I have a '98 Rodeo and I have been thinking about getting a suspension lift for it. I have done some research online and so far the only lifts avaliable are from:

Calmini
Darlington Off road
Independent 4x4

They all have a 3 inch lift but I'm not sure which one to choose. It looks like Calmini's has more components and to me it looks more 'complete' than the other 2, but I'm not sure if I'm right.

My Rodeo is not a 4x4 so I don't think I'll use it for hard-core off road (which I wish I could) so the lift will be mostly to change the 'feel' and give it the 'agressive' look.

I would apreciate any help and comments.

Thanks

Which One Should I Get? single choice
	Calmini
	Darlington Off Road
	Independent 4x4
Votes accepted starting: 11/30/05 06:00 AM
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I think you'd do fine with one of the lifts from Indy. I just put one on my Rodeo (4x4, though) a few weeks ago and am perfectly happy with the way it works. In fact, I think the Calmini comes with a lot of pieces you don't need, especially since you won;t be doing any serious off-road stuff with your truck. Go with the Indy 4x stuff; I have and like the Rancho adjustables and OME 912s, for what it's worth.

Do wait for more experienced people to chime in, though. I've only had my Rodeo since July. Others may have more info than I and may prove to be more helpful and reliable.

Indy lift. everything you need nothing you don't.

How this statement could be interpreted worries me a bit... so just to make things perfectly clear... The offerings from Independent4x and Darlington Off-Road are extremely durable items that are more than capable of handling the rigors of off-road use as well as Calmini's kit. Both of the owners are also off-road enthusiasts, do you think they would design and sell parts that couldn't live up to their own needs? Its not an issue in this case, but I don't want a newcomer with a 4x4 to find this post while searching a year from now and get the impression Calmini is the only way to go for an Isuzu trail pig.

Calmini's good points are that it's a specially engineered package for Isuzu, everything is supposed to work perfectly together, and it's really a great value (bent left upper rear link, trac bar, new crossmember, front upper arms, steel brake lines, ammos&shocks, lots of smaller goodies - all under $800). But Indy4x and Darlington offer much more flexibility in their offerings. You can choose exactly what you want for exact price you can afford. And you actually can find much better details than what Calmini suggests:
- Rear links from Stinkyfab are better than Calmini's ones
- OME coils are better than Calmini's ones
- Rancho or OME shocks are better than Calmini's
- etc

The only exception is the Calmini's front control arms, nobody else does them.

So, the Calmini's advantage is that it's a complete package of good engineering for a relatively modest price.

I do not believe that you need Calmini's "completeness" if you do not 4-wheel much. Many their core details address the truck's behavior off-road, which is not what you need.

The only thing I ordered from Calmini is their front control arms, almost everything else I ordered from Indy4x (not as a package, but as separate details what I needed).

One detail: after any lift, do not forget to install a new longer HD trac bar, it will improve the handling.

10+ pages of things to consider about the Calmini lift (and other random things in-between)
This has been beaten to death lately. That thread contains everything you need to know about the differences between the calmini kit, and others.

Search button is awesome. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/butwiggle.gif" alt="" />

I would personally say go for INDY4x or DOR. Only thing im gonna say about this is that their stuff is great quality, and the customer service is an A+. Not to mention they are both members here on this board.
-J <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

These post's are rough to chew on,I think <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

But let's be honest with ourself's........
The same parts are needed to lift your 2wd as is the 4wd version.

The front of your truck can be aligned without the calmini upper arms,I don't believe they are needed on a 2nd gen rodeo like they help out on the first gens.

I cannot badmouth calmini since I haven't dealt with them,I have seen their products and honestly do not believe the extra parts will be needed for a 3" lift......they are nice add on's to go the next step and put in 2" spacer for the rear springs and crank the front up another 1" or 2".

Call either Matt at independant or joe at darlington offroad they will talk with you and ship you what you need.

Calmini's kit will work but the added exspence to lift your truck 3-5" isn't worth it.

This is my .02 and does not reflect any paid advertising <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

There are several 2wd lifted 2nd gens there is atleast one on this board and check out cardomain.com for others.....
goodluck

Bansil

My Indy 4X lift has served me well these past 3 years. I don't miss any of the Calmini "extra" parts. My tires have 30K miles and are wearing perfectly evenly (no need for new upper control arm). My rear OME 912 springs have not sagged at all. Go with Indy 4X or Joe's.

Pete

Thanks for your comments, specially TrooperJ for pointing my ingnorance of the search button and posting that thread... I have changed my mind about Calmini's and now I'm thinking about Indy 4x...

I think I may buy piece by piece... first the OME coils, then the Racho 9000's... can I just change the coils and keep my current shocks? (I bought them like 2 months ago... before I started looking at off roading) or should I go for the whole package?

I'm having problems with the word backspacing... from what I understand, backspacing is the distance from where the bolts meet the rims and the edge of the wheel... am I right?

I asked a local 4x4 shop about lifts and they told me that whenever I raise my truck I need to compensate with wider tires to keep stability... is this what backspacing is all about? helping maintain stability?

-This is my DD truck so do you think I should stick to All Terrain tires intead of Mud tires.? (I drive about 120 miles highway daily, sometimes more). Oh, and I also read I can go up to 7 inches with suspension lift and body lift... will that afect my 'comuting experience'?

-Like I said my truck is 2WD, what kind of offroading would I be able to do after the suspension lift... I think that mud will be a no no, but how about going over some rocks or ditches?

thanks again for all your input...

Well, if you want to wheel a 2wd, the only thing i would say is, go for a locker.
Say you diagonally cross a ditch and unload a back corner of your truck, leaving a tire in the air: Unless you have a LSD, the one tire that is in the air is getting ALL the power that the engine can give it, and leaving the one with all the traction without any power to keep you moving. With a locker, both tires move, and will keep you going forward. Of course, liberal application of the skinny pedal can also help you cross that ditch.... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
-J <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />