In the beginning, there was stock. And stock was good. Yet... it could be better. So the Modification was made. And the Modification was good. Yet the Modification was not enough. So yet another Modification was made, which begat another Modification, and so on, and so on... Still, the Modifications were not performed in unison, trial and error was involved, destruction, rebuilding, and so on and so forth. From these early experimentations arose knowledge and understanding. And from this chaos, was born... the Zukinni.

What is Zukinni? Well, its not the stuff we used to grill up on the beach in high school on a Friday night. It is the name of my Suzuki Samurai. Once the object of ridicule and scorn, the Samurai has made its mark on the 4x4 world. Though we do catch our share of good-natured ribbing, the only individuals who seriously mock the performance of the Samurai nowadays show not only their ignorance in the realm of four-wheeling, but also their own lack of trail time; for we are going everywhere, and doing it in style. Suzukis are among the most capable off road vehicles in stock form... and modified, can be among the best in the world.

The Zukinni had been planned for quite some time. It was to be a summer-long project. However, it was not until the Top Truck Challenge invitation was made by Four Wheeler magazine in May of 97 that the "plan" actually began to take shape (check out the Oct & Nov 97 issues). This vehicle was built in one month! The key word here is "plan". I get many requests from fellow Zukaholics who are looking for information on how to begin building a Samurai or what their next mod should be... what should they do? I don't have their answers... I have my answers. Their answers lie within them. What do they want to do. What do they like to play on. Do they enjoy mud? Sand? Hill climbs? Rocks? Scenic travel? Competitions? I enjoy everything.

And so I chose the path not taken...

The upcoming series of articles on the buildup of Zukinni will focus not only on how certain modifications were made... but also, the why. I will try to share the thinking involved with each modification. And if not too long-winded, trail experience which necessitated the mod. Part 1 (which you are now reading) is just to show what modifications were made, where the parts can be located, and other useless chatter.

In choosing the what, you must always ask why first. Do not blindly follow the sales pitch of a manufacturer. Of course their system is going to be the "ultimate". The ultimate what? For every mod you do to improve your off-road-ability, you have just made a sacrifice on the street-ability. Manufacturers want your money and will tell you what you want to hear to get it. Don't just blindly follow the word of a guy on the net, or even a magazine article, or me. I don't want a bunch of Zukinnis out there driving around. I like individuality! And some guys use their rigs as daily drivers and have to deal with evil things like emissions control. Yeeeech!

Suzukis are a great place to be because the aftermarket has yet to catch up with our demand. We must frequently build our own stuff... create... innovate. When it comes to modifications, listen to and research all viewpoints, and then weigh the information. Above all, do your own thinking. If something doesn't make sense, don't do it or get it until you fully understand why it is "better". Try to follow the KISS principle (Keep It Simple, Stupid). The more foo-foo a product is, the more stuff can go wrong with it.

The Zukinni is an extreme example of Suzuki modification. Granted, it doesn't sit atop a set of 40" Boggers, but in my world, that kind of vehicle is useless --a show truck. Not everything I have done will appeal to everyone. Not everything will be affordable to everyone. At the least it's fun to look at and even more fun to drive. My hope in taking the time to write this series of articles is to get the gears turning... in your head that is.

Where to start: Become a mechanical engineer (without the degree)! Ask and question other's experiences and knowledge. As an example: the most basic of all debates for Samurai owners is lifts. Go with the lifted spring? Or SPOA (SPring Over Axle)? Depending on whom you ask, you are likely to get some very strong viewpoints each way.

Lifted springs are very stable and very well-mannered on the highway. Spring wrap is negligible unless you are running a beefy engine with crawler gears in your Sammy and you hammer the throttle. If they are a good quality springs (there are a few crappy lifted springs out there), the ride will improve greatly over stock springs. Lifted springs do have limitations though --such as clearance, articulation, and sometimes cost.

On the other hand, SPOA lifts offer excellent clearance and articulation but have limitations and problems themselves. In an SPOA the leverage is taken from the long main spring and moved away from it. We all know that the further you get from any given fulcrum, the more leverage you have. The main spring is designed to handle torque demands of off-roading and lateral forces applied by highway driving conditions. For this reason, the vast majority of springs are designed to have the axle mounted directly to, and on top of the main leaf spring. By moving the point of contact away from the main spring and underneath it (as in an SPOA), leverage is increased --especially when you throw a few smaller leaves in to create a sort of magnified ?pyramid' fulcrum. The further from the main spring your axle is mounted, the more leverage is created, and the sloppier the handling... and many wonder why they get spring wrap with SPOA lifts. Last year during the Zukfari we had a bad case of spring wrap on an SPOA vehicle which resulted in a shattered rear driveshaft. Highway handling suffers (in comparison to non-SPOA lifts) for the same reason: leverage. The trade-off is a clean lift where not only the frame is elevated, but the spring pack itself is brought out of harm's way by sitting on top of the spring. Also, the advanced leverage serves to improve articulation by deflecting the main spring and twisting it. The extra clearance means larger tires and less damage to the vehicle from trail hazards. Stock springs are stock springs though and unless you change your shocks (which you must) and bushings, your ride will be just as bouncy as before.

The preceding mechanical engineering lesson is not designed to flame one setup or the other... simply to show you how the "thinking thing" works when you think about building and adding to your own rig. For what its worth, I use lifted springs and an SPOA. Try to understand everything, question everything. If someone tells you one system "rules"... ask why it is better than the other. Examine what you will be doing with your own vehicle. Make educated decisions and know why you chose what you did!

Anyway... back to the show. The following is a list of stuff which is on Zukinni. I'll include where I got the stuff so we can cut down on my email traffic a bit ;^) If I leave you with some questions, feel free to email me though and ask to fill in the blanks. It is a big list, so sit back and browse.

Vehicle:

1986 Suzuki Samurai JX

Frame and body: modified, beefed, sliced and diced.We'll get into that in part 2.

• POR-15 anti-rust treatment on frame (POR-15)
• Jeep Citron pearl Green on body (Maaco)

Engine:

• 1991 Suzuki Sidekick 1.6 liter
• 1300 Samurai head ported, polished, and bored to fit 1600 valves
• Isky "RV" grind cam (Petroworks)
• Thorley header (gift from Four Wheeler)
• Dual 2.25" Cherry Bomb mufflers (Checker/Kragen)
• Mikuni dual side-draft carbs (Calmini)
• Dual K & N filters (Super Shops)
• Custom made snorkel-ready air-box (Wildwest)
• MSD-6A Offroad Ignition system and MSD Blaster coil (Summit Racing)
• HD aluminum radiator (Wildwest)
• Plugs and wires: it doesn't matter, just get a decent set and save your money for mods that actually make a difference.

Meats:

• Super Swamper TSLs. 33 x 12.50. These actually measure 34", or .1" less than a BFG 35". (Desert Rat)
• Centerline HT-II 15x8 aluminum wheels (Super Shops)
• Spare tire is TSL 34x9.50 to reduce weight.

Axles:

• Dana 44 front and rear constructed with ½" steel for housings custom cut to 3" wider than stock Samurai.
• Dutchman axle shafts
• 5.38 gears
• ARB diff lockers
• Front and rear GM Cadillac disc brakes (Foothill 4WD)

Drivetrain: final ratio, over 100:1

• Centerforce II HD clutch (Victory Engineering)
• 87 Samurai tranny GRSII transfer case (Petroworks)
• Custom built CV double carden driveshafts (Six States)

Suspension:

• Original design "missing link" SPOA combining Conn-Ferr 1"taller shackle and custom made second shackle. Springs moved inboard.
• Old Man Emu 2½" lift front springs (Wildwest)
• National custom built 2½" lift rear springs (National)
• Stock rubber bushings where possible
• Energy Suspension shackle bump-stops (Off Road Haus)
• Rancho 9000 shocks with remote control (Desert Rat)

Steering:

• Grant signature steering wheel (4WD Hardware)
• 85 Toyota Forerunner power steering pump, 83 Corolla steering box and Pitman arm (Samurai Specialties)
• 6" dropped drag link (Samurai Specialties)

Protection: Trojan ribbed... just kidding :^)

• Custom nerfs from 1½" hitch steel
• Con-Ferr body pan (Petroworks)
• ARB Bull bar housing Warn 8000 (Victory Engineering)
• Custom rear bumper with swing-down tire carrier/workbench and 2" receiver
• Custom designed 6-point full roll cage using modified stock bar and DOM .120 wall tube throughout.

Electronics:

• Dual Optima batteries (Wrangler Power)
• Premier Power Welder system (Pull-Pal)
• Wrangler HD isolator/relay/switch (Wrangler Power)
• Ground straps, remote fuse block, 80 amp breaker (Wrangler Power)
• Hella H4 headlights (J C Whitney)
• Hella off road lights (Leon Rosser)
• Stereo/cassette and CB beefed up and tuned (by CB Hospital)
• Alphasonik 2050, Sony 6" speakers, and amplified subwoofer (Kmart, Crutchfield)

Other features:

• Pontiac Firebird master cylinder (Checker/Kragen)
• Mico dual master cylinder front and rear brake lock system (AW Direct)
• 17-gallon fuel tank (Wildwest)
• Air snorkel (Wildwest)
• Diff and gearbox breathers to 6' hi.
• R&M on-board shower with quick disconnect kit (R&M Specialty)
• Dual Quick Air 2 compressors to Quick Air on-board air system with 3 gallon tank (Sun Performance)
• 2-piece removable hard top with Con-Ferr safari rack (J C Whitney & Petroworks)
• Samurai fenders with 2" Bushwacker rubber extensions (Off Road Haus)
• Deluxe JX seats (Petroworks)
• Mini-drag child's seat with 3" lap-belt (Summit Racing)
• Console/armrest (Calmini)

And probably other stuff I have forgotten to list for the moment.

Driver: Glenn Wakefield

Part 2 will consist of the frame modifications I made and more importantly... why. My parting tip for now? Make sure your credit card offers frequent flyer miles and low interest :^)

Suppliers list: