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Just showing off...

I had my fun with it. Did more than I expected it to do.

I want reliability. I could chase steel housings and put an ARB in it, and still be worried about 100 other grenades waiting to go off...
I was getting tired of trying to dial in the alignment with all the changes I made.
If I didnt get seuch a good deal on the donor, who knows...

excuses, excuses
 
Got it in the driveway yesterday. Started stripping it down. A lot less rust than I expected.
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What did you wind up doing with the RV? My Dad has an old RV just sitting and the inside is trashed but still has a good drivetrain... I'd love to put a Semi cab on it and convert it to a sleeper hauler.
 
The rockers on samis are dead space anyway. Cut it off and replace with tube. You could even do square and weld it to the body if you want a clean look. That's my plan for my sliders on my little Sami.
 
I started a thread in the Other Builds section, spare parts build for my brother. He'll never build something but he wants to come play. Im putting the Sami body on a 3rd gen 4runner I had laying around. Its going well so far, almost too easy. Waiting for something to go wrong....
 
Thanks man.
Got the sami axle in, and... Oh its shitty... but its in there. And it kinda works. Finally have power steering. Barely fits but it fits. Button up punch list and its off for testing.
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First trip to Moab, finished the V6 swap just in time. Shakedown was on Metal Masher then Hells Gate the next day. Did Potato Salad and Steel Bender at night.
Struts came loose on MM. Clogged baffle made it smoke like a train here and there. No breakage until the last obstacle on the way out of Steel Bender, popped an inner cv cage spinning the tires.
V6 and deep gears for the win.

Before you say it. Holy Wonky Camber Batman. Had some downtime while a buddy lost a bead on Cowboy Hill(i think), took the time and did an alignment adjustment on top of the world.

That rock made my old ass BFG KO's (not KO2's) act new!
The only reason it went so smooth was good spotting, thanks Dave and Matt

Hells Gate and The Escalator





Felt like one of those mini shopping carts here.
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This is where I finally stopped to tweak the Camber. Great spot for an alignment.

Awesome! :beer:

Just like the old days. :smokin:
 
I think you're going to regret installing that axle - you now have all the weak components of the IFS front end same centre, same- 22 spline shafts, small ring and pinion, but it's 6" narrower, has less steering lock, and tiny knuckles/kingpins and a weak housing. They can and do bend between the spring and the knuckle.

Sure, you can throw a 26 spline air locker and cromo's at it and hope you don't bend it or destroy gears, but it's going to end up costing $$ to keep it together and on the trail.

I get you want a light, cheap project but I think you're going to be disappointed with the performance of that front end.

Even toyota pickup axles are too narrow for a tracker -they need something closer to FJ60 width to match stock width and keep the tires off the frame.

I'm perverse so I built a tracker rear based front axle using samurai knuckles and axles, but our terrain isn't a high traction environment and I'd had a good run with the same parts with a 26 spline Samurai centre. If I was building a tracker with a V6 in it it wouldn't have samurai shafts.
 
You are not wrong amigo.
Steering angle does blow goats. I agree to weakness in general as well. I never ran thru the why and how of wtf Im doing anyway.
Im into this axle for less than 1000$ at this point. I could have spent more and found something more suitable but that would have taken longer. Its ready to roll again,i think, so Im happy.

I picked up a sleeve and spacer kit from Roadless Gear to reuse my 5.12s.
Then I grabbed a cheap locker.
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Running stock shafts for now, I believe they will be my weak link. Saving for better, I have some 26 spline side gears for if and when.
Welded a truss onto it outta boredom. Likely warped it, hope not, we'll see. Cheap bearings and seals, cuz Im ghetto.
PS pump from my 02 donor, junkyard 94 steering gear. Shocks are stock rears from a 2nd gen 4runner. Fuck it, they were new and in my shed.
My buddy that found the Sami on FB for me gave me his old drag link from his yj, thought Id have to cut it but nope. Fit great and clears everything so far.
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You should have made the front shackle hangers way higher and used some arched springs.

I also don't see any clamps, you'll be bending and breaking leafs in no time :flipoff2:
 
meh, free springs.
I still have a list to knock out. Spring retainer thingys are on it. Along with Tcase output seals, proper steering hardware and alignment, new ps return hose and flush, secure brake lines, put my f ing wipers back on...call a scrapper...

I was hammering to knock this out for one last trip before my homie moved to Montana. Then homies truck and trailer were stolen 3 days before the trip. Got the truck back, no trailer. Sux, brand new 24' Diamond C goose is gone.... he had to leave his K5 here when he moved. Gonna retrieve it later.

So much of my truck is wrong/stupid\assbackwardsincorrect. But it's mostly worked so far. Ain't care.

Blaaaah. Crossmember to replace the one I cut out. Prolly unnecessary, still dont care.
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And a big stupid skidplate thatll prolly cause more problems than prevent! All i had left was green, whatever its underneath....
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