If using 2" spacers for a lift what other parts would be needed to get the alignment back correct and is 2" going to wear out the CV shafts/joints really quickly?

Would it be better to go the OME 1.5" lift that includes new struts and shocks? I know it's considerably more money but if it's that much better of an option I'd be willing to go that route.

And the largest size tires that could be fitted with no trimming/rubbing with the 1.5-2" lift?

I'm just looking to get a little more aggressive look and have it be beach capable and be able to do some light off roading. Nothing super technical but I'd like it to be fairly capable.

Sorry for the litany of questions. Been a long time since I've wanted to lift a vehicle and was a Cherokee guy so all the IFS stuff is a little foreign to me. But I've always wanted a Suzuki and this is a great little family SUV that I think can be a capable light off roader.

Thanks in advance guys, I appreciate it!

The strut front suspension is a weak point and considering these shouldnt be offroaded too crazy the best bet is the OME springs and struts without any spacers.  2" is not too bad on the axles (although OEM axles are different design than the aftermarket stuff which binds with a 2" lift).
Also you can get Doetsch Tech rear shocks in place of the Old Man Emu stuff.

235/70/16 works with MINOR rub on inside against frame.  This size even works with stock height.
225/75/16 is largest diameter with a minor lift.

My recommendation is keep the lift under 2".

1 set of Camber bolts should do the trick to get camber back to spec. 

Thanks a lot for the info. Looks like the the OME lift is the way to go. It just worries me that I wouldn't get the 1.5" of lift. I had a friend purchase springs from them for a Montero and they gave no lift at all.

Seems like there are enough guys out there that have done this on an XL7 and had positive results though.

After doing some more research I found the Altered Ego web page and man that is some awesome looking stuff. I know some of it says it's compatible with an XL7 in the year model I'm inquiring about. Gonna have to give him a call/email and see what he says.

Of course there are people who have 3+ inch lifts so I guess it depends

I am running the Alter Ego kit in my 2003 XL7. I'm not sure if I would recommend dealing with them. They have a good product but they are a pretty small outfit dealing with a high demand and they just don't have time to deal with oddball vehicles like our XL7's. I wasn't the first guy to try their lift on an XL7 but I still ended up playing the guinea pig. For some reason their 3" lift only gave me like 1" lift in the front, and when fully compressing the front suspension, their springs would actually bottom out on themselves which is not good! I ended up taking their springs out and replacing them with Old Man Emu springs which bumped it up 1.5" and they do not have the coil compounding problem. They also gave me a set of their A-arms to try to figure out my lift issue. The arms are nice but one of the bushing sleeves was drilled off center. After that I haven't dealt with them and have no desire to. They are horrible at answering emails and even returning phone calls when they say they will. At a few points when trying to figure out what was going on I was tempted to tear the whole setup out and just put the stock springs in with spacers. Also, if your XL7 is 2003 or newer the rear springs from the kit won't fit over your axle spring seats because they are bigger than the 01 and 02 spring seats.

Bottom line: keep it simple, go with a LROR spacer lift or the RRO spacer/OME spring+strut combo. Put some diff drop brackets and manual hubs on to preserve the CV's and call it good.

Olija i was seriously considering the 3" from Alter Ego. Are you sure maybe you arent just that "one" that didnt work?

Does anybody else have dealings with this lift for an XL7?

At the time, he said that there were about 5 more XL7s running his kit without problems, but I think now if you want to try it on an XL7 they suggest you source your own springs instead of their own.

4xFourArt out of Turkey makes a comparable 3" lift that is around the same price that is tested and proven on the XL7 specifically. They also use longer struts instead of strut spacers. If I had to do it all over again I'd probably have gone with that kit over AE. The R&D is worth the difference in price.

That being said, you weren't keen on spending too much money, so I would still stand by my original recommendation of Rocky Road's OME+spacer lift with a diff drop kit (bits4vits or jimnybits sell them), and manual hubs. My friend has a 04 Vitara V6 with this kit for 2 years and it works very well.

I know that the 2" spacer kit I make or the one from LROR fits the XL-7s and has worked well for lots of people. You will need camber bolts in front to realign it.

Yup, there really is nothing wrong with just doing a spacer lift. Alot of people equate "cheap" with "no good" but if it's only a 2" lift, you don't HAVE to spend huge money to get a simple, functional lift. The main question you need to ask before going that route is, are you happy with the ride the way it is? If you are, then you'll be happy with a spacer lift because it doesn't change your ride quality at all on these vehicles. If you think it's too soft or uncontrolled or you're planning on adding all kinds of armour and cargo and passengers then you should look into different springs (like the 4x4Art ones) that will give you some extra stiffness to control all that extra weight better. And of course get the right shocks to keep it all dampened properly too.

The main question you need to ask before going that route is, are you happy with the ride the way it is? If you are, then you'll be happy with a spacer lift because it doesn't change your ride quality at all on these vehicles.

That might depend on your definition of ride quality - a spacer lift will raise the center of gravity, which will cause the vehicle to roll more - which I personally find undesirable, and youu get what is known in my family as a "land boat" - a spring lift with appropriately selected springs and matched shocks will also the center of gravity, but the stiffer springs and improved damping can actually reduce body roll making for a much nicer ride.

Any lift will raise the center of gravity by some degree. We're not talking about a drastic lift here though so I think it can be inferred that the effects on handling and ride quality are not going to be drastic. My point to the OP was only to avoid being talked into spending big money on a full OME kit designed for full-on Aussie-style desert crossings when all he wants is 50mm higher ride height to run over the beach once in a while.without getting hung up.

Ok so help me out here. Isnt 235/70/16 slightly taller and wider than 225/75/16's or is that not the case? It seems to me the 235's would be the ones to need a minor lift.

235/70/16 works with MINOR rub on inside against frame.  This size even works with stock height.
225/75/16 is largest diameter with a minor lift.

A 235/70R16 is wider & shorter than a 225/75R16

A 235/70R16 is wider & shorter than a 225/75R16

10ok. Thanks. Currently have 235/60/16's