In a few weeks i will be buying a samurai, not sure what year yet. I have been looking for a 3" lift and I have come up with Calmini and Trail Master the only differance in the two kits is that the trial master has a pitarm and cost $70 more. Both kits come with shocks, bump stops and poly bushings. I'm new to the sport and not to familiar with the companys. Any advice on the better kit?
BTW I'm just looking to fit 31" tires and also planing a 1" body lift

Let me be First...

Welcome Newbie!!! :flipoff2:
Do yourself a favor, search, then search again, then ask questions...(jeez this sounds like a broken record)

there is more info here on how to build than you can hope to digest in a year, so start reading.

for what your doing, if you have any fabricating equipment and skills, dont go that route with the calmini or TrailMaster.

Do a simple Sring over, and some brake line extensions, with a Z-link to start, and some 1" drivshaft spacers. Done.
Then learn to drive what ya got.
Read more, then modify it again.

Read these two pages. I think it will help a lot.

How to build a zuk (http://www.azrockcrawler.com/_images/howtobuildit/howto.html)

Different lifts (http://www.rocky-road.com/truth.html)

There are about 10 different manufacturers / vendors that sell 3 inch lifts for zuks. Here is a page with a bunch of links.

Izook links (http://www.izook.com/links.htm)

This should get you going in the right direction..........




















WELCOME NEWBIE!!!! :flipoff2: :D :flipoff2:

I would like to do a spoa but I can't weld and don't know anybody that can. I'll look a round on those links, Thanks for help

Yota, there are bolt on SPOA kits that work well. I'm sure you can find one. Also, it would cost very little to have someone weld on 4 spring pads. It would take less than a half an hour. Don't give up on welded stuff and ask some friends to help you out.

I was just thinking, the reason it might be hard for me to do a SPOA is because my zuk would be taken apart and I could not bring it some whare to get welded, Then what I was thinking was would it be possible to have whats needed to be welded on while my zuk is still driveable, so i could drive to get welded and drive home to do the rest?

Originally posted by NC Zuk
Read these two pages. I think it will help a lot.

How to build a zuk (http://www.azrockcrawler.com/_images/howtobuildit/howto.html)

Different lifts (http://www.rocky-road.com/truth.html)

There are about 10 different manufacturers / vendors that sell 3 inch lifts for zuks. Here is a page with a bunch of links.

Izook links (http://www.izook.com/links.htm)

This should get you going in the right direction..........

WELCOME NEWBIE!!!! :flipoff2: :D :flipoff2:

Yeah - what he said.

If you can't weld, your going to have to find someone who can or learn yourself.

Your asking a tough question
kinda of like --
Excuse me doctor,
which stiches should I use, BTW I can't sew.

You might want to lurk a while till you get up to speed.

Then what I was thinking was would it be possible to have whats needed to be welded on while my zuk is still driveable, so i could drive to get welded and drive home to do the rest?

I bought the Rocky Road kit with the reinforced perches, did the SPOA, and installed everything except for the shocks. I drove it to my local muffler shop (I installed a header at the same time, so I had to get the exhaust hooked back up), and he welded the perches and lower shock mounts for 20 bucks. You might ask around at some muffler shops. Try to find one that does custom exhaust work or if he has a hot rod or race car. They are usually more willing to do oddball stuff. Also any shops that do work on hot rods and such. At most you are looking at around an hour of labor tops.

Paul

I agree with everyone who has posted on this thread (except the original post about the trailmaster/calmini lifts). There is a standard evolution for zuks. Lift and larger tires, then SPOA and larger tires, then axle swaps and larger tires, the sheetmetal is removed to make room for larger tires, then we start tubing them out and adding larger tires. Save yourself a lot of time and money and skip some steps on the evolutionary ladder. By the way - body lifts are NOT ON THE LIST!!

For $119 you can buy a crappy splatterbox welder at sears. Get a piece of metal and weld the alphabit for practice. Soon you will be welding as bad as me! 6013 3/32 rods @ $3 / lb. and you are in business! Do a search and look at pics - easier than you think! also WELCOME NEWBIE !!!!:flipoff2:

Every time I see this thread I think of Steve Martin singing "I'm picking out a thermos for you" in the movie The Jerk.

Thanks, you fawkin newbie, and welcome :flipoff2: :flipoff2:

I bought the Rocky Road kit with the reinforced perches, did the SPOA, and installed everything except for the shocks. I drove it to my local muffler shop (I installed a header at the same time, so I had to get the exhaust hooked back up), and he welded the perches and lower shock mounts for 20 bucks. You might ask around at some muffler shops. Try to find one that does custom exhaust work or if he has a hot rod or race car. They are usually more willing to do oddball stuff. Also any shops that do work on hot rods and such. At most you are looking at around an hour of labor tops.

Paul

There's also the tried and true method of case of beer and buddy with welder, just keep the beer locked in the sami till the welding is done or God knows what you'll have stuck together, :D

There's also the tried and true method of case of beer and buddy with welder, just keep the beer locked in the sami till the welding is done or God knows what you'll have stuck together, :D

WOW thanks for the advice buddy, but over the course of two and a half years I have since bought a welder and taught myself how to weld. This thread is an embarrassment I didn’t need to be reminded of.:flipoff2:

WOW thanks for the advice buddy, but over the course of two and a half years I have since bought a welder and taught myself how to weld. This thread is an embarrassment I didn’t need to be reminded of.:flipoff2:
yes but at least he can search his first time out :flipoff2: