Hey first time poster, long time lurker..
Looking at buying a trackick and doing the usual coil spacers, small b/l and 31's in the near future, possibly installing a rear locker. 
Seems they are really catching on and alot of people are raving about them despite the IFS up front..
Ive wheeled in a sprung over samurai quite a bit before, and always found with the stock gearing and 235r15's it really needed the skinny pedal to get up and over any rocks or ledges on a steeper trail.
Will the kick on 31's and stock 5spd gearing feel the same way? way undergeared offroad?  I don't want to bother with regearing the t-case at this stage--down the road, if a SAS was ever in the cards I'd do it all at once and make it a designated trail rig, but I don't think I could justify spending close to a g. on gearing for a dd/trail rig.

Basically I'm trying to decide on what to build as a next dd/trail rig.  I want something that is still good on the street but that can hold it's own on the trail.  What kind of gas mileage are people getting with the stock 5spd and 31's?  Will it comfortably hold 90-100km/h on the highway? (I'm in canada).  Will it be horribly geared for the trails?  Will I be hammering the gas the whole way up the mountain just so I don't stall out if I ease off the gas for a second?

Sorry for all the questions, just like to get an idea on these questions Ive been thinking about for a while.
Thanks for the input!

My silver rig is running an 8 valve engine, 5 speed and 31's with stock gearing and it does very well off road. On road 5th isn't very usable unless the road is flat, but it goes pretty well. I've never been lacking power off road with it, either. Get a newer one with a 16 valve engine and you'll have even more power than me...

I can't tell you the gas mileage because it hasn't been onroad much in it's current configuration for the whole summer, mainly just in the woods/lowrange where mileage suffers...

I think it depends on what kind of offroad you will be doing personaly. I have a 8 valve with a 5 speed and had 31 inchers on it.It did well on road. If you are just going to run back roads and mud,stuff like that, it will be ok.But if you want to go in the rocks and climb realy steep hills and crawl like we do here in the west.I would recomend a gearing change. Mine did ok in the rocks but I had to ride my  clutch alot.


TJ

I have 1990 automatic with 31" tires and the 5.12 diff gears from a standard. I get about 10.5 l per 100kms. I usually get 300 km out of a tank before the needle is on empty. That's a fair mix of highway and street as it's my daily driver. It drove ok with the stock gears offroad and on, just a little more pep with the 5.12's
Jim

I think it depends on what kind of offroad you will be doing personaly. I have a 8 valve with a 5 speed and had 31 inchers on it.It did well on road. If you are just going to run back roads and mud,stuff like that, it will be ok.But if you want to go in the rocks and climb realy steep hills and crawl like we do here in the west.I would recomend a gearing change. Mine did ok in the rocks but I had to ride my  clutch alot.


TJ

thats what I'm kind of worried about--I live on the west coast of canada, alot of the trails Ive run in the samurai are steep with the odd ledge or rock and of course in the fall and winter, lotsa rain and muck making those trails even harder to keep forward progress going.

Like Jimiweld,  I've an older one with an auto and the 5 speed gearing.  This sets you up with pretty much stock gear ratio's with the 31's.  I've now gone to 33's and I suffer because of it.  Just need more umpth going up hill on road, and a little more to drag my back end up large ledges. You can make it work just fine with what your thinking, But I would recommed a four low kit or get used to using low range with the hubs out if your in steep country.

Utah

i have a 92 with 31x10.5 stock everything 5spd 512 gears. does great off road-mostly mud and some hills. on road i constantly get 22.5-26mpg. funny thing is i get better mpg going 55 and under than on the highway .will run 65-70mph no problem on FLAT ground in 5th but in hills i have to use 4th. I live in toledo ohio and its flat BUT i have taken it as far as the smoky mtns.

   I run an 8 valve auto with 5.12 gears and 31s.  Mine was pitiful with the 4.62 stock gears.  Couldn't pull itself up hills (my heavy bumpers don't help!).  But the 5.12s are great.  Rode this past weekend with a Rubicon on 33" LTBs, a CJ5 on 36" or so tires,  and a couple other rigs.  I went everywhere they went!  And a few climbs they couldn't fit!!  These things are plenty capable, after you add that rear locker.  Lower gears would be better on the trails, but it would really push the RPMs up on the highway.  I think you'll find it improved over the stock geared Sami you wheeled, but you'll still need plenty of skinny pedal a lot of times.  Nothing wrong with that though!!

i've got the 2.0 in my 2003 with 31's and stock 4.62's, fine in the trails unless the mud pit happens to be long and extra sticky i've found that i've needed to drop from 2nd down to 1st when rpm's get low.  on the highway i can hold 100 - 110k no problem, on longer steeper hills i use 4th, i've been west a few times and know what you're hills are like, you'll be fine but using 3rd and 4th alot on the uphills, not much different than most 4cyl's would be doing anyway.

mine is a 90, with a cold air intake and a shaved head for higher compression. i run 33x12.5 bfg mt's and a welded rear witha  5spd and 5:13's. i was out wheelin on the weekend and it went everywhere and more than some of the samis. i did have some nice clutch smell, but i can live with that for now.

I have a 95 tracker with the 16v and 31x10.50 swampers open diffs and on the road it does pretty good could use some lower gears but not neccasary. now offroad same thing i get around pretty good but could use them. i went to Redbird last weekend with my dad and his friend both in jeeps dad with 34x9 swampers and his friend with 35 baja claws both locked f&r and a guy from kokomo,In in a rubicon with 35s and i showed dad and the rubicon up a few times. honestly the tracker suprised me. I like the track/kick better than samarais despite the ifs but if i could buy a tracker or a samy for the same price i would definatly guy the tracker.

another fellow canadian - i'm up in whistler. were are you? i run 31's and stock drivetrain and a lot of people are surprised at what these trucks can do. after going to powerfest this weekend i'm thinking that some lower gears in the t/case would make a big difference on the rocks and stuff. it keeps the truck from bouncing around and in control a bit better.

derek

A Tracker with some good tires, a small lift, and a rear locker of some sort will surprise the hell out of you, and anyone you go wheeling with.. I see it nearly every weekend...jaws drop, heads shake..

I have embarrassed some high dollar rigs in the Turtle.

another fellow canadian - i'm up in whistler. were are you? i run 31's and stock drivetrain and a lot of people are surprised at what these trucks can do. after going to powerfest this weekend i'm thinking that some lower gears in the t/case would make a big difference on the rocks and stuff. it keeps the truck from bouncing around and in control a bit better.

derek

whistler eh?
i'm in victoria, we just had a zuke only weekend camping wheeling thing ere. it is acalled zotr(zukes on the rock). you should have joined in.

I am on the sunshine coast, for those on the coast asking where I am from..
think I will go the tracker route, i'll have to keep my eyes open for one now.