Zuki SOA Lift

[JDraper]

Just thought I'd update this. Truck is now locked and re-geared, and I added a front track bar. The re-gearing of the xfer case is amazing!! I can barely stall the truck at idle in 4lo, 1st gear when I stomp on the brakes. It definitely has the crawlies!!!. The track bar significantly tightened up the handling. It doesn't wander around on the road anymore, and you don't have to constantly saw back and forth on the steering wheel to hold a semi-straight line.

Doesn't look like I'm gonna get to painting it this year, but at least I got the performance mods done.


Here's a pix of the new rear bumper installed. I still don't have my bumper side plates from the shop yet. They are 1/4" thick plates shaped like the original bumper pieces and are designed to protect the rear corners of the truck.

 

[JoshC]

Very nice Jeff. That looks really good. How well does she flex?

 

[JDraper]

Flexes real nice. I get about 24" of flex as is, and if I change over to YJ springs, it jumps to about 30-32" of flex. It's pretty amazing how these little buggies flex. It also helps that I'm running Doetsch Tech long travel shocks, and I moved my shock mounting points to maximize the flex

 

[JDraper]

Just thought I'd add a flex shot. I don't think I'm quite fully extended here, but it's getting close!

The Zuk works REALLY well on the rocks!!

 

[JDraper]

Adding one more picture to this. I'm now running on BFG 32 x 11.5-15 M/T's. Now I'm gonna need new rims since they rub at full lock . Gotta get less backspacing.

 

[JDraper]

Finally got my new rims from 4WheelParts.com. Only took 'em 6 weeks :fire:

Only one problem........

Now I'm gonna need new fender flares to keep it road legal . It's always something!!

 

[Rx4phun]

Ahh whatever, how often do you drive it on the road. the tires on my X stick out further than that. It isnt that I like the look. Iwish I could get some cut out flares maybe from another vehicle for the X. I looked into using ranger flares but that didnt work. Anyway nice zuki, makes a lot more sense to me to have that when you need to drive your X everyday
Gary

 

[Hokie]

What's your total cost in the Sammy now? That thing is cool!

 

[Hokie]

And do you tow it or drive it when you go wheelin'?

 

[JDraper]

I've got about $2600 in it, including purchase price ($800). That also includes stuff not related to the lift like a new radiator ($125), remanufactured head ($300), new water pump ($50), new top ($140), junkyard hood ($50), and replacing the rear floorboards ($120). Not bad for a competent wheeler . I do tow it when we go wheelin'. I flat tow it behind the X, and it tows VERY well. Hardly know it's there.

 

[Hokie]

Man, screw beating up my truck, I gotta get me a Zuk!

 

[Hokie]

Originally posted by JDraper
I flat tow it behind the X, and it tows VERY well. Hardly know it's there.

On a trailer or hitched directly to the X? (Sorry, don't know what flat tow means)

 

[JDraper]

Flat towing is towing the vehicle with all four wheels on the pavement. I bought a towbar off ebay for about $60.

 

[FourXFred]

well, i was considering buying a new four wheeler, but this thread has convinced me to go out and buy a sammi! half the price and twice as sweet! looking awesome man!

 

[bates]

Sorry to bring an old thread to life, but I stumbled upon this in a search. That zuk looks awesome! I want one now! The side pic of it with the top off is my new desktop wallpaper.

What year is it? I never knew sammies had leaf springs up front, is this the case for all years?

Good Work!

 

[JDraper]

My Sammy is an '87 jx model. All Sammies were equipped with leaf springs all the way around. There are a couple of different types out there. Early on they made one nick named a "tin top" because it had a permanant hardtop. That option was dropped because most of the sales were the convertible version, and they added a removable hardtop as an option.


Sammy's are awesome wheeling buggies. Small and light enough to be able to crawl around easily and pretty durable. They are cheap to modify, there's lots of stuff available, and they're really easy to work on.

Biggest drawbacks are they rusted pretty easy, and they had lousy power. 65hp stock for the 1.3l motor . I'm looking to upgrade to the Tracker 1.6l motor sometime in the future, which will give me an extra 40 hp and fuel injection.

 

[Hokie]

I looked at buying a cheap '86 MJ off a friend of ours, but I saw a sammy today and it has rekindled my spirit for one. Depending on where I end up living after college, if i'm in the south I see a 2wd V8 Ex and a Sammy coming my way

How's she handle on the road? Scary, or do the offset rims help the stability? Looks fun for just screwing around in on Saturday afternoons

 

[Baby Mobile]

Very nice work!!!!

Man those liitle things just beg to be modded. Looks like a fun truck

 

[JDraper]

Originally posted by Hokie

How's she handle on the road? Scary, or do the offset rims help the stability? Looks fun for just screwing around in on Saturday afternoons

Actually, it's more stable on the street now than it was stock. I drive it to work every day. Even with the previous rims (which were only about 1" wider than stock) it was stable on the street. The best mod I made for stability was adding a front track bar to keep the front axle centered under the frame. Without it, the truck would wander all over the place. Adding it was like putting the Sammy on rails. I drive it on the road the same way I drive my Explorer. It handles decently and doesn't feel like it's gonna tip over. I've actually slid the rear end around corners occasionally, and it has never lifted a wheel.

Many of the people over on the Zukiworld board that have lifted their Sammies also report that they become more stable on the road after the SOA, new shocks and new wheels. A big part of it is the wider track that comes with larger tires, but it also seems like the suspension geometry works better for the Sammy when it's soa. Almost like it was meant to be that way from the start!

 

[JDraper]

Just thought I'd post a recent shot...photo courtest of Tara. (ExplorerSport77)