This is my first real 4x4 and i have only been really off-roading a few times but loved it so much i decided to go ahead and further my excitement by building my own offroad capable machine. I have been looking and looking for weeks on what was going to be the right lift for me. After much mind wracking i figured the best thing for me would be to start off by "learning" what my rig will do before i just bolt on and upgrade everything i could get my hands on. Learning how to manuver over,around, through obstacles without depending on all the new equipment i get i figure will make me a better wheeler in the end. This monday my order for a Calmini 2" shackle reversal kit will be put in to help out just a bit. Bought a set of 15"x7" wagon wheels on ebay with 30"x9.5" A/T's for $50 (these will have to wait untill i get a little more lift i think).
I decided that if i buy the 2' S/R its something that i can upgrade with springs and maybe a SPOA in the future.
Anyway this is just a quick post and when i get stuff installed i will post more pics but for now this is what my sammy looks like. not bad at all for $900
Any ideas to help me on my road of making a weekend warrior will help out. this sammy is not my main car so i don't have to daily drive it but i do like to take top and doors off and cruise around.

As you lift and get bigger tires you will need to regear. Also keep in mind that you will notice a power loss. Upgrading your motor when you get a chance is going to wonders for your little Sami. I prefer the 16v but, look around at some of the recent threads to see what kind of options are out there. Remember that the road of progress has lots of potholes (  ), so what works today you may not like tommorrow. Do as much research as you can then, make your own decision based on what you want. 4X4's are an extension of your personality. Have fun, and welcome to the Board.

thanks for the advice  at the moment i am keeping my eye out at a frieds junkyard for a 20 swap then i will get the kit to put it in. he hardly ever gets any trackers/vitaras/sammys so i never get to raid his place. for gears think i am gonna do a hybrid rear for the trackick third's. but slow evolution is best so i can get use to wheeling with what i got

if you keep it small it will be a lot more enjoyable. the shackle reverseal wouldnt have been my choice, i would have went with OME springs (for a softer ride)but you should be able to fit those 30's with the two inch lift.
i have had a big pain in the ass sammy and i wheel with a smaller zook(elburrobigzook)and his is very capible and a lot more enjoyable to drive.
if i had it all to do over i would have kept it small
jason

You would be suprised what a couple lockers will do for ya.

Hi CodeBlue,

Do not go overboard with your rig. Give it a enough lift to run 31's max, fit a locker in the rear and gear it ( 5.14 kits are good all rounders ) and learn to drive around the BIG stuff. This way you will have a nice rig to drive that will kick some ass if driven properly. Best of all you will not break every other trip and it will not hurt the pocket.
Body armour is well worth considering too - almost essential really

Enjoy

ZeusZuki.

I really like your attitude and plan.

Start wheeling now, and the things you need/want most will start to become evident.

Some folks prefer different setups, and different terrain demands different stuff too.


Follow folks with different set-ups if you can.


Tire Selection, and the amount of air, I am CONVINCED through experience makes more difference that any single thing you can do.  A Locker in the rear is a must, in my opinion, but TIRES and TIRE PRESSURE  will make or break your rig's ability.

And tire pressure is WAY more important than anyone seems to believe.  Read the tire pressure article here:

http://ackerdackerly.com/faq/viewtopic.php?t=123

and take a look at the tire contact patch comparisons... it is eye opening, and I did some muddy hill comparisons myself, and let me tell you, the difference is like putting a locker in, or MORE... The article talks about sand, but it is just as important on ANY other surface, well, maybe not Muskeg, but we don't have any of that around here.. a tall skinny tire works in hard bottomed, but deep soft stuff... but mud,sand,snow,dirt,rock,pavement, etc... ALL give TONS more traction with low pressure.. I run 5-6 psi in a deep lugged, bias ply, soft compound mud tire, and I get SO much traction, it is almost funny watching me walk up hills without spinning a tire, while the other guys on lesser tires with more pressure are throttling and spinning and slinging crap everywhere, tearing up the trails, tires, AND the vehicle...

Hi CodeBlue,

Do not go overboard with your rig. Give it a enough lift to run 31's max, fit a locker in the rear and gear it ( 5.14 kits are good all rounders ) and learn to drive around the BIG stuff. This way you will have a nice rig to drive that will kick some ass if driven properly. Best of all you will not break every other trip and it will not hurt the pocket.
Body armour is well worth considering too - almost essential really

Enjoy

ZeusZuki.

That's it right there!!   100%  on the money, well said, bravo and all that crap..

I wanna wheel with you Zues, sounds like you got good head on yer shoulders!

thanks for the replys its encouraging to have ppl help ya out.  think i will either get lockers or mini spool here in a bit then maybe gears. but i don't want to get ahead of my self atm. the tire pressure artical is awsome i didn't relize it would affect traction that much.  thanks again guys

I had my doubts about running my mini-spool on the street, but I have been using my Tracker as a DD for the last couple of weeks, and it just isn't that bad, not at all.. I mean, I know it's going to wear the tires a little quickly, but I air them up pretty high (20-22 psi..lol) so they don't get too much traction on the street.. and that makes them chirp a little going around corners. In the rain, it gets fun, drifting around corners... and I am not sure I would care for it on ice or snow...    But on pavement the spool isn't bad at all, and VERY predictable, not like damned lock-rite.. I drove a buddies Sammy with a Lockrite, and...........well....... yuck.. I hated it. Maybe it wasn't set up too well, but it was noisy and jumpy and now and then, in a parking lot, it went  CLANG!!!  not for me...nope..  ARB all the way.. someday....  for now,  mini-spool or weld the spiders up.

I had my doubts about running my mini-spool on the street, but I have been using my Tracker as a DD for the last couple of weeks, and it just isn't that bad, not at all.. I mean, I know it's going to wear the tires a little quickly, but I air them up pretty high (20-22 psi..lol) so they don't get too much traction on the street.. and that makes them chirp a little going around corners. In the rain, it gets fun, drifting around corners... and I am not sure I would care for it on ice or snow...    But on pavement the spool isn't bad at all, and VERY predictable, not like damned lock-rite.. I drove a buddies Sammy with a Lockrite, and...........well....... yuck.. I hated it. Maybe it wasn't set up too well, but it was noisy and jumpy and now and then, in a parking lot, it went  CLANG!!!  not for me...nope..  ARB all the way.. someday....  for now,  mini-spool or weld the spiders up.

How much did you pay for your ARB?

Thanks QuadDawg , you have really made my day

Trust me though, this did not come about bt accident. I too have built some pretty full on rigs but you know what - it all just came down to a pretty simple set up in the end.
I am sure everyone on this forum has seen "ZeusZuki" and agree that it is a fairly radical beast and getting more so as time progresses

But during the build I had to "compromise" and use a fairly mild rig I have lying around - but guess what   I ENJOYED WHEELING THIS RIG MORE THAN EVER . It was so refreshing "to get back to my roots" so to speak. It was just so much more challenging and actually very satisfying to punt this thing up some extremely difficult terrain.

When I took this thing out for the first time these W#%|removethispart|@ers in Toyotas stopped and said to me - "Your not planning on going up there alone in that thing are you?". I replied "Sure why not?". They just laughed and drove off. They were not laughing when I met them at the top - W#%|removethispart|@ers in big rigs  you gotta love em

Here are a couple of pics for those who haven't seen my rigs - 1x V6 Kick with lift and open all round running 235/85x16 and 1x Kick that has been "warmed over "

ZeusZuki

The pic's

i am not going to make this a crazy rig for sure! i see some of the rigs and i would not be able to do something like that with my very limited welding/fabricating, etc.  but some of the stuff i see is pretty cool and gives me ideas. thanks again guys