I just bought an 87 Samurai and I have quite a few questions.

The transfer case was taken apart when i bought it they said that it was stuck in neutral. after doing some research i found out that it was a problem with the shifter linkage bushing which was non-existent, the bearings were covered with grease and grime, after a little time and some parts cleaner they spin freely with no grinding or freeplay, and none of the gears were damaged. my question is should i replace the bearings when i put the t-case back together, i am trying to keep expenditures on getting this thing going to a minimum. also are there any websites that will give a step by step rebuild of a t-case. i saw online that there are a couple of ball bearing things in the transfer case and im pretty sure that they are missing where can i get these and what size are they?

     Ok enough with that what are the biggest tires that this thing can handle without powerloss or too much modification to the driveline or suspension.

any help or suggestions on my new baby will be much appreciated

You may want to purchase a FSM for the vehicle. The manuals have exploded veiw diagrams that are really helpfull. As far as the tires you will find that people run from stock to 31" without problems. You may want to do your own homework to find what is going to be best for you and your plans. Things to think about.........terrain, elevation, budget, overall goal...etc

sammypro.com is dead on with his advice.  You really need to consider what you are trying to do, especially if you are on a budget.

For rebuilding the transfer case you should check out Acks Faq, he might have a manual you can download.  You should also check out the article on installing gears over at http://zukiworld.com/month_070102/feature_rockrawlerdl_install.htm as it will give you a good idea of what you need to look at when putting the case back together.

hi!

Try at search for t-case or transfer case at Ack's FAQ (see signature, below, for link).

There are several tutorials on assembling a t-case there.  Also, take a look at the link to the article at izook.com about Zuk's OffRoad's t-bra: The new Shifter sheet.  I have one and I expect the truck to disintegrate around it instead of the other way around.

Thanks all for all of the advice im sure that i will be posting again because this is the just the first step in getting this thing going again