Samurai's with some UTV style.

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deviant said:
Wow this what controversial pretty quick. Samurai would have a hard time out performing a long travel side by side in most applications. But that really wasn't the point of posting these pictures. I could see me getting a little samurai doing some spring under action with big febder cutting and 31 inch tires building a cool drop top cage adding a windshield frame and having a cool little beater that is street legalish for my boys and I to play in.

I know a lot of you guys on the site hate you UTVs just for the sake of hating them. That's okay with me I just thought the samurai's had some cool style.

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Definately some cool style. I think if I could EVER hold onto one long enough I would like to go with 1.5" lifted springs sprung under, 30" tires, sidekick 16v motor swap, full exo cage, custom tube bumpers similar to the trailtough sidekick tube bumpers, aluminum dash, dodge neon front seats, and a few more little mods here and there.

Thanks for posting those pictures there you found, sure got some other ideas rolling now.
 
they're not worth comparing really. i love zuk's as much as the next guy but they do not have the suspension that the nice UTV's have. still, they are cheaper and cooler IMO
 
I don't see this as controversial, more of a friendly debate and a taste of reality. I do love the idea of a 4x4 that is similar in size to a SxS and I have played with the idea many times before. But comparing a built Samurai to a performance SxS is ridiculous! The idea of pitting long travel independent suspension with coilovers and a suspension that is tuned for high speed play versus solid axles and leaf springs is laughable!

I have no hate for SxS's... matter of fact, I really want a Wildcat and have spent some time at the AC dealer checking them out. I think they have their place and could be loads of fun! If I could swing it, I would have one. ;)

Sounds like you have some good ideas and know what you're getting into! I'd say do it and show us how well it works. For running around in the desert, what you're describing has lots of potential. I like the idea.


deviant said:
Wow this what controversial pretty quick. Samurai would have a hard time out performing a long travel side by side in most applications. But that really wasn't the point of posting these pictures. I could see me getting a little samurai doing some spring under action with big febder cutting and 31 inch tires building a cool drop top cage adding a windshield frame and having a cool little beater that is street legalish for my boys and I to play in.

I know a lot of you guys on the site hate you UTVs just for the sake of hating them. That's okay with me I just thought the samurai's had some cool style.

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zukijames said:
yup no way a 3k sami would do better..


but how about this.. my neighbor has 30k into his rzr that he races.. i bet if you got a side kick for 400$ ( i got my last one for free) and put 29600$ into it it would out climb and out ride the side kick through the bumpy stuff..

it was awhile ago when i was talking to him maybe a year ago but at his recent race his top speed was only 64 mph . i know he's done alot since to go fast but yeah..

for the price of a built racing side by side i'd rather have something else

but i agree that brandon is in suzuki denial ..i love suzuki's but im starting to realize they are not the vehicle for many..
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$30k is probably about the start of what it would take to make a Sami badass compared to a SxS... :p But why?
 
I think UTV's def have there place and have seemed to have run away in their own catagory of offroading.
heres my $2000 sami that actually fit on ATV trails, but was not good in whoops or going above 60mph....it was spring under for a very long time then did the YJ springs 16v, 6.5 Tcase, 31's
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And street legal in my hometown, so that was way more important than stepping up to a UTV (and price).
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Serious question, how did it ride at speed, offroad... being sprung-under with those springs? Is it possible to make a Sami ride decent spring under?
 
Greg said:
Serious question, how did it ride at speed, offroad... being sprung-under with those springs? Is it possible to make a Sami ride decent spring under?
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I would think spring under is the only chance you have of making it handle at speed. Long custom shackles on a high end leaf springs such as deavers and properly about shocks.

Unfortunately even if I did find a samurai it wouldn't be a priority project this winter. I did a bunch of work on my you UTV this year and now it's time to tear it down for paint and finish work.

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SAM_0744.jpg


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deviant said:
I would think spring under is the only chance you have of making it handle at speed. Long custom shackles on a high end leaf springs such as deavers and properly about shocks.
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I agree with you, I'd think spring-under using Alcans built for the weight & planned use, with a little arch and several inches longer than stock length would be a good start. Then you could add some nice remote remote reservoir shocks and you might have something. But at that point you're talking upwards of $1800 - $2000 into just springs and shocks.

At that point, I'd start to wonder if the Sami axle housings are going to handle some higher-speed beatings...

UTV looks good! What is/was it? :D
 
Greg said:
Serious question, how did it ride at speed, offroad... being sprung-under with those springs? Is it possible to make a Sami ride decent spring under?
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The only thing the spring under helped me with was the axle wrap... it rode decent from 10 to 30mph, but above 40 it was a pinball from obstical to obstical.
 
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Greg said:
UTV looks good! What is/was it? :D
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2008 Kawasaki Teryx. Custom +5 suspension built by me. Fox shocks sprung and valved by me, 4" seat drop with corbeau seats, 14 gallon custom fuel cell under the pass seat in stock location, 14" frame strech with 91" wheel base, Removable 42" rear bench. Full custom chassis built by me with some help from DUGFAB, Custom Aluminum Body built by DUGFAB and myself. And tons of other custom stuff to make all of the above work. I will also be building a new much higher HP motor for it this winter.

jinxspot said:
The only thing the spring under helped me with was the axle wrap... it rode decent from 10 to 30mph, but above 40 it was a pinball from obstical to obstical.
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The reason spring under would work better is you need an arch in your spring for up travel so it doesn't go inverted and also the more arch it has the longer it is and the longer it is the more travel it has. Spring Under would allow you to have about 5" extra arch while maintaining the same ride height as a spring over on flat springs. Look at all high end desert trucks running leafs and they will all be spring under.
 
Maybe it's just me but I laugh when I look at those pics. I just don't see the purpose or see any satisfaction out of owning one of those. But that's just my opinion. I do like the one in post #5 though. Probably because it doesn't resemble one at all.
 
I do think those Sidekick/Trackers are pretty cool, but cut off the A & B pillars, ditch the doors and tube it out!

I wonder how hard it would be to swap in a Tacoma front IFS diff and fab up a set of slightly wider and stronger A arms. Run some decent coilovers and possibly build a trailing arm rear suspension using coilovers, with a Toyota Supra IRS diff... lots of work and money, but it has potential!
 
Greg said:
I do think those Sidekick/Trackers are pretty cool, but cut off the A & B pillars, ditch the doors and tube it out!

I wonder how hard it would be to swap in a Tacoma front IFS diff and fab up a set of slightly wider and stronger A arms. Run some decent coilovers and possibly build a trailing arm rear suspension using coilovers, with a Toyota Supra IRS diff... lots of work and money, but it has potential!
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There was some talk on I think zuwharrie.com, zukworld.com, and zukikrawlers.com of a guy making adapters to use a toyota ifs and axles on a sidekick/tracker base. If I can find them on my home computer when im off work ill post the threads up for you.
 
The purpose is that you can buy one and take it out wheeling just as much as the guys with the high-dollar tube buggies or UTV's that they are making payments on. I'm surprised you haven't owned one in your quest to own every vehicle out there for ten minutes ;)


Cascadia said:
Maybe it's just me but I laugh when I look at those pics. I just don't see the purpose or see any satisfaction out of owning one of those. But that's just my opinion. I do like the one in post #5 though. Probably because it doesn't resemble one at all.
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