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Suzuki Samurai Transfer Case Repair Bushing Installation
First peel your carpet back away from the transfer case shifter then
remove the four screws that hold down the shifter boot to the body.
Unscrew the transfer case shifter knob then pull off the boot. Now
reach down into the square transfer case shifter hole in the body
and remove the retaining clamp and then pull the boot strait up off
the shifter. Using a long flat blade screwdriver push down on the
circular retaining plate that holds in the shifter and then turn
counter clockwise a quarter turn to unlock it. You should be able to
pull the shifter strait up out of the socket. Look down into the
socket and remove the little rubber washer with a set of needle
nosed pliers. Install the new bushing so that the concave side is up
so the ball of the shifter will set back into it. If you have
purchased the TEFLON (white) bushings you will need to push one side
of it down at the cut and turn it into place. Make sure it is seated
properly at the bottom of the socket hole under the two pins that
stick out. Re-install the shifter assembly in reverse order of
removal. When the old bushing deteriorates it leaves rubber
particles floating around in the transfer case so it is always
recommended that you change out your transfer case gear oil if you
have not done so recently.
Suzuki Samurai SPOA Lift instructions
Before you begin any disassembly, decide whether you need to use the
“measurement method” (best for persons with taller shackles or
running non-stock springs) which means you will need to measure the
distance from the lowest point on the differentials then measure the
distance to the highest point of the differentials at the yoke up
near where the drive shafts connect. This will be used later to
determine drive shaft angle when relocating the axles under the
springs. The other method is the “leveling method” (best for persons
intending to stay with the original springs and factory height
shackles) where you will level the front differential using the OEM
perches as a leveling guide. Once the original perches are perfectly
level, place the new spring perches on top of the axle and level
them so now the axle will be aligned as it was from the factory.
With this method, if you intend to eventually install taller springs
or taller shackles you may need to use axle shims to correct the
drive-shaft angle created when these new components are installed.
To begin disassembly, park the Samurai on a level concrete surface.
Next break the front lug nuts free then jack up the front-end
placing jack stands securely under the frame. Remove the front
wheels, the sway bar, the shocks and the front drive shaft at the
axle. If you purchased a 1” drive shaft spacer then disconnect the
drive shaft at the transfer case as well since this is where it will
need to be installed to prevent the drive shaft from rubbing on the
cross-member. If you have purchased a set of extended brake lines
just clamp off and disconnect the old lines at the caliper. If you
have not purchased longer brake lines then disconnect the brake line
retaining clips and stretch the lines out about 2-3 inches pulling
them through the holes. A piece of rubber line can be cut length
ways and slipped onto the metal brake lines to prevent rubbing on
the retaining clip holes. Remove the two 17mm bolts that hold on the
brake calipers and then remove them from the axle. Place a jack
stand under the front end to keep the differential from tilting
downward when you unbolt the U-bolts. Place jack stands under the
left and right sides of the differential to hold it up. Remove the
U-bolts and spring plates. These nuts are often rusted so it is a
good idea to spray penetrating oil on them. Next remove the front
shackles and then the spring retaining bolts in the rear of the
springs and remove the springs. Lower the axle and remove the U-bolt
retaining plates that are welded to the top of the axle by cutting
the welds with a grinder and/or a hammer and chisel. Be sure not to
cut too deep so you do not create weak spots in the axle. Next align
the new spring pads on top of the axle and be sure to get them
centered directly above the stock ones. All of the spring pads are
identical so the passengers side front spring pad will need a little
grinding to allow it to seat properly on the axle since the axle
tubing on that side is a slightly larger diameter. Level the lower
spring pad then level the new upper pad and then tack weld them then
double check that they are still level before permanently welding
the new pads on. Next you will be using the left spring plate on the
right side and the right side plate on the left side. When swapping
the spring plates bend the U-bolts inward or outward to install them
so they will now fit correctly with the U-bolt plates swapped. This
is easier than it sounds and can usually be done by hand or with a
hammer, clamp, and/or vice. When you switch the spring plates and
use the left spring plate on the top of the right side and use the
right spring plate on the top of the left side it will allow you to
use you factory shocks and will relocate them properly. **If you are
using the measurement method, center the new spring pads on top of
the axle over the stock ones then re-install the springs on top of
the axle. Leave the U-bolts semi-loose so the axle can be rotated to
adjust the drive shaft angle preventing an incorrect castor angle.
Then re-align the drive shaft so it is at the same angle as before.
Use the measurement you took earlier to determine the correct angle
of the differential. Next tighten up all U-bolts to keep axle
straight. Check spring pads to ensure they are still centered above
the stock spring pads. Then tack-weld the spring pads to the axle
housing and remove the U-bolts to allow you to weld the spring pads
to the axle housing permanently.** If you leveled the upper pads
with the lower ones then you are ready to permanently weld them on.
Be careful not to tip up the front differential, because it changes
the castor angle causing it to handle badly on the road. The
supplied spring pads are built to be the sturdiest and most
versatile on the market for the Samurai and can be welded to the
axle housing on all four sides so that the stress is distributed
across more of the housing. Just make sure that you do not overheat
the housing when welding. Each of the spring pads come with three
locating holes. The center hole is the normal axle position, but by
re-drilling your spring plates you can move your axle forward or
rearward one inch. Moving the axle is not necessary for most
applications, but is beneficial for those of us that want to run
larger tires without them rubbing on the inner fender well. Once the
spring pads are permanently welded to the axle housing, re-install
the U-bolts again and bolt them down securely. Reconnect the sway
bar and re-install the shocks as well as the drive shaft and other
components that were removed. Bolt the wheels back on to the
vehicle. Remove jack stands from the front and then jack up the rear
of vehicle. Place jack stands securely under the rear of the frame
in front of the rear wheels, remove wheels, and disassemble and
reassemble the rear in the same order as you did the with the front.
The rear goes a bit quicker since there is no cutting or grinding of
the U-bolt retainers and there is no sway bar. If you intend to add
taller springs at a later time the rear drive shaft can be tipped up
as much as two degrees towards the transfer case to improve the
drive line angle. Tipping the differential up more than 2 degrees
will cause noticeable drive shaft vibrations. If you need to alter
your drive shaft angle and do not have an angle finder they can be
found at your local Sears in the hardware section for only $10.
Once you have finished, you will need to align the front end. Check
you Samurai manual for general steering alignment adjustments, which
may save you money in alignment cost by doing it yourself. One easy
way to correct your alignment and steering is to install a 3 inch
drop-pittman arm or a 5 inch drop Z-LINK (aka Z-BAR). I have both
for sale for $95 and $99.99. The 3 inch drop pittman arm corrects
some of the steering angle (3” of it). The Z-LINK corrects 100% of
the steering angle created by the lift and solves the problem of the
drag-link hitting the springs in tight right turns. It also
straightens the steering wheel out perfectly so you will not need to
get any type of alignment. If you are using a spring-over lift as
well as a set of lifted springs then both the Z-LINK and the drop
pitman can be used to gain 8 inches of steering correction.
Adjustable Z-LINK’s are also available for fine tuning your steering
and for those who intend to lift their Samurai higher in the future.
The main time & money saving tips are that you can easily extend the
brake hoses yourself without buying expensive extended lines and
then having to bleed and re-pressurize the brakes again. If you
choose to purchase a set of brake hoses you can go to the junkyard
or auto parts store and get a set of 20 inch front lines from Geo
Metro/Suzuki Swift or 24 inch front hoses from late 80's to mid 90’s
Honda Accord's. The rear brake hoses can be found on Geo
Metro/Suzuki Swift and Toyota trucks front ends with solid
differentials and are about 20 inches long. Junkyards’ usually
charge $2.50 to $5.00 each and parts stores about $25 on up each
hose. This is still a lot cheaper than those expensive off-road
shops! Also the fact that you can re-use your stock shocks with this
kit and you do not need to buy all new U-bolts and spring plates
like a lot of high priced places suggest will save you money, too.
If you intend to gain articulation as well as height I suggest you
purchase a new set of after market shocks that are several inches
longer than stock, but you will need to measure to get this figure.
To get this measurement remove your original shocks, then jack up
one wheel as high as it will go without the other wheel leaving the
ground. Measure the distance from the lower to the upper shock mount
on the side you jacked up then do the same to the other side. If the
measurement is 10 inches compressed and 20 inches extended then your
shock must be able to do the same or you will lose a bit of wheel
travel. This will give you your maximum and minimum shock lengths so
you know what to ask for when you go to purchase them. If you intend
to remove your sway bar to gain articulation do not forget to do so
when measuring for your shock length. Most off-road type shocks will
not ride as soft as the original shocks, because of the stiffer
shock rates they typically come with, but they will handle a lot
more abuse. So if you want a good ride for a cheap price then stick
with a set of the cheap shocks. Most mid-sized light truck (Nissan,
Toyota, Ranger, Mazda, Isuzu, S-10) shocks work great and are $10 to
$20 per shock. If you would like a good ride and need the heavier
duty off-road shocks then I recommend using the Doeschtech 3000,
8000 or Pro-Comp ES1000 shocks since they have a softer shock rate
for lighter weight vehicles.
If you have any questions please give me a call.
Sean DeVinney
Aftermarket industries
www.AFTERMARKET4X4.com
(757) 685-6161
E-Mail us at aftermarket4x4@cox.net
Copyright 2005 Aftermarket Industries
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