The Samurai is back off of the lift! Here is the list of modifications that I have completed:
1. Re-routed the exhaust to allow the shocks to be moved to their original upper mounts.
2. Added 1 leaf to the rear spring packs (now a 7-leaf spring).
3. Rebuilt a donor transfer case with 4.9:1 gears and the Trail Tough twisted-t shifter mod
4. rebuilt my rear bumper/exo cage mounts. The rear shackles were making contact with the mounts at the same time the axle hit the bump stops, resulting in a loud "clunk" every time I hit a bump. Now they have about 3/4" of clearance.
5. Replaced front spring clamps with some low profile Rancho units (the front tires were rubbing on the old ones at full lock if the suspension was compressed at all).
Still to do:
1. Install the ARB in the rear axle (it still hasn't arrived yet, although I've been assured it will be here next week)
2. Switch rear shocks out for DT8000's (I think the stiffer valving will be a better fit for my setup)
3. Install the PS cooler
Other notes:
1. The rear of my Samurai sits a little higher than the front now. I don't really like this...I was happy with where it was before. Hopefully the rear springs will settle a bit in the coming months. If they don't, I may pull my extra leaves, and set up the rear with some 4" air bumps instead of the poly bumpstops I am using. What I really need is an overload-type spring, so I get the soft ride and long travel of the YJ leaves without the constant bumpstop contact.
2. The trail tough twisted-t mod is pretty cool...being able to shift into 2L will be nice for those tight, slow trails. It comes with a snazzy machined knob for the shifter showing the new pattern. However, it requires a little bit of finesse when going from the neutral side to the hi-low side. I understand the reason this happens (the installation requires longer slots for the shifter in the shift rods and this longer slot causes some slop, and a "ledge" it needs to go over when moving left to right). I don't see any way around it. It works fine, its just a bit of an annoyance...
3. The combination of the extra leaf and outboard shocks has reduced the body roll, but not eliminated it. Hopefully the rear ARB and stiffer shocks will reduce it further.
4. My $150 craigslist donor case turned out to be a pain. When I pulled it apart, it was evident that it had run low on oil at some point. The bearings were all damaged, and the speedometer gear was seized. I spent hours trying to get the main shaft and speedometer gear out of the case half, and ended up breaking the speedometer drive gear, the driven gear, and damaging the threads for the output flange on the mainshaft. I found another case in "unknown" condition on CL for $80 and took a gamble on it...that one was a score. It was completely rebuilt (all new bearings, seals, thrust washers, etc.). So I dropped the 4.9 gears and Twisted-T mod in, and kept the parts from the other case as a spare. Now I have two complete transfer cases; a 6.5:1 and a 4.9:1, and mostly complete "parts" case. Eventually I will sell the 6.5:1 case, but for now it sits on the shelf as a good spare...
