1994 Suzuki Samurai - Arachnid

In back, Arachnid sports a modified Spidertrax quarter-elliptical suspension. The axle is located 1-1/2 inches back from the stock location, and the lower links are 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Rancho RS 9012 shocks perform damping duties. The rear suspension allows an incredible amount of articulation, yet still provides excellent control, especially on steep climbs where most super-articulators fail. Up front, there are 12-inch static, 3-1/2-inch OD, 150-pound coils, and a four-link suspension with a Panhard bar. The front suspension is soon to be available over-the-counter as a Spidertrax kit.

To turn the 33x12.50R15LT Goodyear Wrangler MTRs on the 15x10-inch steel bead locks, Spidertrax installed a Suzuki Sidekick power steering box with a Saginaw pump and ram assist. Custom linkages and a crossover steering arm keep everything hooked up and pointed in the direction Enelio wants to go. The stock Samurai steering column and cheesy plastic cover were discarded in favor of a chrome-moly steering shaft with a lightweight, removable steering wheel.

Spidertrax installed driver and passenger Lexan windows in the firewall for visibility. The rear floor of the body was removed to make room for a custom 12-gallon aluminum fuel cell and an aluminum toolbox. Each of the 6061 aluminum dash panels is removable, with each panel having its own electrical connector for easy service. The Auto Meter Ultralight gauges include tach, oil temp, water temp, voltmeter, and clock. The controls for the Warn M6000 winch are also dashboard-mounted. The Warn M6000 is the sleeper deal of the year. It has a 48.5-fpm line speed under no load and still pulls at a whopping 10 fpm at full load. That's fast. The 6,000-pound winch has more than enough power to pull the Samurai up anything. There are four exterior rock lights, interior floor lighting, Hella driving lights, and LED taillights to illuminate the night.

The entire undercarriage of Arachnid was powdercoated, and the body was painted bright silver. To shield the body from harm, Spidertrax angled rocker panels were installed to protect Arachnid's sides.

We had the opportunity to go on the trail with the Spidertrax crew, Enelio, and Arachnid. The little Samurai worked so well that those with other vehicles just shook their heads in awe. Enelio was able to crawl obstacles that even 38.5-inch tire-equipped Jeeps were hanging up on.

This is one spider that you won't want to exterminate.