That is totally cool.  I've always liked the looks of the 2ng gens better than the 1st gens.  This last summer I could have bought an 03 Tracker with hard and soft tops and 100k miles for $5000.  Instead I bought an 05 Wrangler Unlimited for more than twice that.  Now I get to pay through the nose for gas.  I wish I had stayed with a Zuk!

You can always come back to the 'Dark Side' 

Quote from: Mikerpm4x4 on November 07, 2010, 05:03:28 PM

However, I have 31 spline ford spiders mixed with a suzuki lock rite locker in a tracker rear being used as a front diff in my buggy. After all that I would think the XL7 issue should be fairly simple. Just gotta figure out how much crap needs to be machined

I don't remember reading about running Ford spiders in a Tracker rear.  Are you using spiders from a 8.8 or a 9"?

They are from a 9 inch. I never did write up anything on it. 37kicker and I were just diggin through a pile of parts one night and realized that a nine inch side gear had the same tooth count as a tracker. We were having a few beers at the time and our imaginations were working overtime. Next thing you know the grinder was in hand and the lathe was turning.    We changed the pitch thickness and overall diameter of the face. Then turned the bearing size down and machined out the tracker carrier. There is a little more to it than that, but all in all it was just good times.

How necessary was the V6 swap?  What kind of gas mileage did it get on the trip?

I can tell you, without the turbo, my truck on 33s with 5.83s
is a slug on the road, to have this as a road going truck and
not a trailer queen, you will want more power just to keep
from getting run over by slow moving semi trucks 

Wild

More Power! Always a good thing.

They are from a 9 inch. I never did write up anything on it. 37kicker and I were just diggin through a pile of parts one night and realized that a nine inch side gear had the same tooth count as a tracker. We were having a few beers at the time and our imaginations were working overtime. Next thing you know the grinder was in hand and the lathe was turning.    We changed the pitch thickness and overall diameter of the face. Then turned the bearing size down and machined out the tracker carrier. There is a little more to it than that, but all in all it was just good times.

Great.  Now I'm going to be looking at what it would take to use cut down Ford 9" axles in the rear...

Quote from: Mikerpm4x4 on November 09, 2010, 05:15:17 PM

They are from a 9 inch. I never did write up anything on it. 37kicker and I were just diggin through a pile of parts one night and realized that a nine inch side gear had the same tooth count as a tracker. We were having a few beers at the time and our imaginations were working overtime. Next thing you know the grinder was in hand and the lathe was turning.    We changed the pitch thickness and overall diameter of the face. Then turned the bearing size down and machined out the tracker carrier. There is a little more to it than that, but all in all it was just good times.

Great.  Now I'm going to be looking at what it would take to use cut down Ford 9" axles in the rear...

When you get to that point, why not just swap in a 9"?  With the shaved pumpkin you would get close to the same clearance and have a 9" ring gear.

Quote from: Drone637 on November 10, 2010, 11:17:43 AM

Great.  Now I'm going to be looking at what it would take to use cut down Ford 9" axles in the rear...

When you get to that point, why not just swap in a 9"?  With the shaved pumpkin you would get close to the same clearance and have a 9" ring gear.

True, but keep in mind an XL7 rear is nearly a 9 inch ring gear. If you swap to a ford 9 you have to buy brakes, gears, pinion flange, and make lots of brackets for links, shocks, coils ect.

This is where if we were kids sitting around looking at your new toy,  I would be the one jumping up and down yelling , " now do mine, do mine!" 

This is where if we were kids sitting around looking at your new toy,  I would be the one jumping up and down yelling , " now do mine, do mine!" 

I built this one with an automatic so I my kids would have an easier time driving it. Both of them have been driving it quite a bit. Eventually I will swap a 5 speed into it. I am not a fan of autos.

How necessary was the V6 swap?  What kind of gas mileage did it get on the trip?

I dont know how necessary the swap was but I just wanted to not have to have the gas pedal to the floor everywhere I went. My old orange rig was always to the floor. Oddly both rigs fair about the same mileage. 18 with my regular (hard) driving and 21 driving nice. That being said the V6 is alot faster. I think that It would do a lot better if it had a manual trans. Im not a fan of this auto.

I averaged 15 to 17 MPG with the turbo, on 33s with 5.83 diff gears
on my trip to Moab when I drove there in the Sidekick, and I have
the old 3 speed auto trans.

It's not the trans it's the driver with the MPGs  that and redline all the time

Wild

How do you like the new BFG mud terrains?  Mine is a daily driver and I'm just as concerned how they are on the road as off.  Noise is probably the biggest issue for me that kept me with all terrains last time I bought tires.

How do you like the new BFG mud terrains?  Mine is a daily driver and I'm just as concerned how they are on the road as off.  Noise is probably the biggest issue for me that kept me with all terrains last time I bought tires.

You know, I got some new KM2 last year and I am AMAZED at how quiet they are. Way better then the old BFG MT, similar but better than the BFG AT, and better than the old Goodyear MTR. ...and they work good offroad too! Tire tech has come a long way in the last few years and I think these tires benefit from new developments and technology.

YMMV

-Eric

Quote from: meach4x4 on November 10, 2010, 03:34:18 PM

When you get to that point, why not just swap in a 9"?  With the shaved pumpkin you would get close to the same clearance and have a 9" ring gear.

True, but keep in mind an XL7 rear is nearly a 9 inch ring gear. If you swap to a ford 9 you have to buy brakes, gears, pinion flange, and make lots of brackets for links, shocks, coils ect.

And it wouldn't be legal for the Zukiworld Challenge.  You have to keep a Suzuki rear housing.  

And we are a lot lighter.  Those 9" axles are heavy buggers...