ok, first, let me start with the 4" kit: the whole kit sold for 700 bucks plus shipping. but if you just want parts for the front, pretty much all you need is the coils and new upper strut mounts, which will run you between 2 and 300.

you may also want to replace the front struts unless they are pretty new, because the wear pattern of where the seal rides on the shaft can cause it to leak when it rides in a different spot after riding there for a long time. mainly talking road driving with only limited suspension movement for long periods of time.

if you lift the rear, you will also have to correct the panhard length. the one i sold was around 150.

you may also want to lengthen some of the links, i don't sell these yet, but i could make them if asked. it would be best to have a rig in my possession in order to test-fit, but i can make them to any length, no problem, if someone else figures out the math.

ok, now, as far as strut pucks go, the spacers go on top of the whole strut assembly, so, it doesn't affect the existing travel at all. conversely, with the new strut mount i make and taller coils, your wheel travel is actually increased 1.5-2".

don't think we ever figured out who made the Sportage axles, but some of the third members, rings, pinions etc. match Mazda parts directly and the rear axle housing LOOKS exactly like a Mazda housing.

and one last- i think the Sidekick axles are too small. the rear one might be ok, as far as width goes, but to be honest the Sportage parts are a tiny bit beefier. if one were going to swap axles, wouldn't one want to go at least a tiny bit stronger? like say in the Toy axle range?

actually, when the Sportage was designed, it was going to be the next small Ford Bronco, like the Bronco II. but Ford pulled it's 40% out of the company in the early 90's. if you really, really pay attention to size differences, the Sportage is quite a bit bigger than the GV, and much bigger than the Tracker/Sidekick. wheelbase alone is 11+ inches longer on the Sportage and the width on the Sportage axles is 61.5 or 61.75 WMS-WMS. the Sportages suspension links are about 20-30% larger diameter and the bushing joints are bigger. the Sportage is also wider in the interior. it's front CV shafts are 1.07" thick, the same as mid-late 90's toyota pick-ups and 4runners (and i think larger than Suzuki-built stuff, but not sure).

ps- i've been under a couple GV's, trackers, etc. just lookin'...... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

ps- one last thing- the Sportage's "strut" is actually a coil-over shock and only controls suspension movement. it does not attach to the top of the front spindle and rotate with steering movements. the front suspension is a double a-arm set-up. and the lower is pretty darn beefy.