Samurais, really?

jhughes4707

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Joined
Nov 15, 2009
Location
nc
So I went wheelin not to long ago down at URE, I have a 89 F-150 on 38s, and in my group was this samurai, though in the samurais defense it had 8" of lift 35s and a v6.. it was absolutely demolishing everything. So I started looking up stuff about these little sammis and supposedly even with just a little bit of work they are offroading machines? just wanted to get some feedback from you guys that actually have one, before I go out and buy one =] thanks in advance
 
There is nothing magical about them, but they do make for a good platform to build. Just like anything else they will take some work to be capable. The small size can be a plus or a minus, depending on how you look at it. Just depends on what you want out of your rig, I guess.
 
im not knocking you.....i hav no idea how you drive, but driver skill plays a big part of how well a rig will do.

alot of the zuki guys have been in the sport for a while and have honed their skills pretty well.
 
Starting off in a sami will teach good driving skills....they are so small, tippy and underpowered that one has to really learn to drive to make it were the big rigs go.
 
Yeah for sure, well im not trying to keep up with you guys with your buggies on 49s haha, i just like going through trails and creeks and stuff, my f150 can do it, to a certain extent.. but its big and black.. so every branch leaves its mark and its my DD so not trying to keep messin it up. That little sammi with the v6 though, that was sick.
 
i dont think sami's come stock with V6s.

very cool platform to learn on though.
 
My first one was stock height with 29" TSL/SX's and a welded rear diff. Followed a K5 on 44's every except Kodak Rock. My new (to me) Samurai has a spring over, 4:1's, 5.13's, locked f&r, and a V6 from a Grand Vitara with 34" TSL's. It will soon have toyota axles. I'll go anywhere I please then without worry of breakage.
 
Well right now im looking at a sammi with 34s welded diff and lockrite front, SoA lift with 34s and 3.73s... i figure i will put new leafs and get actual lockers for the rear, add 2 inches (with the leafs) and slap on 35s. 4:1 T case and 4.56 gears. but of course ill be doing this one thing at a time lol. So your sammi with 29s was somewhat of a little beast then lol
 
Their best attributes are that they are light (about 2,000 lbs stock) and small. There are tons of parts available to modify them. They are a lot of fun to wheel. They are easy to work on because they are small and light.

Some members of this boards Sami's.
http://www.nc4x4.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76081
 
jhughes4707 said:
Well right now im looking at a sammi with 34s welded diff and lockrite front, SoA lift with 34s and 3.73s... i figure i will put new leafs and get actual lockers for the rear, add 2 inches (with the leafs) and slap on 35s. 4:1 T case and 4.56 gears. but of course ill be doing this one thing at a time lol. So your sammi with 29s was somewhat of a little beast then lol
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I wouldn't bother replacing the welded rear diff unless you are going to DD the thing. Mine is welded, and I still drive it around on the street occassionally. I also wouldn't lift it too high like most Sami's owners do. Keep it low and cut the fenders for tire clearance. It will perform much better if you keep the COG as low as possible. I've got the 6.5:1 TC gears and love them.
 
I love my sammy so much we are getting 2 more....keep it low I am keeping the 1.3 and doing a 6.5:1 transfercase gear set....yota axles with 4.10s and 34s on stock 2" yj springs
 
No problem man I just figured you were away or something, timmersinger how much would I be looking at to get a T case like that?
 
I was looking thru the classifieds in the mountain times (it's online) watuaga county and someone had two for $600. Don't know if they run or not but there might be some good pieces?
 
I've built quite a few samurai's and they are a decent platform for making about anything out of weather it be a full crawler or a trail rig. There is tons of aftermarket support for them some of it really good like case gears and motor and axle swaps. The problem with them is that with alot of the aftermarket things out there you'll find in time they aren't that great of an advantage. One of the biggest drawbacks to using a samurai as your base for a good useable crawler is that the frame is quite weak. I know I'll get flamed for this but they are very thin, like 18ga. and everything that you weld or bolt directly to them will tear off. You have to do some pretty substantial plating. But depending on what you use it for they can be great fun vehicles. I'm about to start one for my self because I like the size and weight the offer without going full tube chassis. I think one with around a 95" wheelbase yotas, lockers, 36's or 37's shackle reversal and spring-over in the front and 4 link in the rear is probably a top contender in about any style of riding.
 
MarsFab said:
I've built quite a few samurai's and they are a decent platform for making about anything out of weather it be a full crawler or a trail rig. There is tons of aftermarket support for them some of it really good like case gears and motor and axle swaps. The problem with them is that with alot of the aftermarket things out there you'll find in time they aren't that great of an advantage. One of the biggest drawbacks to using a samurai as your base for a good useable crawler is that the frame is quite weak. I know I'll get flamed for this but they are very thin, like 18ga. and everything that you weld or bolt directly to them will tear off. You have to do some pretty substantial plating. But depending on what you use it for they can be great fun vehicles. I'm about to start one for my self because I like the size and weight the offer without going full tube chassis. I think one with around a 95" wheelbase yotas, lockers, 36's or 37's shackle reversal and spring-over in the front and 4 link in the rear is probably a top contender in about any style of riding.
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OK. I've seen your fab work, so I'm not calling you out on that, however I have to disagree with that statement about the frame. First, they're more like 11ga, closer to 1/8". Second, I built a winch mount frame extension for a bud's Sammi. Ramsey 9500pro winch. I used 2x4, .250 wall box, and TIGged it directly to the end of the frame. I knew it was a risk, but I wanted to try. He's bogged down the winch tugging a Land Cruiser axle deep in mud, and last weekend, we had a 4wd Kubota yanking on that same frame extension. He ended up using the box scrape hoist to lift the front of the Sammi and drag it out. Still no signs of fatigue. If I was to do it again, I'd plate it, but this was a hurried experiment, and a successful one at that. And that's just one example of many that I've got. If done properly, the frames are plenty strong.
 
Yeah im not into the crazy stuff, I just like going on trails and things, but my trucks paint was taking a beating, so with the sami it will be small enough to fit, of course ill still get scrapes and such but it wont be my DD so ill be fine with that, Im thinking ill get the sammy, and by this summer it will have 35s, v6 4.3 vortec, 4:1 or 6.5:1 gears, and a wench in the front. I just wana go through my trails, wheel with my buddies jeeps, most of them on 33s or 35s, and maybe go through a creek or two lol
 
If you are just gonna run 35 or smaller tires put in some yota's and some 6.5 T/C gears. The Yota's have a 4.10 ratio and with the T/C gears you will be plenty low enough to do any trials on the east coast. Lock the front and weld the rear and you will keep up with most vehicles on 38's
 
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