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Can I safely raise the driving height of my 2014 VF Calais Sportwagon.

Alex1954

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Hello, I was wondering if the 2014 Calais Sportwagon can be raised with a kit?
Reason being, I would like easier entering and exiting to my vehicle as I am an elderly gentleman.
 

krusing

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Hi there, I would guess you could,
Most likely get raised springs, maybe give Pedders, or any other suspension specialist a call in WA,
Maybe they can only raise it approx. 50mm I am guessing.
Hope that helps.
 

Sabbath'

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Holden did a package, FR1 from memory that's country pack. Increase in height of 35mm? and softer.
 
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mwb235

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Hello, I was wondering if the 2014 Calais Sportwagon can be raised with a kit? Reason being, I would like easier entering and exiting to my vehicle as I am an elderly gentleman.

Yes. I have a '14 Calais V sedan and fitted raised front and rear King Springs. Then got a four wheel alignment to fix camber. I love it, finally have decent clearance and it does't scrape on my driveway. Handling at highway speeds is no different. I assume a VF wagon would be the same since it's the same short wheel base as the sedan.
 

Skylarking

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Hello, I was wondering if the 2014 Calais Sportwagon can be raised with a kit?
Reason being, I would like easier entering and exiting to my vehicle as I am an elderly gentleman.
The first question you need to answer yourself is how high you need the seat to be able so you can comfortably get in and out of you car. No one her can answer that.

Maybe you can take you car to a tyre place as some use under car lifters so the door area is clear. Maybe they will be willing to help having them jack up your car to different height and you can try it. Then hopefully you find something comfortable at which point measure wheel Center to bottom of fender (front and back).

When you can is sitting on its wheels, again measure wheel Center to bottom of fender (front and back).

Your front and back lift will be the larger number - the lower number.

If a comfortable height is much more than Holden’s outback pack at 35mm?, then you may have some issues.

Laws exist in all states as to what lifts are allowed before an engineering certification is required. Sadly the laws aren’t consistent accross Australia. I think max lift in most states is 50mm above highest factory option (not including bigger tyres). That would mean max you could go is 85mm?.

Any good 4WD suspension place should be familiar with the laws state to state and be able to advise what you can legally do without the cost of engineering.

So, if after trying your ‘test lift’ at a tyre place, you determine you’d like more than 85mm?, then unless you are glued stuck to you commodore, it may be much simpler to buy another car, probably SUV style, unless you like the challenge of engineering up a jacked up commodore.

Ps: here is a motoring mag article that describes the legal lift situation w.r.t vehicles with ESC. It mentions +75mm for body +50mm tyre diameter increase for +100mm total lift and a big tyre 4WD look for you commodore :p There may be later article which describe updates as this issue upset lots of 4WD aftermarket businesses and resulted in lots of lobbying.
 
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Forg

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I don’t think you could safely raise a VF to appreciably improve access.
I suspect you might be better off with one of the upright-seat style hatches (SUV’s are awful things - avoid like the killer plague they are).
 

Skylarking

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^ I got into a three year old VW Tiguan a while ago and I’d have classified this as a small SUV. The seat height was perfect for getting in and out of if one has a lower back problem.

Upright seat style hatches or small SUV, it simply semantics as the term SUV has evolved considerably to encompass a wide range of vehicles.

But I agree those big, cumbersome, overpowered things we often see on the roads, often carrying just one person in them, are awful things. Such drivers often have the same social conscience as someone standing on a box in front of you at the footy.
 

figjam

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The sill height of my ute is 100mm higher than the Monaro. Neither, as another (183cm) elderly gentleman, are that 'easy' to get out of.
The Territory is step in/step out, but the seats are not as comfortable over a long distance as the Holdens.
Your choices ……. put up with the inconvenience, comfort, power, and general niceness of the VF, or 'arrive in an Arcadia', or get a smaller SUV. (May I suggest a Kia Sportage).
 

tml678

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Anything's possible, something like this may suit you?


61D62E2B-D709-48AF-B4CA-F9D3B33B3743.jpeg
 

vc commodore

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Maybe you can take you car to a tyre place as some use under car lifters so the door area is clear. Maybe they will be willing to help having them jack up your car to different height and you can try it. Then hopefully you find something comfortable at which point measure wheel Center to bottom of fender (front and back).


.

Herein lies a little issue....Finding a place that will allow you in the workshop to do this testing....If a person gets injured in the workshop, the owner of the business is liable for injuries you suffer.....

I know myself, I don't allow customers in the workshop, because of the stupid laws that exist around this....
 
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