My son and I are building a Samurai to use as a dune runner/trail rig. The main point was for something that could teach him to drive. I've posted this on the Peak Putter's site, but I thought I'd do the build here and link it over there. . .anyway. Most of you know it is a 1988 (I think) sami frame and axles. It has a Toy 22RE, W58 "close ratio" supra/celica tranny, YJ lift springs (under), 4:1 Tcase. . etc. The main point of the build is for it to be a father son project. Before I can get Will too involved with the build (he's 9), I have to get the drivetrain mounted. I kind of figure that is a safety concern while we are working on the rest of the systems so I'm doing the majority of it while he helps cut and hold the flashlight. He'll be much more hands on when it comes to putting the rest of it together. Anyway, I've had this thing for a LONG time and we are just now getting serious about it. The main goal, other than the functional part, is to have it WHEELIN' for less than $2K. That inlcudes the expensive things like tubing, seats, harnesses and shocks. It will roll on 31" radials.

Here is the first build picture. The little feller's drivetrain will be 100% solid mounted and rigid. So. . . here is the Driver's side motor mount. Please note that the engine will move DOWN about 2" and back about 1/2" from it's current position. . .so the mounting plate won't stick up above the frame. Yes, I know that I suck at welding, but I am getting better by the second.

Also. . .a few more things I forgot:

It will have Power Steering, Power Brakes and On Board Air. At this moment, I'm even thinking that I'll plumb in the heater.

Wheelbase = 85"
Width = 65"
Tallness = 69" at the TOP of the cage. Windshield is a little lower.

The motor has roughly double the power of a stock samurai.. .so it should be a HOOT to drive. Oh, yeah, it is going to be buggified other than the front passenger compartment.

Never too young to get started. I know a young man who had his head under a Jeep befor nine. And he's still there.

Thanks Dad.

OK, so this has become my lunchtime project.

Yesterevening I measured up everything for the transfercase mount and cut/ground the passenger side factory bracket (WEAK POS) off. Suzuki's robots KNOW how to weld. . wow, it took a while. The idea here is to use the stock rear driveshaft so that only the front has to be lengthened so I measured everything off of that. The bitch of the deal is that the frame is tapered. It gets 3/8" farther apart for every 1" it goes back in the area that I am doing the mount. So.. .I have to do math.

Anyway, since the motor and transmission are already mounted and I'm using the stock rear driveshaft, I just have to build (have the parts) a "jackshaft" to connect the transfer case to the transmission...then I have no excuse for not starting the mechanical and getting it running.

I'll take pictures of the TCase mount when I get it mocked up>

Update picture. ..KINDA. . LOL

Garage Fab Transfer Case Mounts. . .

Yeah. . .I know I could have gone over and whipped them out with the plasma, but I'm trying to learn technique as I go here.



These tabs will support bushings that will be welded to some short pieces of tube and then attach to the blingin' transfer case support "preventer of ripping in half" device that I built a couple of months ago. There will be two bushings on the passenger side and one on the driver's side. They'll all get some cut little triangle gussets to prevent them from ripping off of the frame.

then. . .well. . .then I am thinking of a way to. . uh. . .spread the load of the torque of the motor to further prevent the case from ripping in half. I'm not really sure how to do that yet. I've searched the interweb and the idea of making a "spine" out of a piece of 1/8 flat bar is the best idea I have seen. . .but even that sucks. After it is all mounted up, I'll snap some pictures and maybe we can come up with something as a group. On the other hand, maybe I'm being overly paranoid about it. It is only going to run 31" tires and I have shored up the output area (where all of the torque is) pertty darn well. The 1/4" steel mount captures both the front and rear outputs as well as the normal mounting foot.