Brandon's 87 sami

Owners Name & City-Brandon Williams woods cross


Make, Model & Year of Vehicle-87 suzuki samurai


Engine-1.3 L Stock


Transmission-stock 5 spd


T-Case-stock


Axles-stock


Suspension-stock


Wheels and Tires-15x8, 5on5.5 with goodyear wrangler P235/75R15


Winch-in the future


Favorite Trails-have not gone out yet, once my sami is licensed and everything and once I can convince someone to teach me how to use the 4wheel drive.


Other-I traded a really nice 1970 Yamaha AT1B 125CC that I restored and a laptop for this.
I havent done much due to funds since im going to school but I have doen the following:
*taken the rocker panel moldings off to do some patch work
*ripped out all the carpet and cleaned up the rust
*put bedliner on the inside and outside
*painted the fender flares, grill, mirrors, and roll bar.
*wife reupholstered the rear seat and is working on the front two
*fuel filter, spark plugs&wires, cap&rotor,air filter, all new vacuum lines, heater core hoses, belt, and more tiny things.

Future items:
*2" lift shackles
*2" body lift
*3" lift springs
*2" wheel spacers
*underdrive pulley
*rock sliders
*offroad front and rear bumpers

 

[airmanwilliams]

just got my clutch in the mail, picked up a cs130 and mount, throttle cable, oxygen sensor, and a new front axle with 5.12 diff, and now all I need to do is find another 5.12 front diff for my rear and find the time to swap everything in.

 

[iamsparticus]

Wow im glad to hear things are coming along

 

[airmanwilliams]

well obtaining things that is lol putting them in is another story.

 

[airmanwilliams]

just picked up a bumper from a guy now I just need to repaint it, install lights on the mounts that stick up against the grill, and get a winch.

I also picked up a hybrid rear axle from him but I need to see if I can trade someone a spare 5.12 diff for new seals and bearings to be put in it since the seals are bad.

 

[airmanwilliams]

YAY got my rear axle back from low range today!
All these things I have now to put in:
electric fan, cs130 alternator, clutch, rear main seal and gasket, throttle cable, secondary diaphram actuator, dash, a front and rear axle with 5.12 gears, 31" tires im trading for this weekend, 2 more led light strips underneath, and offroad lights for the bumper. If I can find a garage and some help this baby is going to finally look NICE!

 

[doughboy0379]

need to make it spring over though LOL to bad your so far from me I have a garage and a fairly quick turn around on repairing my Zuk. Hate to say it but I think your ground FX lights won't make it to long with even light wheeling (could be wrong though at least they are LED that will help them last a bit longer) I just recently replaced the rear main in my Zuk I recommend pulling off the housing it is in and replacing that seal too

 

[airmanwilliams]

thanks doughboy I mayy do a spring over with yjs soon but still kinda iffy on that since my sami is a daily driver first before wheeling. once i get the stock axles out im hoping to sell them and the 235 tires I have so i can get ott steering, driveline spacers, or a myside. the lights will do just fine I think wheeling since ive tucked them in areas to protect and hide them. since I have leds now they will do better but before leds I had neons and those shattered right away with all the bumps in the utah roads.

 

[airmanwilliams]

Tires swapped, bumper painted and this weekend I have a guy lined up in toole to help me FINALLY swap in my new axles with 5.12 gears in them.

 

[airmanwilliams]

just picked up a 40mm harley carb today so now I need to do my axle swap, sell a stock 3rd, sell a 5.12 rear sidekick third and then take the cash plus the axles down to sean at lowrange to order the myside kit.

 

[airmanwilliams]

just installed a new front axle with a 5.12 sidekick front and my hybrid rear axle. Ran into one problem though as the front sidekick 3rd wouldnt bolt to my driveline so I have to either see if someone can drill some holes into the sidekick flange or I have to see if I can get the adapter from lowrangeoffroad for $47. I have the samurai flange on now but its alittle loose so I cant go wheeling until this is fixed.

 

[airmanwilliams]

got the myside1 kit now I need to slap it on and hope I follow the directions good.

 

[sixstringsteve]

I mayy do a spring over with yjs soon but still kinda iffy on that since my sami is a daily driver first before wheeling.

I've had 5 sammi's, and the one that was best for DD had a spoa, yj's, and 33's. It had the best road manners, (and also the best offroad manners.) Stock sami springs are super short and stiff. You feel every bump (part of the sami experience). YJ's made it ride a lot better, and they didn't affect body roll or anything like that. A sami with YJs and 33's will go a LOT of places, and drives a lot better than stock on the road (with the proper gearing).

 

[airmanwilliams]

dont think I will go as big as 33's for quite some time but thank you for the input on the yj springs I aqm going to actually get some this weekend from a buddy so all I need to get is ott steering and the yj spring mount stuff and really hopefully trade for this stuff if I can.

 

[sixstringsteve]

Yeah, I understand. When you do get t-case gears I'd make sure you get gears for the future, cuz re-gearing twice is not fun. You're doing a great job on this build with such a tight budget.

 

[airmanwilliams]

what tcase gears do you think? I really only plan to do mild wheeling nothing hardcore because I dont want to be paying for broken stuff and this will be my daily driver. I have 5.12 axle gears right now with a 3" deaver spring under and 31's but may when im done with school go with 33's and hopefully have a yj set up soon.

 

[airmanwilliams]

well ive been thinking about 4:9 or 5:14

 

[airmanwilliams]

Finally got the myside all worked out, well I still need to adjust the air/fuel alittle but the throttle response is great and im going to test it on the highway today when I drive to lowrange. Heres a little video of it, not the best video but still a video of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMQ9MIIZh8U

 

[airmanwilliams]

my new rear cage
02March2011

 

[airmanwilliams]

heres some pics of the cage installed, got rear diamond plate on, myside kit on, and aluminum readiator in.

 

[sixstringsteve]

lookin good!