ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Discussion Forum => Build Diaries, How-To, DIY => Topic started by: Boxcar on October 16, 2015, 07:43:26 AM
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Due to the 3 year gap in Zuki Worlds archives ( The crash ) I have noticed a drop in activity on this sight.
It's a shame and quite honestly a HUGE loss to the Suzuki community.
IMHO , the info lost was priceless.
My small attempt to mitigate this loss and possibly to spark new interest in this site will be to try to replicate my build thread.
This will be an abbreviated attempt as my memory is sketchy and the rig was completed 3 years ago.
The good news : I haven't lost any of my data or pics / drawings.
And all that was done to the Zuke is now trail proven .....
This may take a while, bare with me please.
It all started the day after I sold my rather heavily modified and much loved 74 CJ5.
No mater how high a price tag you ask for a rig ( I thought I was safe at $8000 ), some one always steps up to the plate. Damn.......
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I had to scratch an itch that had been nagging at me for years.
The day after the Jeep sold I found this about 300 miles north of me. ($2000 )
An 88 Sammy , Rust free , low miles.
It had the standard flat black rattle can paint job , normal carb problems and a poorly executed buggy whip rear suspension . On the upside it did come with a re geared T case ,Calmini front and rear bumpers , a Portland 2 speed winch, and a rather nice hard top and soft top ( in the box ).
The day I towed the rig home:
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The plan :
Full exo cage, long travel suspension spring over yj lift , high steer , lockers .
No trimming of the body , 31- 33" tires all while maintaining its road manners.
And I should add , on a fairly scanty budget.
The budget part got thrown out the window fairly early in the build. :P
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I opted to do the exo and body first .
I know this is backwards by most standards ( welcome to my world ) .
Started out by a friend delivering 100 ft of 1.5" dom tubing that was languishing in his rafters.
Price: Free, I love Kevin.... A great guy who never forgets a favor.....
All bends were done using a HF tubing bender ( Just to prove a point ).
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More:
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More again:
These pics show a double tube front end , I later opted to run a single tube front end for accessibility and fit.
To answer questions that I know from experience will be asked.
Yes , the hard top is still removable. Slides right out the back.
I utilized the Calmini bumpers and the existing nerf bars as a foundation for the exo.
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Paint was an experiment.
I opted to use equipment enamel ( Rustolium ) due to budget constraints.
I wouldn't do it again.
SLOW cure time between coats ( 24hrs ) and basically no UV resistance.
I now recommend polyurethane paint .
Having added the disclaimer here is what was done:
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The off road lights shown are 55 watt fork lift lights. $12 per unit at Napa auto.
They have proven to be very durable and provide plenty of light.
The cage was painted with Par products .
The cage has proven to be a huge asset when wheeling. I have laid this rig on its sides more times than I care to elaborate on with no body damage.
Now that the cage and body are out of the way I will go onto the many suspension and power train mods that went in to this build.
Some were abject failures , others were changed out at a later date to maximize the rigs performance.
I will ( for posterity ) try to stay true to the actual evolution of the build.
The Zuke came to me with a set of stock T-case mounts that had all of the problems that the stock system has.
At the time the the cradle type mounts were back ordered for many months so I opted for the Mighty Kong.
It has proven to be a flawless mount. I highly recommend it.
Once that little problem had been addressed I moved on to the suspension issues.
The PO had installed a rather poorly thought out buggy whip rear suspension along with a back yard SPOA conversion.
The thing drove like a ghost.
The axles were stock Samurai , stock gears.
I remedied all of these short comings by removing all of it and starting over from square one.
More later as I must now go make some $$$$$$$$
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Keep it coming, Boxcar. This is a good read with a good story and info.
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ya it takes time to do your build up again ....I re did mine but lost a lot of Info and questions that were asked but put it together the best that I can recall.
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I started with the axles.
I double trussed both front and rear , added bash guards , molly shafts , a quick change rear shaft conversion kit from Lowrange
new bearings and seals , A Spartan locker up front and a mini spool in the rear.
The mini spool and molly rear axles have since failed ( the spool exploded ) and have been replaced with another Spartan and a new set of mollies.
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I then contacted Lowrange yet again to order the long travel suspension upgrade ( with shock hoops ) that I knew I'd need.
The system has weld on hoops and a bolt on rear cross bracket.
http://www.lowrangeoffroad.com/suzuki/samurai/suspension-parts/suzuki-samurai-aluminum-rear-upper-shock-mount-by-low-range-off-road-ssp-rusm.html (http://www.lowrangeoffroad.com/suzuki/samurai/suspension-parts/suzuki-samurai-aluminum-rear-upper-shock-mount-by-low-range-off-road-ssp-rusm.html)
http://www.lowrangeoffroad.com/suzuki/samurai/suspension-parts/sky-upper-front-shock-hoops.html (http://www.lowrangeoffroad.com/suzuki/samurai/suspension-parts/sky-upper-front-shock-hoops.html)
I added to this a set of Monroe Gas shocks all the way around ( 1995 Ford F250 Front ) that ( if my memory serves me correctly )
are 30" extended and 17 compressed.
This works out to be the perfect set up for my SPOA Samurai.
Now to the springs: I did run the stock springs for a while ( aprox. 3 months ) While deciding what to do.
I opted for the Jeep eater kit and a set of STOCK YJ springs.
WOW , what an upgrade. I can't stress the advantage to this conversion enough.
I can't find any pics of the Jeep eater kit install . Sorry It's been a while.
Ended up just using the bracket's that come with the kit.
Adding 5" to my front frame horns , and fabed up 1" boomerang front and straight trussed rear shackles to finish out the conversion.
I don't recommend Missing Link shackles up front..... I have had some bad results running them....
Now on to the steering:
I knew that the lift I had built would require a full high steer conversion.
I don't like the Mercedes arm set up ( Just me , run them if you like ).
And the off the shelf systems out there require an attachment through the calipers. Didn't like that either.
I opted to fab my own.
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I ran this steering arrangement using a drop pitman from LR For a few months and then added
a pan hard rod ( again fabed in house ) .
I am now running with a power steering conversion with this high steer system ( more on that later ).
The steering works perfect. Tons of clearance and zero bind.
The cap bolts for the king pin covers are now grade 8 , as are the 14mm bolts that tie the high steer arms to the factory steering arms. ( lock tight is required here ).
I have zero bump steer and no wonder....
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I now decided to address the axle wrap problem I had in the rear.....
I looked at several different designs for a solution and ended up going with a Bam Bar set up.
It is the only design that offers an absolutely zero bind solution to this problem.
This design must be fabed in house as the dimensions are specific to the vehicle the bar is to be used on .
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I'll post a couple of better pictures of this system that was installed on a Datsun 4x4 conversion we did last year just to clarify the design.
A Bam Bar is basically an A frame mounted centrally on the axle that pivots side to side and is then attached to a cross member ( added to the frame ) via a link.
The link itself can run either forward ( As it does in the Samurai ) or to the rear ( as it does in the Datsun )
More than anything else this is determined by the fuel tank placement.
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By the way , I guess I should mention that the caster angle on the front end is within stock specs.
This is critical when setting up an axle.
DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCOMSTANCES ROTATE THE FRONT AXLE away from the stock camber specs.
The rear is a different story and is dependent on the style drive line one decides to use.
If running a Cardin joint drive line , pitch the pinion flange up. If running a non Cardin drive line , keep the pinion flange and the output from the T-case parallel.
I ran a non Cardin shaft for a couple of years with no bad vibes. I now , however , run a Toyota Cardin rear drive line in the wee beasty....
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It was now time to address the total lack of power that the 1300 Zuke motor is famous for.
After rebuilding not 1 but 2 1300 Samurai engines . The first stock and the second with a mild cam , flat top pistons and some creative port work . I was ready to experiment.
Starting with the stock motor I swapped out the Hitachi carb with a Toyota 2 TC carb.
Ran the stock exhaust manifold and a 2" exhaust through a Flow Master.
The engine ran great , the carb was flawless in every way. ( I highly recommend this conversion when running the 1300 ).
I ran this set up for a couple of months using a 6.4:1 re geared T case and 33" tires.
I was less than pleased with the results.
I then swapped in the second motor. Same carb , exhaust and gearing. Still not happy. But it was a distinct improvement.
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The problem wasn't just the lack of HP but mainly the lack of torque.
The damn little things just won't crawl.
As is often stated " there is no replacement for displacement " or " go big or go home" as I like to say...( with in reason )........
I decided that the 1300 had to go.
Now, the Suzuki 1600 conversion that is so popular may be fine for most.
Not me.
The 1600 Zuke suffers from a stress cracking problem that I did not want anything to do with . And ( IMHO ) is still to small an engine.
I also didn't see the need for the added complexity and cost of an EFI motor.
Didn't want to ruin the balance of the rig by hanging a 600 lb V-6 under the hood.
I decided a 2 liter was the perfect size for my needs.
As I have zero experience with the Suzuki 2 liter , the Toyota is just to damn long and I am proficient at all things Datsun. The die was cast.....
I opted for an L-20B Datsun engine.
Advantages are:
Iron block ( no stress cracks )
110 HP ( Stock ) and 112 lbs of torque.
5 main bearings ( larger bearings than a big block Chevy ).
Legendary reliability.
And massive amounts of high performance parts availability and support.
Plus the damn thing fits under the hood of a Samurai like a glove.
As I am predictable I opted to build 2 L-20B's for this conversion.
The first is fairly stock.
Stock bottom end with an A-87 closed chambered head , stock L-20B cam,
a SSS 1800 cast iron header , mild porting , match box dizzy and a stock intake manifold with a Holly economaster 5150 carburetor.
The second motor is:
30 over, flat top piston , heavily ported A 87 close chambered big valve head , 580 lift with 320 duration cam ,
Same SSS 1800 iron header (ported ), Mallory Dizzy , Cannon twin carb manifold with a pair of Dellorto 40mm DRLA carbs.
For the tranny I opted for a Datsun drop pan 4 speed. It's nearly bomb proof and the right length for the job.
I prepped the set up with a 260Z ( 2+2 ) clutch pack as it is the strongest factory clutch ever offered by Datsun.
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I'll get into the engine conversion and install later .
I have to go now.....
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Am I jumping the gun on the story line... or have you ever run the .30 over engine?
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Thanks for the reruns. Yours is, most likely, my favorite Samurai build.
Sent from my SM-T330NU using Tapatalk
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Thanks for the responses and kind words guys .
Am I jumping the gun on the story line... or have you ever run the .30 over engine?
I haven't seen the need to install the second motor yet.
It still sits crated in the back of the shop.
If we get a bunch of snow this year I just might swap it in though . The added spool would be a blast...
More on that later...
The install:
The L-20B swap requires a motor mount conversion ( 1/4" x 2 x 4" flat bar ) hung from the stock Zuke motor mount
locations.
This dropped the engine down the 2" needed for clearance. I then was able to use the stock Datsun motor mounts.
I then fabed up a transmission mount from a 1" x 1" x 3" block of UHMW.
The fit is perfect. Even the stock heater hose location is a direct fit.
Mating the transmission to the T-case is accomplished by running the rear yoke from the Zuke intermediate shaft
to a Datsun tail shaft slip yoke.
This is made simple due to the fact that Datsun and Suzuki run the same U- joint.
Alignment is critical here. Before finalizing the motor mount adapters ( finish welding ) make sure that your transmission and T-case are aligned perfectly.
The shifter location will be 4" to the rear of the stock Zuke's , so the tunnel will need to be cut . and the T-case shifter will need to be bent to the rear 45 degrees.
I then fabed up a 6" longer shifter for the Datsun transmission . A new cover for the tunnel and the Tranny was in.
The Datsun transmission uses a hydraulic clutch ( not a bad thing ) so ( I recommend ) the fire wall will need to be re-enforced!!!!!! Assk me why....
This is pretty simple. A 12" x 6" x .250 aluminum plate sandwiched from the inside of the fire wall is what I used to re enforce the wall.
I then modified the stock Zuke clutch arm to except the clevis from the Datsun master. Re installed the arm then transferred that location to the fire wall.
A 1" hole saw was used to cut through the sandwiched fire wall then a couple of 1/4" holes for the studs mounted in the 1976 Datsun 620 master cylinder .
I then fabed up a set of hard lines that run across the fire wall paralleling the stock brake lines.
The slave cylinder ( a 1972 Datsun 510 short cylinder ) was attached to this hard line with a stock Datsun 620 clutch soft line.
(HIND SIGHT ) :
if I was to do this again I'd fab a new clutch arm from scratch. The Zuke arm is a bit week and is prone to bending . At some point I will be forced to do just that.
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More:
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I then ran a direct drive 14" fan mated to a 1970 521 L-16 water pump.
By using this set up I was able to use the STOCK SAMURAI radiator........
I simply dropped the radiator down 3" with a set of simple 1" angle iron brackets , modified the stock Zuke fan shroud to clear the big fan.
She runs nice and cool all the time.
I should add that the stock oil filter location on the L-20B is less than desirable . I corrected this with a filter relocation kit from NAPA Auto Parts.
This will also make adding an oil cooler very easy if you should feel the need.
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This conversion is the bees knees. Tons of low end torque and ample top end hp.
I ended up swapping the stock geared t-case back into the rig as the new engine pulls the gears fine.
The cold air intake was assembled from off the shelf parts found at O'reilly Auto Parts.
The one glairing problem I had was that all three of my T-cases have bad speedo drive gears .
Rather than repair all of the T-cases I thought I'd kill 2 birds with 1 stone.
Navigation and speedometer....
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Now back to a question asked earlier:
As the #1 engine has worked so well for the past 3 years I have not felt the need to swap it out for engine #2.
I will say this though . When I do , it will require an extreme running gear upgrade.
The set up I am running now is IMHO stressing the axles as far as I dare.
After grenading a set of mollies and a mini spool I dropped my tire size to 31" and went to a Spartan locker in the rear. It's just barely holding together.
With this in mind I have prepped a new set of axles and T-case for the swap .
At some point in the future I am sure that they will find there way into the Zuke.
Dana super 30 high steer front axle with an OX locker - 4:27 gears , 50" .
Dana 44 rear , Ox locker , 4:27 gears , 50" .
Dana 20 divorced T-case with an Advanced Adapters terra low kit , twin sticked..
For now all of this stuff is on the shelf.
I may build up a long wheelbase Samurai just to have a home for the running gear. Time will tell.
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Back to the build:
I now was ready to address the rather poor brakes the Samurai is known for.
I think they were designed by a monkey.
The Subaru Impreza big bore master cylinder ( if my memory serves me correctly ) the 1 1/8" was the obvious way to go.
I coupled this to an adjustable proportioning valve ( mounted to the fire wall ) through all new lines.
The double line rear brake system was scraped in lue of a single line system with an in line check valve. Similar to a Chevrolet braking system.
The brakes can now be bled easily and work flawlessly.
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I then upgraded the steering to power using a Side Kick pump and box.
I had to machine my own drop pitman arm to get the exact drop I needed.
I have no pics of the pitman , but I will add them later.
I used engine #2 to pattern and fab the power steering pump mount.
While I was at it I also fabed a mount for the Toyota pump from an 85 Fore Runner.
The problem ( not for me ) that one will run into with this system is the need for a "V" belt pulley on the pump.
I found that the stock serpentine pulley ( Suzuki ) has enough meet on the bone to re machine it into a "V" belt pulley. So that's what I did.
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It was then time to clean up the interior of the Zuke.
Replaced all of the inner panels with 1/8" aluminum. Replaced the seats with low back racing seats ( a mistake )
Added a nice stereo , a full set of mini gauges , a rear wiper system and rear defogger .
I am overlooking a tone of things that were done to this Samurai .
The reality is that the only unmolested parts on this rig are the windows , the steering wheel and window cranks.
If you want more in-depth details concerning any part of this build, please ask.
Currently it sits on a new set of BFG KM2 MT's 31 x 10 x 15 , stock gears ,125 hp 150 fpt.
25 mpg ( average ) and has a little over 20,000 miles on the build.
It is not only my DD but also my trail rig of choice. ( I do have options ).
I hope you enjoyed this re write of an old build . If not ------ I'm sorry......
I will update as things progress.
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Just a few more
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GPS in dash is awesome. cool rig. how do you like the 2.0?
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I like it a bunch.
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nice rig! i'll be watching out for more updates.
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I am glad that your are re-posting this. It is like watching reruns of your favorite show.
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I am glad that your are re-posting this. It is like watching reruns of your favorite show.
X2!
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x3!
I have wanted a Sami for over a decade, and it is cool to finally have one. They are everything I thought they would be- and your's looks like even more! You get the same MPG as me, 2x the power, bigger tires, etc. Nice work!