ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Discussion Forum => Build Diaries, How-To, DIY => Topic started by: Taimur on November 11, 2009, 01:26:43 AM
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Dear friends,
I just have joined the forum and want to share my first rebuild. broadly I should not call it a rebuild rather its more body work. I am not going to change anything with suspension, engine or transmission. reason being, I don't have technical expertise and secondly no after market products are available here in Pakistan. so I am going to do what is available.
I started this project last month but couldn't post here as I was not aware of any such forum.
Plan:
1. stretching chasis.
2. stretching body.
reasons
1. LWB is rarely imported to Pakistan and few avaiable are with soft top.
2. I need extra space to accomodate my hunting gear, 1 or 2 dogs and a fellow hunter.
below are the pictures of my Sierra SWB. its with stock specs.
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BODY SWAP AND FRAME STRETCH
First we removed body, engine, transmission and suspension to pull out the fram. then frame is extended.
13.6" from center and 9.6" from rear.
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few more pics. center and rear extension.
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Nice work.
I'm curious to see the body modifications, keep the pics coming.
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Taimur, it looks your doing a very good job so far. It's difficult to tell from the pictures, but I would like to suggest something that may help you in your build. At every place where the welds meet (the places you have extended) You might want to weld either a diamond shaped or square shaped piece of flat steel over top of the welds (sometimes called a junction plate) to add more strength to the frame and help take some of the stress off of it due to the additional weight and twisting of the longer frame. Keep up the good work and post some more pictures as we all would like to follow your progress.
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|removethispart|@firemedic396
thanks for your advice. I have wellded some extra piece at inner side of the joints but I will definitly go as advised.
BODY CUTTING
another important issue was how and where to cut. My thought was to cut the areas where minimum cutting can be done and also save main pillers. below pictures may explain the work.
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these pictures may give better view of the idea.
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This looks like an interesting build. I like the attitude of just doing it, and I am sure your dogs will appreciate your work. Keep the messages coming.
Thanks
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FIXING THE VEHICLE:
After cutting the body, now we started fixing back the stuff on chasis. the basic idea was to fit everything on chasis and then weld the missing links. the only modifications required were to extend main shaft, silencer, petrol pipes and break pipes. below pictures can eleborate the same
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it's very important to add the plates on the outside and inside where you lenghtened the frame. I do alot of welding and even a professional welder will add these plates. When you weld if the wrong heat setting was used or it was cooled too fast then it will have created a brittle area. The extra plates will make sure this area won't break.
The last one I extended I welded a piece inside the frame rail that was just fit inside. slipped a stock size piece over the little one welded that unto the little piece and then slipped the end of the frame onto the other little piece. I had pre drilled some 1/2 holes into the front and back piece of the stock frame rail and then when all together I plug welded the holes in....after all that added the diamond plates on the inside and outside....overkill? YUP...big time.
You posted that you were doing this for more room...while you've got the body off you should add some receiver tubing on both sides of the frame and then you can build a tray for the back of the zuke. You can carry a good load if you mount this real good.
I had pics of all these jobs but bought a Dell computor......Dell computor=lost files from computor crashing.
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Looks like your progressing very well! I like the work you have done so far, and the lines of the vehicle going to be very unique.
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dear zukimoo,
your guidelines are appreciable. will go for this once through with body welding as it will be easy then to remove body.
please watch below progress.
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few more angles
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Excellent work on those body panels, did it take a lot of time to get the lines correct?
Also, what is your plan for the window glass, will you have custom glass made to fit, will it be fixed, or do you plan on retaining a sliding type window?
keep up the good work!
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Taimur, truely impressive work! With proper application of filler, sanding, and paint you will never know it was a shorter vehicle.
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Looking great! Keep the updates coming...
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I must say its takes good amount of time to allign these lines. when these pieces are welded, the body panels get weak due to heat and to some extent deshaped. to give them strength a lot of effort is required.
for window, I am planing to go for sliding glass. most probably I have to go for custom made glass. If I coundn't do it, I will prepare a frame with sliding panel and will use two samurai glass on each side.
thanks for the appreciation.
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few more pics of WIP
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Your work and detail is awesome..! Looking forward to seeing what you come up with on the window solution. A slide-window may be a good idea... Or may be fuse/glue standard window seals together and use cut temper glass... Lots of choices!!
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What is it you go hunting for in Pakistan?
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we have both waterfowl and upland. Patridge, quail and ducks are common game birds.
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some more pics. base is being prepared for final paint job
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It is a very good job. My dogs are getting jealous, it looks like it's going to be a good hunting rig.
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Good job man...Can't tell theres anything wrong with it hope it looks that good in person...
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WOW! Great job!
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those lines look perfectly straight
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You exhibit some excellent body fabbing skills! Your truck will be so much more useful to you when completed and excellent looking as well. Very impressive! Do you intend to stay with the original color or do you plan on changing the color?
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Is that a dug-out I see for working under the vehicle? I mention it, as I have a friend from Bangalor who just the other day told me that it was the most common way people worked on their cars in his home country. Was interesting to see it considering we were just speaking about it.
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Dear friends, thanks for appreciation.
Nprecons, I will keep the original colour and will paint only the rear portion.
Hegemon,
Yes, its a digout and its very common here. Reason being Hydraulic jacks and lifts are quite expensive and not affordable as we are developing country where more than 60% people live under 2$ earning/day but we have some excellent craftsmanship.
We have holidays till Sunday. will start working again by Monday.
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That looks really great. Nice work. I was thinking of building and extended cab truck version, but now you have me thinking a Samurai suburban like yours.Thanks for sharing this build, if you ever travel to Canada you can stop by and help me with some body work on mine. :)
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Nice place. Many of my friends are settled in Canada.
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Very impressive work. I like it.
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So firends, paint job is finished. few pics of new look.
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Prepared frames for rear window. you will have better idea when fitted. it will be a sliding window.
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Was the welding on the body done with a torch, or wire feed?
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I like that, very nice :)
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Man that body is so straight and smooth. It looks really great guys. Nice work.
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its with torch.
thanks to all for liking
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Very Nice work!! ;)
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Very nice job!!! I want one!
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Can you come to America and build mine just yours? Just kidding! Excellent work my friend.
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I would love to come but FBI will pick you for hosting Alqaida terrorist ;)
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Wow,
Terrorism too... is there nothing a Suzuki can't do!
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Taimur...that's a great picture, where the body is on the frame in 3 pieces...it looks like a real exploded view drawing in 3 dimensions! It's just super! However...why not just haul a little trailer for all that extra stuff? Just kidding! I'ts great to see your JUST DO IT attitude! I wish I could convince more of my friends to be like us!
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One of a kind Sammy, Tiamur!! Your truck looked good before... now it looks great. Hope you get many years of usefulness and enjoyment out of it. My compliments to you and your friends. Tell them: "they rock!!!" because they possess some quality skills and they were willing to help a bud out with his project.
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couldn't post for so long. was busy with official assignments. by this time samy is almost complete and I am diriving it daily. worked with some mechanical and electrical adjustments. But most importantly fitted rear windows. Also fitted a small winch.
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Awesome finish with great work like always!!! So, Whats NEXT?
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Incredible work, I was skeptical over the sliding window but it looks great! Very cool!
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Great job on the modification...
Zig
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Wow! That is some amazing work you have done on this vehicle. I am massively impressed by the quality of your workmanship. Absolutely beautiful.
Thank you for sharing it with us.
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thanks for liking.
few complete pics on sami's first hunting trip. vehicle is perfect in all respects.
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Turned out freakin AWESOME!!!
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looks amazing!!! nice work. Looks like it could have rolled off the lot like that.
Cool window idea too.
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excellent work man. The Zuke looks like it rolled off the factory line like that. I love the sliding windows. it makes for a really clean setup that works as nice as it looks.
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Very excellent work! You said soft tops are to find there,I've been looking for about three years to find a tin top that wasn't a rusted hulk. Lucky over there,too bad I can't get one of those here.