Hi there !! I have some question about my new vitara 2002 Hardtop 4 cyl standrad transmission. I want to use the vitara for offroad occasionally and drive in winterstorm in winter, that what I want to do bascily.

Question #1 - I want to lift it like 2'' or 2.5'' max. But I don't want to pay the calmini kit at 1500$ ! what should I use ?

Question #2 - What tire size should I use ? I tough 235/75/r16 should be great. What is your opinion about it ?

Question #3 - Does the powertrax lock right is a good option for diff lock at long term ? If yes what is the kit that I have to buy ? 1510 right ? If not what should I use as difflock '' affordable '' ?

Question #4 - Does those year of vitara have something weak that I have to look at mechanicly ?


Thanks a lot !

#1.  Low Range off Road coil spacer lift for about $200
http://www.lowrangeoffroad.com/basic-and-complete-2-inch-spacer-budget-lift-kits.html

Or you could purchase an Old Man Emu suspension form Trail Tough or other vendors for around $800.  LROR has their own brand for about $100 less.

#2 Sure, you shouldn't lose too much mechanical advantage with that size tire.

#3 I've run a Lock Right in my 2002 Chevy Tracker for almost 50K miles.  I run a 1512LR. The 1510 may work for you, but I would check with someone who has it in their truck and is running it or check with Brent at Trail Tough.  I had solid pins machined for my last install because the long factory pin (with oil reliefs machined into it) broke on me at around 40K miles.

#4 Nothing in particular, except possibly the front air actuated diff.  If the air pump goes bad, or a portion of the hose develops a leak in it or the actual air actuator in the axle goes bad, you lose your ability to drive  (pull) you front axle when in 4 wheel drive. 

Also, the front axle differential carrier, where it mounts to the cross member, needs a strap fabricated to go across the back pinion end of the differential to keep the differential case from torquing to the left side of the truck WHEN you are in reverse and really on the accelerator.

The engines in these trucks are interference engines.  Meaning if your timing chain brakes or the timing is thrown off while the engine is running it will cause quote a bit of valve and head damage.  This is relevant because if the prior owners didn't use the correct oil OR/and didn't change the oil regularly the tensioner and guides and chains wear prematurely which leads to about a $1500 repair bill.  Tell tail signs of a problem are excessive chain noise at start up when the engine is cold.  If you start the engine and the chain noise continues for three or five minutes it is an indicator of a worn chain.

2" Jeffs lift, $170, search ebay for 2" tracker lift, the sellers name is "Hoepkers". 2" lift & 235's work great. The locker might not be much fun in the snow.

I debated a locker before I installed it too because of the concern of how my truck would handle in snow with a mechanical locker.  I drive in the snow here too.  Bottom line... I have never regretted installing the locker in my truck.  Now, I wouldn't want to have a locker in BOTH the front and rear diffs for driving on snow, but a Lock Right locker in the rear end hasn't presented any problems for me at all for over four years of winter driving in the midwest.  The locker has been more of an asset, to me, than driving with an open rear axle. 

The open diff in the front while in four wheel drive helps the truck track thru snow and handle on roads very well.  Ice patches may cause some spin on the rear axle, but the front continues to track straight.

The caveat being first you have decent tires and second you drive according to the road conditions.

Well if snow is an issue go with an ARB like i did. I have the jeffs kit and i ran 235's no problem,31's with some rubbing and trimming. now that i have 2" body lift no rubbing at all heres a pic with 31's before body lift

with body lift

posted one pic got 2 of mine and one of somebody elses

You can go back and edit your post and delete it - it's been happening randomly since the forum crash

Hey ! Thank you all for the fast answering and I am a mechanic at a toyota dealer so I know oil and preventive maintenance are pretty important.

nprecon : for the locker I will ask at trail tough wich is the kit I need and I just want the rear diff to lock front will be open ! And do you recommanded to change the long pin with a non  oil reliefs one ? My father is a machinist so  . And do you get the gearing and size of differentiel and number of axel spline of the viatara of those year ?

captwoody : If I had the budget for the ARB that what I will buy but they are the price I paid for the 4x4 loll !!! But I like your vitara look good  !!!


I will buy the 2'' kit from hoepkers on ebay. I know that I need crown vic rear shocks but what year of crown vic ? Do I need camber bolt at front for the wheel alignment and when i'm there does the XL-7 rear coil spring are needed ?

I will go with 235/75/r16 after installed the lift kit !!

Tanks to all again

The 2.0 litre engine Tracker with a 5 speed transmission should have 4.785:1 gears & 26 spline axles.

Cool thank you !!!

with the suspension lift in and the winch bumper added i put four door vitara springs in front to level did not need the rears

My 2002 Tracker (4 door) with a 5 speed came from the factory with 4.62 gears in it.  I obtained a set of 4.88 gears from another Tracker (2001) and installed those in place of the factory 4.62 gears.  They pull my 30" tires very well.  I am not certain what diff gears came in your Vitara with the manual transmission.

All the newer Trackers, GVs since around the 1995 model year have the 26 splined front axles.

Since you have easy access to having new cross pins for your diff case made, I would recommend you have your dad make you a set to install into your Lock Right.  My factory LONG cross pin broke into three pieces about three months ago.  I don't know why.  I don't beat on my truck or drive it excessively hard.  My neighbor owns a tool shop and he graciously made me a new solid long pin and the two shorter pins out of 5/8ths inch A2 tool steel bar that he then case hardened that I then installed into my differential I was rebuilding just over a month ago. 

Can I prove that the factory diff case cross pins are weakened by the machined oil reliefs for the spyder gears?  No.  But my long pin broke across the edges of these factory machined oil reliefs after about 35-40K miles of driving on them.  Besides this, when you install your Lock Right, you remove the spyder gears so there is no need for these oil reliefs in the diff case cross pins anyway.

During assembly, I coated all the cross pins, Lock Right halves, springs, pins and thrust washers with grease to ensure they were properly lubed until the gear oil got to them.  Oh!  Make sure you insert your Lock Right springs into the OBLONG holes in the Lock Right halves.  They don't work if you don't!   Yeah... I screwed up inserting my springs the time before last.

I also added about a 1/2 pint more gear oil than normal to my rear diff after it was installed back into my rear axle. Since the install, it has worked well and the Lock Right pops and bangs have been few and far between as well as much quieter when they do occur, which I attribute to the additional gear oil baffling the noise more.  Let me clarify it this way, when it does occasionally pop now, I hardly notice it and you can hardly hear it outside the truck.  Before, sometimes it sounded like a rear end collision!

if it turns out you need 4.88 ring and pinions I have a set from my 01 front and rear, now that I have the 5.12 gears.I have the housings to but gears are out of them.I bought some 5.12 thirds from Brent |removethispart|@Trail tough but my installer took them apart and installed the ring and pinions only so I still have my shift on the fly. so I have gen one housings and gen 2 ring and pinions. And the rear pinion is machined to fit an ARB

Thanks to all again, many informations that I will apply for sure !! Sorry about the 2 days that I didn't come, I was moving to my first house !!!