Every
Suzuki owner who works on his or her own Samurai will eventually have to pull
the rear axles, whether it is to remove the 3rd member, to replace a broken
axle, or to install a new set of axle bearings. I first learned of an easy
conversion that simplifies this procedure while visiting Mild to Wild Suzukis
for a trail run, learning that this has become a common modification among the
Oregon 4-wheelers.
One
of the nicest features of this modification is that it uses all Suzuki parts and
is very inexpensive. The new backing plate is actually an SJ410 part, Suzuki
part number 53821-80040 "Retainer, bearing outer" and can be obtained
at just about any Suzuki parts dealer.
Tools and parts
| SJ410 Outer
bearing retainer(s) (53821-80040) | Bearing
retainer(s) |
| Rear wheel
bearing(s) | Rear axle seal(s) |
| Slide hammer (or
other means of removing brake drums and axles) | Local machine
shop (or a bearing puller for removing the rear axle bearings and a
press for installing the new ones) |
| Silicon sealant | Assorted sockets
and socket driver |
| Brake fluid | |
Disassembly
While
this is not an overly complicated procedure, the number of parts that must be
disassembled and later reassembled is very time-consuming. Since I do not own
the tools needed to remove and press new bearings, I always take my axles to a
local machine shop. After giving the shop instructions on what needed to be
done, I was left with no more work than if I was simply having them replace the
bearing in the usual manner.
You
or your local shop must remove the old bearing and retainer, cut the hole in the
center of the Samurai brake backing plate to be large enough for the bearing to
fit through, and press on a new bearing with the SJ410 backing plate in place
of the Samurai backing plate, making sure that the new backing plate is
oriented such that the tabs on each corner of it face outward towards the wheel.
Because
you need to install a new bearing (which can also be ordered from any Suzuki
parts dealer), the best time to do this conversion is when the rear bearings are
worn out. I did each side about 6 months apart, but I could have done them at
the same time.
Assembly
When
sliding in the new axle and bolting up the backing plates, installation is very
straightforward:
The
new backing plate goes on the outside of the original Samurai backing plate.
The enlarged hole in the old backing plate will now allow the axle and bearing
to pass through, making this the last time it has to be removed and the brake
system bled.
As
with the normal procedure, properly seal the backing plates with silicone and
reinstall and bleed the brakes; the procedure is complete.
Impressions
Total cost to me was $45 for the bearing, seal, and
retainer from Petroworks, $10 for the SJ410 backing plate from Mild to Wild
Suzukis, and $30 to my local machine shop for their ½ hour of work. The only
cost in addition to a normal bearing replacement job is the $10 for the backing
plate.
The advantages to this conversion are numerous. For
example, if the differential needs to be removed, sliding the axles out of the
side gears is now a quick, simple turn of a few bolts. When another axle bearing
goes out, the brakes will not have to be disassembled. If axle breakage is a
concern, spare axles can very easily be carried and stored, thanks to the much
more compact backing plate. Trail repairs are significantly simplified, and
above all, time and frustration are avoided every time you work on your rear
axle.
--Geoff Beasley
