A Samurai Guy's Take on a TJ

[k1n3k]

I've been playing in the dirt for years, but I'm still fairly new to the 'Jeep thing'. In the past I've had only 1 samurai that was set up as a hardcore crawler. lockers, chromoly shafts, 33s (that look massive on a samurai), a VW TDI diesel, doubler, toyota steering, YJ leaf springs, etc... the works. It was an amazingly capable little rig except I started finding a few problems, the biggest it was just terrible over long distances, even compared to a stock samurai. Also, it was by leaps and bounds the most capable vehicle in the group. my buddies were winching and I was in 2wd still. they're on 29's, stock drivetrain and a 1.5" lift. but the frustrating thing was THEY fit the UTV trails and I didn't... Up here in Northern Utah, the most technical trails are starting to turn into SxS trails because larger vehicles aren't driving through them anymore. something the size of a UTV or near it fits way better through them now so I sold the lifted monster and am working on another samurai that matches theirs.

But I also like to overland. Can you imagine packing a weeks worth of food, junk, 2 people and a 20 pound dog into something that is able to fit through a 60" trail gate and has an 80 inch wheelbase? Its tough. Can be done, but its tough. So in addition to the Sammi, I'm looking to build out a TJ and start playing with that for the long trips.

So what I'm starting with:

I just picked up this 2004 TJ rubicon with the 4.0 and the nv3550. Right off the bat, first things I've done are replace the soft top as the back window was torn, and the rear pinion bearings were junk. Took it to a local shop to have them redone as the ring and pinion had some spalling. I hate setting up gears and really didn't want to play that game while rolling around on the floor. Next on the list is getting rid of the 33s. They just don't fit. The long term plan is to get it set up to fully clear some 285/75R16 tires on some factory Moab rims with the sway bar disconnected. But for now, I have installed some stock sized Falken Rubitrek tires and some Moab rims.

Some other mods that will be happening in no particular order:

Sway bar disconnects
a winch
bedlined floor and full carpet removal (love it in the samurai)
Lighting upgrades - Toyota lights, some decent LED light pods
Gobi roof rack - Maybe... Might build a custom one.
Rear cargo rack and back seat delete
a stereo that sounds decent would be nice
new fender flares - will probably be changed again later so cheapo aftermarket units for now.

The idea is to build something that is capable enough for 90% of trails near me and keep it as tame and reliable as possible for my daily driver. no gimmicks, no frills, just function over form. reliability is king for what I want to do, and I'm not wanting to dump (more) buckets of money into this build. So fixing the obvious issues, fufilling the known needs, and then driving the hell out of it.

 

[Wildman]

Welcome to the forum.

My Samurai the day I'd bought it on 31" Thornbirds

And then about 2 years later with 33" tires and 5.13 Sidekick gears & Rocklobster t-case

 

[k1n3k]

WELP, this is gonna be a project to swap out the fender flares... trying 3 screws, 2 had the nutsert spinning in the sheet metal. This isn't gonna be a quick project it seems.....

So I'm thinking if I'm going to do this, I may send the non-rubicon flares I bought back and order a set of used OEM Sahara flares I found. Not cheap but more correct. I like the stock rubicon flares, especially with the Moab rims.

 

[D's Jeep Wrld]

WELP, this is gonna be a project to swap out the fender flares... trying 3 screws, 2 had the nutsert spinning in the sheet metal. This isn't gonna be a quick project it seems.....

So I'm thinking if I'm going to do this, I may send the non-rubicon flares I bought back and order a set of used OEM Sahara flares I found. Not cheap but more correct. I like the stock rubicon flares, especially with the Moab rims.

Yeah i was gonna take off my fender flare extensions but the nutsert's spun...gave up realized that the holes would look ugly so i left em
Are you getting rubi-hara flares ? painted but rubi width ?
From what im reading if you wanna go back to be able to clear a 33 a 1.25 Body lift could net you that clearance, You'll rub the fender flare but not sheet metal. I'm currently at maybe .5" of lift on the front about 2" in the rear (from my crappy rough country springs...i got them for suppper cheap,cant complain) and a 1.25 Body lift! Clears 33s no problem No bump stops upfront,1" Bump in the rear but thats cause of my Geo. correction brackets being so tall they'd hit my body without out em!

 

[Woodrow]

WELP, this is gonna be a project to swap out the fender flares... trying 3 screws, 2 had the nutsert spinning in the sheet metal. This isn't gonna be a quick project it seems.....

So I'm thinking if I'm going to do this, I may send the non-rubicon flares I bought back and order a set of used OEM Sahara flares I found. Not cheap but more correct. I like the stock rubicon flares, especially with the Moab rims.

if your looking for rubicon-ish flares at a reasonable price, Rough Country 5.5” flares have a very similar look and slightly more coverage for much less $ than the stupidly expensive used ones I’ve seen https://www.roughcountry.com/produc...33-b&msclkid=63fae23ba368190bf4a58a8ff867a1d6

 

[JMT]

I've been playing in the dirt for years, but I'm still fairly new to the 'Jeep thing'. In the past I've had only 1 samurai that was set up as a hardcore crawler. lockers, chromoly shafts, 33s (that look massive on a samurai), a VW TDI diesel, doubler, toyota steering, YJ leaf springs, etc... the works. It was an amazingly capable little rig except I started finding a few problems, the biggest it was just terrible over long distances, even compared to a stock samurai. Also, it was by leaps and bounds the most capable vehicle in the group. my buddies were winching and I was in 2wd still. they're on 29's, stock drivetrain and a 1.5" lift. but the frustrating thing was THEY fit the UTV trails and I didn't... Up here in Northern Utah, the most technical trails are starting to turn into SxS trails because larger vehicles aren't driving through them anymore. something the size of a UTV or near it fits way better through them now so I sold the lifted monster and am working on another samurai that matches theirs.

But I also like to overland. Can you imagine packing a weeks worth of food, junk, 2 people and a 20 pound dog into something that is able to fit through a 60" trail gate and has an 80 inch wheelbase? Its tough. Can be done, but its tough. So in addition to the Sammi, I'm looking to build out a TJ and start playing with that for the long trips.

So what I'm starting with:

View attachment 638959

I just picked up this 2004 TJ rubicon with the 4.0 and the nv3550. Right off the bat, first things I've done are replace the soft top as the back window was torn, and the rear pinion bearings were junk. Took it to a local shop to have them redone as the ring and pinion had some spalling. I hate setting up gears and really didn't want to play that game while rolling around on the floor. Next on the list is getting rid of the 33s. They just don't fit. The long term plan is to get it set up to fully clear some 285/75R16 tires on some factory Moab rims with the sway bar disconnected. But for now, I have installed some stock sized Falken Rubitrek tires and some Moab rims.


View attachment 639081
Some other mods that will be happening in no particular order:

Sway bar disconnects
a winch
bedlined floor and full carpet removal (love it in the samurai)
Lighting upgrades - Toyota lights, some decent LED light pods
Gobi roof rack - Maybe... Might build a custom one.
Rear cargo rack and back seat delete
a stereo that sounds decent would be nice
new fender flares - will probably be changed again later so cheapo aftermarket units for now.

The idea is to build something that is capable enough for 90% of trails near me and keep it as tame and reliable as possible for my daily driver. no gimmicks, no frills, just function over form. reliability is king for what I want to do, and I'm not wanting to dump (more) buckets of money into this build. So fixing the obvious issues, fufilling the known needs, and then driving the hell out of it.

For an overland vehicle, I would not get a TJ. Something like a Toyota Tacoma would be a good platform.

That’s a nice Rubicon you have there. Could be a really great wheeler. I suspect it would outperform your samurai.

 

[B1Toad]

I've said this before somewhere on the forum but I was at a Monster Truck show and there was a Samurai there and everyone was laughing till the Samurai kicked everyone's ass.

 

[Wildman]

I've said this before somewhere on the forum but I was at a Monster Truck show and there was a Samurai there and everyone was laughing till the Samurai kicked everyone's ass.

They're fun little nimble ribs.... And surprise the shit out of a lot of people too. When I had mine I used to give all my Jeep buddies shit about it too.

 

[k1n3k]

Yeah a samurai is easily my preferred vehicle for what I like to do on the trails. they're surprisingly capable. we've driven ours around vehicles burried to the rockers before and barely left tracks where they sank. Its not as exposed as a SxS but its capable of going 99% of the same places, just not as fast. Parts are getting hard to find though, most "OEM" stuff now is actually Maruti built garbage from India. If you guys think Chinese parts are bad wait til you've seen parts from India. So thats been the motivation to build a Jeep.

Are you getting rubi-hara flares ? painted but rubi width ?
1.25 Body lift

Yeah, but probably paint them black like the factory rubi flares.
Good info on the bodylift! if I do a BL then I'd do a tummy tuck too. I'm also considering just doing highlines, a 2" lift and some modded shock mounts for a touch more travel. grab your popcorn for the opinions bound to roll in lol.

Rough Country 5.5” flares

I might consider that. I'm on the stock size tires and wheels for now, so I am leaning toward factory width non-rubicon flares if I can't find a decent set of the rubi/sahara OEM flares for a reasonable price. Looks like the rubi flares are also slightly larger so they sit in a different spot on the fender, looks like the paint might be rubbed around the perimiter too. it will likely leave some ugly scuffing exposed if i swap to either the 5.5" or stock width though..... Damn the PO and his saw... I wish he never cut the factory flares...

For an overland vehicle, I would not get a TJ. Something like a Toyota Tacoma would be a good platform.

That’s a nice Rubicon you have there. Could be a really great wheeler. I suspect it would outperform your samurai.

Eh... I disagree. I had a '99 ford ranger set up for overlanding, the size was a problem for the areas I like to go play. I Already overland in my TJ Sport I went last weekend in fact. the rubi just has the upgrades i wish the sport had. Lockers, gearing, paint, etc.

As for the jeep outperforming the samurai? Its debatable. I def wouldn't take a 3500 pound jeep some places I've already taken the 2200 pound samurai on similar sized tires. If the jeep were on 35s its another story but its not there yet. Put the samurai on 33's and it swings back the other way. weight and ground pressure are a huge factor for the crap I'm on 80% of the time. I run 15 PSI in the samurai tires on the street and still wear the middle before the edges. offroad we go as low as 7 and have never popped a bead or pinched a sidewall on 29s. Thats non-beadlocked. breakover and approach angles are better than the Jeep, but also a shorter wheelbase by 12+ inches. If I were to load up and go to Moab? Jeep all day. Rocks? Jeep. Mud? Samurai. Mountain trails? either one. Snow? def the samurai. Hillclimbs? Jeep. All about the setup, terrain and trail. Like the spot in this pic; 100% would have rather taken my stock rubicon. that climb was sketchy. But when we went there in the winter and could drive across the tops of the 3+ foot deep drifts and not sink in at all? Samurai all day.

But that rig is the one that got sold off. Too much lift and too unstreetable.

Ended up building this one to replace it, and the Rubi is going to supplement it.

 

[Wildman]

Yeah a samurai is easily my preferred vehicle for what I like to do on the trails. they're surprisingly capable. we've driven ours around vehicles burried to the rockers before and barely left tracks where they sank. Its not as exposed as a SxS but its capable of going 99% of the same places, just not as fast. Parts are getting hard to find though, most "OEM" stuff now is actually Maruti built garbage from India. If you guys think Chinese parts are bad wait til you've seen parts from India. So thats been the motivation to build a Jeep.


Yeah, but probably paint them black like the factory rubi flares.
Good info on the bodylift! if I do a BL then I'd do a tummy tuck too. I'm also considering just doing highlines, a 2" lift and some modded shock mounts for a touch more travel. grab your popcorn for the opinions bound to roll in lol.

I might consider that. I'm on the stock size tires and wheels for now, so I am leaning toward factory width non-rubicon flares if I can't find a decent set of the rubi/sahara OEM flares for a reasonable price. Looks like the rubi flares are also slightly larger so they sit in a different spot on the fender, looks like the paint might be rubbed around the perimiter too. it will likely leave some ugly scuffing exposed if i swap to either the 5.5" or stock width though..... Damn the PO and his saw... I wish he never cut the factory flares...



Eh... I disagree. I had a '99 ford ranger set up for overlanding, the size was a problem for the areas I like to go play. I Already overland in my TJ Sport I went last weekend in fact. the rubi just has the upgrades i wish the sport had. Lockers, gearing, paint, etc.

As for the jeep outperforming the samurai? Its debatable. I def wouldn't take a 3500 pound jeep some places I've already taken the 2200 pound samurai on similar sized tires. If the jeep were on 35s its another story but its not there yet. Put the samurai on 33's and it swings back the other way. weight and ground pressure are a huge factor for the crap I'm on 80% of the time. I run 15 PSI in the samurai tires on the street and still wear the middle before the edges. offroad we go as low as 7 and have never popped a bead or pinched a sidewall on 29s. Thats non-beadlocked. breakover and approach angles are better than the Jeep, but also a shorter wheelbase by 12+ inches. If I were to load up and go to Moab? Jeep all day. Rocks? Jeep. Mud? Samurai. Mountain trails? either one. Snow? def the samurai. Hillclimbs? Jeep. All about the setup, terrain and trail. Like the spot in this pic; 100% would have rather taken my stock rubicon. that climb was sketchy. But when we went there in the winter and could drive across the tops of the 3+ foot deep drifts and not sink in at all? Samurai all day. View attachment 640224


But that rig is the one that got sold off. Too much lift and too unstreetable.

Ended up building this one to replace it, and the Rubi is going to supplement it.

View attachment 640226

Nice looking Sammies.... While I miss mine I wonder sometimes how I fit into it... And with not being really comfortable anymore about driving a stick I'd have a heck of a time in Zuk without a TON of mods... Not saying it couldn't be done since I had a buddy with a 4.3 V-6 & auto but then we're getting back into the realm of Jeep weight.... Mine is a little porky @ 4,900 lbs so yep I miss that lighter weight at times.

 

[k1n3k]

So, time to start piecing the Rubi together for my intended usage of an overlander. Starting off with the basics, I found a set of Sahara fender flares. They're green so they need to be repainted but that is easy enough.
They're the cheapest set I've seen, a total of 300 bucks with free shipping. The seller had the fronts and rears in two seperate listings, usually when they're listed as a full set by other sellers they go for $500+ and $150 shipping which is batshit insane.

When those get here, I'll repaint them and then swap them out for the cut up rubicon flares. Not sure what it is but the factory 4.25" flares just look better than the regular flares and I can't explain why.

Next, I ordered a tailgate table and a rear cargo rack. These are something I've wanted to do in my samurai for a LONG time and, well, I can just buy them for a Jeep. Kinda nice to be able to buy a part rather than build it for once. Sucky thing is that it was delivered yesterday and the shippers had their way with it. No clue what they did but the corner was mangled, steel torn and bent up. Looks like it got something heavy sat on it then a forklift pushed it around. Sooo its been sent back and a replacement is on the way. Should look something like this when its installed

Next, because its nice to have a spot to set up a camp stove when I'm out wheeling thats quick and dirty so I can make a bite to eat in a jiffy, I got one of these tailgate tables. Not sure how well its going to work with my vented tailgate, but I have a plan for that if its not going to work out well. I'll get some 1/4x1" steel strap and just build a backer bar that actually reaches the sheet metal for the rivnuts.

Once this stuff is handled, Its time to start figuring out the cargo rack. I'll also be grabbing a winch in October for it, starting with this stuff as its cheap for now. For the winch, I'm really considering the Badlands Apex. I'd love to drop the coin on something like a Warn but I also have to get my Samurai's injection pump rebuilt so the two rigs are currently competing for funds and attention. So being as I don't want a project just sitting around not running, I'll get a cheaper winch for now. something is better than nothing at all. Until it breaks at the worst possible time at least....

I know, lame Amazon bolt on crap for now. The goal for now is the minimum viable vehicle for the areas I plan on going for now. Once this stuff is done I'm hoping to take it out a few times before deciding on the more expensive upgrades. I'm willing to bet I'll end up doing a 2" lift on it to get a bit more suspension travel. Lets see how the Jeep does for now and see where it needs to be improved!

 

[k1n3k]

Also decided to pull the trigger on the Toyota headlights. they're cheap enough I can justify it. I'm staring on swing shift next week so I can justify some better lights pretty easy as I will be driving over a mountain pass every night coming home from work.

 

[Harold&Cat]

I ran an 88 Samurai for 14 years . It was an extremely fun and capable vehicle . It was basically stock with 235/75-r15 tires . I had more fun in the mud and trails with it than my 78 Chevy stepside on 44 inch Groundhogs .

 

[NDSpeed]

i’m waiting to see when the Suzuki Jimny start making their way into America.

a Samuri. but modern-ish

 

[BrownBear]

i’m waiting to see when the Suzuki Jimny start making their way into America.

a Samuri. but modern-ish

over the winter when I was in Colorado, I saw one (although not USA). It was a hardtop Jimny and I asked the fella about it. He said he was just visiting from Mexico and they do not sell them here..
Dang!!!!! it was nice. I wish Jeep would make an extra-basic and small 4x4 like a mini wrangler without all that luxury junk on it.

 

[Chris]

I wish Jeep would make an extra-basic and small 4x4 like a mini wrangler without all that luxury junk on it.

Me too!

 

[GATORB8]

It’s been 25 years since I was in a Sammy. Was a passenger running around a hunting property, we rolled, flipped it back on the rubber and drove it back to camp.

 

[k1n3k]

Alright, Kinda thinking a 2" lift might be nice. The front end has sagged to the point there is only about 1.5" of uptravel so the springs need to be replaced. If I'm buying springs, might as well do a 2"ish lift. that will get a touch more clearance under this beastie and a hint of uptravel for the bumps.

Any suggestions on what small lift is the preferred setup?

 

[GATORB8]

Alright, Kinda thinking a 2" lift might be nice. The front end has sagged to the point there is only about 1.5" of uptravel so the springs need to be replaced. If I'm buying springs, might as well do a 2"ish lift. that will get a touch more clearance under this beastie and a hint of uptravel for the bumps.

Any suggestions on what small lift is the preferred setup?

What are you looking to spend?

 

[k1n3k]

Realistically, I'm fine spending a chunk of money on it as long as its good. Buy once cry once. I'd like to be around 1000 bucks or less but nothing really constraining it.