ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Discussion Forum => Suzuki 4x4 Forum => Topic started by: plepper on November 16, 2004, 01:57:28 PM
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Hi I'm a total newbie but want ideas about what would be the best ride for me. I currently explore the mountains and trails with suzuki 4wd quads with my wife and am thinking of a sidekick/sammy. I wont be doing any rockcrawling or extreme stuff but don't want to get stuck while exploring. I like the looks of Sidekicks but theres not much info that I can find . what parts are neccessary.
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well i have a sidekick, i have a 3" body lift and 30" tires i am thinking of putting in some 2 inch coil spacers too it. i foudn that they are pretty inexpensive vehicles to lift could probly to a 5" total lift (3" body lift) and about 2" suspension lift) for about 200 bucks..
any other questions? feel free to ask
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I have a slightly modified SideKick
(http://wildcatent.freeyellow.com/suzuki-rock.jpg)
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and its multi colored! ;D
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That's urban Camoflage ;)
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I have a little Tracker too ;)
I went for the Tracker for the bigger interior and the 16valve.
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In my experience with Samurai's (9 years and I currently own 9 of them)
I prefer the Kick / Tracker as it is newer and updated.
But if you get a Samurai you will most likely run into some of these items that will need to be replaced due to age wear and abuse.
Steering Rag joint (1)
Transfer case rubber mounts (3) $52
Transfercase shifter sheet (1)  $10
5-spd Trans Shifter locating bolt (1)
Engine mounts rubber (2)
Then in short order you will find that the Trans bearings are noisy (Place the t-case in neutral) and go thru all 5 gears listening to the bearings.  5th gear noise will scare ya!   Replace the Trans bearings ($100 kit)  Don't forget the new front and rear main shaft seals or the gear oil will leak out when you park on a hill and kill your fresh rebuild. ÂÂ
Then you find that the lower king pin bearings are worn / rusted from abuse / holding water. ÂÂ
So you replace all (4) king pin bearings and do the knuckle seal kit.
Then the Rear wheel axle bearings go bad.  So you replace both sides.  While also replacing both of the  rear wheel brake cylinders as both are locked up and not moving.
Now that it is running and being driven daily you can concentrate on the oil leaks from the front and rear crank seal  and Distributor O-ring seal. ÂÂ
ANd don't ever overtighten the lug nuts as they will strip in the hub and spin making them not removable. ÂÂ
Always lube and torque the lug nuts properly.
Now your kids can go for a ride with your in the newly rebuilt sammy, But while (playing) entering and exiting the vehicle they manage to break both the inner and outer door handles on both doors along with the window crank handles and glove box door. ÂÂ
Sammy owners, You've Gotta love it.
(http://www.zuwharrie.com/gallery/albums/userpics/fall_2004/DCP_2013.jpg)
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With a mild lift, some good tires and a rear locker, you will be shocked at all the places you can take a Kick. My vote is for a Kick ;D
(http://puresuzuki.com/002White_Zuki.jpg)
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Another vote for a Sidekick if you're intending on some light wheeling. It's a capable vehicle, and like everyone else said alread, it's more comfortable and large :)
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i prefer the vitara (sidekick). a lot of reasons why.
most do up sierras (sammys) cos they are easier and cheaper, well they say.
but the sierras are a tight fit for just city driving, and if you want to go exploring, you probably want to pack some gear (at least a days worth) right? so the vitara has more room (spacious interior), is more comfy, wider, and i think it looks better (when modded right).
a tank of fuel for a days wheeling - $40 AUD
a snatch to snatch your sierra out when you get stuck - $80 AUD
the look on your face when a Vitara drives through where you got stuck - PRICELESS (AUD)
i just love to 'kick' the sierras when off road and the look and expression of other people's faces when they see you rock up in a lifted Vit.
well, i dont (try not to) do much extreme stuff, except mud, so my vit is pretty much tame. i also do a lot of exploring, like looking for new tracks and going hunting for the week end, and that sorta stuff.
well for your question to which would be the better ride, you'll have to decide. i went for the Vit for a change, and to see what they can really do, and they do do a lot!
another thing, with a sierra, you can keep going up and up and up and then over on to the side...... the thing about VitS is that they are wider already in a standard form, and are limiting to how high you can go with lift, which i see as a good thing. well for me anyway, keeps me safe to a certain 'degree' . if you get what i mean.
(http://www.eye-irritant.com/august2004/DSC04768.JPG)
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one more vote for kick, just cuz i own one.
(http://www.eye-irritant.com/august2004/smaller pic of flexing tracker.JPG)
stu
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you know me..
but in this case, I'll post two pics from a time when my truck was at it's sweetest point before the SAS.
(http://www.granitepath.com/friends/kd7hcg/pictures/33s/DCP_4747.jpg)
(http://www.granitepath.com/friends/kd7hcg/pictures/33s/DCP_4749.jpg)
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Hi I'm a total newbie but want ideas about what would be the best ride for me. I currently explore the mountains and trails with suzuki 4wd quads with my wife and am thinking of a sidekick/sammy. I wont be doing any rockcrawling or extreme stuff but don't want to get stuck while exploring. I like the looks of Sidekicks but theres not much info that I can find . what parts are neccessary.
Either would be a good ride. The 'Kick will have a bit more top-end speed for non-4WD activities. (i.e. commuting.) It's amazing, in its original form, the places a stock Sammy will take you, though. I could stradle ruts left by other 4x4's. The only time I got stuck is when I dropped into the ruts from the Jeeps... and bellied in.
If you aren't running heavily rutted roads, you probably don't need many changes. Lifts and oversized tires are great for conquering axle deep mud, but otherwise either rig will do well in stock form and will handle better on the road.
For boonie running, you might consider grabber tires, a tool kit, and some emergency gear. If you don't want to install a winch, a come-along, shovel and chain will get you out of most unexpected holes. Back it up with a cell phone & you are ready to go.
If most of your exploring is on logging roads and such, even the 2WD will do the job... but 4WD will get you more places.
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ummmmmm, i vote sj410 long wheelbase.....now im gona get outa here before i get any heat!!!!!! :o
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JUST ONE ;D I have two samurai's and a kick, the kick makes good parts for the samurai's :)
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ummmmmm, i vote sj410 long wheelbase.....now im gona get outa here before i get any heat!!!!!! :o
As long as it's not parted out on the front lawn turning into a flower planter.
(you know who you are)
~Nate
;D
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If you're lookin at samurai's shop carefully and find one thats been well taken care of. Remember that the youngest one you'll find is still over 10 years old. Still I've found some crazy diamonds in the rough(Like 2 mint Sammy's for $400) They do have a couple weak points but everyone know's what they are and fixing almost anything on the sammy is a snap. In most cases the parts for a sammy are pretty cheap in comparison to other cars and trucks. Hell, my sammy is easier to repare than most of my RC cars! I love my Sammy and for VERY little $$$ invested it does amazingly well...even with a busted passenger side door handle and window crank :P.
I will admit my tracker also wheels very well, but be aware, getting a nice 4 - 5" lift that flexes alot more than stock on a tracker is going to cost alot and the tracker also has its weak spots. just ask anyone with 33's and the stock aluminum front axle housing. Or, ask the folks that continualy break idler arms. Still, with a moderate investment one will be able to keep up with most samurais. Also, the Tracker isn't quite as easy to fix as the Sammy, especailly if you're talking the later multipoint EFI models.
I'd take a sammy over a kick, especially for a beginer, if you want to go hardcore on it or are mainly looking for a wheeler. The tracker would make a much better daily driver(thats what mine does) and is alot more comfy any sammy. In the end either truck is awesome and you'll be really happy with your purchase. All that really matters is that you don't buy a SHEEP.....oops I meant JEEP.
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Availability is why I ended up with a tracker and not a sammy.
I looked for a sammy for about 6 months and all I could find near me was 6-7K already built, or ~2K and in POOR shape (bad rust generally). When I then decided I'd better consider a track/kick, I still found mostly overpriced specimens. Finally found a $1200 tracker, no rust, but not perfect either.
You may have better luck than I, but it took me a while to finally find something reasonable.
Rob
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I have had both, a 1987 Samurai, and a 1996 Tracker.  While the Sammi can probably be modified to do much more extreme off road, the Tracker, even in stock condition is very capable for moderate off roading. ÂÂ
I'll start out by saying that I am over 50, so my outlook may differ from the 19 year olds here.  The deciding factor for me is the much more civilized (comfortable) highway ride of the Tracker.  A couple hundred miles in a Sammi left me feeling somewhat beat.  If a comfortable ride on the highway on your way to the wilds is important to you, I would recommend the Sidekick/Tracker. ÂÂ
In the past couple years, we have also decided that comfortable sleeping arangements are important, so we tow a small popup camper.  I don't know how well a Sammi with a 1.3 would do with that.
(http://www.eye-irritant.com/august2004/P6300029.JPG)
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I'm 27, had my 2door Tracker for over a year. Best vehicle ever. I had a 4 inch body lift from day one, cost about $100, used a sawzall and put on 33x12.5 inch tires. All stock drivetrain. I just put in a 2 inch lift for the front to compensate for spring sag and 1 inch for the back for about $100. This thing is unstoppable and roomy enough to wheel with 2 or 3 friends. I wheel regularly, twice a mont at least, jut had my first broken part, the front diff, my fault I knew better but I was showing off to the jeep guys. On most trails, it takes a 4.0L jeep on 38s to come close to go throug the same stuff I do in 2wd. My buddy had one with 35x15 swampers, the only jeep to follow him through the stupid hole was a jeep with a 350 on 44s, with welded front and rear diffs.
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i just love to 'kick' the sierras when off road and the look and expression of other people's faces when they see you rock up in a lifted Vit.
:o Mod for mod, a sammy(sierra) will out-wheel a kick. Owning both this is experience. The Kick is more powerful and roomy, but I'll take the sammy(and a few parts kicks ;)) anyday.
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Im just a newbie here, but I have noticed this is a track/kick heavy web site. Me personally i would get the samurai. I love what you can do with a solid axle. Being a chevy man they have a saying that goes with IFS. If you dont know then just ask. I have wheeled both and like both. The samurai i love.
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I've had both and i prefer the tracker (vitara in uk).
(http://pic15.picturetrail.com/VOL602/2857655/5784709/74238447.jpg)
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ttt again
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I like my Trackick!
(http://www.rrorc.com/gallery/data/523/8Trackick_swampers_2-med.jpg)
I couldn't find a sammi, at least not for cheap. I picked my trackick up for 1200. I have truely impressed myself and most anyone who has watched this thing go!! :o ;D