My plans for my Samurai build

[eptali]

I have a solid, rust-free, 87 Samurai hard-top which I'm going to start building up here in the next few months. In the mean time, I have been ordering parts. I plan to use this vehicle as a multi-purpose Samurai, so I am not going extreme with things. Here is what my my build is going to consist of, please feel free to comment, and make suggestions, thanks!

1.6 16-valve engine
HD Clutch-kit
Toyota pickup axles
Low ratio axle gears
ARB air lockers
6" Coil Spring Conversion
31" Tires
4 wheel disk brake conversion
katskins seat covers
rhino lined interior
A/C
P/S
Heavy duty bumpers

and there are some things I'm forgeting, I'll update my post as I figure it out.

[alternator]

In my personal opinion, you don't need to worry about replacing the axles with Toyota ones. You can upgrade your Samurai axles to give you the strength you need.

Good luck with your project. Sounds like me when I first started: I want this, I want that; but as you progress through the project you start changing your mind about some things.

Don't forget to upgrade your transfer case. If you get the 6.5:1 transfer case from Tough Gear or Calmini you will not need to change your axle ratio, especially with only 31" tires.

[CodyJ]

Must have some money =/

I want lots of things but I a broke college student.

ssssssss goodluck. You live near me and I would like to see it when you finish.

[eptali]

Thanks for the replies!!! But if I upgrade just the T-case gears, will I still be able to go 75 mph on the highway? I plan to drive it to the desert one day, then to school the next.

I was thinking Toyota because they are wider, than Samurai axles, so I will have a wider track.

I will be doing all the work myself, i have a $10,000.00 budget to finish this project. Hopefully thats going to be enough money!!

[87samurai_dunn]

10,000 should be more than plenty...if you are worried about stance being wider just get spacers to do the job...if you want to gear it down to climb you will problably never go 75mph in it again... if you want to go 75 you need to leave the gearing the way it is which will be to high for hard climbing... but if your just bajain it out in the dessert stock gearing would be fine... it all just depends on the kind of wheeling that your doing... but the lift you explained doesnt sound like anything i would put under a baja vehicle

[eptali]

I would like to keep the stock t-case gears so I CAN go 75, I am going to compensate with lower gears for the 31's. I plan to do all types of mild off roading, a little bit of rocks, mud, trails, drive 250 miles to the lake, and drive on the beach. I'm doing the coils mostly for a GREAT ride, and no axle wrap, and wheel hop. I'm not going to be doing serious rock crawling.

I don't like wheel spacers, had a bad experience with them in the past. The main reason for the yota axles is strength, not width.

[87samurai_dunn]

yota axels really arent much stronger than sammie axels

[Billjohn]

With that kind of budget you may want to upgrade the engine intenals like I did to the Stalker. The top speed recorded 102mph using GPS (flat ground, no tailwind).
The Stalker - iZook

[alternator]

Originally Posted by Billjohn

With that kind of budget you may want to upgrade the engine intenals like I did to the Stalker. The top speed recorded 102mph using GPS (flat ground, no tailwind).
The Stalker - iZook

102 MPH is quite impressive. What size are your tires in the stalker?

Why would you thing a rebuild is better than a 1.6L swap?

[Billjohn]

Originally Posted by alternator

102 MPH is quite impressive. What size are your tires in the stalker?

Why would you thing a rebuild is better than a 1.6L swap?

The Stalker is on 31's.
I have done both of the swaps, and I got alot of strength from the 1.6 and a little more top end, but the rebuild (with the upgraded parts) made so much more difference - especially top end capability.