This is my first time completing one of these forum builds and I am excited to share my build!  My goals are, not only finish my build  but learn from you guys by studying your previous/current builds.  My hopes are to build a Samurai that is fun, reliable, and a down right nasty machine that will turn heads and crawl over anything.  I am calling this my round 2 project because this is my second Samurai that I have owned.  I picked up my first one several years ago for $700.  It was a 92 that had been rolled over several times.  Originally a soft top, the PO attemped to convert a street sign into a top.  The doors didn't close too well, the body looked like rolled up tin foil, and it leaked water badly.  Samurai's aren't very popular around here in Wyoming but I figured I have to start somewhere.  I ended up completing a SPOA lift, installed a 6.5 gear kit in the transfer case, and installed front and rear lockers.  Since the top was not my favorite, we decided to cut it off and weld in a roll cage.  I purchased a CJ-7 bikini top and was just going to run it in the summer time.  It did pretty good and we had lots of fun with it but I hated looking at all the dents and rust.  I was hoping I would be able to save up and buy a nicer one some day and build it up the same. 

Working as a Toyota tech, one day a college kid brought me his 87 Samurai to get tuned up.  He came out from California so this Samurai was rust free and in very great shape!  At the end of his college year, his father came out to pick up his Samurai and dingy tow it back to Cali behind his rv.  After connecting it to his rv, he drove away.  Couple miles down the road it starts smoking and slowing down his rv.  After he towed it back to our Toyota shop and we pushed it in and inspected the damage.  The transmission was stuck in third gear and would not come out.  The transfer case was in gear (2wd).  The engine suffered most of the damage.  Both main shaft seals had melted out and lost all oil.  Two rods came apart and shot out the side.  In the end, I bought it for $600.  I removed the engine, trans, and t-case.  Cleaned off the oil and parked it in my garage for a year.  I later removed my 92's engine, trans, and t-case.  Installed everything into my new 87.  Since the 92 is TBI, I installed an electric pump and had to swap drivelines but eveything else worked. 

My build may take several years (small budget) but in the end I wish to stand next to it and be proud of what I have accomplished.  Thanks for reading and please pipe in during my build if I am taking the wrong steps.

This is after I bought my 92.

My black 92 Samurai after I lifted it.  The tires are 31x10.50 

This is my new 87.

My plan is to just get this back to running again.  I replaced a few gaskets and it's ready for the heart transplant.  A friend made me the battery hold down.

My transplant went pretty good.  I had some issues with the stock carb.  Probably from sitting for a year with old gas in it.  I purchased a Weber 32/36 from Low Range Offroad.  I have purchased some other things from these guys and so far everything has been going well.  Living at 8k feet, I knew I would have to re-jet it for this level.  I did some research on this forum for jet sizes and found a guy in Utah that was at 6k and used his selection.  I called the Weber tech hotline, just to see what they would say and the guy wasn't much help and only told me to replace two of the jets, not all six.  I didn't want to chase my tail around so I went with the guy's selection from Utah.  So far I havn't even messed with the mixture screw.  The only problem I ran into was under acc. at highway speeds.  Not really something I want to worry about right now.  I figured I still have many options to adjust things so i would take my time and adjust in very small amounts.  Plus this motor that came out of my 92, burns oil really bad and I figured this may cause some mixture problems.  This motor also has started knocking a little.  I have heard this is a common thing on high mileage 1.3L's.  It's almost like a piston slap type noise.  It's the loudest when it's cold and then goes away once it warms up.  I figured I'll start biting my nails once it makes the noise all the time.  I also found a guy in Denver that was doing a 1.6 swap and selling the 1.3 so I bought it for $200, thinkiing it may be a good idea to have a spare.

My plan with this motor is to install (LROR's) high compression pistons and a different camshaft.  They have two options for camshafts, a high rpm or a torquer cam.  Not sure yet which would better fit my needs but if someone has done this, maybe they can offer some advise. 

I plan do install new leaf springs from trial-gear that will provide a three inch lift.  I also plan on removing my axles from the 92 (which already have the lockers installed) and complete a SPOA lift.  This should put me around a 7 in. lift

I would like to do a over the top steering but I'm not sure if that will work yet with this setup.

I plan do install new leaf springs from trial-gear that will provide a three inch lift.  I also plan on removing my axles from the 92 (which already have the lockers installed) and complete a SPOA lift.  This should put me around a 7 in. lift

Caution you do not exceed the  (6" Rule)  for the over all height from a suspension lift. There will be a lot of drive train issues if you exceed this rule.

What kind of issues do you think I will encounter?  I was expecting to have driveline length issues but will I have clearance and angle problems?  I was thinking 7 or 8 would be my max but if I need to stay around 6, I guess I better reconsider some things.  If I do a SPOA and go with heavy duty springs that have no lift (I was looking at ones from Calmini, http://www.puresuzuki.com/leaf_springs.htm) would this be to rough of a ride?  I plan on adding a lot of weight in the future (front and rear bumpers, roof rack, and misc.)

I hate decisions like this..but at the same time I want to do the correct lift and not stand there afterwards and wish I would have done something different.  Luckily, I have till December to put my order in.

I do see the importance of keeping it at 6 or under.  I did read some forums in that past about how Calmini isn't the best place to order from and that their springs do ride rough.  For some reason, I can't talk myself out of those!   

The axles that came out of my 92, already have the spring perches flipped and welded in place.  This is why I was deciding to go with a SPOA.  I could always keep the axles this 87 has but I already did the knuckle seal kit on my old ones.  Plus, they have new bearings and lockers already installed.

If I go with the yjk kit (SPOA), with new yjk springs, will this put me at 6.5?  I'm not sure if I read that right on that link.  Clearing 33's would be great, for this would be my max I want to go.  And the link didn't say much about the steering with this kit?  It looked like a OTT steering, is this right?  I hate reading their describtion, they all say "this is the best kit on the market!"

Thank you for the advise!  I will defiently go back and review your build and follow up on doing some more research!

Sorry, I did read that it does come with knuckle over the top steering!  Sometimes I suffer from selective reading!     Which that is what I was hoping to have to reduce any bump steer.  Price tag is a bit of a pinch in the arm but I'm a true believe in "you get what you pay for."  I just don't want to get suckerd into the wrong thing! 

I'm not to worried about my engine problem.  I just need to decide whether it's worth going into this one and fixing the burning oil problem or just run it till it blows.  I do have a good spare on hand and $ set aside for that project.  I taked my wife into giving me a $3k budget/a year to invest in my Samurai and I was hoping to get as much as I could within that my first year.  I don't mind spending half that on the lift, to do it right!  I do see a lot of cheap/homemade lifts on line and my father in-law talked me into doing that on my 92.  I had many issues (bump steer and shock travel) and want to stay far away from that as I can!

Thanks again Tan Zuk, I really appreciate the help!

I'm going SPUA with a lifted YJ kit.  The springs are the same as a YJ, but made by OME and add an additinal 2.5 inches of lift.  I figure I will be some where around 5.5" of lift and I plan on running 32" MTR/K tires.

You can by the brackets from SKY or other places.  You can get the springs where ever you want and its all good.  I bought the Rocky Road Ultimate Jeepeater kit with bushings, shocks, springs, brackets, shackles, brake lines, shock mounts and stage 1 OTT kit.  Its expensive, but its all there you just need to bolt it up.  There are things I don't like about the kit; very few of the parts are powder coated and the instructions are poor at best.  Tust me, I have already called and said I might as well have not had them.  But it does have everything you need.

Rob

See a long time ago I had my eyes on Calmini 5" Lift that kept a SPUA design (and it came w/ everything you need). 

http://www.puresuzuki.com/super_5.htm

I figured with this you still have good steering and suspension control.  It would clear 31's just fine but not 33's.  After asking some questions from people who actually used this lift, they said it has a very rough ride, and I decided it wasn't for me.

What advantages come with old man emu springs?  And why did you keep it a SPUA?  Thanks Rob for the help!