I am building my first trail rig and its a Samurai. I am installing a RRO spoa and have 32 inch mudders. Now I am looking at gearing. What is the best choice? A hybrid rear with 4.62 gears and a 4.16 x-case or just get the new 5.8/6.1 x-case gears. Would like to hear from people that have been here and already done it. JCC

It depends on what type of terrain you will be going in. Let us know what you want to do with it and we can give a better idea of what would work best for you.

If there will be lots of rocks involved, then the 6.1's would be a good choice. I'm running a 4.16 with stock axles and 31's and it's fine on the road, but I want lower gearing for the rocks.

Lately I've been thinking about swapping a 6.1 in and selling the 4.16. Only problem is I can't do that with no job.

Best thing for you to do is get rid of the RRO spring over kit and make your own.....

Originally posted by RudeZuk
Best thing for you to do is get rid of the RRO spring over kit and make your own.....

I second that. If you were planning for the weld-on RRO kit, you can handle doing it your self. I used trailer spring perches, then welded in reinforcement from the old to new perches. Works great and super cheap. A bit of creative engineering got the shocks worked out. Then built my own Z-Link. Check out the webshots link below in the 1st Isuzamurai album for some pix on how to do your own SPOA.

But the RRO SPOA kit is an affordable way to get started. Don't buy that kit advertised on Ebay. It's about the same as you rounding up your own parts and doing it from scratch.

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Best thing for you to do is get rid of the RRO spring over kit and make your own.....

screw z link get cross over and put rears up front

Originally posted by nozuk


screw z link get cross over and put rears up front

Crossover steering ain't cheap; some of us do this stuff on a tight budget. Steering mods aren't needed until you lift so I guess if you can't afford fancy steering mods, lift first, then do what ya gotta do to get by (build or buy a z-link or buy a drop pitman).

And pardon my newbie boldness, but the correct term would be "high steer" since a Samurai drag link "crosses over" to the far side of the tie rod in stock configuration. Yeah yeah, that's what everyone calls it, but that ain't what it is.

[I may be new to Pirate, but I ain't new to Samurais or wheelin'] I'm running BOTH a drop pitman AND a z-link.

Originally posted by Slinky


. Yeah yeah, that's what everyone calls it, but that ain't what it is.

[I may be new to Pirate, but I ain't new to Samurais

Well, then you should know that there are true crossover steering systems available for the samurai.

And pardon my newbie boldness, but the correct term would be "high steer"


high steer is both the drag link AND the tie rod above the springs and out of harms way.

not a newbie been working on samurai for 10 years

that means since i was six newbie what:flipoff2: :flipoff2: ur are:jeep2:

Originally posted by DougO


Well, then you should know that there are true crossover steering systems available for the samurai.

I know that's what they are labeled, but I contend that is a misnomer. I also know that folks call it "high steer" when you also move the tie rod above the leafs (or where the leafs would be if you are coil). I can't speak to who first built a crossover and why, but I suspect it came from FS Chebbie stuff that have an arm off the driver's side knuckle going to the pitman. That type vehicle can genuinely be converted to "crossover" steering.

Again, I realize that when "crossover" and "Samurai" (others too) are mentioned in the same discussion, one is referring to moving the drag link up high on the knuckle. It's a misnomer. Anyway, doesn't change the fact that it's high $$ compared to z-link or drop pitman, which is the point of my original rebuttal.:flipoff2:

Originally posted by Slinky


I know that's what they are labeled, but I contend that is a misnomer. I also know that folks call it "high steer" when you also move the tie rod above the leafs

So in your OH great wisdom, :rolleyes: what should it be called then. "drag link and tierod abouve the axle steering" or "only tie rod up high steering" so then there would be no mis quote for each other:confused: :flipoff2:

FIGHT NICE NOW!..................................:D

I plan on joining up the Rocket City Rock Crawlers. The only club in north Alabama. They do differant trail rides every month. Tellico is the only place they go that I have been to. Went there with Atv's a few years ago. Anyway I bought RRO's bolt on Spoa. I can't weld. I went ahead and got the whole "over the top steering", tie rod and drag link. After I get it put on, I'll be doing by myself, I am going to try and rebuild the tranny. It sreams at me in 3rd and 5th gear. Then I guess I'll try the 5.8 gears from Sky manfacturing. I have just about finished my p/s install and gm alternator. what do you think about the 5.8 x-case gears?

Bolt-on is good, especially if you can't weld ;) I have no first-hand experience with anyone's t-case other than stock Samurai. As for tranny rebuild, they say it's pretty simple. I rebuilt my t-case and it wasn't all that bad (just watch out for the few teeny weeny parts).

Originally posted by DougO


So in your OH great wisdom, :rolleyes: what should it be called then. "drag link and tierod abouve the axle steering" or "only tie rod up high steering" so then there would be no mis quote for each other:confused: :flipoff2:

Well, the former would be "hi-steer" (as previously noted somewhere within this thread by several folks including me). The latter would be..... would be..... hmmm..... I guess we'll call it "crossover steering" since we know no one would be braggin' 'bout their stock steering. Chevy guys call it "crossover" and it attaches to the top of the pasenger side knuckle, so that must be what it is when we do the same on a Samurai. I guess it's like asking for "facial tissue." "Huh?" "Kleenex. Got any?" "Oh.... yeah.... here ya go."