I have a much used/much loved 1998 Tracker that I finally managed to drive into the ground (engine is toast, and having a new engine put in it is more than the truck is worth).  I couldn't find any pre-99's around that were in condition/mileage I was willing to buy for the price, so I am picking up a 2003 Tracker 4door, 4cyl/auto, base model (power nothin - only way to roll for a trail rig!).

Anyway, I know the tires and wheels from my 98 will swap over just fine (235/75R15's on Samurai rims 3.75" backspacing), but I am wondering the if my spacer lift from the 98 will fit the spring towers on the 2003/gen 2?    IE: Can I just pull the spacers (0.75 inch front, 1.75 inch rear -- Jeep spacers drilled out to 2.5 inches) off the 1998 and slap them on the 2003?

Also, was wondering about the hubs -- my (vague) understanding after some cursory reading is that the 2003 has full-time locked hubs on it from the factory and some kind of air actuated rig that engages/disengages at the front diff.  Which leads me to two questions -- can I swap the manual hubs from my 1998 on to the 2003 model?   Would that buy me anything (better gas mileage with the hubs unlocked) ??


Any other tips you might have for a guy moving from a 98 to a 2003 (gen1 to gen2) Tracker, parts that would be best snagged off the 98 before I part it out, etc, would be much appreciated.


Thanks in advance,

I think the coil spacers should be inter-changable between the two trucks... but check with Jeff1997 (he makes and sells these things) and he could tell ya for sure.   I've had a set of his coil spacers on my 2002 Tracker for over 18 months now.  Had to perform some very minor grinding mods but they work great.   I wouldn't be too quick to dispose of your front and rear diffs with the 5.12 gear sets either.  Your new Tracker (if it is an auto) will probably have 4.88 gear sets in it from the factory and the 5.12s may come in handy later on not to mention you could probably sell them here on the forum to another gear starved member, plus other bits and pieces from your old Tracker which are harder to find. 

The locking hubs should be inter-changable but as you stated the front diffs on the 2nd generation trucks have the air acuator so the front diffs are built a little different.  l think the other big difference in the front end is you won't be able to install any locker type unit in the front diff with the SOTF factory set-up.  Maybe swap out the new for the old diff?

The hubs swap over for sure.

The spring spacers might work, but the front ones will need to be trimmed down a bit because the suspension geometry is different. If you don't trim them down, they will give you more lift than on your old truck.

I have the 99' tracker, and samurai rims hit the brake calipers.  Unless you have some rim spacers, or want to switch the rims.

The manual diff ratio is 4.6 ish (can't remember), so keep your old diffs.  There's lots info on here about the SOTF removal.

Thanks for all the tips, guys!

As to the spacers -- if they lift a little more, that's just fine -- they're only 0.75 inch spacers (they did about 1 to 1.1 inches of lift on the front of the 98).   If they did a whole inch and a half, that would be fine by me, I could live with it. 

As to the rims -- yuck, yeah, I just found out this morning that Samurai rim's hit the calipers.    They just barely hit, though; 1/4 inch of spacer would probably clear it up.  (heck, a few minutes with a dremel at the points where it hits would probably also do it, but that seems like a Bad Thing(tm) to be doing!!).     I wonder if I could swap the calipers from the 98 and solve that problem?    I mean, they're so close to not hitting that I bolted em down thinking I was clear, and didn't realize I'd screwed up till I dropped er in reverse (hope that didn't hurt anything!!!! doesn't seem to have)...

I really don't want to change rims -- that's $$$$, and I am broke broke broke after buying two trucks (this one, and a 99 Tacoma) in the last 30 days. 


Also, I'm hearing from a couple of guys from elsewhere (guys that should know, as they wrench on these things for a living) that I can swap the 3rd's from the 98 Cami-built straight across to get to 5.12 gears (it's 4.88 in the auto, I'm pretty sure).   But the ZukiWorld write-up said it had to be a Jap-built to work.   Anyone know FOR SURE why it has to be Jap-built diff's and/or FOR SURE why cami-built 3rd's wont' interchange?

Thanks,

AARRRGGG, CAMI vs Jap.   

Some say it's gotta be a Jap built part.  Slight difference somewhere over the rainbow....

I did the swap from a 98 Cami built Sidekick Sport.  My front anvil and housing were aluminium ('02 or '03 some changed to steel) so I swapped in the whole front diff, not just the 3rd member.  I couldn't see any difference between the two and I've had no problems.

Your front anvil should be steel, so you may want to keep it.  Though if you've been wheeling with the aluminium on the '98, you could keep the steel as a spare.  Later when your rolling in dough or brake the old one, you could have a shop swap the R&P (specially if the housing is steel too).

The article seems to have a problem with the stock Vit/Track anvil and the Side/Track 3rd member.  Never really found out what the problem was.

Ohh yeah...  You can't do the strut mount flip.
Keep your old strut mounts and see if you can "McGiver" something.

For the front brake issue I put on wheel spacers.  After looking at the cost of buying differnt rims and installing the cost was not that different.

Have fun

Interesting on the cami-built vs jap built.   But yours was a "Sport" model, you said, right?   Mine is just a standard 98 4 door.

As to the strut flip, I never did it on the old one (and ran it 100,000km's that way with no ill effects), so I see no reason to do it on the new one.   0.75 inch spacers won't lift it more than 1.25-ish inches I'm guessing (if that), so I'm not really worried about it.

Later when your rolling in dough or brake the old one, you could have a shop swap the R&P (specially if the housing is steel too).

Just curious - you have any idea what a shop would charge to swap the R&P's?  At first blush, I wouldn't mind spending something south of $500 on a deal like that.   Though, on second thought, I really want that whole air-powered thing gone, so not much point in just having the gears changed in that case, I suppose.

What I really want, is to have enough money to do 5.12's and front and rear ARB's, but that will probably be at least a year before I can play that game after all the money I just spent.   

The body lift will work.
                  Kieran

Also, I'm hearing from a couple of guys from elsewhere (guys that should know, as they wrench on these things for a living) that I can swap the 3rd's from the 98 Cami-built straight across to get to 5.12 gears (it's 4.88 in the auto, I'm pretty sure).   But the ZukiWorld write-up said it had to be a Jap-built to work.   Anyone know FOR SURE why it has to be Jap-built diff's and/or FOR SURE why cami-built 3rd's wont' interchange?

Just checked the Parts Catalogue.  When there is a difference, the catalogue inserts a note "Product of Japan" and ""Product of Canada".  There is no such note in the rear diff parts for '98 Sidekick and Sport.

Sweet -- that'll save me a few bucks if I don't have to track down parts I don't already have!!!

Just curious - you have any idea what a shop would charge to swap the R&P's?  At first blush, I wouldn't mind spending something south of $500 on a deal like that.   Though, on second thought, I really want that whole air-powered thing gone, so not much point in just having the gears changed in that case, I suppose.

What I really want, is to have enough money to do 5.12's and front and rear ARB's, but that will probably be at least a year before I can play that game after all the money I just spent.   

Not sure on cost for to swap in the R&P.  I did get a price of around $80 to put in a rachetting locker in the rear if I brought in the rear third, so the mechanic did not have to spend time pulling it out or putting it back in.

If you have the time, tools, and WD-40 it's not a difficult swap.  I swapped the front one weekend and the rear the next (carefull not to engage the 4wd inbetween).  With the front done first, to pull the axles out of the rear I attached a chain to the axle wrapped around the old diff (almost as good as a slid hammer).  This would save you $$ for the locker, a rachetting or LSD locker could be installed in the rear diff before you install it into the Tracker, not sure on a air locker (everything but the air lines??).