Looking to build up a samurai for trail use and DD. Below are a list of mods I am planning to do during the winter.
Would like some feedback on the  build. Please don't be afraid to tell me were I am gong wrong.
 
Trail Tough YJ SPOA kit
Doetsch Tech 3000 shocks
stock YJ springs
 
Tires 32in or 33in ?? (not sure which size)
Locker (not sure on the brand)
Traction bar
6.5.1 T-Case + Twisted TT + custom HD mount

Shiftier bushing fix

VW Diesel 1.6td engine (torque and no more smog in CA)
Acme kit with oil cooler
Alum radiator
Sidekick starter
Petroworks clutch

New Top
Diamond plate door panels

When money permits
Power steering kit ?
High steer kit ?
Grant steering wheel

Better bump the high steer kit (OTT) up a notch or 3 if you pan on drivin it after the Spoa installation.

Better bump the high steer kit (OTT) up a notch or 3 if you pan on drivin it after the Spoa installation.

Thanks for the tip! What do you mean not driveable?

Matt

IMO the 1.6 isn't quite adequate for a 32 or 33 inch tire. it will be high geared for a dd and sluggish in town.. good for highway due to low rpm.. but not much passing power. jluck had a 1.9 TD in a four door sidekick and wasn't much more powerful then then stock 16v. all I am saying is that for the price of the acme kit there's not a whole lot of gain.. unless you just want a diesel samurai. BTW awesome thread name!!!

IMO the 1.6 isn't quite adequate for a 32 or 33 inch tire. it will be high geared for a dd and sluggish in town.. good for highway due to low rpm.. but not much passing power. jluck had a 1.9 TD in a four door sidekick and wasn't much more powerful then then stock 16v. all I am saying is that for the price of the acme kit there's not a whole lot of gain.. unless you just want a diesel samurai. BTW awesome thread name!!!

Would recommend a 1.6 16v rather than the diesel? The adapter kit and harness are half the price of the acme kit.

Thanks, for the comp on the name.  It probably hurts my replay rate but oh, well...

Matt

honestly IMO yes, the 16v is going to get just as good of mileage +/- 3-5. lots of them available, and as far is i know a sidekick trans will fit..so you don't need the adapter plate. wiring is pretty easy, and don't quote me on this but if you gonna do a doubler you can just use samurai transfer case. I think that  the 16v is a much easier and more available option.. plenty of ways to get good power, cam, header, intake or even as far as turbo.. and that's only if you want to stay mild.. i personally did a 2.0 in my sidekick and it was relatively cheap.. there are much more extreme options but also have to think about reliability and parts availability. any more questions and i will be glad to give you my .02..

Ps DC TALK is awesome.

Good to see you back here and working on your Sami. I hadn't seen you one here in awhile, although I am off and on right now too with everything going on around here.

When building mine I also wanted a Daily Driver that was very capable off road. Mine also had to be extremely reliable as I always have my little one with me and I don't want to have to carry her out or have her sit in the dirt because of preventable trail side repairs.

Which YJ kit are you looking at ?
This one is pretty complete (minus the YJ springs) : http://trailtough.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=36&category_id=7&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=53

I haven't tried the DT3000 shocks but I do have the 8000 ones which are sold in the Trail Tough YJ kit.
What's the thinking on the using the 3000's ?

Lockers - I would suggest on a daily driver/trail rig to save up the cash and go ARB. They are completely off when you don't need them and completely locked solid when you do need them. I have tried the Detroit and the Lock-rite in mine and wish I hadn't wasted the money and went ARB in the first place.
When you do the lockers that would be the time to also do the Ring & pinion gears too. Here is an article on why a person should think about doing r&p gears when doing t-case gears : http://trailtough.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60:gears&catid=36:techinfo&Itemid=60

Traction Bar may or may not be needed based on how you configure your YJ spring packs.

T-case - on a daily driver I tried to get the lowest amount of high range reduction and the highest amount of low range reduction. So the 6.4 t-case from Trail Tough was the key for me. I like the twisted TT pattern. Works great with zero issues for me.
The 6.4 has a 17% reduction in high range and a 181% reduction in low range.
The 6.5 has a 20% reduction in high range and a 187% reduction in low range.
The 4.89  has 18% reduction in high range and a 115% reduction in low range.
Here is a good gearing calculator to play with : http://www.grimmjeeper.com/gears.html

I haven't driven anything with the 1.6td engine but I do have the 1.6 16v. No issues with the 16v and mine passes smog with ease. If setup correctly you shouldn't have issues with smog.

Also some good info can be had about the specific products by calling Petroworks (not to far away in Fallbrook) or Trail Tough.
You can also get good info by emailing Petroworks.

Good to see you back here and working on your Sami. I hadn't seen you one here in awhile, although I am off and on right now too with everything going on around here. Thanks

When building mine I also wanted a Daily Driver that was very capable off road. Mine also had to be extremely reliable as I always have my little one with me and I don't want to have to carry her out or have her sit in the dirt because of preventable trail side repairs. AMEN!

Which YJ kit are you looking at ?
This one is pretty complete (minus the YJ springs) : http://trailtough.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=36&category_id=7&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=53  Yes, the trail tough kits is what I was looking at but not the complete kit as I wanted to save some money. I used to be a mechanic and have some decent fab skills,  so I was going to cut some corners.

I haven't tried the DT3000 shocks but I do have the 8000 ones which are sold in the Trail Tough YJ kit.
What's the thinking on the using the 3000's ? The 3000's are supposedly valved softer and I want a softer ride. The stock ride has just about thrown me over the windshield. Are the 8000's better?

Lockers - I would suggest on a daily driver/trail rig to save up the cash and go ARB. They are completely off when you don't need them and completely locked solid when you do need them. I have tried the Detroit and the Lock-rite in mine and wish I hadn't wasted the money and went ARB in the first place.
font=Verdana]Thanks for the tip!! Do the Lock-rites handle weird on the road?[/font]

When you do the lockers that would be the time to also do the Ring & pinion gears too. Here is an article on why a person should think about doing r&p gears when doing t-case gears : http://trailtough.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60:gears&catid=36:techinfo&Itemid=60  Thanks!!

Traction Bar may or may not be needed based on how you configure your YJ spring packs. I was going to fab them up but the parts are expensive. Avoiding  this cost would be a plus.

T-case - on a daily driver I tried to get the lowest amount of high range reduction and the highest amount of low range reduction. So the 6.4 t-case from Trail Tough was the key for me. I like the twisted TT pattern. Works great with zero issues for me.
The 6.4 has a 17% reduction in high range and a 181% reduction in low range.
The 6.5 has a 20% reduction in high range and a 187% reduction in low range.
The 4.89  has 18% reduction in high range and a 115% reduction in low range.
Here is a good gearing calculator to play with : http://www.grimmjeeper.com/gears.html
Wow, guess I have homework.

I haven't driven anything with the 1.6td engine but I do have the 1.6 16v. No issues with the 16v and mine passes smog with ease. If setup correctly you shouldn't have issues with smog. Very nice to know, as I don't like dealing with smog!

Also some good info can be had about the specific products by calling Petroworks (not to far away in Fallbrook) or Trail Tough.  I just sent both of them emails today. One responded much better than the other,

Playing with the Gearing ratio calculator it seems the 6.4.1 with 32's at 3000 rpm is around 60mph in 5th which is not bad. I was expecting much worse. 33's drops it to 2900, even better.

Matt

Which high steer kit do you guys recommend?

Matt

I like the Sky kit, but the Calimini kit has also gotten good reviews.   You can also make your own high-steer kit using arms from a Mercedes.

Thanks guys for the help!!

T-case - on a daily driver I tried to get the lowest amount of high range reduction and the highest amount of low range reduction. So the 6.4 t-case from Trail Tough was the key for me. I like the twisted TT pattern. Works great with zero issues for me.
The 6.4 has a 17% reduction in high range and a 181% reduction in low range.
The 6.5 has a 20% reduction in high range and a 187% reduction in low range.
The 4.89  has 18% reduction in high range and a 115% reduction in low range.
Here is a good gearing calculator to play with : http://www.grimmjeeper.com/gears.html

Using this calculator and the advice from everyone. Is this the best way to do the gearing? Use the 4.89 t-case and change out the rear-end gears to 4:12. This would accomplish the same thing as the 6.4 correct?

I would strongly recommend not going higher with axle gears, you will actually lose mpg in town, it drops due to running out of the power band, and if your going to go with a taller tire you will gain top end,, keep in mind that you want your high range close to what factory final drive ratio is with whatever motor you use.. pm me if you have any confusion with this..=)

Using this calculator and the advice from everyone. Is this the best way to do the gearing? Use the 4.89 t-case and change out the rear-end gears to 4:12. This would accomplish the same thing as the 6.4 correct?

Yes, but it also cost twice as much and doesn't give you the same low range.

Quote from: tuxblacray on September 06, 2011, 05:47:40 PM

Better bump the high steer kit (OTT) up a notch or 3 if you pan on drivin it after the Spoa installation.

Thanks for the tip! What do you mean not driveable?

Matt

Hi Steer - sometimes referred to as Over The Top (OTT) steering is effective in eliminating bumpsteer.  It also gives the added benefit of moving the tierod above the axle and out of the way of road obstacles.

Check out this webpage:

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

I hope that this helps!