To lift or not to lift 2wd compact suv?

[notazombie]

Just out of curiosity, what would the cost offset be to buy another Sportage with 4wd and sell your 2wd?

 

[CamoDeafie]

RWD makes a difference. There's some nice looking Kia's on that website. I can see where a lift might help but it's a lot of hassle. Being it's still 2WD, wouldn't a good set of off winter rated tires (not M+S) get the job done?

If I need to replace the original rear springs and shocks, and quite possibly parts of the front (Now, that there would be the biggest hassle)... the way I'm thinking.. why not do the lift anyways? really, the big hassle is the front suspension. If Kia had gone with simple coils on solid axle, like the Jeeps, Samurais, etc, then it would have been much simpler. As far as I know, no one in the US makes an extended strut unit for them. Japan/Korea/Asia, maybe, but I haven't found them...spacers yeah, currently only 30mm spacers at the biggest, but older posts on the forum mentioned 40mm,50mm,60mm spacers having been around when they were new and because theres 2 models that share the same frame/suspension for sale out in Asia area (Kia Sportage and Kia/Asia Motors Retona, the civvie version of the Kia Military KM131/420 Jeep)

Lift and tires would cost more than that sled is worth.

Lift, $300 at the most, from my calculations so far.... And that's accounting for the front lift kit being the most expensive component of the system.
Tires, that's another story...but gently used tires/take-offs should be more affordable to find.......

Hmm.
I tried to find out exactly what size tires I could go without needing a lift on that 4x4wire website...it seems most people reported rubbing issues with 215s on stock rims, although the wheels have like 4.75" backspacing.

Just out of curiosity, what would the cost offset be to buy another Sportage with 4wd and sell your 2wd?

I found them for about the same cost that I paid for the 2wd Kia a few years ago, so about $1800 for the 4wd models with similar mileage or less, with either auto or manual (would prefer manual). But the same problem is...they don't have all that much ground clearance either, close to the same as a Subaru Forester.

my stock tire size is P205/70/R15s, just looked at them.
They're on the stock steel wheels, not alloys. Not sure why they have so much positive offset/deep backspacing..... might be best to see what happens if I get 215-225s with wheels that have 4" backspacing...may not need a lift then... people have reported that their mileage hasn't taken as big a hit as people thought by going to 30"x9.5s on 4" lifts.. others have reported a huge hit when they went to 32" and 4"+ lifts.

 

[Oregonhunter5]

You sound like a nice guy, so I'm gonna be nice. Lifting a 2wd rig is against all man laws. It's like buying a 2wd tundra. Dudes that buy a 2wd tundra live in California. The most pussified worthless flea bags come from California

 

[jbett98]

Uber to work when it snows.

 

[cigars]

You sound like a nice guy, so I'm gonna be nice. Lifting a 2wd rig is against all man laws. It's like buying a 2wd tundra. Dudes that buy a 2wd tundra live in California. The most pussified worthless flea bags come from California

Or, it's also known as making the most of what you have. Not everybody can run out and buy a new $70k truck just so they make an Ikea run in style. It sounds like he's thinking this out pretty thoroughly.

 

[notazombie]

You seem pretty smitten with the early Sportage platform, and I can understand wanting to improve overall offroad capability. You've obviously spent a lot of time researching this and really seem to have your mind made up. Personally, I just don't see investing the money and effort on a 2wd. But then again, I don't really get the whole prerunner thing either.

 

[cigars]

You seem pretty smitten with the early Sportage platform, and I can understand wanting to improve overall offroad capability. You've obviously spent a lot of time researching this and really seem to have your mind made up. Personally, I just don't see investing the money and effort on a 2wd. But then again, I don't really get the whole prerunner thing either.

Truth is, you can do a lot with the ladder box body on frame SUV's. My Rav4 is unibody and not worth even trying to upgrade it's mall-rated design.

 

[notazombie]

After rereading my post it comes off a bit gruff, which wasn't my intention. I get wanting to make the best of what you already have. I was just looking at it from my lazy perspective.

 

[Oregonhunter5]

Or, it's also known as making the most of what you have. Not everybody can run out and buy a new $70k truck just so they make an Ikea run in style. It sounds like he's thinking this out pretty thoroughly.

Lol!!!! IKEA? Lol!!!!
Happy to say I've never been to that place. I'm Charles Ingalls. I carve my furniture out of whole logs

 

[notazombie]

Lol!!!! IKEA? Lol!!!!
Happy to say I've never been to that place. I'm Charles Ingalls. I carve my furniture out of whole logs

Besides that, I think our closest IKEA is about 450 miles to the west.

 

[CamoDeafie]

You sound like a nice guy, so I'm gonna be nice. Lifting a 2wd rig is against all man laws. It's like buying a 2wd tundra. Dudes that buy a 2wd tundra live in California. The most pussified worthless flea bags come from California

born and raised in Oregon.

How do you feel about 2wd trucks doing the Baja 500/1,000 races, and 2wd VW Bugs doing beach runs, desert runs, and so on?
I do recognize that 4wd may be needed, and that it may be best to have a 4wd vehicle for what I want to do, however, It might also be much cheaper to get a Jeep CJ project for the 4wd activities that a 2wd or 4wd Kia Sportage may not be able to do.
What I want to do...have a little bit more confidence in my Kia Sportage's ability to go off road, within reason and within the limitations I have. I did not grow up 4-wheeling like some of y'all did.
really though....

converting the Kia Sportage to a solid axle, 4 wheeling beast is going to take a lot more money than just giving it a little lift and not going over 30" tire size. (probably cheaper to just get a running stock-ish CJ-5 lol)
This is the Solid Axle 4wheel Sportage from Thailand that impressed me to say the least...
[youtube]

The TJ springs that I have a line on, I am not sure how much lift they will do to the Kia, so I need to know that first, before I order the front lift spacers over time. I won't do the whole lift kit right away, but likely, I'll get it piece by piece, and then maybe trade for a 4wd Kia Sportage, and have the lift kit already ready to go on...

@notazombie , yeah...it's my first suv... But I've always been fascinated by the oddball small SUVs like the Samurai, Tracker, Sidekick, G-wagen, M151, VW Iltis(talk about unobtanium lol) Steyr-Daimler Puch, those types of small SUVs. never been a big fan of the RAV4 or the Subarus really.

@cigars ; You know.... the 1st gen Sportage(1995-2002) is the only one of the Sportage line that has the boxed ladder frame? The next gen went to the unibody mall-rat/ trendy soccer dad segment.

 

[Kruel J]

A 17 year old Kia? No offense meant here, but I wouldn't put anything into it but gas and oil. And those older Sportages along with the rest of the older Kia's weren't exactly well built vehicles. Again, no offense intended here. Just being honest.

 

[thorborg]

Bigger tires = constantly calculating your speed if you use it in town and hwy's.
Your speedometer, and mileage (Mileage I use a lot recording back woods road locations) will not read correct.

Lift? Check your insurance first. Some companies will not insure non factory raised vehicles.

I'm not in opposition to your pursuit of happiness, just offering food for thought.

 

[Flymph]

KIA stands for Killed In Action...
Get an AWD subaru from the era, like a legacy or an outback if you can, lift or get the after market bumpers.
Probably only 2k if you sell the KIA...

 

[CamoDeafie]

I'm less worried about beating them up off road than I would be with a much newer vehicle for all the crap... it has been reliable to me. Granted, it's only got 135k miles on it right now with regular maintenance.... Then again, I haven't quite abused it off road anyhow (it pays to know my limitations)

I can't justify a Subaru, even after selling the Kia Not when I can get a Blazer, a Cherokee, a CJ-5, or really, any other 4x4 pickup/truck/SUV......

 

[Kruel J]

"only 135k" on a first gen Kia?

I'd consider saving the money for drivetrain work that it's going to need sooner than later.

 

[CamoDeafie]

"only 135k" on a first gen Kia?

I'd consider saving the money for drivetrain work that it's going to need sooner than later.

Already replaced engine and clutch last year. so far the rear axle's gears are in good shape.

 

[Kruel J]

Already replaced engine and clutch last year. so far the rear axle's gears are in good shape.

If you like your Kia enough to replace the engine, then I think the choice here is obvious.

 

[Oregonhunter5]

Already replaced engine and clutch last year. so far the rear axle's gears are in good shape.

New engine at 135k? Yea I'd run that baby till she dies.

 

[CamoDeafie]

New engine at 135k? Yea I'd run that baby till she dies.

engine was from a totaled Mazda something with 70,000 miles, when the odo on mine showed 107k miles After installing newer engine, Did oil changes at 3-4k miles instead of Kia's recommendation of 6-8K mile intervals. Probably did a lot to keep it reliable so far. Only little things like the crap interior (broken window visors, broken regulator, small rips in seats) are the problems. Did a check up on the rear axle parts, only needed to add new grease to the center and made sure all 4 wheel bearings in good shape.
Old Kia engine had a head gasket failure and since it was an interference engine, one of the pistons punched through the block. Oh yeah forgot to add, new timing belt when I got the newer engine into it.
So yeah, that's why I haven't traded for a 4wd anything since then. Probably should consider it..but I don't much trust that other people are as gentle on theirs as I've been on the 2wd vehicle (if that )