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Building a new Suzuki...need input

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Offline mverley

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Building a new Suzuki...need input
« on: July 16, 2007, 10:01:12 PM »
So, I sold my diesel sami today...and I'm searching for a new suzuki rig to build.  I'm hoping for some input from a few people who wish they would have done or not done something, and any suggestions or advice for my plans. 
I need something that seats 4 comfortably with room for a little extra cargo (family wheeling), and something that, after being built, can still be driven safely on the street by my wife (backup for her jeep).  I have the ability and tools to build and tinker with just about anything, but my experience with Sidekicks is limited.
I will be starting this project in a few weeks, so let me know what you think...I may change my plans based on the advice I get.
Without having done much research, here is my general plan:

-Buy a 4 door sidekick; still up in the air about AT or manual.  Not sure what years I'm looking for, but I require the 16V engine.

-Do a Toyota SAS with 5.29's and ARB's front and rear (I think I'll do a custom coil sprung 4-link front and rear; but again, I am listening for advice)

-Trail Tough's 4.24 t-case gears

-35" baja claws (I'll trim sheetmetal if necessary for clearance)

-hydro assist steering

-the usual add-ons; onboard air, custom front/rear bumpers, winch, skidplates, rock sliders, etc.


I'm already shopping for a vehicle and parts, so post your opinions here...
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Offline HotRod

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Re: Building a new Suzuki...need input
« Reply #1 on: July 16, 2007, 11:25:01 PM »
Why?
Your already heading in the right direction ;D
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Offline mrfuelish

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Re: Building a new Suzuki...need input
« Reply #2 on: July 17, 2007, 12:09:43 AM »
Get a 1997 4 door,get an ott adapter for a toy case, a trail tough four link kit for it and your good to go with the toy axles, the toy x-fer case gears are cheap also.
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Offline Rhinoman

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Re: Building a new Suzuki...need input
« Reply #3 on: July 17, 2007, 04:58:01 AM »
If your going 35s then gearing is going to be crucial. Do the Toy tcase gears lower the high ratio? If not its not going to be much fun as a road vehicle. The AT would give more flexbilty with ratios.
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Offline Amilla

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Re: Building a new Suzuki...need input
« Reply #4 on: July 17, 2007, 05:53:49 AM »
i would deffinatly go in that direction, just the toy axles and arbs would do it for me hahah.
Go for it man!


Amilla
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Offline mverley

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Re: Building a new Suzuki...need input
« Reply #5 on: July 17, 2007, 08:19:40 AM »

I looked at the TT link kit; looks really nice, (brent makes great stuff), but it seems like you pay a bit of a premium for all of the engineering and design that went into making it a bolt-on kit.  I would prefer to build my own (I've done a few custom suspensions before). 
I had dual cases in my Sami (and have used them in 2 other vehicles as well) and really like the gearing options that that gives you...but I was going to stick with the Kick gears alone for now, and consider using a Kicker 2 in the future if I didn't feel that I had enough gearing.
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Offline mverley

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Re: Building a new Suzuki...need input
« Reply #6 on: July 17, 2007, 08:25:51 AM »
Quote from: mrfuelish on July 17, 2007, 12:09:43 AM
Get a 1997 4 door,get an ott adapter for a toy case, a trail tough four link kit for it and your good to go with the toy axles, the toy x-fer case gears are cheap also.

Why do you specify a 1997?  Anything about earlier or later years I need to know before I go pick one up?
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Offline ebewley

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Re: Building a new Suzuki...need input
« Reply #7 on: July 17, 2007, 08:36:06 AM »
The only snag I see is that with the 5.29 and 35" tall tire it'll be a pooch on the highway. I'd consider 33" and more engine but that is just me. Those little ol' 33's I've had on the 'Kick for 4 or 5 years now seem to get me just about everywhere I'd like to be. Anyway back to the point and for example Hoff (33 Goodyears and a 2door with 16 valve) has regeared his Sidekick to 5.71 in hopes of getting 5th back (and all that implies) and I'm not sure he's satisfied yet. I know when I had the 4banger in there 5th was eliminated with 33's.

Something to think about.

-Eric
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Offline locjaw

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Re: Building a new Suzuki...need input
« Reply #8 on: July 17, 2007, 09:32:24 AM »
Quote from: ebewley on July 17, 2007, 08:36:06 AM
The only snag I see is that with the 5.29 and 35" tall tire it'll be a pooch on the highway. I'd consider 33" and more engine but that is just me. Those little ol' 33's I've had on the 'Kick for 4 or 5 years now seem to get me just about everywhere I'd like to be. Anyway back to the point and for example Hoff (33 Goodyears and a 2door with 16 valve) has regeared his Sidekick to 5.71 in hopes of getting 5th back (and all that implies) and I'm not sure he's satisfied yet. I know when I had the 4banger in there 5th was eliminated with 33's.

Something to think about.

-Eric

i'm not satisified! even with the 5.71's there aint a lot of 5th gear to speak of. the problem i'm comming to realize is the spread in the gear ratio in the tranny. the spread between 2nd and 3rd up in the hills , is the difference between you feeling like your over revving and bogging it down!
if i were to do it over, i might choose an automatic this time.
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kingzoo

Re: Building a new Suzuki...need input
« Reply #9 on: July 17, 2007, 12:33:12 PM »
   I have an auto in my 91 4 door sidekick,and the gearing with the auto tranny works much more gooder.The 4 speed auto is even better.
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Offline SnoFalls

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Re: Building a new Suzuki...need input
« Reply #10 on: July 17, 2007, 12:59:36 PM »
go with a 99+ 4dr automatic ...

+ nicer creature comforts for the DD
+ V6
+ lockers available (go ARB!!!!)

- much more $$$ usually.
- will probably have to fab a bunch.

Sounds like you're not worried about fabbing, so sounds nearly perfect if you can afford the $$$.
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Offline bzzr2

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Re: Building a new Suzuki...need input
« Reply #11 on: July 18, 2007, 09:02:42 AM »
i agree that maybe a 99+ is the way to go.  i have to 2.0L with 31's, 5spd, 4.62, when my speedo says 80km/h i put it in 5th with no problems, even on a slight uphill grade it's fine, on hills i drop to 4th of sometimes but that would be with most small engines and a 5spd.  i have no problems pulling 140km/h out of it either.  i didn't like it much but it went that speed with little effort.   if you can fab the old model up to what you want i'm sure you can do the same with a newer model!  then or course there's the v6 and a whole pile of extra power! 
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Offline mverley

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Re: Building a new Suzuki...need input
« Reply #12 on: July 18, 2007, 11:47:29 PM »
Thanks for the info so far...
Fab work shouldn't be too much of an issue on whatever I build...$$ is more of an issue, but not a build-stopper.  My problem with a newer (read:  more $$) rig is that I don't have as much fun wheeling it.  A dent in a $1000 rig is something I bust out laughing at (I couldn't stop laughing when I rolled my Sami last year)...a dent in a rig I'm $15,000 into might make a good day not so good.  I'd like to be able to wheel the poo out of this rig, and be happy with some dents and scrapes in it at the end of the day.

What I'm hearing is people recommending the auto over the manual...and that I'm going to be unhappy with the street performance with the 1.6L and 35's regardless of how deeply I gear the toy axles. 
The upside of this is that this will never be a daily driver...it may see a week or two of commuting if I have to do work on my wife's DD, but probably never more than that.  I would likely never even drive it to the trails; it will mostly see miles on a trailer.

What about this vitara?: http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/car/375632410.html
and this sidekick:  http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/car/374632631.html
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Offline mrfuelish

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Re: Building a new Suzuki...need input
« Reply #13 on: July 19, 2007, 12:52:22 AM »
I like the 96 and newer for the ecm is obd2, the vit looks good it has the 2.0 and it has four link in the rear already and aluminum front a arms stock, should be 145 h.p. or so, If I had the bucks I would go for it and 571 toy gears would be nice, maybe you could use the stock rear four link on the toy rear depending on how much fex your looking for.
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1987,1988,1988,1990 samurai's,  1953 m38a1,  1996 x-90,blue.1996 x-90 red.1994 2 door tracker.   only Dead Fish go with the flow.                No Hairy Nosed Wombats were ran over on the trail today.       My ZUK is Xenophobic.
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Offline mverley

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Re: Building a new Suzuki...need input
« Reply #14 on: July 19, 2007, 12:44:42 PM »
I've never crawled under a Vitara before...but I guess I'll take a look.  I don't really care about lack of power on the street, but I'll admit I got tired of the 1.3 in my Sami.  I may get tired of the 1.6 in the kick after a year or two as well.  After a little internet research, it looks like the 1999-2001 vitara shares some drivetrain parts with the sidekick; tranny and tcase the same for the 2.0.  Does this sound right?

Anybody know of/have any Vitara's with a SAS?  Just curious what has been done before...
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