4x4x$1,500 Cheap Truck Challenge

Is it possible to buy and build a 4x4 for under $1,500? We sure think so. Suppose you've worked all summer long flipping burgers, you've made a little money, and now you want to go wheeling. Or you've just gotten your tax return back, and you've got to get out in the dirt. What would you buy? How would you build it? Where would it take you? We discussed this at a recent beer night (aka staff meeting) and came up with the Cheap Truck Challenge, where each member of the staff needs to find, buy, and build a 4x4 for under $1,500. Here is what Feature Editor Fred Williams did with his McDonald's tips.

I decided that since I like playing in the rocks, and am fond of the small nimble rockcrawlers I'd seen on the trail, I would look for the smallest, cheapest 4x4 I could find, and that equals a Suzuki Samurai. These little rigs got a bad rap back in the late '80s when some sissy-pants found high speeds and wheel-jerk driving could be dangerous--wow, as if we didn't know that already. However, since the lawsuit-hungry suits shut down the Samurai influx, these little rigs have gained quite a following in the 4x4 crowd. Luckily some folks still think they are junk, so they can be had cheap. I asked around to see what the going price for a used Zuk was in this area, and found everything from $2,000 down to free, so my target $300 seemed reasonable. Building on the cheap requires patience to wait for a deal, and luck to find the deal, and I admit I got lucky in my find, but in the end my luck started to run out (see "Sammy Kills Itself"). I still think that if you're looking for a cheap little wheeler then build a Suzuki; they are a real kick in the pants.

I found this super-clean '91 Samurai JL in front of a garage with 4-year-old plates and 104,000 miles. The story was that a customer had dropped it off for a junkyard engine swap, and then the computer was found to be bad so they ditched it. Oddly it seemed that none of the current mechanics at the garage could even remember when it had first shown up. I haggled the manager down to $450, and after swapping on the spare tire to replace an old flat that hadn't held air in years, I pulled it onto a trailer and towed it home in the dark. Budget left -- $1,050

Once I got the truck home I did some more research on Samurais (I should have done this before the purchase), and let the truck sit for three months as I came up with a shopping list/build plan. I considered doing a bunch of fabrication, which can be cheap if you have the tools and skills, but realized that buying bolt-on parts is even easier and cheaper, so though it's not as cool as a custom four-link tube machine, my Samurai would be a great beginner wheeler for trails and light rocks. I decided to toss the wasted ragtop, clean the leaves from the interior and just get it running, add some lift and taller tires, and then wheel it with open diffs and street gears for now. To start, I swapped in a Kragen battery and changed the oil. Total cost $67.82. Budget left -- $982.18

With some fuel I crossed my fingers and cranked the key. The little Sami started right up like it had been driven daily. I was excited to think that all my engine and computer concerns were for naught since I didn't feel like using any budget to fix it, but preferred to spend the cash on performance upgrades and bling-bling rims. Then she started running funny, coughing, hesitating, and giving me a check engine light. I called the experts at PetroWorks and they quickly walked me through the self-diagnosis of this early fuel-injected wheeler. I found that the computer, though working, was on its last legs and should indeed be replaced or fixed. Bummer! Luckily, Petroworks was within an hour's drive, so I pulled the brain box and went to see them. Here's a little secret: To remove the computer, first remove the battery and heat up the three firewall-mounted nuts with a torch to get the Suzuki Loctite to let go.

Gary Munck at PetroWorks has figured out a way to repair the damage and replace the capacitors to alleviate this problem in the future. His $250 charge was hard on my budget, but better than the factory computer replacement cost of $1,380. With the computer replaced the Zuk ran smooth and had no more check engine lights on.

As it turns out the fuel-injected Samurais have a known problem with the electrolytic capacitors in their computers. Apparently they leak a corrosive fluid, which if left unchecked will eventually eat into the copper circuit board. Budget left -- $732.18

With the truck running well I was ready to get it set for going off-road. I wanted to do something about the microscopic 26-inch tires and so I had to make some room under the truck for big rubber. I looked at my options and decided that a spring-over kit from Spidertrax in Colorado would work best for my budget. The Spidertrax Web site promised 41/2 inches of lift, and that should clear 31-inch tires. I had them send the kit, which includes new spring perches, brake lines, driveshaft spacers, lower shock mounts, and bumpstops for a total cost of $249.95. Budget left -- $482.23

The first step of the spring-over is to secure the truck on some jackstands, disconnect the brakes, driveshafts, and suspension, and pull the axle. You should be able to borrow or rent jackstands pretty cheap, and since I didn't include the price of tools in the buildup, I won't include the price of these either. Just do not use cement blocks for jackstands--they can crumble and crush your head. With the axle out, I cleared off the paint so I could weld on the perches, but left the rest assembled. The front axles have some plates tack-welded on the top of the tube, and I cut them off before grinding the surface clean. Along with the jack and jackstands, a grinder is helpful here. Remember that your neighbor, boss, or other friends may all have access to these tools, so look to them before you buy. When you set up to weld the spring perches, the fronts should be perfectly parallel with the old perch only on top of the axletube to keep the steering correct. Use a level or angle finder to be sure. The rear axle should have the rear of the perch just a few degrees higher than parallel as per the instructions to deal with the driveshaft angle change.

The spring-over-axle (SOA) kit does require some welding, and luckily I have a Miller MIG machine to do that myself. Now, I know that many of you can't weld, don't own a welder, or both, so I considered this cost into the buildup. Also remember that the Samurai axletubes are not that thick, so you'll need to be careful welding them. Take your time and don't burn them too hot. You can find welding help in a couple different places. Muffler shops could help for cheap and have experience with thin tube, the neighborhood blacksmith might work in exchange for some frosty beverages, and metal shop class may let you bring the axles in to be worked on as well. Remember that your budget isn't big, and as such you'll need to be flexible. Tell them it's no rush and that you're tight on funds and see what they can do. Maybe offer to help sweep the shop floor or buy pizza if they'll stay after work and burn the spring perches, bumpstops, and shock mounts for you. Welding shouldn't cost you much more than $100. Budget left -- $382.23

On my rear springs I had these overloads that had some negative arch that would be a low-hanging magnet for rocks. I decided to take the pack apart, remove the spring clamp from the overload with a grinder, flip the overload so it had positive arch, and put the pack back together. I'm hoping this will help fight any spring-wrap that may occur from the new lift.

Also notice the Spidertrax driveshaft spacers that go between the pinion flange and the shaft so there's no need for new driveshafts.

With the lift complete, I turned to the steering. With both steering and brakes I hate to skimp on cost. Why save a dime when it may cost a life?

I could have built some ghetto Z-link, but with a proper crossover kit from Sky Manufacturing for only $170 including drag link, passenger-side high-steer arm, and tie-rod ends, why chance it? Plus, with just two bolts to attach to the knuckle and caliper, it is so very easy to install. Be sure to notice the Spidertrax extended brake lines included in the SOA kit. Crossover kit, $170. Budget left -- $212.23

With the truck together, I needed some rubber under it. I really wanted to run 37-inch Mud-Terrains, but could hear the axles snapping, so I planned on running 31/10.5R15 BFGoodrich Mud-Terrains. I went to the local BFGoodrich dealer, So Cal Tire Pros in Burbank, California, and had them mount some 31s on some old Jeep rims with a 5-on-51/2 bolt pattern as well as the old 29-inch tires off of my Toyota Clampy (235/75R15 BFGoodrich All-Terrains) on the stock 15x5-inch steel rims. I soon realized that the 31s would either need different wheels with about 2 inches of backspacing or a set of Spidertrax wheel spacers to reduce rubbing, but both were out of the budget. The All-Terrains, on the other hand, easily fit under the fenders, worked fine with the stock 3.72 gears, and looked cool on the stock rims after a coat of orange paint. Stock wheels, free. Used All-Terrain tires and orange paint, $100, if that. Budget left -- $112.23

Now I only needed shocks. I first measured the distance from the stock upper mount to the new lower mounts at full compression with the axles articulated, and then subtracted the distance between the bumpstop and axle. Then I figured out full droop with the axles hanging and the frame on jackstands. I took those measurements, roughly 13 inches compressed and 19 at droop and headed to the local Napa to find the cheapest Monroe-Matic shocks.

I got rears that compress to 121/2 and droop to 19 and fronts that compress to 12 and droop to 221/2. They ride pretty bad, but at $20 each, they are cheap. Four shocks, $100. Budget left--$12.23 Just enough for half a tank of gas in California.

Sammy Kills Itself
I took the Zuk out to our top-secret test facility for an inaugural run and to get some pictures in the dirt, but before I even made it 15 miles down the L.A. freeway, the poor little 1.3L engine was getting way too hot. I pulled over, checked the coolant level, and hosed off the radiator to help cool it down. Then I headed back down the road with the heater on to help cool it, but by the time I made it to the dirt, she was hot again. This time I flushed the radiator, and everything seemed hunky dory. I hit the closest trail for some first-time wheelin'. I was having fun, but before long it was cookin' again. So I headed back to base camp and did a full engine flush. Then before I set out for home I pulled the dipstick. Ugh! Milkshake. There was water in the oil, and with overheating that means blown head gasket; time for another tow home. If I had done a compression test earlier I may have caught it before it was too late, but I really think the problem was there before I ever bought the truck. So now what -- fix the head gasket or swap in another powerplant, and if so, what should I swap in? I know the $1,500 budget is blown, but I'm already planning for the next paycheck, so give me your input. If you have an opinion, e-mail fred.williams@primedia.com and tell me what you want to see done to this little trail machine.