[vigsom]

Please stick to stock sgp.

Tyre recommendations are Yokohama Geolandar AT-S or Michelin Primacy SUV or Goodyear Wrangler HP in 235/70R16 (same size as old Scorpio)

[Samurai]

I would suggest Michelin LTX AT2, I am already on the second set.

[wanderernomad]

Originally Posted by Samurai

I would suggest Michelin LTX AT2, I am already on the second set.

Size would be the same as stated above or 225/65/17 would be a good upgrade?

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by wanderernomad

Size would be the same as stated above or 225/65/17 would be a good upgrade?

I always used 235/70R16 since the OE tyres got worn out. To use R17, you'll have to change the rims too.

[sridhar-v]

Originally Posted by wanderernomad

Guys have picked up a 2007 GV 2.0 AT from a fellow bhpian. However the car needs some TLC and a bit more. What are my options for suspension upgrade or should I stick to the stock MGP/SGP? Not looking for any major or costly upgrades. Also need suggestion for the tyres. Thanks.

Welcome to the club.

Re suspension upgrades - are you considering changing the shocks only?
We have a group of GV lovers in Pune & Mumbai. All of us have 2007/2008 vintage cars. And all the cars have sagging suspensions. "thewhiteknight" replaced his shocks and springs with a 20mm lift from OME. It has made a dramatic difference to the ride height. I drove his car before and after the change and also did a back to back comparo with my car.
The ride characteristics remain the same in terms of handling and cornering. There is a marginal increase in ride stiffness, but not something that is very pronounced.
Cost of this upgrade was about 68K. That is only marginally more than OE prices.

The suspension of the GV is a gem. With worn out springs and soft shocks/struts I am able to bash through bad roads without a worry. The only issue is the lowered ground clearance.

Regarding tyres I would also suggest you look at the Continental CrossContactAT. It has good reports on gravel and rock. Anyways AT tyres are a must if you plan to take the vehicle off tarmac.

[Tanmay K]

Originally Posted by sridhar-v

The ride characteristics remain the same in terms of handling and cornering. There is a marginal increase in ride stiffness, but not something that is very pronounced.

How do you feel about suspension travel in OME? I am wondering how much more travel does OME provide compared to stock and if any before/after measurements have been done.

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by sridhar-v

Regarding tyres I would also suggest you look at the Continental CrossContactAT. It has good reports on gravel and rock.

Even tarmac they are good.

And quiet horrible on mud, keep this in mind while selecting the pattern. Geolander is much more rounded for all sorts of terrain, weakest point being sidewall in rocky terrain.

[sridhar-v]

Originally Posted by Tanmay K

How do you feel about suspension travel in OME? I am wondering how much more travel does OME provide compared to stock and if any before/after measurements have been done.

The springs in the Grand Vitara tend to loose their stiffness and that is the real reason for the suspension sag.

The OME set comes with a lift of 20mm over standard specifications.
"thewhiteknight" measured his heights before and after the change. He got a total rise of 50mm. So about 30mm of this can be attributed restoring of ride height due to new springs. I expect the springs to settle down and this should possibly settle at 40mm i.e. 20mm lift+20mm restored ride height.
The advantage of a 20mm lift is that you do not have to use camber adjustment bolts. And the suspension ball joints are also not excessively stressed.

My car ride height is 10-15mm worse that what "thewhiteknight" measured before the change. So I should get much better results.

So, in short, changing springs will give you and additional 20-30 mm travel that has been lost over time. Over and above this will be whatever lift your are building into the system.

A low cost suspension upgrade is to just change the springs. Even OE springs will restore your ride height by 20-30 mm. OE springs should cost about 20K for a set of 4. In my opinion changing springs after 7-8 years is a must.

The OE shocks and struts on my vehicle are holding up well at 81K kms. So I am planning to go in for an OME kit in due course.

Important note:- If you are going for extra length springs you also need to change the shocks/struts to ones with additional stroke. That makes it a full suspension upgrade.

Given below are the links to my previous posts on ride height:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-t...ml#post4050146

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-t...ml#post4063628




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[sridhar-v]

Originally Posted by Tanmay K

How do you feel about suspension travel in OME? I am wondering how much more travel does OME provide compared to stock and if any before/after measurements have been done.

Please see the following pictures to get an idea of the difference in ride height.
The car in white has the OME suspension upgrade. The black one is mine with a suspension that has sagged. My suspension height at front was 15mm lesser that what it was on the white car before the change.



The total difference in ride height at front was : 72mm=50+15+7(due to 225/70 tyres in my car)

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Even tarmac they are good.

And quiet horrible on mud, keep this in mind while selecting the pattern. Geolander is much more rounded for all sorts of terrain, weakest point being sidewall in rocky terrain.

Most of my badroad/offroad driving is on surfaces with broken stones and rock. Some patches would have murrum or soft soil.
The worst I have experienced, in the monsoon, was a patch with mud that was about 9 inches deep for a distance of 250 meters. Would the Continental CrossContact AT be able to handle that much at least?

One of the members of our group has fitted a pair of UltraMile AT tyres on this front wheels. He has given a good initial feedback. The tyres are ISI marked but made in China. Tread pattern is interesting and should be suited for mild offroading.
One will have to wait for sufficient feedback on this particular brand.

[sudev]

Originally Posted by Samurai

I always used 235/70R16 since the OE tyres got worn out. To use R17, you'll have to change the rims too.

Not to mention high cost of tyres. 17" are generally 1.5X costlier than 16"

My vehicle suffered a "terminal" engine seizure due to gross oversight by my young son who kept driving till the engine gave up totally. To his defence he was passing through forest patch between Faridabad Gurgaon around mid night and was hoping not to get stuck in that patch. But .... engine head was flamed through between piston 1 & 2 and so was the block. Repairs estimate was way to costly. More than market value of the car. The car odo was at 275000 kms. SO I was wanting to find a substitute.

NOW you will see more of me here as last week I bought a pre-owned 2008 2.0AT with 120000 kms on odd. It's been sent to garage for some TLC and fluid changes. Will post pictures.

For my small off road forays this seems still the best VFM vehicle. Even cheaper than some Gypsy's being quoted.

@sridhar-v : I test drove one GV with these (or at least similar) tyres in Chandigarh. Found them having very stiff sidewall resulting in each pot hole being felt through. I'd stay away.

[sridhar-v]

Originally Posted by sudev

....
My vehicle suffered a "terminal" engine seizure due to gross oversight by my young son who kept driving till the engine gave up totally.
.....
NOW you will see more of me here as last week I bought a pre-owned 2008 2.0AT with 120000 kms on odd. It's been sent to garage for some TLC and fluid changes. Will post pictures.......

Sorry to hear about your engine seizure. Was it due to coolant leakage?

Best wishes for your new(sic!!) AT. Do change the AT oil as it makes a big difference. I would highly recommend Iridium spark plugs.

It will be atleast 1.5 years before my tyres come up for replacement. At that time I will definitely pester all of you for your valued experiences..

[sudev]

No root cause was not coolant leak but water pump failure. Have not understood why it happened.

Now that car is going to serve as part reservoir for spares for me and friends in need.

[wanderernomad]

Originally Posted by sudev

No root cause was not coolant leak but water pump failure. Have not understood why it happened.

Now that car is going to serve as part reservoir for spares for me and friends in need.

That's sad to know but did the pump fail all of a sudden? Does it show some kind of a warning? Before seizing the temperature would have shot up, right? Just being curious, suppose the vehicle would have been stopped and then towed it would have saved the engine? Age of the engine makes any difference to it?

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by sridhar-v

The worst I have experienced, in the monsoon, was a patch with mud that was about 9 inches deep for a distance of 250 meters. Would the Continental CrossContact AT be able to handle that much at least?

This no AT tyre would lol I guess Conti should be fine for your use, which is predominantly rough roads. Slush just keep the momentum on the higher side.

[Styler]

Originally Posted by sudev

Not to mention high cost of tyres. 17" are generally 1.5X costlier than 16"

Sudev Ji I know it would have been hard for you to give up on your previous Grand Vitara. We all love our Cars and get emotionally attached to them, specially when you have driven it 2,75,000 kms.
Congratulations on the new 2008 Grand Vitara AT.
I read this thread and your thread completely to gain knowledge about the Grand Vitara before I bought one in May this year. You are truly an inspiration to all of us other Grand Vitara owners.
I bought a Grand Vitara 2007 Manual which has done about 92000 kms. I am still learning about the vehicle. Hope to keep it for the next 5 years.
All the best and wish you many many more kilometers on your new Grand Vitara.

Styler