Re: How to make your own coil spacers for Track/Kicks
« Reply #3 on: January 16, 2006, 08:17:23 PM »
Easiest thing to do is have a look at the top of your rear spring, and you'll see in the middle of the spring, the bump stop looks like this:  \ /  .  I didn't need radiator hose for mine, the pressure of the spring seems to keep the factory isolator there, haven't had any problems yet. When I change to a 2" spacer, I'm going to make a new bump stop with a sleave made from 2.5"OD muffler pipe to keep eveything center.

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Offline Maroon Monsoon

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Re: How to make your own coil spacers for Track/Kicks
« Reply #4 on: January 16, 2006, 09:28:01 PM »
so you didn't use the radiator hose at all? it seems that way from your second post.. and both my front and rear bumpstops go like \/ the post type thing that the bump stop thing goes: \ / a bit too.. I wasn't aware of any isolator other than the post.. on the front there is a thin rubber bushing, I will have to remove a rear tire tomarrow and have a look I guess.
 
I do want my zuk to rake back just a tadd. one of my friend's did the rocky road spacer lift on his kick and i really like the levelness of it so spacers that are the same size front and rear would be fine with me

thank you very much, all the info is greatly apprecated
2000 Grand Vitara.. boondox coil spacer lift w/ pro comp 2 inch lift shocks and ome struts. 225/75 R16 Kumho Mt's, powdercoated wheels, rear brake line relocation and stuff to acomodate. custom exhaust and intake along with some 1 off accesories.

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Offline Uncivilized

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Re: How to make your own coil spacers for Track/Kicks
« Reply #5 on: January 17, 2006, 05:47:00 AM »
so you didn't use the radiator hose at all? it seems that way from your second post.. and both my front and rear bumpstops go like \/ the post type thing that the bump stop thing goes: \ / a bit too.. I wasn't aware of any isolator other than the post.. on the front there is a thin rubber bushing, I will have to remove a rear tire tomarrow and have a look I guess.
 
I do want my zuk to rake back just a tadd. one of my friend's did the rocky road spacer lift on his kick and i really like the levelness of it so spacers that are the same size front and rear would be fine with me

thank you very much, all the info is greatly apprecated
Yeah, the actual rubber piece is shaped like that, but in the rear the metal piece(that the coil spacer would slip over) is cone shaped too. So - it will measure 2.5" at the top and tapers to about 2" where the bump stop mounts.
« Last Edit: January 17, 2006, 05:56:19 AM by Uncivilized »

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Offline Maroon Monsoon

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Re: How to make your own coil spacers for Track/Kicks
« Reply #6 on: January 17, 2006, 03:43:05 PM »
so basicly the raised lip in the center of the rocky road spacers are unnessecary and all you need is a disc then


I think I am at least 95% sure on how to make spacers now.. thanks.. I even already have the 4-1/4 hole saw I think and a firend of mine has a drill press.. I have some 1/4 inch uhmw to screw araound with and if nothing else I can make a leveling kit till it's in my name and I can lift it....

thanks
2000 Grand Vitara.. boondox coil spacer lift w/ pro comp 2 inch lift shocks and ome struts. 225/75 R16 Kumho Mt's, powdercoated wheels, rear brake line relocation and stuff to acomodate. custom exhaust and intake along with some 1 off accesories.

*

Offline Digger

  • 1991
  • 1
  • Gender: Male
  • 1996 Suzuki X-90 4X4
Re: How to make your own coil spacers for Track/Kicks
« Reply #7 on: January 17, 2006, 04:51:29 PM »
so basicly the raised lip in the center of the rocky road spacers are unnessecary and all you need is a disc then


I think I am at least 95% sure on how to make spacers now.. thanks.. I even already have the 4-1/4 hole saw I think and a firend of mine has a drill press.. I have some 1/4 inch uhmw to screw araound with and if nothing else I can make a leveling kit till it's in my name and I can lift it....

thanks

The raised lip in the center of the RRO spacers is only needed in the rear. It's not needed at all in the front(at least on 89-98 trackers). The rubber rad hose rings I use are to mimic the raised center of the other brand of spacers...
Had a cool sig pic till I changed the text... sigh...
90 Tracker: "Silver", 2" BL, 1-1/2" Coil Spacers, Strut mount flip, Calmini Header, Winch, 31" Swamper radials, Sold.
98 Suzuki X-90: Calmini 2" Sus, 1-1/4" whl spcrs, 2" Exhaust, Cobra Safari Bar, Neon, Sold.
96 Suzuki X-90: Mostly stock daily driver(for now)

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Offline Maroon Monsoon

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Re: How to make your own coil spacers for Track/Kicks
« Reply #8 on: January 17, 2006, 09:50:43 PM »
Oh that's what I thought, but then thought otherwise, but now I know.. thanks.

I even figured out how the strut spacers would work on my GV, I have learned that a mount flip isn't for my GV due to the larger mounts used on GV's

I think I am just about ready as far as knoledge gos to try and make a spacer lift

thanks again

Dave
2000 Grand Vitara.. boondox coil spacer lift w/ pro comp 2 inch lift shocks and ome struts. 225/75 R16 Kumho Mt's, powdercoated wheels, rear brake line relocation and stuff to acomodate. custom exhaust and intake along with some 1 off accesories.

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Offline Maroon Monsoon

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Re: How to make your own coil spacers for Track/Kicks
« Reply #9 on: January 18, 2006, 11:28:35 PM »
is it okay to have a bit of slack between the spacer and the "cup" on the front? you say to dremel the spacer down to make it fit in there and I wasn't sure if it had to be perfect or not.
2000 Grand Vitara.. boondox coil spacer lift w/ pro comp 2 inch lift shocks and ome struts. 225/75 R16 Kumho Mt's, powdercoated wheels, rear brake line relocation and stuff to acomodate. custom exhaust and intake along with some 1 off accesories.

*

Offline Digger

  • 1991
  • 1
  • Gender: Male
  • 1996 Suzuki X-90 4X4
Re: How to make your own coil spacers for Track/Kicks
« Reply #10 on: January 19, 2006, 04:19:03 AM »
It can be a little small on the outside diameter as long as the spring has plenty of contact space for support. The inside diameter should be snug on the bumpstops so the springs and spacers don't slide around in the cups. The dremel part is rounding the upper inside edge.
Had a cool sig pic till I changed the text... sigh...
90 Tracker: "Silver", 2" BL, 1-1/2" Coil Spacers, Strut mount flip, Calmini Header, Winch, 31" Swamper radials, Sold.
98 Suzuki X-90: Calmini 2" Sus, 1-1/4" whl spcrs, 2" Exhaust, Cobra Safari Bar, Neon, Sold.
96 Suzuki X-90: Mostly stock daily driver(for now)

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Offline Maroon Monsoon

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Re: How to make your own coil spacers for Track/Kicks
« Reply #11 on: January 19, 2006, 06:38:16 PM »
yea, i was talking about the upper inside edge. Yea, I'm thinking that as long as the center stays snug against the shaft it goes around everything should be dandy

2000 Grand Vitara.. boondox coil spacer lift w/ pro comp 2 inch lift shocks and ome struts. 225/75 R16 Kumho Mt's, powdercoated wheels, rear brake line relocation and stuff to acomodate. custom exhaust and intake along with some 1 off accesories.

*

Offline Digger

  • 1991
  • 1
  • Gender: Male
  • 1996 Suzuki X-90 4X4
Re: How to make your own coil spacers for Track/Kicks
« Reply #12 on: January 19, 2006, 06:57:33 PM »
The upper inside edge doesn't have to be perfect, but if it doesn't allow the spacer to sit all the way against the coil cup, it will shift under the weight of the vehicle, potentially cracking the spacer or at the very least making it next to impossible to remove later.
Had a cool sig pic till I changed the text... sigh...
90 Tracker: "Silver", 2" BL, 1-1/2" Coil Spacers, Strut mount flip, Calmini Header, Winch, 31" Swamper radials, Sold.
98 Suzuki X-90: Calmini 2" Sus, 1-1/4" whl spcrs, 2" Exhaust, Cobra Safari Bar, Neon, Sold.
96 Suzuki X-90: Mostly stock daily driver(for now)

*

Offline Maroon Monsoon

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Re: How to make your own coil spacers for Track/Kicks
« Reply #13 on: January 19, 2006, 09:41:47 PM »
alrighty, I think I got it now.. awesomeness

thanks again

Dave
2000 Grand Vitara.. boondox coil spacer lift w/ pro comp 2 inch lift shocks and ome struts. 225/75 R16 Kumho Mt's, powdercoated wheels, rear brake line relocation and stuff to acomodate. custom exhaust and intake along with some 1 off accesories.

*

Offline Maroon Monsoon

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  • Gender: Male
Re: How to make your own coil spacers for Track/Kicks
« Reply #14 on: January 27, 2006, 06:57:42 PM »
I just looked at my rear coil isolators and they are the same as the front with a smaller inner diameter... I am not seeing a purpose for the radiator hose, If i were to use the stock rear isolators with spacers identical the the ones for the front would it work?
2000 Grand Vitara.. boondox coil spacer lift w/ pro comp 2 inch lift shocks and ome struts. 225/75 R16 Kumho Mt's, powdercoated wheels, rear brake line relocation and stuff to acomodate. custom exhaust and intake along with some 1 off accesories.