16vCorey
16vCorey PowerDork
9/12/22 9:37 a.m.

So a friend of mine recently moved to Sarasota, so she doesn't really know anyone there yet.  She has a 2015 Honda Fit that she loves, but it's getting harder and harder for her to get out of.  Her and her husband found this article: https://www.motortrend.com/features/jefferson-palmas-offroad-lifted-honda-fit/ so they were considering doing something like this.  Though it will be a strictly on-road vehicle, so it doesn't need to be quite as extreme as that one.  They mention in the article that he did a "body lift" to retain the stock suspension, so I'm assuming he just made spacers for the front and rear cross members, strut tops, and possibly motor mounts.  So I was thinking adding a 3" lift, wheel spacers, and 215/70R15 tires on the stock wheels would give a stock-ish ride, but add a total of around 4.5" of lift to help her get in and out of it. Anyone familiar with the area know anyone that would be willing to take on that type of project?

John Welsh
John Welsh Mod Squad
9/12/22 9:57 a.m.

Helping from the desk...  

I searched a little and found forum listings like this: https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-generation-ge-08-13/97302-anyone-ever-lift-their-fit-3.html

If I'm reading correctly, a Spacer kit like this on the front and Honda Insight springs to the rear.  

 

In the Prius world there is an off the shelf solution:  https://priusoffroad.com/products  I had hoped they had a Honda offering too.  

 

Another search possibility, isn't the Honda HR-V really just a lifted Fit that replaces the Fit?  Ergo, would HR-V struts bolt up????

16vCorey
16vCorey PowerDork
9/12/22 11:10 a.m.
John Welsh said:

Helping from the desk...  

I searched a little and found forum listings like this: https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-generation-ge-08-13/97302-anyone-ever-lift-their-fit-3.html

If I'm reading correctly, a Spacer kit like this on the front and Honda Insight springs to the rear.  

 

In the Prius world there is an off the shelf solution:  https://priusoffroad.com/products  I had hoped they had a Honda offering too.  

 

Another search possibility, isn't the Honda HR-V really just a lifted Fit that replaces the Fit?  Ergo, would HR-V struts bolt up????

Thanks!  There's a lot of good info in that thread.

ProDarwin
ProDarwin MegaDork
9/12/22 11:15 a.m.

Lots of custom ways to do this, but all are going to have their downsides (more extreme CV angles, poor suspension positioning, tire rub, etc).  Is it possible to trade in the Fit on a taller vehicle with more  favorable ingress/egress for her?

 

 

John Welsh
John Welsh Mod Squad
9/12/22 2:26 p.m.

New struts and new tires will have you north of $1k possibly towards $2k. That does somewhat encourage the "replace" argument. A Honda Fit, with good mpg, should be a desirable and therefore valuable sale. 

If that's an option, here are words I wrote in another thread about car shopping for my elderly mother in law. 

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