With the taco' supreme three-link...
With the taco' supreme three-link kit temporarily clamped in place, one of the new 37-inch goodyear M/trs was centered where the axle would be repositioned. Checking firewall and fender clearance, there was obviously some sheetmetal removal in the forecast.
Starting up front, the all-Pro suspension was mocked-up and tacked into place. The front fenders were removed, and a new front bumper was fabricated to extend the framerails, providing a new mounting location for the steering box and winch. To complete the front suspension, a new, heavy-duty custom axlehousing was ordered from Diamond axles, making the setup extra-bulletproof. Finally, some tube fenders and a narrowed tube grille were fabricated to finish up the front, and it was time to tackle the rest of the rig.
Moving toward the back, the rear axle was repositioned to make the wheelbase 105 inches, and the bed was removed with a sawzall. Next, the rear framerails were narrowed to rovide clearance for the rear shocksand tires, and a new bumper was fabricated to tie it all together. A 12-gallon jaz fuel cell was chosen to replace the stock gas tank and integrated into the new rear end. Beneath the rear of the rig, a three-link setup (with Panhard bar) was designed, fabricated, and assembled to duplicate the same dimensions and geometry as the front all-Pro kit. Just like the front, a Diamond axle housing was used to finish up the rear-suspension setup.
After determining the new...
After determining the new ride height of the sami, box-tube stilts were temporarily welded to the frame. This will allow the serious frame, body, and suspension modifications to be made with ease while keeping everything level.
After many hours of tube bending, notching, fitting, and welding, the rear of the sami supreme began to take shape with a rear extension added to the existing rollcage along with some new, integrated rock sliders. With the front and rear suspension tacked into place, everything was cycled and measured, using jacks and a forklift before permanently welding all frame, shock, and axle brackets into place.
Once the suspension and cage work received the final welds and gussets, it was time to address the details. Coast Driveline & gear built a custom set of driveshafts using standard, easily replaceable components. A new transmission tunnel and seat mount was fabbed up and tied into the frame. Next, a large bellypan skidplate was designed and constructed to protect the new drivetrain.
With everything buttoned up, the sami supreme was ready for some brief testing in the parking lot before turning it loose in its natural habitat. All of the steel was cleaned up and given a fresh coat of Krylon just hours before its debut at the 45th annual tierra Del sol Desert safari. Only a few short months after the project began, the sami supreme was tackling some serious terrain with ease at tds and wowing the crowds as it performed flawlessly the entire weekend. The story doesn't end here, however, as the next part of our sami supreme project will feature more trail testing and an upgrade in the horsepower department.
 The front fenders and grille...  The front fenders and grille of the samurai are quickly removed with a dozen or so screws. With the sheetmetal and steering box removed, it was time to start the rebuilding process. |  A length of 4-inch-wide, 3/16-inch-thick...  A length of 4-inch-wide, 3/16-inch-thick plate was bent in the vise by hand to create a frame extension that would allow the steering box to be moved forward. This extension will provide a strong winch-mounting location and function as a bumper as well. |  Although it's not the preferred...  Although it's not the preferred method, if you're on a tight budget, an inexpensive harbor Freight pipe bender works quite well for bending dom tubing if you use a slightly thicker wall tube. We found that 0.156-inchwall tube can be bent over 90 degrees without kinking or flattening. |