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What next steps for my Tracker?

crispins

FJB
Joined
May 21, 2020
Member Number
846
Messages
1,634
Loc
Pigeon Forge, TN
I know it is just June and my wheeling season doesn't start for another 5 months or so but I need something to look forward to as working 90+ hrs a week is wearing on me.


So just to refresh I have a 95 tracker, spacer lift, rear pinion spacer, SxS tires

It did ok last season but I had issues whenever I got to boulders as I could not get on top of them as I have no front grab (open diffs F&R)

What I think I need this year is lockers on both ends.

I just ordered the front Diff lowering kit from Russia so that should help with the bad CV angles I have

I am thinking a spool for the rear and a locker for the front?

So what recommendations do you have?

Is a spool for the rear fine?

Also I have a brake issue and not sure what to do about it.

So far I have replaced both front calipers and master and bleed and bleed it.

Rears are adjusted correctly.

My pedal goes almost to the floor before it starts to stop.

Now I have played with it on the road and it will lock up the tires if pushed all the way

The only thing I have not played with is I believe the rod from the brake pedal to the master has some adjustability?

Thoughts on all that shit ^^^
 
I welded the rear in my 5.12 rear tracker diff (inside my diy hybrid rear axle I'm running on my samurai). The windows are smaller but it's still doable. Mine has held up great so far. I'm open front, and won't consider a locker up front until after I do power steering (if I ever do, not a problem for you though I reckon), and unless I plan to set up the 5.12 gears and locker into a steel samurai 3rd member (I'd recommend if you run a locker in your front you set it all up in a samurai 3rd member since the tracker 3rds are aluminum).
 
I know it is just June and my wheeling season doesn't start for another 5 months or so but I need something to look forward to as working 90+ hrs a week is wearing on me.


So just to refresh I have a 95 tracker, spacer lift, rear pinion spacer, SxS tires

It did ok last season but I had issues whenever I got to boulders as I could not get on top of them as I have no front grab (open diffs F&R)

What I think I need this year is lockers on both ends.

I just ordered the front Diff lowering kit from Russia so that should help with the bad CV angles I have

I am thinking a spool for the rear and a locker for the front?

So what recommendations do you have?

Is a spool for the rear fine?

Also I have a brake issue and not sure what to do about it.

So far I have replaced both front calipers and master and bleed and bleed it.

Rears are adjusted correctly.

My pedal goes almost to the floor before it starts to stop.

Now I have played with it on the road and it will lock up the tires if pushed all the way

The only thing I have not played with is I believe the rod from the brake pedal to the master has some adjustability?

Thoughts on all that shit ^^^
Brakes firm until it starts to move? If so then I bet you have a bad wheel bearing. If not, then :flipoff2:
 
I welded the rear in my 5.12 rear tracker diff (inside my diy hybrid rear axle I'm running on my samurai). The windows are smaller but it's still doable. Mine has held up great so far. I'm open front, and won't consider a locker up front until after I do power steering (if I ever do, not a problem for you though I reckon), and unless I plan to set up the 5.12 gears and locker into a steel samurai 3rd member (I'd recommend if you run a locker in your front you set it all up in a samurai 3rd member since the tracker 3rds are aluminum).
Are the grand vitara centers steel and interchangeable?

My buddy has one sitting in a field I am sure I can get cheap
 
Are the grand vitara centers steel and interchangeable?

My buddy has one sitting in a field I am sure I can get cheap
IDK. Test it with a magnet. I just know all samurai ones are steel (unless someone threw a front tracker 3rd in the front and/or rear of it)
 
I love my spool rear trail tough (lockrite) front. Most the time you can’t even feel the spool dragging in the back.

4.24 t-case gears If you don’t already have them.
 
I love my spool rear trail tough (lockrite) front. Most the time you can’t even feel the spool dragging in the back.

4.24 t-case gears If you don’t already have them.
That sounds like perfection. I know for me if I got a tracker I'd want the 2 door soft top 3 speed auto that came with 4.62 diffs. Then I'd swap to 5.12, 5.43 or 5.62, with the 4.24 tcase and welded rear. 2+2 lift and 31x10.5s.
 
Are the grand vitara centers steel and interchangeable?

My buddy has one sitting in a field I am sure I can get cheap
Now that I think about it, you're referring to the housing (that the third member goes into). I'd definitely want to run that in conjunction with setting up gears and locker into the samurai steel third member.
 
Spool the rear for sure, maybe run it and see if it does what you need it to before locking the front.

Soft brakes, you said the rears are adjusted up but how tight are they? Front wheel bearings don't have excessive play?
 
Spool the rear for sure, maybe run it and see if it does what you need it to before locking the front.

Soft brakes, you said the rears are adjusted up but how tight are they? Front wheel bearings don't have excessive play?
Rears are tight, if I have it set so if I turn the parking brake adjuster more than 3/4 turn the brakes will drag.

I do not think I can get it any tighter.

Yes the front bearings have play, how does that effect the brakes?

I could not buy a press last year (covid bs) so i tightened them up and ran them.

I dont do many miles as rig is off road only so wasnt too worried about it
 
They are supposed to drag a bit.

Sorry it's hard to tell without being there to feel it, but there should be a small amount of drag.
 
The bearings having excessive play will allow the rotor to cock, which will push in the caliper pistons a bit. When you push the pedal you are basically taking the slack back out of the bearing before the brakes get tight.

The bearings have to be pretty loose for this to happen though.
 
Weld or spool the rear and party. It’s amazing what both rears pushing does to help traction.

Leave the front open, less wear and tear on them little CVs.

Make a belly skid, if you wheel where it’s rocky dragging the transfer case over the rocks makes me really nervous. I had beat up my crossmember pretty good in one trip.
 
Steel Vitara diffs are only 2.5L V6 5 speed manual models. If it’s got an automatic transmission the diff is entirely aluminum
 
Weld or spool the rear and party. It’s amazing what both rears pushing does to help traction.

Leave the front open, less wear and tear on them little CVs.

Make a belly skid, if you wheel where it’s rocky dragging the transfer case over the rocks makes me really nervous. I had beat up my crossmember pretty good in one trip.
I have the little factory one.

I had thought about making something larger as it looks easy to do.
 
That sounds like perfection. I know for me if I got a tracker I'd want the 2 door soft top 3 speed auto that came with 4.62 diffs. Then I'd swap to 5.12, 5.43 or 5.62, with the 4.24 tcase and welded rear. 2+2 lift and 31x10.5s.
I haven’t seen a set of 5.62’s for sale in a long time 😢. I put a set in a Grand Vitara a long time ago and hear through the grape vine that it’s racked up about 175K miles on those gears, many of which towing a teardrop camper.

I’d try some 5.62’s in my Faux door if I could find them.
 
I sent my tracker over to my buddies home shop for some side work.

He says he got it all sorted out now.

I had him install

A spool for the rear

The front diff rotation kit

and finally he got my brakes working 100%, it was the rears, they needed all new everything.
 
I haven’t seen a set of 5.62’s for sale in a long time 😢. I put a set in a Grand Vitara a long time ago and hear through the grape vine that it’s racked up about 175K miles on those gears, many of which towing a teardrop camper.

I’d try some 5.62’s in my Faux door if I could find them.

Ever heard anyone trying these 5.85s in the states?

GV Front Ring & Pinion Gear... | 4xFourART

I think 5.38s are pretty commonly available from us vendors. Which wouldn't be worth the money at all over 5.12s, even 5.12 to 5.85 might not be a huge difference.
 
Ever heard anyone trying these 5.85s in the states?

GV Front Ring & Pinion Gear... | 4xFourART

I think 5.38s are pretty commonly available from us vendors. Which wouldn't be worth the money at all over 5.12s, even 5.12 to 5.85 might not be a huge difference.
I legitimately tried to get those before I paid $800 bucks for used 5.62’s. The import tax for a pair of r&p’s into the us was more than the r&p’s were. It’s annoying because I would try them now if I could get them in my hands. I want to say it was upwards of $1000 a set after import tax. If you figure something out, how to get them here I’ll be the first to try them out at my cost.
 
I legitimately tried to get those before I paid $800 bucks for used 5.62’s. The import tax for a pair of r&p’s into the us was more than the r&p’s were. It’s annoying because I would try them now if I could get them in my hands. I want to say it was upwards of $1000 a set after import tax. If you figure something out, how to get them here I’ll be the first to try them out at my cost.

Would buying a few sets knock the cost down?

Starts to make the Sami case swap sound better and better :flipoff2:

I have no use for them, I don't have a track kick right now
 
That’s why I tried a samurai case in the 2door. It still makes more sense to do a samurai case.
 
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