Suzuki Samurai?

[Wombat125]

What is a query about a car versus UTV doing in a tractor forum in the first place?

It's a truck, not a car. Ladder frame, solid axles, leaf springs, gear driven divorced transfer case.

It's a little bigger than a UTV, and often considered a practical replacement. Where else can you get a street legal UTV with a heater for $1500?

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I thought they were a joke when they were first released, but then I accidentally looked at the engineering in them. They're tough little rigs. I've had Unimogs, Toyota FJ40's, and Jeep TJ's, and it's hard to beat the Sami in the fun category.

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Here's a poor picture of my '88.5. I swapped in a 16v 1.6L Tracker motor, 5:1 t-case gears, Jeep YJ springs, diff lockers, etc. She ain't much to look at, but I've driven it all over Colorado and Moab. Here I was doin a little wheeling in the Wal-mart parking lot. I think my exchange student almost died of embarrassment. But now she wants to drive it.

 

[wsp617]

A short time after they came out there was a safety concern with them as they roll over very easily. From my experience working back then...yes they did. I didn't realize that many people still had them. I haven't seen one for a long time.

 

[Wombat125]

A short time after they came out there was a safety concern with them as they roll over very easily.

I don't mean to sound too defensive, but that was a bunch of well documented propaganda from Consumer Reports. Suzuki NA brought suit against CR and won, but the PR damage was done and the Samurai was doomed. I don't believe the samurai rolled any easier than a Jeep YJ or Trooper or any other "tall" SUV of the day.

Samurai sold like 80,000 units per year from 86 to 88, and like 8,000 unit per year from 89 to 92. That's sad, cause they were fuel injected starting in 1989. 67 earth shaking horsepower!!!

 

[rtimgray]

I'm surprised that it took this long for someone to bring up that rollover hooey (that's pronounce Who-E, if you're curious). I was in love with the Samurai long before I could afford one (because I was 12 and didn't have a job). I'm convinced after the hundreds of thousands of miles that I have put on a Samurai that yes, indeed, I could make it roll over - but the same could be said of many other similar vehicles, and the Samurai was no more or less inclined than they were. I have no idea why Consumer Reports had a vendetta against the Samurai, but that has been a good enough reason for me to personally boycott CR magazine.

The best modification I ever did to my Samurai was adding the Weber carb and a Strictly Suzuki intake - it probably added 10 hp or so (and when you're going from 60 hp to 70 hp, that's a big jump!).

And while we're on the Samurai subject, do any of you other samurai owners experience the 40-50 mph "jimmy shimmy"? I had it for years and finally replaced the kingpin bearings and the problem has disappeared. Wish that I had known that sooner.

 

[Travelover]

......... Suzuki NA brought suit against CR and won, ..........

Suzuki lawsuit dismissed 9/04: Suzuki vs. Consumers Union, lawsuit, SUV rollover.

A U.S. District Court judge in California has dismissed Suzuki Motor Corp.'s lawsuit against Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, after both sides agreed to disagree about a CU test. At issue was a road test of the Suzuki Samarai sport-utility vehicle that led to a "Not Acceptable" rating in Consumer Reports.

 

[Bird]

I'm surprised that it took this long for someone to bring up that rollover hooey (that's pronounce Who-E, if you're curious). I was in love with the Samurai long before I could afford one (because I was 12 and didn't have a job). I'm convinced after the hundreds of thousands of miles that I have put on a Samurai that yes, indeed, I could make it roll over - but the same could be said of many other similar vehicles, and the Samurai was no more or less inclined than they were. I have no idea why Consumer Reports had a vendetta against the Samurai, but that has been a good enough reason for me to personally boycott CR magazine.

The best modification I ever did to my Samurai was adding the Weber carb and a Strictly Suzuki intake - it probably added 10 hp or so (and when you're going from 60 hp to 70 hp, that's a big jump!).

And while we're on the Samurai subject, do any of you other samurai owners experience the 40-50 mph "jimmy shimmy"? I had it for years and finally replaced the kingpin bearings and the problem has disappeared. Wish that I had known that sooner.

Yep, some may recall how Consumer Reports effectively killed the Samurai, at least in the USA, with their story about how easy it was to roll over. Well, if you bought one new back in the late '80s you'll remember that (before Consumer Reports did their number) Suzuki had stickers on the driver's door, on the sun visor, etc. warning people that it would handle differently than most cars.

But how many remember the much less publicized news story later that, yes, the Samurai could be turned over, but not as easily as the Ford Bronco.

I never had the shimmy with our Samurai, but I had that happen with my 1973 Winnebago Brave on a Dodge chassis. Some folks recommended adding a steering damper, but when I had a Dodge Truck garage replace the kingpins and bushings, that solved the problem. I had told the Winnebago dealer before it was a month old that some grease zerks were missing to start with. So when I had the king pins replaced, I wrote a letter to both Dodge and to Winnebago. Dodge sent a check for half the cost of the replacement and Winnebago never even answered my letter.

 

[mwb]

I recently sold my '84 SJ410; whopping 1 liter engine - many motorcycles have bigger engines :laughing:

I stripped it down, no doors - tore all the rusted box off of it and made a little flat bed; boat gas tank with primer bulb and all. With four wheel chains that thing would go anywhere - and it was light enough that a couple of guys could lift it.

 

[Egon]

I made some modifications to our Zuzuki's. Added a toolbox under the hood. It held stuff for the winch.

There was one annoying thing about it. On the highway the vibration made it difficult to properly see things in the rear view mirror.

 

[dieselscout80]

There was a thread/post here on TB about the Sammy/Trackers and one guy built a dump bed on the back of his tracker, but I can't find that post/thread. I really wanted to look at it and copy it.

 

[yme]

I have a 91 Geo Tracker and have built a "box" on the back that I can carry up to eight 5 gal. buckets or lots of junk around the farm. It is crazy where you can go in a "stock" tracker, including town and with heat in winter. I have only ever been stuck in really sloppy stuff where my frame is sitting on the ground and my tires can't get down to anything. Stay off the snow and ice unless you just want to play as it can get interesting in a hurry and it is very flat footed in over 8 inches of snow or even 2 inches if you have drifts.

A local guy has a Samurai he cut the top off behind the seats, extended the back out long enough to haul a atv in. Why you ask. I have no idea but it looks like they are "hooking up" as they go down the road.