Id agree but it's tough to compensate for 33" tires with the transfer case alone. Remember the 5.12's are a factory ratio for a heavier vehicle with a larger, more powerful engine.
And I've yet to even hear of even one ring gear failure. Birfields maybe, but never ring gears.
I did a little more weight reduction. With the smaller tires, I don't really need a huge high lift jack or the carrier for the monster spare tire. What we have now is this.
I figure that took almost 100 pounds off the back.
And it will still go anywhere I need it to even with the smaller tires.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIOOz6uDJqM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ustxw7aKrDU&list
Another little update.
My wife gave me a set of LED lights for Christmas. I got them installed. I also never have liked the big ugly relay box that was mounted on top of the winch. It's been relocated under the hood.
Before:
After:
I also installed a fan shroud. It didn't come with one when I bought it. This one was with the parts Samurai I bought. It fit perfectly. 
Great build... I have enjoyed reading the whole thing this morning. 
Not much to report here for a while, but a change did happen yesterday.
Before: Ignore the bike.
After:
My wife worked out a barter with a tint guy. He did a pretty good job. I like it.
There's a 90% chance of rain tomorrow. I might have to go spend the day in the woods.
In reply to Toyman01:
what did she barter? 
Flight Service wrote: In reply to Toyman01: what did she barter?
Dirty mind. 
She is a wedding officiant, she's going to marry them in a couple of weeks.
I hadn't made the Samurai connection from your buggy thread even though I know your avatar.
I wouldn't be dragging that over any granite anytime soon either. Trail runs sure, but not rockcrawling. As much as I hate to say it, those are getting pretty rare especially in good shape.
I love tin tops. Cheers!
Mudflaps.
I know they aren't cool, and the off road crowd will ostracize me, but if they save me some cleaning after a trip, they will be worth it. The clay around here is like superglue and it gets in every nook and cranny. It's a pain to get out. I'm hoping to keep the undercarriage from accumulating too much goo. Might also save a windshield or two.
170 miles cruising around the Francis Marion NF today, and the mud flaps did exactly what I wanted them to do. They kept 90% of the mud inside the wheel wells, instead of it being plastered under and up the sides of the Samurai, from one end to the other. They'll be staying.
Nice! that thing looks so good! Must be a ton of fun! I put mudflaps on my WRX more or less for the rally look but ended up loving them for keeping the car clean! Thought about putting them on my DD just so I don't have to wash it as often.
Toyman01 wrote:Flight Service wrote: In reply to Toyman01: what did she barter?Dirty mind.
So my mind wasn't off, just had the timing and the parties involved incorrect.
Love what you have done with thing. Keeps steadily improving.
Keeping with the GGA/piffy comment about spouse/why my wife still slaps me after 12 years of marriage, are you gonna put the trucker naked ladies on the mud flaps?
or better yet put the ladies naked truckers on the mud flaps!
In reply to Flight Service:
I guess I could put the lady on the drivers side and the trucker on the passenger...
My wife would laugh, the rest of my family, not so much.
What front bumper is that? I am going to look at/probably pick up tomorrow. new 31x9.50 tsl radial, warn winch on some sketchy hitch mount, a Rallytop hard top. Its an 87.
I have no idea. It was on there when I bought it and doesn't have any identifying marks.
Found it!!! it is the Shrockworks samurai bumper
In reply to MrChaos:
That looks like it to me.
love this build and that in the past few weeks that you've taken to wheeling as an escape as well
So, about that turbocharger...
In reply to Acme Lab Rat:
I've still got it, but I picked up something a little more interesting a month or so back.
This is a AM500 supercharger off of a Subaru Pleo, with the brackets to mount it to the 1.6 engine.
They are supposed to flow nicely for a low boost small engine. It should be a lot less peaky than the turbo and offer more power off idle. Now I just need to make the time to build the rest of the plumbing.
Did you ever sort out an exhaust mani for the turbo?
I have a long held bias toward supercharging small engines, especially for off-road rigs where instant torque off-idle is a necessity. That's sweet!
In reply to Spinout007:
DRW Power makes one. I'll try to find a link when I get home this evening.
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