CALMINI Solid Axle Swap
Suzuki-Based Solid Axle Swap For Your Sidekick
Editor: Eric Bewley Photo:D. Kampa
Bakersfield, CA – Calmini products has long been known as an innovator for Suzuki aftermarket parts and accessories. They were the first to come out with a full line of performance products for the Suzuki Sidekick and have built on that by being the first to offer a solid axle swap kit that uses all Suzuki based running gear. Calmini does this by building bracketry to attach links and coil over shocks to a Suzuki Samurai front housing. For those that want to keep their Suzuki ‘all Suzuki’ this kit is the ticket. 
Their kit uses a1986-1995 Suzuki Samurai donor axle and when fitted with an available option of custom 4130 inner shafts and birfields, this kit not only makes room for a 33″ tall tire but it makes sense too. Featured is a 2″ coil over shock with 8″ of travel. Suspension links are a stout .188 wall 1.5″ diameter tube with bracketry and plating up to 1/2″ thick. This kit was designed as an upgrade to their 3″ IFS kit that has been so popular over the years. The ala’ carte menu for ordering not only makes it easier for a DIY’er to upgrade their IFS suspension kit, an enterprising person may get the idea to buy this kit and tweak it to build a coil over Samurai. Wouldn’t that be interesting?
A real performance bonus with the design of their kit is that all of the links tuck up into or next to the frame making the break over angle much better than similar kits fitted with the same size tire. In addition, sliding over rocks may be potentially less damaging being on the frame rails rather than on the suspension links.
If you’re thinking of building a solid axle equipped Sidekick or Tracker take a moment and consider this well thought out kit. Is this an upgrade to the 3″ IFS suspension suspension? Calmini thinks so but we tend to think that this may be more of a divergent path rather than a progression of capabilities from IFS to solid axle. Nonetheless, we look forward to seeing more Sidekicks with this kit on the trail.
See the Calmini solid axle swap kit on their website.
Join the forum discussion here.
so this kit needs a prerequisite of the 3″ IFS upgrade kit in order for it to fit ?
cant one buy just the solid-axle kit and install it ?