Hey every body!
First post here.  I am a hot rod, sickle guy.  I have built chevy trucks, ford roadsters, beetles, and a 650 xs chopper.  I don't really know any one who wheels, and have never owned a vehicle I could really punish other than on the strip.  I like that tin top Sammy pretty well.  I see you guys doing cool stuff to these little trucks.  I don't know anything about building a 4x4.  so here's what I would like to know if you guys would impart some of that " if I woulda known" wisdom on me. 

So I have a line on the above mentioned tintop-

I want to raise it maybe 5" and run 31-33 tires.  Seems like a spring over and drop steer drag link will get that done along with drive shaft spacers, and brake lines. 

Curious about motor.  I really dig the idea of that veedub turbo diesel but it seems really pricey.  I have seen that 1.6 kick motor too. 

last thing right now....gearing.  in a hot rod we shove a 5.11 in the legendary 9" ford and call it good.  seems like a lot more thought goes into it here.  help me understand the relationship from the tcase gears to the diff gears.  I want a hills/mud rig that will not be wound out at 55 mph. 

Really appreciate your thoughts fellas I hate to be a rookie at this but everybody's gotta start somewhere

1.  Read this:

http://www.acksfaq.com/sixinchrule.htm

2. Read this:

http://www.acksfaq.com/bumpsteer_explained.htm

3. ...and this:

http://www.zukikrawlers.com/showthread.php?t=6741

4. Go here:

http://www.acmeadapters.com/index.php?sound=Y

5. read these two pages:

http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/tech/driveline/
http://www.4xshaft.com/driveline101.html

6. view this:

http://www.acksfaq.com/driveshaftvideo.htm

And finally, you don't have a big choice with Samurai R&Ps but to you have some.  Any FRONT R&P out of a Sidekick, Tracker or Vitara can be installed in a Samurai differential.  The range is from 3.73 (stock) to 5.12 (1.6 with five speed).  There are other aftermarket R&Ps available.  The choice of aftermarket transfer case gears is much larger and many go this route as it is easier to regear a tcase than a dif.

I hope that this helps!

PS - I hear that cat Ack has one bad...

     SHUT yo MOUF!

Just talking 'bout Ack's FAQ, can you dig it???

      Yes I can...   

Hey every body!
First post here.  I am a hot rod, sickle guy.  I have built chevy trucks, ford roadsters, beetles, and a 650 xs chopper.  I don't really know any one who wheels, and have never owned a vehicle I could really punish other than on the strip.  I like that tin top Sammy pretty well.  I see you guys doing cool stuff to these little trucks.  I don't know anything about building a 4x4.  so here's what I would like to know if you guys would impart some of that " if I woulda known" wisdom on me. 

So I have a line on the above mentioned tintop-

I want to raise it maybe 5" and run 31-33 tires.  Seems like a spring over and drop steer drag link will get that done along with drive shaft spacers, and brake lines. 

Curious about motor.  I really dig the idea of that veedub turbo diesel but it seems really pricey.  I have seen that 1.6 kick motor too. 

last thing right now....gearing.  in a hot rod we shove a 5.11 in the legendary 9" ford and call it good.  seems like a lot more thought goes into it here.  help me understand the relationship from the tcase gears to the diff gears.  I want a hills/mud rig that will not be wound out at 55 mph. 

Really appreciate your thoughts fellas I hate to be a rookie at this but everybody's gotta start somewhere

Dude-  WOW you need to meet a guy named PAmco Pete.  he is the you of yamaha xs 650.  I'll get back to after i chew through all that stuff.
thanks brother. 

Ack-
Seriously thanks for the info.  That was a great read!  So if I may sum up the scraps from the masters table.....

Three inch lift so my driveshaft's don't shake me outta the truck.
OTT steering to keep the wheel in my hand (this part I knew since I use Vega steering for hot rods which is a great little cross steering box)

I spent a little time looking at acme...seems not very different from Rocky road's kit.  Do you have links comparing the "big block 1.6" to the VW diesel setup, and it seems to me the VW setup will make great torque and be better in the mud and for crawling, but looks like it's gonna cost like 1500 bucks, but if it will not be that much better bang for the buck I would run the gas Kick engine. 

Am I on the right path?

Disclaimer: I am brand new to this as well, some of what I have figured out so far is:

A basic SPOA will net you 4.5" or so, if you want to keep it lower than that then lift springs in the stock configuration (under axle) will get you 3". I have not heard that driveline issues are common with a basic SPOA, but I am not qualified to say.

I am pretty sure 90% of the engine conversions you will see on samurais are to the 1.6L; the price, simplicity of the swap and parts availability can't be beat, and with that popularity comes an incredible knowledge base as well. Even within the category of 1.6L you still have a few options, since there are both 8v and 16v and it isn't uncommon to run the 8v with propane if that tickles your fancy.

thanks for your input. you guys are great.  I am lazy. So lazy that I wanto to do a  lot of home work and do it right the first time rather than have my hooptie come apart in the woods somewhere! 

Any other thoughts on motor?  prices that kinda thing?

I would go with a 1.6 and if I had the money available put the Shogun or Kicker 3 setup in it so I had dual transfer cases.   A couple of people have also swapped in a Nissan diesel and been pretty happy with the conversion.

Pretty much any RWD car engine/transmission combo that is small enough can be swapped in, that is the beauty of a divorced transfer case.  If you want speed there has been some Rotary swaps that look pretty sweet.  There was even some postings from Chile showing Nissan 350Z V6 and Subaru STI engine swaps into a Samurai.

I spent a little time looking at acme...seems not very different from Rocky road's kit.  Do you have links comparing the "big block 1.6" to the VW diesel setup, and it seems to me the VW setup will make great torque and be better in the mud and for crawling, but looks like it's gonna cost like 1500 bucks, but if it will not be that much better bang for the buck I would run the gas Kick engine. 

Am I on the right path?

I just drove my Weber-carbed 1.6 8-valve 900 + miles to the ZookiMelt pulling a 1200-lb camping trailer at 55-60MPH with moderate success. (I plan to convert to a MY-SIDE side-draft carburetor setup someday soom...)

I blew the 9-year-old clutch 120 miles from the Melt but it made it back home with a new clutch just fine!  This was done with a second-generation (higher fifth gear) transmission, 4.625 R&Ps, stock t-case and 30" BFG ATs.  At the Melt, what wheeling I did was all trail or sand-related and was way above the performance of a stock unit -which is pretty good in the first place!.

I have no experience with the VW Diesel transplant.  Cost has kept me from doing it.

That said, if I WAS going to do it I would choose Acme over Rocky Road in a heartbeat no matter what the cost difference was.

Sorry, Glenn...

Acme has struck me as being the better of the two when it comes to service before and after the sale from the posts of others over the course of seven years.

If you are going Diesel, you might as well do it with someone who is there to help you when you need it.

I hope that this helps!

There was even some postings from Chile showing Nissan 350Z V6 engine swap into a Samurai.

Do you happen to have a link to this?