First an explanation.

There is one main mechanical difference between the Samurai manual locking hub and the Tracker/Sidekick manual locking hub that has a direct effect on the swap.  It involves the snap ring that holds the outer end of the axle shaft in place on both models.



The snap ring is outboard on the Samurai.




The snap ring is inboard on the Tracker/Sidekick

The snap ring really cannot be left out when you install a Samurai locking hub on a Tracker/Sidekick. The snap ring holds the axle shaft in place so that the CV joint (or Birfield joint in the case of the Samurai) always remains in the center of the axis of steering rotation.  It also keeps the seal closed on the back of the Tracker/Sidekick hub assembly

If you buy a Samurai locking hub and install it on your Tracker or Sidekick, you may  find a narrow gap between the base of the locking hub and the hub itself.

Yes, I said "may". More on that later.

This occurs because there is no room at the base of the Samurai locking hub for the Tracker/Sidekick's inboard snap ring.  The solution is to somehow make space for the snap ring:




A popular and inexpensive solution is to make a spacer ring. Note the hub spacer in the above picture.  It is actually a metal ring that is the same thickness as the snap ring. It basically looks like a metal version of the gasket that sits in the same location.  At this time, this spacer is something that you have to make yourself.

Now the practical side of all this.

Here are pictures of my "fleet" and their locking hubs.  Remember - a Tracker is, generally speaking, just a rebadged Sidekick.



Actual, real Samurai locking hubs




Actual real Samurai locking hubs on a Suzuki Sidekick.



and finally...



Tracker (Sidekick) locking hubs on a Tracker.

Remember that  "...you may find a narrow gap..." comment from earlier in this post?

When I installed the Samurai locking hubs on my Sidekick, I DID NOT need that spacer ring to make the installation work!

Here is my guess on why that happened:

I believe that sometime during the production life of the locking hub used on the Samurai, it was decided to modify the bottom of the hub mounting surface to leave room for the Tracker/Sidekick snap ring.  This way, the hubs could be used on both  product lines.  This does not necessarily mean that they actually used the same hub on both product lines - only that the design modification made it possible.

Perhaps the design changed occurred around the time that the Sidekick or Tracker was introduced and all Samurais manufactured for North American sales from, say 1989 or so, were equipped with the new-design hubs.  That would possibly mean that if you harvested locking hubs off an early model Samurai, you may need the spacer ring.  Locking hubs off a newer Samurai would not need the spacer ring.

The above is only speculation on my part, but it would explain why I was able to install these Samurai hubs (I salvaged them myself) on a Sidekick without the spacer rings while others have not.

Finally, it is important to note that you cannot easily install Tracker/Sidekick locking hubs on a Samurai.  If you notice the shape of the mounting surface on the hub unit in the second picture, you will see that it will not easily seat on the mounting face of a Samurai hub.