We are building this for my dad so he has it in time for Moab 2006. Eric we still want to lead some trails!

Here are some pix of our current build up. I haven't touched it for almost two years, since I didn't have a bender or my current knowledge. Since I took my dads samurai as most of you know as the "Green One" and put some Tim Hardy style wheeling in it he adopted my old Project. . Still runs but looks like it could be used for auto recycling  ha ha.

He adopted my old one which I went hay wire on a couple of years ago and hacked it up .  Here we are with a tubing bender, and a couple welders building what I had in my mind from the start (except it's his now LOL).

So far it has

1.6 16 valve lowered 1" (Shadow Crawlers 1.6 harness integrated into stripped Samurai Harness and 1" lower motor mounts)
sammie tranny
waggy axles with 5.89's
Shadow Crawlers Cage (more to be added of course)

It Needs

Tires TBA
Steering Toy IFS box and pump (any body have one laying around?)
6:1 t-case gears (any used ones out there?)
Our D-shafts
  With Isuzu Dana 44 flanges so we can use Yota Shafts (need some of these too, the flanges)
Shocks probably DT's

Pix more of these to come as well!

2 years ago




Present








Check in for more updates.

Shadow Crawlers & the Minerich Family

Looks like a cool project. Please keep us posted on the action and we'll see you at Moab....

-Eric

Pimping my stripped 16 valve harness. Please forgive the looks of it as it is not complete :-). Just wanted to show you how it looks un taped. Also stripped an underhood samurai harness so we can get rid of the wires not needed and integrate rock-light wires etc in it as well.




Moab it is!! time is creeping up, I'm trying not to get too sucked into my PC. LOL.

Well we have some updates, not that anyone cares j/k  since this probably seems like the usual build lol :flipoff2:

Finally got the 16 valve in and no wiring until we place the lighting underneath. 
The IFS box is mounted but we had to redo the front hoop to clear the big bastard. Oh yeah and moving the axle 6+ inches forward doesn't help in placement. So I hope everyone enjoys, and there is much much more to be done!!.

I finally found time to work on the steering after finishing up a cage for an EB Bronco.

I wanted to keep the pitman arm up as high as possible because I want as much suspension travel as possible. I had to notch the frame to clear the heim joint and drag link.



The inside of the frame.



Box, and P/S resevoir



Aerial View



Drag Link Shots



I am going to try a 1" spacer at the axle end to keep the drag link from binding on the leaf springs. It will be close but I think it will be just right. I Once I get the bugs worked out on the drag link end I will get the Ti-Rod slapped on.



And yes the sleeve will have gussets :-P

L8rz

Chris

You may have mentioned but is that a '78 '79 wagoneer D44 frontend?

-Eric

youve got lots of work to do! Ive seen your other sami and Im sure your up to the task. Good luck anyways. Keep us posted of your progress. I think its cool that you got your dad to go to Moab with you. Ive gotta get my dad to come with one of these years soon.  I know he'd love it. Has your dad been there before?

Mike

The axles are 76 Wagoneers.

The progress is getting alot closer! My dad has been there with us for 5 trips to Moab, but next year we are thinking about hitting Johnson valley or something. We will see how Moab is this year, but last year was one of the worst years out there.

Some updates

Well heres some updates... Got the Wiring for the engine done. Wiring for the lights still needs to be finished but it's running. Needs some finishing touches as can be seen in the photos. Oh yeah can't forget, SAMBOX II. These are sweet.















Some pix of the SAMBOX II









I will be getting one for my zuk soon .

Why not go with a Toy Tranny, and Toy Cases?

Cost too much to buy the bell housing adapter, dual case adapters, have to find toy drive-train parts, and more time involved in making mounts etc. Plus the weight savings of the Samurai Tranny, and t-case. Simple . The aftermarket for the weak Suzuki transfercases have evovled to a new level!

Hopefully gears will be in this week so I can get started on D-Shafts, and take it out on a test run while it's still half-arsed :flipoff2:.

This weekend I hope to move it out on it's own power :smokin:

L8rz..

Chris Minerich

Looks like some real progress there. Keep us posted, looking good.

Thats gonna look good when your done.
Nice Bling*Bling** on the grill

Thanks for the replies! I hope the zip ties don't end up to be too permanent he he.  The bling bling we made back in highschool and to my amazement I still have it .  Hope my 6.4's come in this week so I can slap the sambox together and get the driveshafts mocked up and welded. I have a dead line on february 4th for a run to test it out.

Thanks

Chris

Holy $hit ... thats a sweet project.. me and my dad are thinking about a 67 camaro and then puttin it into that drag down at noonan nationals! i cant wait!!! good luck with the sammie

Got alot of work done, and actually drove it today! I don't think it's going to wheel with bald 235's, since I got it stuck in the drive way and had to use the rev limiter to get it unstuck and alot of rocking :smokin:.

We didn't have his t-case gears in yet so we robbed mine.


Dad was all fired up that he could take his Zuggy for a ride.


Sliding down the drive way


Front d-shaft


Rear d-shaft We will be upgrading to heavier tubing and possibly a C/V to get the pinion out of the rocks


Front steering shot


Battery mount, passengers will have to compromise!


Rear Shot, x-bracing will hopefully go in this week, along with rear shock mounts etc.



Hopefully too many people didn't take the battery mount seriously :grinpimp:
L8rz

Chris  Minerich
Shadow Crawlers

Got some updates. I had to figure out where and how to mount the shocks and was going to mount them into the main hoop when I decided I didn't like the 40 degree shock angle so I decided to go crazy. I added the x bracing and the lower tubing which will also add strength as well as shock mounts. 

I will add tubing for harnesses when we get the seats mounted into the cage, and also the harnesses. This will happen after many other things we need, but stock seat belts work good enough for now.

I was planning on getting ready for Moab EJS 2006 but since they made their decisions we are just going to hit trails in Grand Junction, and Montrose for that week.

Thanks

Chris Minerich
Shadow Crawlers
Hope you enjoy