therealprotaco's 3rd Gen Towed Suzuki Samurai Crawler

Kind of. Plan is to have a flatbed that basically matches my trailer. We are really trying to figure out how to keep the rear door functional. I'm thinking maybe cut it in half and have the bottom half lower like a traditional tailgate....

 

Pretty jealous to say the least lol. Although my non original ass would copy the dirt every day build to a -T.

I love what you did with the rear tin-top door. Keeping it functional would be sweet but challenging with the frame in the way. I feel like I would’ve welded it shut and made the window removable some how.

 

Yeah, the main reason for the tin top door functionality is to be able to reach the seat bolts as well as the battery that I'm planning to have back there.

 

Ah, ok I see what you’re trying to do.

just thinking out loud, but what about some sort of vertical hinge? Like this? Probably more complicated than it’s worth though..

 

Current best "ideas" are either gas struts for the whole thing to open upwards like a Jeep XJ tailgate or cutting it in half and having the bottom half open down like a traditional truck tailgate. This is one of those things that is going to get figured out as the cage goes on though. If it works it works.....if not, the whole door is just getting welded shut.

 

We're getting close! Boatside rails burned in and it's a runner again. Just need to figure out how to mount the fuel tank, build the rear exo cage, and paint! I guess I also need to shell out almost $500 for a 4x8 sheet of 1/4" plate to finish the boatsides too....

 

Have you decided what to do with the rear door?

 

I think it is going to be fine just the way it is! I pitched it up a bit when I mounted the body and it should have no problem clearing the tank and flatbed once the tank is sunk into the frame.

 

Oh man that’s gonna be sweet! Can’t wait to see it completed!

 

Got the tank dropped down into the frame and the rear door fully opens!



Also finished up the back of the inside cab cage.....

 

This has to be the coolest build ever with that rear door.

 

Thanks! I have seen a few tin top rear end conversions but none with a functioning rear door!

 

Is there a tacomaworld of samurais? I’ve found it difficult to find current threads. Most I’ve seen are like 15 years old. Most of what I’ve learned has been from this thread and Instagram lol.

 

Unfortunately nothing that is really active. Pirate 4x4 had a lot, there are some other forums out there but its really a crapshoot. I got lucky to have a very active local samurai club and one of the top samurai parts manufacturers in the country here in AZ.

 

Yeah I follow the AZ Suzuki IG, probably the most active page That’s in the states. I’ve tried looking up some info since I still plan on buying one, but everything seems pretty limited or from way back in the days.

How’s your engine on steep inclines? There’s a dude on YouTube that converted to propane to keep it from dying.

 

Zero issues with the Toyota 3k carb on there instead of the OEM carb. It'll idle pointed straight up or straight down.

 

How do you like it on leaves and 37s when it was at 80” wb? I am trying to figure out what size tires I want to run. I just got a new donor(86 sami) and after years of building toyota buggies I have a crapton of toyota drivetrain and large pile of leaves(chevy 63s, toy rears, waggys and yjs) just sitting around. I run 40s on my toy buggy but this sami doesnt need to be that aggressive. It seems that most full bodied stock wb(+10”) sami owners like to run 35s.

 

I was a HUGE fan of the 37s on stock wheelbase as there was little to no possibility of getting high centered. That being said, the best thing you can do is determine what your goals are for the specific build and go from there. For example, my original intention was a streetable rock crawler that I didn't HAVE to trailer to and from the trail so I went the direction I did. Obviously that totally changed to full trailer queen rock buggy status and I spent a ton of time and $$$ transitioning to that goal. Had I wanted to do a buggy from the start (or even the middle.....) I would have bought a Rock Lizard chassis and swapped all of my drivetrain parts over. The price of steel right now is insane so all of this custom buggy work I'm doing is costing way more time and money than buying a fully welded tube chassis.

All of that being said, the other thing to consider with the samurai is how light it is. chevy 63s, waggys, toy springs, etc. will be too stiff until you break them down to a main leaf and maybe one additional leaf. At that point you are going to be getting a ton of axle wrap in the rear unless you do some kind of traction bar setup.

My best recommendation if you are just trying to use stuff around the shop is:

Stock samurai drivetrain, 6.5:1 gears in the t-case (GET A ZUKS OFF ROAD CRADLE FOR THE T CASE OR YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A BAD TIME), a spool in the rear, stock YJ springs on a spring over lift, and send it!

Here's where I sit right now.....

 

Finally getting ready to put my big boy undies on and 4 link the front of this thing….

 

Can’t believe how far you’ve come from your initial post!! This thing looks badass man.