Getting the samurai to Harlan

91samurai

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2016
Location
Midland, Nc
This thread will be about getting my samurai ready for a trip to Harlan about a year from now. Me and my fiancé are planning a rock crawling trip for our honeymoon at the end of October 2020. Previous build info on my samurai is in my k10 build thread but I’m finally doing a thread just for it. I thought it was done before but I just keep wanting to cut it up and make it better. I decided to link it and lower it a few years ago and finished it a little over a year ago. It has been performing great, but trying to follow (or lead) rigs on 40s means I’m really pushing the limits of my little samurai on 31s
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This is where I’m at now. Stock axles, Yukon spool and hardened crosspin in the rear and a spartan locker with trail gear highsteer in the front. Both axles are heavily shaved for ground clearance. 4:1 gears in the transfer case and a wore out 1.3 with a Toyota 250 carb. It’s stretched 10 inches with a 3 link front and 12 inch coilover springs.

I really enjoy the challenge of going places on 31s I have no business being. This has lead to several rollovers and being on a winch cable when things get tippy. The engine not having enough torque to pull me up stuff has meant more winching.

So the new upgrades will be wider axles, a 1.6 engine, and if I have time a flatbelly skidplate with a raised transfercase.

While planning the axle upgrades I was searching for a rear axle to match a Dana 30 front that’s been swapped to passenger drop. While trying to find a offset rear axle that would be the same width as a Dana 30 with good ground clearance I realized I should just put another Dana 30 in the rear and I would have rear steer. My dads Rockwell buggy had rear steer when I was a kid and think it is so cool. The steering will be locked out for now and I will add the ram after I know I like the extra width and don’t want to swap the samurai axles back in. I broke a front axle shaft in the samurai at uwharrie so I’m going to start the axle swap rather than fix the samurai axle.

I’m hoping that by posting this as I start the build up it will mean if I’m doing anything wrong it will be pointed out by some of the good fabricators here. I have already bought a low pinion Dana 30 housing with 4.10s to start measuring. Once I can piece the rest of the axle parts together I will be starting on the rear axle swap. I’m planning on running wheel adapters to be able to use my 5x5.5 beadlocks I already have
 
An Isuzu Rodeo will have a dana 30 rear..... cheap alternative .... just sayin'.
Or there is a set of yota axles for sale on the Zu. ( not mine )
 
72Rockcruiser said:
Promise I’m not trying to piss in your thread but Toyota axles would hold up a ton better than Dana 30’s. Especially in a rear steer application. Much much better.
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quoted for truth! If you you want honest feed back this is it.
 
72Rockcruiser said:
Promise I’m not trying to piss in your thread but Toyota axles would hold up a ton better than Dana 30’s. Especially in a rear steer application. Much much better.
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The Dana 30s just work better for me and it’s something I want to try. With the new engine I’ll still be under 90 horse power and on 31s. I don’t drive like a idiot either. It’s easier to covert the bolt pattern and the width is more what I’m looking for. The Dana 30s will give me a better turning radius and trail repairs will be much easier with the unit bearings.


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Lizooki said:
An Isuzu Rodeo will have a dana 30 rear..... cheap alternative .... just sayin'.
Or there is a set of yota axles for sale on the Zu. ( not mine )
Click to expand...

Rodeos had dana 44's rear. I can't think of anything that had non-steering d30.

OP sounds like you have your mind made up, will be following to see how it goes!
 
I never realized that Dana30's were built for a rear application. I always thought it was a front application only. I know when I was sourcing axles for my Willys, I looked at toy axles, rodeo axles and narrowtrack wagonneer axles. I went with narrow track waggy axles(D44s) because I was lucky enough to find a complete set. If I couldn't, I would have used a rodeo rear axle(disc brakes, sometimes come with a locker) and a passenger drop D44 and narrowed the tubes.

Also, if you are planning rear steer, I would think that oiling the gears in the rear steer D30 would be problematic. As far as I know, you can't just put a D30 steering axle backwards into the rear without figuring out the gear/oiling issues.

Looking forward to the build
 
YJJPWrangler said:
Also, if you are planning rear steer, I would think that oiling the gears in the rear steer D30 would be problematic. As far as I know, you can't just put a D30 steering axle backwards into the rear without figuring out the gear/oiling issues.

Looking forward to the build
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As long as you don't flip the housing upside down, there's no difference. It would actually be stronger in the rear as long you are using a low pinion 30.
Just pointing out for the OP.
 
Jody Treadway said:
As long as you don't flip the housing upside down, there's no difference. It would actually be stronger in the rear as long you are using a low pinion 30.
Just pointing out for the OP.
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Makes sense. I would be concerned with the big offset of the differential and the transfer case. I know my rear waggy 44 is slightly offset to the passenger side and it is noticeable with the double CV driveshaft(no binding or anything, its just noticeable).
 
paulevans76 said:
Rodeos had dana 44's rear. I can't think of anything that had non-steering d30.

OP sounds like you have your mind made up, will be following to see how it goes!
Click to expand...


Oh yeah , it was 44s.
Mis-types with Dana on the brain
 
YJJPWrangler said:
Makes sense. I would be concerned with the big offset of the differential and the transfer case. I know my rear waggy 44 is slightly offset to the passenger side and it is noticeable with the double CV driveshaft(no binding or anything, its just noticeable).
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One benefit of a zuk. Both the front and rear outputs are on the pass side offset.

He will need to retube both axles, but a hp30 front and lp30 rear might not be a bad & cheap option for something with smaller tires. Biggest downside is lack of deep gears.
 
paradisePWoffrd said:
One benefit of a zuk. Both the front and rear outputs are on the pass side offset.

He will need to retube both axles, but a hp30 front and lp30 rear might not be a bad & cheap option for something with smaller tires. Biggest downside is lack of deep gears.
Click to expand...

you can now get 5:13 for a D30. Not certain on the LP though. 5:13 with a 4:1 case and a small tire like a 33 or smaller would make for some pretty low gearing.

Could always try to grab a couple JK Dana 30s
 
paradisePWoffrd said:
One benefit of a zuk. Both the front and rear outputs are on the pass side offset.

He will need to retube both axles, but a hp30 front and lp30 rear might not be a bad & cheap option for something with smaller tires. Biggest downside is lack of deep gears.
Click to expand...

I will have to run a low pinion in the front for clearance since my samurai is low and has decent uptravel. I won’t have to retube the rear axle. The diff will be on the correct side when it’s mounted in the rear


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91samurai said:
I will have to run a low pinion in the front for clearance since my samurai is low and has decent uptravel. I won’t have to retube the rear axle. The diff will be on the correct side when it’s mounted in the rear


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What axle are you running in the rear?
 
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91samurai said:
A drivers drop Dana 30 from a tj. when its mounted in the rear the diff is offset to the passenger side
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Are you going to put a CJ axle up front or retube a TJ/XJ low pinion?
 
No way I’d do all that work and use 30s...but good luck. I’ve beat the piss out of a 30. Ive got a hp44 with the knuckles cut off if you wanna start with something slightly less crappy.
 
Buffy said:
So um... yea why don’t you tell me where it is and I will um... yea help him out with his problem. :D You know like inspect it by adding it to my insurance policy and stuff like that
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NCJeeplover said:
Not to derail the thread, but what is up with the price of these axles? When I look for them, the cheapest I can find is like 1500 bucks! WTF?
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Dang, didn’t realize they were that much. They are a little wider, and the shafts a bit bigger. But at that price I’d just go to a 60!
 
paradisePWoffrd said:
Are you going to put a CJ axle up front or retube a TJ/XJ low pinion?
Click to expand...

I’m planning on using a tj or xj 30. I’m just going to cut the tubes off and swap the sides. I’ll sleeve the inside and plug weld it so it will be strong. I think I have some 2inch .120 wall to use for the sleeve that should be enough for a joint that will be beveled and welded.
 
1stgenxxx said:
No way I’d do all that work and use 30s...but good luck. I’ve beat the piss out of a 30. Ive got a hp44 with the knuckles cut off if you wanna start with something slightly less crappy.
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I’m trying to find that good balance of strength, weight and ground clearance. I’m currently running heavily shaved samurai axles and a Dana 44 would just hang down too far. I don’t mind doing the work since I want to get better at fabrication. I enjoy it as much as the actual off-roading part of having a 4x4.
 
How much more crowns clearance would you loose with. 44vs30?
 
44/9” combo would get you the lug pattern you need.
 
1stgenxxx said:
How much more crowns clearance would you loose with. 44vs30?
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Enough to make a difference. My tires at trail pressure are around 29 inches tall and I’m running the same lines as jeeps on 40s. Eventually I can shave the 30 to give even more clearance
 
In the past I've had such wild ideas as you. Good luck sir. Dana 30 still gonna be sub par to pretty much every axle ever made.
 
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