Project Mini me

[Mackadocious916]

Welp another few days in...
Went out and installed the wheel cylinder, and went over both brakes putting the small adjustment springs in....really went over it to make sure nothing appeared out of place...
Jacked her up and Started her up and put her in reverse gear and then Heard a thud, shut everything down, got out to see passenger drum fell off, so shut engine off, moved adjuster (piece I got from pick n pull) as it had slipped downward. Then I adjusted & reinstalled drum, bolted just drum down with wheel lug nuts on both sides so it wouldn't fall off and tried to give her a go again....
Heard a scraping this time from drivers rear, thought it might take a sec for breaks to adjust, but saw a leak and shut it down...new wheel cylinder on the driver side is blown.. so i had to take out a shoe clip for slack to get drum back over studs...i cleaned up leakinf break fluid, got wheels back on, but still broken...

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[Mackadocious916]

So here is the update: after about 20 labor hours I threw in the towel. I was second guessing my iwn mechanical ability at this point-as I felt everything was back together as it should be twice- and it still wasnt fixed... So at 0730am I drove her down (with no rear breaks) to Brakemasters hiping they had the answer.... I called and they hadnt toucjed it by 4pm due to no appointment. I brought down yhe old adjusters and new fron piick n pull, even the overly big one from summit...

What they told was good news and bad news.... So what they found is 1) I will need a new driver rear wheel cylinder(which I kind of figured). 2) they said I would "need mew shoes as the bramd new ones I just put in there are soaked in brake oil", ( I think they can be cleaned, but so be it) 3) brake bleed. 4) he also said front pass caliper is contacting once per revolution so may need some more grinding...

But the bad news was 5) he said , the pick n pull adjusters are "too big", caysing this, but he CANNOT FIND REPLACEMENT ADJUSTERS ANYWHERE-Like me.

When I went to rwcyclers they wanted $400 for whole rear axle, and I was thinking yeah right guy... It's not a 14bolt or 85 toy front axle, but now may be only option.... I also thought if taking bent bolt to machine shop to make one 3d waterjet cad style, ir another trip to pick n pull. So my cars at the shop, and while I could pay for everything just to be done with it, without adjuster all for naught.....

So I have a paperwright at the shop until rectified.... Id recommend stay away from vitara/ tracker platform as because suzuki went out of biz in usa in 2012, aftermarkwt vanished... Sux I was so far in this build, because I look at this vehicle now like a fun with only one bullet, after one part failure, it could be this headache again. And whos to say what will be irreplacable then? I feel like im yrying to find a part for an 78 astin martin...

I have always wanted like a 02 quad cab taco, but never had the funds, but if I could get this together to sell and liquidate and put towards, at this point, I guess, that would be my ideal... I'll keep you posted...

 

[Mackadocious916]

But the takeaway for me is even though pulled from a similar tracker, the adjusters being "bigger" was the issue, and not my failure as a mechanic...

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I did have an idea of angle grinding off like the bottom 1/2" and then re notching the end again like red above, but the shop said "we dont do that type of modification here", which I get because try are kind of more pep boys than extreme/ custom. We shall see.

 

[Mackadocious916]

Still an issue but a relief. Its like ive done drum breaks before, and never had this issue... Its like making your bed the same way youve made it for years, but all of a sudden not working anymore, so you make it again and still not working, so you stand there like what did I miss , but in reality you didnt, the partI wasnt right somehow

 

[Mackadocious916]

So another huge day....

I was thinking overnight. Went to capitol machine first and a nice guy there tried to just bend the bolt back and while it was much improved, it would not close all the way and like five threads were left from bottoming out...

I took the adjusters back , but the shop was unsure it would be enough so I drove to stockton pick n pull about an hour each way...

I first texted a guy in Lathrop but got no answer...

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So then I went inside the junkyard...

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First looked at gran vitara, but bigger rear brakes, so tracker or bust. Walked to tracker row and two rows were gone... Staff said they had just junked it this am..!!!!! My heart sunk as literally there are no more local trackers, and I was sick at the $400 axle quote materializing. But as I walked out a fuy said "Did you try Kennys?" So I called, they had an 01 2wd.

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He let me pull the parts myself for $20 each side.

Just drove em back to shop and they quoted $240 for complete job.

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So its bittersweet. It will all be back together but im thinking of detailing her and listing on CL....

 

[Mackadocious916]

Went out this am as got car back from the shop, but heard some whistles and rattles... They said front caliper pass side was still grinding once per revolution... Pulled the wheel off this am and found this....

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Started angle grinding, but grinder broke so went to autozone ro get a new one... Drove truck down there and it didnt sound as bad as before, but I will go again to get her dialed in....

After all is said and done it runs, srives, brakes. Steering jas a rough spot from shaft mods due to lift I want to sort out.... My driver side front may have a stripped lug I will have to see about if I have to replace the stud... Other than that, I want to give her a good detail and then come up with a game plan.

 

[Mackadocious916]

So I Went out and gave it the firat round of modding the oil dipstick ( another unobtainable part) , they are known to crack...

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My original 4cyl was cracked at purchase. Then I found a v6. Found another 4cyl but broken. They have different lengths.

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Tried to combine the two initially with plastic welder, but when that was unsuccessful used gasket maker....

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I then vacumed the interior...

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[Mackadocious916]

So I qent out this am, and fixed the calipers grinding on wheel...

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I was able to grind both sides... Now no slight catching or drag... One of the driver nolts was chewed but able to get the lug on so no problem at this point... Also the dipstick fix held up...
There really wasnt much left to do, just some odds n ends like seam sealing fenderwells, insulating fan wire through firewall with rubber grommit, other nick knacks... I really was just going to get the armor to protect rockers and undercarriage, then wheel it. And maybe down the road add gears and locker....maybe the tires... But now we will see.

 

[Iowan]

You have lots more patience than I do! Did a great Job! Would it be possible to do a jeep axle or axle out of some tiny truck?

 

[Mackadocious916]

You have lots more patience than I do! Did a great Job! Would it be possible to do a jeep axle or axle out of some tiny truck?

You know i have been thinking, I have been building this and the k20 for two years, and remember spending this time last year avoiding city code officials wrenching day and night in the rain, so might just stick this one out...
As far as swaps...
This is a narrowed 44...

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This is samurai....

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This is toyota version....

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My only reservation is say I finish everything and cant find one stupid sensor down the road again making her a paperweight, but ive come so far and she runs the best she ever has...

 

[Mackadocious916]

So yesterday I washed and vacumes her. Made sure dipstick repair was functional. Bought angle grinder and ground both calipers, so no interference.DROVE her down to the car wash and ran her through...
Took full set of pics...

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[Mackadocious916]

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[Mackadocious916]

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[Mackadocious916]

This build started Jan 14th, 2017 @ 1800...lomg way from here to here...

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[DoubleDingo]

Looks Sharp!