kicker... kicker... which kicker to use...

[sj-x]

lookin into changin my drive train to a kicker set up.. i hate the samurai clutches. i can smoke my centerforce DF in almost any gear with my 16v 1.6... even with the 4.16, and 5.29's the boggers dig in too deep. hell i can smoke the clutch on pavement... usually i smell it once the tires hit the ground again. yes. i can lift the front end off the ground. suspension issues which i am regluating now.

anyways... back to the question. i have a 3 speed auto, and it will go in. but with the toy axles would i be better off keeping the sammi case, and puttin a kicker 3 set up in it *kick case to sammi case*... or getting rid of the sammi case *which i split in half a few weeks ago pulling a wheelie while pulling someone out of a hole...* and doing a kicker 2 with a toy case, stock gears...

the sammi case has 4.16 gears, my toy case has the stock 2.28 gears.

2.28*1.8=4.104
4.16*1.8=7.488

i have since fixed the splitting t-case issue with a t-case bucket and new mounts. i don't know if the sammi case will really be able to handle the doubled input torque from the kick t-case, and infinate torque output of the auto tranny. as well as the problems with the offset rear drive output, and centered diff input. with my lift, the d-shaft is at it's limit.. i know that the toy case is centered, but the output is way up there too.


i would like some input from some people who have done this upgrade already.

[Hvy_Chevy]

sounds like you need a kicker2
toy reduction gears are like 1/2 price of sami t-case gears

[samiguy]

my sami case holds up well with the kicker3. Being married to the drivetrain takes away alot of twisting forces that cause problems. The automatic also is more gentle on the t-case, its a pretty good combo

[TruckTrader]

sounds like you need a kicker2
toy reduction gears are like 1/2 price of sami t-case gears

Yup, kicker2 allows you to take advantage of the great prices on the Toyota gear sets. It also makes it easier to run toy driveshafts to your toy axles, which everybody seems to end up doing anyway for the hardcore stuff. Plus when you blow up that sammy case and burn your clutch again from doing your "wheelies" you can opt for a toy tranny and just end up with a smaller lighter toyota like everyone else here in the zuk section :D I know, I know, that's blasphemy to talk like that here!

SJ-X back to your question. When you run the kicker2 you will replace your sammy tranny with a sidekick tranny because of the way the kit is made. So you will end up with a slightly larger clutch surface with the sidekick manual tranny if you decided to go that route. This may help your problem, but may not solve it. I didn't have any issues with the kick tranny slipping in my past rigs - but I don't try to do wheelies either! Once you glaze a clutch doing what you've described it will probably continue to slip and get worse. Personally I like the manual tranny's better for wheeling, automatics can lose fluid at extreme vertical angles unless you modify them (ask me how I know). But I imagine that your auto will hold up just fine and there are some advantages to autos. In summary, I would say that you should be fine running the kicker2 setup with a sidekick auto. I will be running a kicker 2 setup in my next rig which is under construction. Good luck.