FWIW: Automatic GVs have 5.12 gears... Also, the GSP part number for the steel housing is listed here on the forum if someone wanted a new part.  A quick search will find it....

There are a couple articles in the Archive that could help you out some...

http://www.zukiworld.com/month_090103/feature_sidekickdrivetrainimprovements.htm

http://www.zukiworld.com/month_110103/feature_zigsbeef.htm

Good Luck on you swap, Eric

really! I thought auto GV's had 4.88, and the auto XL-7 had 5.12's.

From the article posts I see ...
"The XL-7 housing is almost identical to the Grand Vitara housing that is recommended for this application. The only difference is the XL-7 housing has a different mounting bracket and a much larger tab that holds the mounting bracket to the housing."

I'm guess I'm just more than a little confuded

I'm goin to want a gear change in my '91 auto ... trying to figure out whether to ...
A) beef up the stock stuff with the type of thing zeigler did,
B) just "get by" with some 5.12's in stock members,
C) just live with the 4.62 and eventually do a SAS (dealing with the rear at the time).

really! I thought auto GV's had 4.88, and the auto XL-7 had 5.12's.

The XL-7 auto has 5.12's the man. has 4.88.  The man. trans. is the one you would want it has the steel diff's.
George

Thanks for the articles Eric.

One thing I'm not sure after reading them is why the modified Sammy carrier ? is it to get the carrier so it is centered correctly with the 5.83s ?


Shane

really! I thought auto GV's had 4.88, and the auto XL-7 had 5.12's.

From the article posts I see ...
"The XL-7 housing is almost identical to the Grand Vitara housing that is recommended for this application. The only difference is the XL-7 housing has a different mounting bracket and a much larger tab that holds the mounting bracket to the housing."

I'm guess I'm just more than a little confuded

I'm goin to want a gear change in my '91 auto ... trying to figure out whether to ...
A) beef up the stock stuff with the type of thing zeigler did,
B) just "get by" with some 5.12's in stock members,
C) just live with the 4.62 and eventually do a SAS (dealing with the rear at the time).

I used the XL-7 housing because it had a stronger bracket mounting the snout of the housing to the crossmember

XL-7 Housing




GV Housing


You can see the difference in the mounting tabs from the pics. The GV mount is the same as the Sidekick/Tracker Alum. tab mounting bracket.

HTH,
Zig