Just wanted to let you all know what I've run into, and get opinions.  I'm going to call Trail Tough tomorrow and see if they can help.  Front shift on the fly has been removed by installing 1997 1.6 liter Japanese Sidekick JX diff, ring and pinion into my GV steel housing.  However, when trying to create the hybrid passenger side axle, the Sidekick inner axle stub will not mate up with the Grand Vitara CV mid-shaft and outer shaft.  I have the technical writeup...I have the right parts.  However, right now, it appears that I will need to use the entire Sidekick axle, and hope that it won't pop out (there is a c-clip to hopefully stop that from happening) because it's a little shorter overall.  Anyone else run into this problem?  Thanks.

David

Nope, I don't have any experience on this one yet, David,  but please post up on the solution you come up with on this because I KNOW there are other forum members  planning on this mod.  I know of one with two thumbs... ME !

Norm

Well....it's done.  The entire Sidekick passenger side axle has been used in my GV, for better or worse.  This is not the solution I wanted, but hopefully it'll do the job.  My front diff is open, with no limited slip or locker, so I suppose the chances of breaking the slightly smaller Sidekick mid or outer shaft is not great.  I would have preferred the more stout GV shafts, but they would not mate with the Sidekick inner stub.  It's possible that the hybrid axle can be created on the 2.0L trucks, or even 2.5L automatics, but not on the 2.5L manual transmission.  In fact, maybe the manual transmission has different axles, as I have found parts catalogues that list manual transmission axles and automatics separately.  Apparently, the birfield joint in the GV CV is also more stout than the Sidekick.  Oh well....what can I do?   

Anyway, my airline is plugged good on both ends, so the 4WD light is coming on immediately when shifting the transfer lever.  Now, I'll have to go find some mud to play in.  It'll be nice to finally get rid of that f%$#* banging noise from the front diff!  Hopefully, everything will work good!

If anyone else attempts this conversion, please let us know what happens.  These trucks are very difficult, with all of the parts variations between models.  Even the major Suzuki guys out west seem to get surprised.  This conversion (including creating a hybrid axle) should work with the Japanese parts, but I found out the hard way that it's doesn't!  If my passenger axle ends up being too short, I may try a 1.8 Sidekick Sport passenger axle.  I've been told it's the same as the regular Sidekick axle, but how is that possible?  The Sport is wider, and every parts store lists it as a different CV.  These trucks can be a PITA! 

Well, I just confirmed that the inner CV shaft is different between the manual GV and auto GV.  That is likely the problem with creating a hybrid axle in a manual tranny.  2.0L and early automatics (99-02?) probably mate just fine with a Sidekick inner stub.  Pisser.....another reason to have the auto!  I'm beginning to think that the best solution is for someone to just create a machined collar or something similar to lock the air diff into the engaged position.  Then, you can keep all original parts, and just do a R&P gear change if you want bigger tires.  Of course, you won't be able to put a traction device in the front, though.

Why don't you call trail tough and see if you can get a CV shaft from an auto GV or one of the 2.0 ones that we know fits and mate it with the sidekick part and install that in your truck.  It should be the same width as yours and it will have CV's that match the old sidekick ones.

I haven't had the chance to try it yet, but according to Hawk Strictly Suzuki, a Sidekick Sport CV shaft will work because they have the wider stance than a regular Sidekick. I have the Sport shaft in my garage so I will be testing this theory when I put my lift in.

I know first hand that the sport shaft will work in a vitara

Well, I just confirmed that the inner CV shaft is different between the manual GV and auto GV.  That is likely the problem with creating a hybrid axle in a manual tranny.  2.0L and early automatics (99-02?) probably mate just fine with a Sidekick inner stub.  Pisser.....another reason to have the auto! 

Dude, sorry to hear that.  When I first did this years ago, I had an auto and had no reason to believe there was a difference.  Well, we all should start believiing that EVERYTHING on these vary from year to year, tranny to tranny, motor to motor.

Then, you can keep all original parts, and just do a R&P gear change if you want bigger tires.  Of course, you won't be able to put a traction device in the front, though.

Can't.  Nada. No way (more problems).  The reason the Kick inner CV stub is needed is because the GV carrier is offset differently than the Kick carrier. UGH!  Even the ring gear is thicker (taller).  To use Kick gears on a GV carrier, it would be sorta like putting Kick gears on a Sammy carrier, which requires a spacer on the bearing to move the ring gear over enuff to meet the pinion.

the good thing is, GV/XL7 front R&Ps don't need cans & spacers to work in a Sammy (opps, wrong forum).

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Then, you can keep all original parts, and just do a R&P gear change if you want bigger tires.  Of course, you won't be able to put a traction device in the front, though.

Can't.  Nada. No way (more problems).  The reason the Kick inner CV stub is needed is because the GV carrier is offset differently than the Kick carrier. UGH!  Even the ring gear is thicker (taller).  To use Kick gears on a GV carrier, it would be sorta like putting Kick gears on a Sammy carrier, which requires a spacer on the bearing to move the ring gear over enuff to meet the pinion.

Well...actually, how can that be true, since I had the Kick 5.12 R&P in the front third member of my GV, mated up to the GV differential assembly?  This happened because my Ring and Pinion mechanic didn't realize I wanted to get rid of the air actuator, along with changing the gearing.  He just swapped the Sidekick R&P into my GV.  That's actually why I went back to him this second time....I wanted to remove the air diff and replace it with the Sidekick diff.

He also said something that didn't make sense to me.  When I talked about the diff moving about 1 inch toward the left (driver side) after the conversion, he told me that it "didn't really move....only the spider gears really moved."  I guess I'm a little unclear on that.  Is it that the attachment point for the diff stays the same (in relation to the R&P), but the Sidekick diff has a different design and width, thus the need for different length stubs?

That movement over your tech mentioned is because of the difference in r&p thicknesses.  Yeah, you *could* make it work, by backing the adjustment off on one side of the carrier bearing and cranking in the adjustment on the otherside, to get the right backlash (sometimes even then the backlash isn't right because you run out of threads to adjust).  Same can be done on a Sammy using Kick gears (without the spacer), but here's the problem...

The bearing adjusters will be out of thread and will not be fully supported correctly and/or backlash not adjusted correctly, and *could* lead to premature failure of the carrier bearings, R&P or both.   This is why the "can & spacer" came out so the bearing adjustment would be correct.  Well, the spacer that is.  The can simply kept the cross pins in place.  XL7 5.12s are thicker (stronger?) and don't need no cans and spacers if used on a Sammy carrier.  Yes, XL7 5.12's and a Sammy 4-pin will allow a lunchbox locker.

Additionally, since the axle shafts will remain in the static location, if you move the carrier over to get the right backlash with the new gears, then the sidegears will move onto one shaft more and the other one less.  This is why you change out the inner driver side shaft and inner pass CV cup with Kick ones so the axle splines are where they are supposed to be in realtion to the new location of the sidegears.

Ya know, if I had both of these on a bench top so I could show you, it would be soooo much easier to explain and understand.

As a foot note, the GV CV stub is just too short once the Kick geasr are in and the carrier moves over, and a Kick CV is a must.  But you can reuse the GV inner but cutting about 3/4" off the spline end since finding the correct Kick inner can be tough (I have 2 extras because they don't grow on trees).  Yeah, you lose the c-clip retention by cutting, but since you usually need to wail on the flange with a beat stick to get the friggin' thing outta the support bearing to begin with, I'm not worried it will pull out.  Mine never has, and I ain't exactly gentle on stuff.

Thanks Tim.....I think I understand some of what you're sayin'.  Without actually seeing it in front of me, it's difficult.  So, do you think my current setup will function ok?  I've got all Sidikick internals (Diff, 5.12 R&P, etc.) in my stock GV steel housing.  I'm using the 1.6L Japanese Sidekick driver side inner stub mated to the Grand Vitara CV.  On the passenger side, the entire axle assembly (including inner stub) is Sidekick.  My R&P guy didn't think it was so much shorter that it would pop out, especially with the clip in place.  Whaddya think?  I don't really want to trade one problem for another.  It'll suck if the passenger stub pops out the first time I drop into a big hole and the front suspension travel maxes out.

Even if it never pops out, its still shorter than the Kick one which mean less spline engagement into the sidegear, which would make that now more prone to breaking.

I'd try to find the correct CV at some point.  New ones with no core charge show up on Ebay for less than $60 now and again.  otherwise as you have it now, it will eventually pull out, and spill out the gear oil, and maybe twist off the ends of the splines.  Even with the clip on the end of the stub, because it's now too short, it won't make a difference.

Did you install that new plastic stub support on the pass. side?

I don't recommend those cheap new CVs on ebay I've broke a couple. However I have yet to break a stock zuki shaft. Seems the brand of CV I broke was a GSP, they don't have nearly the angle capability of the stock shafts and only have birfields on one end and the cheaper three roller bearing setup on the diff side. I'd look for a used zuki shaft. My .02.

Well...an update on this situation for all of you.  Hawk Suzuki doesn't really make hybrid CVs, using an 2.5L automatic GV inner stub and Sidekick midshaft and outer CV.  Brent at Trailtough was out of the office for a little while, and I didn't want to deal with buying parts and finding someone to make the hybrid shaft for me (not to mention the remote possibility of encountering more axle variations).  So, I decided to get the 1.8L complete Sidekick Sport CV (from a manual transmission model, to be specific).  It was $115 including shipping.  Hopefully it'll do the job.  Comparing them side by side, it has a much  longer inner stub than the GV.  The overall length seems the same as the GV axle, though.  So, overall length (and thus spline engagement inside the diff) will not be quite as good as that elusive and mythical hybrid shaft, but will be significantly better than the 1.6L passenger-side axle that I have in there at the moment.  This will definitely solve my current problem of the birfield joint housing being a solid 1/2 inch away from the end of the axle housing.  The standard Sidekick axle is obviously too short, and is quite extended.  Also...maybe it's just me....but I swear that the Sport axle is a few hundredths of an inch fatter than the regular Sidekick, and is nearly the diameter of the GV manual transmission.  Anyway......will check back in when the new axle is installed.

Well....that didn't take long.  Took it wheelin' today and, sure enough, the Sidekick axle popped out.  Guess I'll be gettin' it taken care of tomorrow.