Suzuki Steve's '97 4-door Sidekick Build (the real build thread)

[sixstringsteve]

you and me both. It better be ready for the noob run.

 

[pELYgroso]

what?? no pics w/ the 33's on? not even a teaser?? how about you just go throw the pass. rear one on just long enough to snap a couple pics!! c'mon!

 

[meach4x4]

MEACH, welcome to the forum. I thought you'd be interested in this build.

Yeah, I've been lurking in this forum for some time, Bart. Especially on this build thread... and the classifieds. Got any spare Yota axles?

 

[sixstringsteve]

what?? no pics w/ the 33's on? not even a teaser?? how about you just go throw the pass. rear one on just long enough to snap a couple pics!! c'mon!

haha. I knew you'd be asking for pics. I threw the 33's on the rear, but I'm not posting pics 'till it's done

I will say that I'm glad I didn't go with the 2.5" backspacing like Brent recommended. While it would be nice and wide, the tires would stick out too far. they stick out about two inches right now.

 

[Chevycrew]

So you should have kept the ones you sold like I told you?

 

[sixstringsteve]

umm....

It's funny you say that, because when I put them on I was thinking "Steve was right."

Yeah, I probably should have kept them, but they were about 4.25" BS, and mine are 3.75" bs, which sit about right. I like these chevy rally wheels, they're old school.

 

[Chevycrew]

Glad it worked out well, 1/2" wouldnt have mattered much. I hope you dont run into any link clearance issues with the deeper backspace.

 

[sixstringsteve]

Good point. We'll see. I learn as I go.

 

[meach4x4]

umm....

...Yeah, I probably should have kept them, but they were about 4.25" BS, and mine are 3.75" bs, which sit about right. I like these chevy rally wheels, they're old school.

I take it you have no problem fitting them over your disks? How about in the future if you go to rear disks?

 

[sixstringsteve]

I haven't tried 'em on the front yet, but they worked on my last yota.

I won't be going to rear discs. But even if I did, I don't think I"d have issues unless I went with a HUGE disc.

 

[Awz]

You're welcome Steve. Just wish we could have gotten more done on your rig last night. Let me know if you need more help and I will if I can.

 

[meach4x4]

I haven't tried 'em on the front yet, but they worked on my last yota.

I won't be going to rear discs. But even if I did, I don't think I"d have issues unless I went with a HUGE disc.

I asked because I am looking at a pair of axles that the rear has a disk conversion on, and the owner said that 15" wheels wouldn't fit. He said I would need to find 16's or bigger.

On my JK the common information says you need 17's to clear the brakes, but several owners have used 15's successfully. They have found certain models of wheels have more clearance than others. Crager Soft 8's are known to have more brake clearance than most other wheels. There are some alloys that have adequate clearance, also. Most of the 15" alloys did not clear, though.

Some guys were grinding on their calipers to increase clearance. I'm not into that, at all.

Gil

 

[sixstringsteve]

yeah, the tacoma guys grind their calipers too. I just kept hunting 'till I found wheels that didn't rub (on my tacoma). Sorry I can't help you much with these.

 

[iamsparticus]

Steel wheels mounting area is flat and does not push away from the hub mounting surface at all and will most likley hit. Not all steel wheels are going to hit but generally speaking. Aluminium wheels have a small spacer that pushes the wheel out a little. For instance on my 1980 front axle that i have 1979 LC vented disks and V6 calipers, rubbed bad enough on the classic crager steel rock crawler wheels that i couldnt even drive it. I bought basically the same wheel, same angle of the inner wheel, same back spacing and such, just in a aluminium form and they barley cleared. I run 15 inchers and even my skinny stock aluminium wheels barly rubbed. So if your worried about rubbing or clearing brake calipers go with aluminium wheels. Wow that took way to long to explain and i dont even know if it made sense

 

[sixstringsteve]

Looks like I'll have some time to work on it tonight. Maybe I can roll it out of the garage and get some pics with the 33's on for tyler

I could use some assistance tonight if nobody has anything better to do.

 

[THSDragoon]

you and me both. It better be ready for the noob run.

ah, if you have to you can always use the miata. i'm sure that it would do just peachy off road.

 

[sixstringsteve]

Thanks for stopping by tonight Colton, it's always nice to have company. And you were right, I should have painted the wheels before I mounted the tires, oh well.

Tyler, this update is for you.

Lately I've been missing my old tacoma, but tonight when I put the wheels on, I got really excited for this rig.

After hooking up the brake lines and putting the tires on, I realized that I LOVE this sidekick. It's probably going to be my favorite rig yet. It won't go the places my '81 went, but I think it'll be a super fun rig to have.

The front still sits and inch or two higher than the rear. Brent sent me some 1" spacers to throw under the rear coils to level it out. I'm going to see how it sits after a day of wheeling before I mess with the spacers. I've gotta say, I think I really like the stance. It doesn't seem too tall anymore (although with a roof basket I may not make it out the garage. I'll have to measure the frame to ground measurement again.

I think I'd like to get some 1" wheel spacers for the front.

I still need to do the following
- clearance front driveshaft
- drill pinion flanges for sidekick DS
- paint the wheels
- take measurements and dial in all the link lengths
- adjust ebrake
- bleed brakes
- attach exhaust
- fill diffs and t-case
- wire up the elocker
- install sliders

 

[Coco]

Ya man no prob!! The pics don't do it any justice, that is for sure!! Looks mean in real life. If I was to build a kick, I would do it just like this (maybe with 35s at the most tho ) well done man!!

 

[sixstringsteve]

I think it'd be tough to stuff 35's under there without a lot of cutting. the 2-doors can do it, but the 4-doors struggle. And this is coming from someone who hacked up his tacoma to fit 35's...

NOw you just need to jump on the bandwagon, sell your pickup right after you build it (like me, tyson, and brandon) and build a 4-door kick

 

[Tacoman10]

That's a pretty sweet vehicle you have there Steve. Can't wait to see it in person.