What's new

Soft top

Rattlecan78

Member
Joined
May 23, 2020
Member Number
1244
Messages
18
I started this build 8 or so years ago(maybe 10) then I had a couple more kids and here we are. Started a thread on the other forum and zuwharrie but they seem dead so I’ll throw it up here.

free to me softop, I ran it in the woods at my house for 3 or 4 years. Started out more or less whole with 31-10.5-15,as it got rashed up and rust took its toll I cut and massaged until I got 33-12.5-15’s on it. When my oldest was born I put in a child suspension seat and we had fun until I noticed that the b pillars were complete rot at the bottom, and the rear fenders and hence the roll bar was not connected to anything anymore. This is the only pic I could find of it before I started cutting it apart.

I extended to rear frame a couple inches and used mid 90’s toy rear springs with an offset center pin to gain some wheelbase. Bent up a new floor pan and started the cage in the back and then life happened for 8 or so years and now I’m back at it

last month or two I’ve moved my spring mounts rearward a couple inches. Made some bump stop mounts and Remade the rear shackle mounts to match. 5.13 gears front and rear. Sitting at right about 90 inches right now.

Plan is Yj springs up front for another 4 or 5 inches to help with fire wall clearance so I can get the front body mounts back to acceptable condition.

thinking I’m gonna work from the back forward and just tackle whatever comes up as I go. Need to mount my fuel cell and weld up some plates on my frame extension joints and I can get the floor bolted down and start finishing the cage. as it sits I can max out my floor jack with a 6x6 and not lift a tire with it still bone stock up front so I’m pretty pleased so far.

Trying to keep some momentum by starting a build thread and getting back into things.

05FA5856-31CD-44EB-BE43-D50BDD911509.jpeg


E13C6065-E3BC-486A-BB14-A42B9425CBD1.jpeg


F9E27869-6177-41C9-B906-2B27922FDADA.jpeg


52B6C2EA-7700-4073-8C41-8DA14532A68A.jpeg


6E473495-BB8F-41E9-A986-B25D94787352.jpeg
 
I guess I actually cut it up a lil more than I thought in that first pic
 
Nice, I'm sub'd. What's the drivetrain (motor, transmission, tcase) in it? And is that the final drivetrain plan as well?
 
All stock with the exception of a my side 2 kit. May get some t case gears eventually. I’ve got 5 samurai’s laying around so I wanna use Sammy stuff so I have plenty of spares.
 
I was gonna throw an anti wrap on that rear end. I don’t get into rocks and shit to much mostly just woods trails and drainages. You think 1-8 wall 1 3/4 dom will be enough. 1/4 wall just seems overkill for the 50hp I’m dealing with.
 
I think if you made the lower bar from the lower axle side mount go to the frame/cross member to make a triangle you'll be fine. If you run the lower bar from the axle side mount to the middle of the upper bar to make a "Y" style, I think you'd eventually kink or banana the upper bar. If any of that makes sense via text.
 
I hear ya. I was gonna do the bottom bar from mount to bottom of axle to help protect the d shaft
 
I think that'd have the best chance of surviving, should be ok but you're definitely walking a fine line between the thinner wall and using it as a driveshaft skid. I'd be curious to see how it holds up.
 
Anyone got pics of a double shear steering setup on a samurai knuckle. I can’t find anything searching the forums.
 
Got some time off and finished welding everything in the back half up. Put a receiver in the frame when I realized I didn’t have any attachment points planned out back there. Made up a bump stop on my u bolt plates that gives me 4 inches of up travel. I’m gonna get the anti wrap front mount welded up then I can get the floor in and start on the cage.

photo54489.jpg


photo54490.jpg
 
Very nice!! Seeing how much rust you've had to deal with really helps me feel better about the bits of rust I keep running into on mine. I'm in northern NV, and most samurais around here fare pretty well, but I despise rust in any amount lol.
 
Top Back Refresh