Project Fordzuki

[dogboy]

i jsut suggested that i do have some as he was talkin about puttin some at the bottom of page 12.

I know.

 

[Loanranger]

Ah, ok. Well, like dogboy said, I sold them already anyways. Bigger tires on the LJ would open up a whole new can of worms, and the iroks were too small for my plans with the SJ anyway. Thanks for the offer though. (not so much on the thornbirds as the spacers. ) It's kindof funny though, I came home the other day and found a set of 31x12.50 thornbirds out in my yard. I'm thinking about putting them on the mazda for a few trips to Elbe...

Anyways, on to the progress, no pics, but I'll get some up soon. I know dogboy and a few others have seen my method of holding the doors shut. While it isn't bailing wire or duct tape, it's pretty ghetto, so I decided to do something about it while I had the welder out. I'll get some pics and an explanation up in a few.

 

[dogboy]

That Mazda is just 2wd isn't it? If you take it up to Elbe, let me know, I'll come pull you out, haha.

 

[Loanranger]

Yeah, the mazda is 2wd, I figured I'd weld up the rear, and slap these 35" Buckshots on there.

Progress has been slow, I've been working long hours at work, and wrapping up an engine swap for a buddy here at home. Then I ran out of gas for the mig, and Pacific was closed saturday, even though it said they were open till two.

But anyways, I got the passenger side pretty much wrapped up, needs one more bar and it'll be done. The drivers side finally has it's roof slider now, but still lacks gussets and the b pillar and door striker. The more I add to this makes it more evident that I should have scrapped the original rear rollbar, and built from scratch. Building from measurements went out the door a long time ago, and I'm basically just trying to make everything line up the best I can, even if it means making things slightly assymetrical.

I'm hoping to get back out there tonight, to finish things up, I need to get back out on the trails bad.
Once I get the cagework done, I'm hoping to find some new front springs at the swapmeet, and this thing will be done for awhile. Then I can concentrate on getting the SJ in and pulling the body, and start in on cleaning up the frame and adding what I need.

 

[dogboy]

I can understand why you threw out measurements... I don't know if you used that bender that was in your garage/ like the one I have, but that thing isn't the easiest to measure bends with. I just counted how many times I pumped the handle and called it good, haha.

What kind of leaves are you going to look for at the swap meet? Just what ever you find that measures up, or something specific?

 

[Loanranger]

It's not so much the bender, as it is building off that existing rear hoop that was there. I should have just yanked it out, and started from scratch. I'm getting pretty decent with the bender, you just have to take your time, and learn how much it springs back. I almost always underbend, then work it to the final fit.

I'm going to be looking AT yj springs, I don't know if the centering pin is in the right location for a straight bolt in swap. I've asked two people who have yj's, and neither has come back with an answer yet. Basically it's whatever looks and measures out to work.

I finally got the rest of the cagework done, I'm not happy with how it turned out, but it's kindof growing on me, and I've got Ideas of adding a little in the rear in the future, so maybe I can make it all work. If not, THEN I'll rip it all out and start from scratch the way I should have in the first place.

I've got to feather the paint back on the old stuff, and give it a nice coat of shiney black, and it's ready to wheel. I'll get some pics up after paint.

 

[maddhatter]

Nice build.

I have a few Zuks out back my self.

The one I built for me

The 1984 SJ 410 I built for my wife.

I'm wanting to put a 2.3 in my rig as soon as I find a 2wd Ranger cheap.
The lil Zuks are fun rig's.

 

[dogboy]

I honestly thought that Zuk on AG tires, was a side-by-side when I first looked at it!!


What is the difference between an SJ, and a Samurai? Is it just the lack of a the Samurai name? They looks almost identical from what I can tell.

 

[maddhatter]

I honestly thought that Zuk on AG tires, was a side-by-side when I first looked at it!!


What is the difference between an SJ, and a Samurai? Is it just the lack of a the Samurai name? They looks almost identical from what I can tell.

Look at the SJ 410 grill. Jeep sued Suzuki over that grill and the SJ being to much like CJ and won.
Hence, The Samurai was born. The axles, motor, tranny , t-case are all different then a Sami as well as almost every other part on them but they look the same. The 410 is (4wd with a 1.0 motor) The SJ413 is a (4wd with a 1.3 motor). I put a Sami 1.3 motor and tranny in our SJ.

The SJ's did have 4.10 axle gears (All Sami's had 3.73) and a 11% lower T-case then a sami in 4WL.

 

[Loanranger]

Nice rigs. Yeah, as a buddy calls them "pocket wheelers". I had so much fun with the first one, I had to start another.

I got the cage painted tonight, windshield bolted back up, and as soon as the paint is fully dry I'll hang the top back on, and I'll be ready for a wheeling trip. I went to take pictures, and the camera was dead. So when it charges up, I'll run out and get a few of the complete cage.

 

[Loanranger]

Well, here's finished pics.

 

[doorgunner]

I'm payin attention Loanranger--the way my wife likes to roll vehicles, I'm gonna put a roll cage in my '36 Ranger (bought the tubing & getting up nerve)

 

[Loanranger]

Got a little time for a project I've been meaning to do for awhile now. Recently I picked up some 35x14x15 Gumbo Monster mudders for free. They are probably 75% tread still, but have some cracking and a few of the beads are nicked up. I figure worst case is I get some beadlocks for them. But on to the project part of it. In order to fit these massively wide meats on the little LJ, I'd need some 2" backspaced wheels.

Well, if anybody remembers back (or has the ability to read back a few pages) I had some 15x10 chrome mods with 4" backspacing on the LJ when I first started wheeling it. Well these would hold the tires well, but the backspacing was way to deep, so out came the grinder and the welder.

On the back side of the centers, is 5 welds holding the center to the wheel, I just ground this down, and knocked the centers out, turned them around to make them reverse centers, which is the only way to get a 2" backspaced wheel. They came out actually about 1 3/4 BS to the bead.

I stuck the wheel on the Lj, with that corner jacked up, unlocked the hub so it would spin freely, and knocked it around till it spun true to the eye. These will be used for snow wheeling, to get a wider foot print, and hopefully stay on top of the nastiest of snow. Obviously I wouldn't try this on a street driven rig, and I know with the huge tires on tiny backspacing, my wheelbearings are going to hate me. For the most part I will still wheel the LTBs for trails, rocks, that kind of stuff, but when the snow flys, or I get up to Evans next, I'll throw these on for a little more float.

As always, I'll get pics up shortly, my computer went on the fritz so I got a new one..

 

[84projectFORD]

It's not so much the bender, as it is building off that existing rear hoop that was there. I should have just yanked it out, and started from scratch. I'm getting pretty decent with the bender, you just have to take your time, and learn how much it springs back. I almost always underbend, then work it to the final fit.

I'm going to be looking AT yj springs, I don't know if the centering pin is in the right location for a straight bolt in swap. I've asked two people who have yj's, and neither has come back with an answer yet. Basically it's whatever looks and measures out to work.

I finally got the rest of the cagework done, I'm not happy with how it turned out, but it's kindof growing on me, and I've got Ideas of adding a little in the rear in the future, so maybe I can make it all work. If not, THEN I'll rip it all out and start from scratch the way I should have in the first place.

I've got to feather the paint back on the old stuff, and give it a nice coat of shiney black, and it's ready to wheel. I'll get some pics up after paint.

I got teh YJ springs on my sami. i can take some pics of where the mount on the front and back if you like? i believe the rear spring center pin is in the same position as the sami but i know on the front you have to extend the front frame 6" to mount the front spring hanger and center the tire under the sami. let me know

 

[Loanranger]

I got teh YJ springs on my sami. i can take some pics of where the mount on the front and back if you like? i believe the rear spring center pin is in the same position as the sami but i know on the front you have to extend the front frame 6" to mount the front spring hanger and center the tire under the sami. let me know

Are the pins centered on the spring? Basically I need 24.5" from eye to center pin. The centering pins on the datsun springs are 24.5" on the long side and 22.5 on the short side. If the pins are at 24" or so I can use them, if they're centered, then it would move my axle forward too much for the steering box.

Here's some pics of the wheels and tires.

Two of the wheels, one before, and one after

Fronts. Whoa look at that deepdish..haha

I also had to weld up the valve stem hole, and drill a new one on the new outside of the rim. I started grinding the second one and lost interest for the night. I'll post up some pics when I get the 4 wheels done and tires mounted. Maybe do a little flexing on the mazda.