[Trifonov]

My car is a 2004 Grand Vitara 2.0 TDI (RHW engine). I repaired the whole front suspension and brakes with brand new parts and put in a +5 cm lift kit. The problem is, that when going on bad roads with moderate speed (20 km/h), when riding in medium potholes, the rocker arm usually hits the rubber damper. I checked and the damper is very close to the rocker arm (about 40 mms) when the car stands still. The axle shafts are almost horizontal despite of the lift ki. When I lift the car up, the spring is expanding very much. So can the springs weaken to this state through 18 years and 160k kms?

 

[Trifonov]

The answer to your question might depend on the quality of the springs fitted - it certainly doesn't look like it has 5cm of lift.

I think the springs are original (never replaced before).

Here is a picture of how it was before the lift kit was installed (with winter tires):

 

[Trifonov]

If those are the OEM springs, that would mean the lift was done with spacers - if those spacers are the black rubber items above the springs, my suspicion is that they have collapsed and are no longer providing 5cm of lift.

I have this in mind too... But I only used it a few hundred kms after the spacers was installed with only a few ten kms on light off road terrain (bad quality forest roads). Can this be as bad quality?

 

[Trifonov]

Be specific - what parts were replaced, and what were they replaced with? Tell us what was in this lift kit.

Do you have before & after measurements to show how much the vehicle was lifted by?

What size tires do you currently have fitted - I ask this purely to try to judge the amount lift by the appearance.

Replaced parts: rocker arms, shocks, stabilizer bar bushes, brake discs and pads, steering tie rod ends.
All parts are replaced with aftermarket ones, but the same types as the original.

The lift kit is this: Lift kit 2" for Suzuki Grand Vitara

The tires are Insta Turbo Dakar 215/65 R16

Here are two pictures, before the lift and after the lift installed. On the first picture (before lift) there was 215/65 R16 Cooper winter tires.
But it is important, that while the nominal tire size is the same, the new tires (Insa Turbo Dakar) are bigger in diamater in the real world (didn't measured exactly).
Rims are original 16".

I didn't measured anything before and after, but I think the 5 cm raise is OK, mostly visible at the doorsteps.

I checked, and I don't think the rubber spacers are collapsed, because there is a photo from earlier (before lift kit installed), and I
can count the spring threads, and it's ok.