I am planing on swaping my 4x2 Tracker into a 4x4 from a complete parts doner (any pointers)and have some general questions. Are all 1.6L Trackers and Sidekicks 5.12 ratio diffs front and rear?Has anybody used the Powertrax or Detroit gear locker set ups?90% of my milage is on road so it has to be streetable.Is a stock limited slip a better choice and how hard are they to find?

Are all 1.6L Trackers and Sidekicks 5.12 ratio diffs front and rear?

Not necessarily.  The main difference is the engine and transmission that is in the truck.

There are two ways to find out what differential set is on your trucks:

1. Go to a salvage yard and ask politely if they can determine what differential ratio is installed by running the VIN number through their computer.  Be polite.

2.  Lift one rear wheel, put the transmission or t-case in neutral.  use white out or a grease pencil to mark the dif input flange and a convenient point on the wheel.  Turn the wheel one full revolution counting the number of revolutions on the dif's input flange.   You should get a count of a skosh over 5 (5.125) or a bit more than 4 and a half (4.625) or maybe something else depending on the model year, engine size and transmission.

Also -- very important!  Somewhere in 1993, Suzuki started to install anti-lock braking systems on the rear axle.  Make sure that, if you swap out the rear dif to get a suitable matching gear set front-to-back, you are swapping an anti-lock housing for an antilock housing!  Otherwise, you will have to swap the desired ring and pinion gearset into the antilock (or the reverse) dif housing.  I know this because I had to replace my Sidekick's Rear Dif recently...

Smooze your local salvage yard counterman.  Bring a large soup bone for the dog.  Then ask real nice and maybe he'll run your VINs so you will know exactly what you have - parts wise - before you start.

Hope this helps!

Oh, and Happy Holidays! 

Ack is on the right track but if my memory serves me correctly - you have to turn the wheel TWO times with one wheel off of the ground to get your ratio Eg: Wheel turns 2x diff turns X # of times ( = your ratio ).

Vits came out with 4.3 / 4.56 / 4.88 / 5.13 / 5.63 ratios stock ( again from memory  ) but most 1600's are 5.13.

Good luck.

ZeusZuki 

Ok on the gear ratios but what about the locking diffs vs limited slip?

   I run a lockrite locker in the rear of my trail rig but I don't drive it on the street very often.  When I do its no problem and I really don't notice the locker much anymore.  Mine is an auto transmission so the locker isn't as noticeable as on a manual transmission.  But I wouldn't have trouble daily driving with a rear locker either way.  However, we don't get much snow here.  A locker can make driving in the snow more of a challenge because the locker wants to push the vehilcle straight.  So if you get a lot of snow where you are, you might want to consider the limited slip instead, if available.
   As for the dif gears, for the earlier models the 2 door manual transmissions had 5.125 gears and the autos had 4.62 gears.  Not sure on the 4 doors.
 

Are all 1.6L Trackers and Sidekicks 5.12 ratio diffs front and rear?

no. autos had 4.62, and 5 speeds had the 5.12 r&p

Now we're getting somewhere!!!

my 94 4 door auto came with 5.12's, it has four gears forward and a converter lockup,so you just have to see what you have, I heard that the limited slips are no longer avalible and they were like 700.00 dollars !