I hate just sitting around in the winter watching tv and getting fat so I'm starting a Samurai crawler build. I built one with my 19 year old son and we had a great time, one more son to do some bonding with. My plans for the build are start off with a 4.3 chev motor and 350 auto,4-1 gears in t-case, toyota axles, 4 link rear suspension and yj reverse shackles front suspension. I'm shooting for a wheel base of 92" (stock wheel base 78") and run 35. I picked up a base sami no running gear but good body cheep. Also got a motor, power steering conversion, and a transmission this past week. The treasure hunt has begin. Stopped buy the salvage yard last friday to get some metal and they had a astro van with multi port fuel injection $20. Now thats a treasure. I'm not an expert builder but I do know how to have fun with metal. Encouragement helps move the project along.
Winter project
- Thread starter Dixon
- Start date
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
Looks like a good pile of parts & an even better plan! What's your timeline or is there one? What T-Case are you going to use?
Tonight I split the body from the frame this will enable me to do my motor and trans mounts easier. I also need to mount the steering box and install the new suspension. Like I said I've done this before on a samurai so I have a reference to get measurements off of. Should make installing the running gear alot slicker (no guessing).
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Greg said:
I would like to be done by easter but depends on how demanding work gets. Right now I'm using the sami t case. Its a stand alone unit with a right side off set. I have a GM slip yoke to samurai flange adapter already. This is what I have on the green one and I've never had a problem yet. I'm going to do new bearing and seals and 4 to 1 gears
James K
NO, I'm always like this
- Location
- Taylorsville, Ut
I have that same EFI set up and have been very pleased.
what year is the 4.3? it looks like it has the internal balancer shaft.
James K said:
I have that same EFI set up and have been very pleased.
what year is the 4.3? it looks like it has the internal balancer shaft.
I'm not sure what year it is but I was told it was a vortec engine. Do you know any spec. on the flex plate? does it need to be a balanced one or is thats done internaly?
James K
NO, I'm always like this
- Location
- Taylorsville, Ut
Dixon said:
as far as I know they are internally balanced.
At this point I"m woundering if all I have is a pile of scrape metal or is there amoung the junk a burgening rock crawler? I got the frame stripped of unnecessary samurai over enginering. I should start installing the new suspension next week. Also started to narrow the tug. I want it to keep the samurai look but to work good with big tires. There's going to have to be a lot of trial and error to get the back end to look good.
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great scott
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Carbonvil/Price Utah
Nice very nice . If you need a hand now and then give me a ring.
. If you need a hand now and then give me a ring.It's been a long day of torching and sand blasting. But fells good to get the dirt work done. Still have a little sand blasting on front axle, ran out of sand. Did you see my new little red buddy. Took me most of the bag of sand to figure out I was out of adjustment. Using to much sand, removing not enough rust. Thought I'd let you see my poor project thats getting ignored because of this obsession to build a rock crawl. 1969 mustang convertable. Total resto.
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marvin
ZINGER
- Location
- Price, Utah
looking good, you have done alot in such a short time. I need to get started on mine now that I will have the time, but my ideal is to get the cherokee running so that I can have a wheeling rig while my sammi is down, do not want to miss out any more on any runs!!
Shane you did me good. I spent the morning at Rock Logic getting an education on 4 link rear suspension. Seth the owner was really good to go over ever step of the install that I need to be aware of. We talked about each tab installation were and why it need to go in a particular place. If I do what he said it should work. I did make a change to the rear suspension, instead of coil springs I went with a set of 14" Fox shocks. One of the questions they asked was what wheel base was I shooting for? I was thinking around 90" to 92" they though I should go to at least 100" I keep thinking (but it's only a samurai) So if you have any thoughts please share. They are building the tubes so I should have them in a few day.
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Dixon said:
Very nice! Seth is a good guy and he know's what he's talking about.
You won't be disappointed with those fox airshox. They are excellent, especially in rear suspensions. Depending on your time frame, I have a bottle of Nitrogen and some shock oil that I can bring over sometime (when I'm in town) to help you fill up and set those shox when you're ready. It's at friends house in Springville currently, so it's all about timing.
lenny
formerly known as PokeyYJ
- Location
- Bountiful, UT
Wanna sell the front axle housing off the Sami?