We all love our trucklets and I'd say that they're reasonably durable.... but are subject to compromised designs?
I guess they were never built to be a half-ton, so its unreasonable to expect the same type of build strength (i.e. aluminium front axel housing, strut based IFS with non-removable ball joints in the A-arms, etc...)

I have a 2.0L manual LX BASE which didn't even have a head unit and I love her.

I've installed the JDMCRX lift kit (which was a bit controversial with its promise to deliver) and that alone I was able to clear 245/75/16 MTRs that I mounted on some 16" Vitara Rims

I also got a tubular bumper put on, with a champion (costco) winch...

I have about 152K (KMs) so about 90kmiles and have ran into these problems:
Bad driver side CV shaft
Possibly inner tie-rod, but not sure how to approach it
Bad starter
Siezed idler pulley
Water pulley

typical maintenace parts:
clutch, brakes, belts

Otherwise, its been pretty solid, but those problems were pretty annoying issues

The truck has been easy to work on, but I was just thinking... if I had owned something else, like a Heep Cherokee or Liberty, let alone a good 1/4 ton like a Tacoma, would I encounter as many of these issues?

So right now I'm trying to iron out a couple things that would probably help mitigate issues in the future:
Getting a pan-hard bar extention -- Where should I buy this from? - This will probably help out with the uneven wear I'm getting with the tires as all the weight is distributed there
Front diff bracket drop -- would help me from detonating my CVs I'd think --- Again where is the best place? Do I need a spacer to go with it?

Also, any real recomendations on how to diagnose clunking in the steering?

We need a FAQ

Clutch replacement at 90K is kinda premature.  I'm at 139K on mine and still riding on the stock clutch = about 50K less miles.  I'm thinking either a Calmini kit (with the diff drop and pan hard parts included = $) or check out Dave at Bits-4-Vits and buy them separately = < $.  Clunking in the steering.... ?  Your tie rod?  Rack and pinion replacement issue?  Is your steering stiff at times or are you just getting the "clunk"?  Did you mention in your vehicle description (at the bottom) that you removed your strut support brace?  These are kind of critical to provide support to your struts to keep your towers from flexing inwards... permanently.  Uneven rear tire wear: do you have stacked coil spacers on the truck (Jeff's plus Rocky Roads)?  If so your rear end may be tracking off-line a bit = panhard bar extension.   Durability?  They are what they are:  fairly capable, small little thin steel boxes with a Hi and Lo range, gear driven trucks right out of the box.  Durability compared to another brand 4X4... ?  Don't know, can't say for sure.  However my thought is IF you modded the other vehicles similar to what you have your Tracker, and drove them similar to how and where you drive your Tracker, I'm guessing components would wear out on them as well.  I've had similar thoughts as well.  My right strut has blown three times. Cannot figure out why.   Just replaced both  last week.  The left front has given me zero problems.  But... I'm hanging onto my Tracker.

I agree with the last post - any vehicle is going go have stuff start breaking if you mod. it and drive it hard.  But, look underneath a Tracker/Vitara and compare it to most others.  If your eyes work like mine, you'll see that the true beauty of these little rigs is their sheer SIMPLICITY!  Nearly everything is in view and within reach, so when stuff does break, it is MUCH easier to diagnose and fix (and maybe a little cheaper, too).  And how much did you pay for it to begin with?  I seem to remember seeing one of your previous posts saying you got a real steal.  To get one of those other rigs the same age, you'd probably pay double.

My folks bought my brother a '98 Tacoma 4X4 back in about 2006 with about 80k on it.  They paid $12,000 for it, and that was a steal compared to the rest of the market.  Since then, I think they have put at least $3,000 - $4,000 into repairs alone, and it is not modded at all (although he does drive it pretty hard).

Everything has its pluses and minuses, but in my opinion these are some of most overlooked, undervalued little gems in the off-road world.

As far as simplicty goes... that it is

But its not the old track/kick level of simplicity, with things like the auto-actuating front diff, w/o manual hubs, and a more powerful engine, non-removable ball joints in the "a" arm, aluminium front diff housing, and different rear-end configuration (small wheel wells as well)

As for driving it hard, that I haven't been for a while, but like anything... you pay to play, which is likely why I've had siezed pullies, which had happened at less than desirable moments.

I paid 16K for a new LX in 03' so |removethispart|@ the end of the day, it was good value for dollar IMO

As to address some of the diff centering issues, I'm ordering a mount extention for the panhard from  Mud Child
but as to the clunk... I can't seem to narrow it.
No the steering still feels normal, just when turning or going over bumps I hear something in the linkage area in the R&P

I did remove the strut tower brace, but that was because there was no way to extend it with JDMCRX's kit... I was trying to hear whether the noise was from the strut tower, but it doesn't appear to be.

well, once that's figured out and the rear diff is centered... I don't have much to worry, but kinda wish Suzuki took this Vit/tracker generation more seriously and came out with a better version, rather than going to the AWD cute-ute route.

Im a mechanic for a living and you would be suprised how many people say something to the effect of "I should have bought XXXX vehicle, I bet I wouldnt have had any of these problems." Truth is every vehicle has problems. They are all mechanical and built by humans. Honda, Toyota, Chevy, BMW... all of them. I work on all kinds of cars and they all break down. At least these are cheap and simple to work on when they do break down.

the only solution i have found to all the weak points is sas on leafs, front and rear, take steering from an old kick, spring under, done.  so i sold my tracker because not being a mechanic/fabricator i might as well buy something that has real aftermarket support.  now i just drive an xl7 with 2inch lift for a dd and wheeling is on hold.

I think the answer is yes -- SAS is the way to go...

I'm thinking that this generation of GV is just much over-thougth, but not through through perhaps...

A 3" suspension lift for the track/kicks can be installed quite simply pure bolt on, where as ours requires things like grinding the steering knuckle, strut tower bar mods, and presents challanges as the rear axles off centers relative to the wheel well & panhard gets all off center.
Not that these things can be overcomed... they can, just requires more dilligances in the design, where we're figuring out certain things here & there... such as link extention/driveshaft extentions, and panhard bar extentions.

Other thing is... the timing chain and valve ticking issues in the 2.0L in my case, but its just a matter of being dilligent with oil changes and additives... but I still think the 1.6 8v is still just simpler

I've ran into a deliemma... I bought a set of Rancho's that a bunch of people recommended... the
5000 series 5158...

How did you guys get around the shock tube from getting pinched against the shock perch/axel tube at full extention/compression?

my poor shocks are getting all destroyed by the shackle/perch or whatever u call it, that they're attached to

oh well, probably back to the ole' crown vics again

I'm thinking I have alot of driver side front end wear, mostly because of how long I drove with an off-centered rear axel... which prematurely ate the brakes, and well the wheel hub/bearing... which I replaced and seemed to have gotten rid of the clunking/clicking noise.

problem is... the front end still has quite a bit of play from up & down, so I ordered a used a-arm from a wrecker (low km, as per the guy) and will see if that stiffen things up...
As well to install a new strut mount bearing.
if not, then its probably more & more steering related

I'm thinking I have alot of driver side front end wear, mostly because of how long I drove with an off-centered rear axel... which prematurely ate the brakes, and well the wheel hub/bearing... which I replaced and seemed to have gotten rid of the clunking/clicking noise.

What's your rationale behind thinking the off-center rear axle is causing these problems?

Mine's been offset 3/4" to the driver's side for years now....still working on rectifying...and I've suffered no such side effects.  One side of the truck simply looks a lot tougher than the other side.

I figure the CV and u-joint on the driveshaft and the trailing arm bushings may be working a bit harder than they ought to, but that's about it.

Even if the rear axle were misaligned to the chassis (which it isn't), you'd just have some dog-trotting.  Not seeing how brakes or bearings might suffer.  I suppose the extreme Panhard angle might induce more side-to-side versus up and down motion during dipsy-dos on the highway.

Am I missing something?

Quote from: r3cc0s on November 09, 2010, 09:21:01 PM

I'm thinking I have alot of driver side front end wear, mostly because of how long I drove with an off-centered rear axel... which prematurely ate the brakes, and well the wheel hub/bearing... which I replaced and seemed to have gotten rid of the clunking/clicking noise.

What's your rationale behind thinking the off-center rear axle is causing these problems?

Mine's been offset 3/4" to the driver's side for years now....still working on rectifying...and I've suffered no such side effects.  One side of the truck simply looks a lot tougher than the other side.

I figure the CV and u-joint on the driveshaft and the trailing arm bushings may be working a bit harder than they ought to, but that's about it.

Even if the rear axle were misaligned to the chassis (which it isn't), you'd just have some dog-trotting.  Not seeing how brakes or bearings might suffer.  I suppose the extreme Panhard angle might induce more side-to-side versus up and down motion during dipsy-dos on the highway.

Am I missing something?

I can only attribute the worn CV, the fact that the driver side front brake was worn down to 2mm, the worn ball joint, premature tire wear and worn strut mount bushing to the fact that as the rear axel was so off center that the load was primarly put onto that side...

The right side? tight... everything
The Brakes were still like 6mm, while the other was 2... no grooves on the rotors, tie rod & a-arm ball joints were good, and the wheel hubs aren't worn & have no play...

I can only attribute the worn CV, the fact that the driver side front brake was worn down to 2mm, the worn ball joint, premature tire wear and worn strut mount bushing to the fact that as the rear axel was so off center that the load was primarly put onto that side...

The right side? tight... everything
The Brakes were still like 6mm, while the other was 2... no grooves on the rotors, tie rod & a-arm ball joints were good, and the wheel hubs aren't worn & have no play...

Wow.  I'm still pretty skeptical with that cause, though.  I'd lean toward one of the symptoms being the cause:  The worn ball joint could lead to the others, as could a a worn CV, and maybe even a sticky caliper.  Were both the inner and outer pads worn equally at the front left?

This would be a lot easier to explain if you were 300lbs.!

Quote from: r3cc0s on November 10, 2010, 10:43:10 AM

I can only attribute the worn CV, the fact that the driver side front brake was worn down to 2mm, the worn ball joint, premature tire wear and worn strut mount bushing to the fact that as the rear axel was so off center that the load was primarly put onto that side...

The right side? tight... everything
The Brakes were still like 6mm, while the other was 2... no grooves on the rotors, tie rod & a-arm ball joints were good, and the wheel hubs aren't worn & have no play...

Wow.  I'm still pretty skeptical with that cause, though.  I'd lean toward one of the symptoms being the cause:  The worn ball joint could lead to the others, as could a a worn CV, and maybe even a sticky caliper.  Were both the inner and outer pads worn equally at the front left?

This would be a lot easier to explain if you were 300lbs.!

but I'm not!

brake wear was more on the inner pad, but I think it was overall even on the side, but still mm's more than the passanger side

I decided to completely dis-assemble teh front end and to replace my control arm...

Started with the hub assembly, spindle, bearing/hub, knuckle, CV shaft, strut, tie rod, then loosened up the control arm bolts and lowered down the spring...

pulled out my a-arm and examined it...
Ball joint seems fine, but it appeared that the control arm bushings might have had more play than with the other a-arm I had ordered.

Decided to why not use the new a-arm... bolted her in loosely, put in the spring, attached knuckle... to ball joint and the tie rod (which the ball joint was just fine), put back the CV shaft, put back on the spindle, wheel bearing/hub assembly,outer hub... bolted back on the strut in the same spot it was adjusted for the camber for the lift... then finally attached it back to the strut mount....

Volia -- no more play (well so far)

I think the biggest pain in the ass with the whole process was mostly to do with the wheel/bearing where to lock it into the spindle, the spin lock uses a "special tool"
Well I didn't own a tool, so I used what everyone suggested, which was to tighten using a punch.

Being that it warrants 142lbs torque.... all I could do was use a 3lb dead blow on the punch to tighten it as much as I could.... which was welll as hard as I could wack it...

I put in of coures the notched lock which then holds it together... so hopefully it does.

So far so good... I've torqued everything down to spec, but will give everything a good go-round next week.

In the mean time... in my quest to keep my trucklet going... I managed to get some parts from a wrecker who let me pull parts off it...
Managed to get a spare right side control arm, CV shafts both sides, a steering rack, a spare seat and 5.12 R&P's front & rear!

I hope that the R&P's are just straight up bolt ons.

well its hit way cold... -33 celcius at some points during the week, and the tracker is holding strong...
Definately needed to deflate the tires, being e-ply all the way down to 22psi

she's been alot of fun on the slippery street and the deep snow that's been around.

I ordered in two things from bits4vits that I'm eager to install...
Being that the Rancho's are hitting the shock perch their mounted to, I've ordered the relocating brackets (cleavor little invention I'd say) and some bumpstop extenders, seeing how I never really did... (these are pretty cool too, being a proper spacer).

Double check and re-tighten everything up, and she's running quite well...

cept, she still will tick if its really cold out for a good few seconds, I'm not even sure if its coming from the lifers now, but it doesn't do it if I have my block heater in.

oh well, could always use another bottle of Wynn lifter cleaner.

looks like you need a front skid plate on that thing.......   i happen to have one for sale!