Offroad-Express

Ok team,
Hopefully not to many of the mitsi boys will see me in this forum.
Question: with all the knowledge you chaps and chapesses have with these Zuks, what is the best Zuk to buy overall when considering modifications, handling, ease of fitting bigger rubber, body lifts etc etc?

I am just considering a few options at the moment and just trying to decide which road I might head down.

Cheers
Rod

Depends on what you want it for.

If you are looking for something to just get in and drive a vitara would be fine. A SAS'd one would be the best of all worlds (IMHO that is). Lot more comfortable for driving on road and good offroad.

if you want something that can be modded easy then maybe a 413 or samurai (I would go coil samurai) and find some prado axles for a bit of width and better ratio/ stronger drive train etc.

Basically it comes down to horses for courses. if you are after a weapon then both would be a good starting point but will cost money to get set up right. The vit has the better engine (and EFI so no flooding, etc on slopes), the samurai has better articulation and solid axles so better off road (pretty agricultural on road though - you wont like long trips). The market for mod parts is limited here in NZ for both types but is improving all the time.

Of course you could look for a jimny but I would say they are just an expensive remodel of the samurai and more expensive to fix.

Of course I could be wrong.

Heath

any one with solid front axle

I am definitely biased as I have a Jimny but I agree with Heath and coxsy's comments.

One with a solid front axle (SJ, Sami, "Coily" or Jimny).
And EFI would be nice (Vitara or Jimny).

I was lucky that my daily diver was funded into a club toy by an insurance company due to someone else's poor lane changing (cut in and then immediately stopped in Auckland's 1 second following gap).

There are a couple of small down sides to be forewarned about with Jimny's and possibly the Coily Samurai;
- The front diff is a different design to the old SJ & Samurai with a high pinion... on the plus side the steering is behind the axle and more protected but the pinion is different so a C&P swap to get lower ratios is out of the equation at the moment (unlike putting a Vit C&P into a SJ/Sami).
- The front CVs are not really strong enough for hard use (PC Dan can testify to that with his trails experiences)
- The transfer box uses planetary gears and a chain drive and there is only one choice for a lower ratios (Trail Jimny in Greece) BUT since they are a separate box an earlier model can be fitted (I have just fitted a SJ410K pick up / SJ30 low ratio 3.05:1 to my toy)

On the positive side a lot of the SJ/Sami stuff fits (like a Lock Right for a Sami) and it is a word wide market place (I got some sleeve bolts for a body lift from Bits4Vits in Wales - in 6 days via Royal Mail!).
Also the Prado axle swap is probably a lot easier on a Jimny or Coily than on a SJ/Sami or Vitara.

I suppose it all comes down to what you want to use it for, how much you are prepared to spend and how much you can engineer yourself.

i have gone the other way , i have a 94 scudo which is quite modded in the suspension with locked diffs front and rear, 1.6 inj and now am doing similar to my 95 paj , both are non road legal but i like the room in the paj and it will be better for my kids as the scudo has no windows apart from a screen. my threory is the paj will be better for me to sas even though i have to move the diff head of the hilux axle to the left side as it has the power to turn bigger wheels where the scudo is lacking in the power department. at the moment untill i do some more work on the paj the scudo is way better off road. my idea is to have both while i build a buggy then i might quit one,


vaughan

2 Stroke LJ50 all the way

i like the jap import
sami around 93+ with
factory power steering and efi

All good advice so far.

The Vitara/Escudo is by far the most comfortable for general use, but will never match a samurai or SJ413 offroad until you put a solid axle up front. Then it can be better than them. A lockright in the front does, however, make up a lot for lack of articulation.

I think the ultimate for modding offroad is the last of the leaf-sprung Samurais. Easy body lifts, multiple options for suspension mods and easy repower with 1600 injected Vitara motor for the extra power you may want.

If you don't drive lead-footed their running gear is suprisingly tough, there are many Sami's with standard axles and diffs running 33" rubber and low ratio transfers without failures.

I went for the Escudos because of availability, better price (decent sami's are starting to go for moonbeams now) and I want the extra space and comfort.

I like the idea of the injected motor. Agreed solid front would be an advantage but at the end of the day its the overall package. Other than the lawn mower I think I will leave the two strokes. Searching around the web the Vits seem to have good support and some reasonable availability for after market parts. At the end of the day I think if my Paj sells I will head for a manual vit. As i commented at the start I was looking for options and will only do something if the paj sells. But the more research I do I think a Vit is a good option, looking at the big picture. Interesting I noted that the SJ's and Sams are starting to get pricey, when you consider most of them started as hair dresses run arounds.

hi sorry not to hijack but does anyone know if the current model jimny is still a solid axle?

Safari Swb wrote:hi sorry not to hijack but does anyone know if the current model jimny is still a solid axle?

yes

lilpigzuk wrote:

Safari Swb wrote:hi sorry not to hijack but does anyone know if the current model jimny is still a solid axle?

yes

Yes you do know or yes they are?

Heath wrote:

lilpigzuk wrote:

Safari Swb wrote:hi sorry not to hijack but does anyone know if the current model jimny is still a solid axle?

yes

Yes you do know or yes they are?

correct on both counts Heath

sweet i know what my next 4wd in the future will be then i didnt think anyone was making solid axles anymore

Safari Swb wrote:hi sorry not to hijack but does anyone know if the current model jimny is still a solid axle?

Yes, solid axles and coils.

This is the sort of flex you can get with the sway bar still attached (I forgot to take out the removable link I fitted)


The best (and easiest) modifications I would recommend (value for punch) would be a 2" suspension lift, EZ-Locker (in rear) & 7" wide rims with some sort of mud terrain tyres. If you want more punch you can give it a 2" body lift and fit a SJ410 (2.55 or 3.05) or a rock-crawler 4.16 transfer box to give it a bit more power to turn bigger tyres.

Denby wrote:If you want more punch you can give it a 2" body lift and fit a SJ410 (2.55 or 3.05) or a rock-crawler 4.16 transfer box to give it a bit more power to turn bigger tyres.

like this one perhaps??

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing ... =201308416

lilpigzuk wrote:

Denby wrote:If you want more punch you can give it a 2" body lift and fit a SJ410 (2.55 or 3.05) or a rock-crawler 4.16 transfer box to give it a bit more power to turn bigger tyres.

like this one perhaps??

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing ... =201308416

Should be interesting watch what that goes for.

Never mind I see it has been withdrawn.

lilpigzuk wrote:

Denby wrote:If you want more punch you can give it a 2" body lift and fit a SJ410 (2.55 or 3.05) or a rock-crawler 4.16 transfer box to give it a bit more power to turn bigger tyres.

like this one perhaps??

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing ... =201308416

Yea, one of those... but they aren't quite a bolt in and require new mounts and some sort of speedo drive.
The main trick is to use a Samurai front driveshaft and flange to replace the Jimny rear which has a large CV onto the original transfer box.

When you start smashin C & P they are $800.00 each second hand for the Jimny, THATS why I had to move to E class was cheaper to fit Hilux diffs each end they keep replacing them. Front one in Sep then Front and Rear in November Geeezz this sport is cheap