Wheels and Tyre sizes help please

[ScottieJ]

235/75r15 can be fitted on stock suspension on stock wheels, you'll need to modify the front bumper and mounts slightly, drill a new set of bolt holes above the crossmember and trim the bottom of the original bumper mounts off. if using stock wheels you might need to limit the steering a tiny bit but it depends on the tyres.

You can see how the mounts are modded in this pic.

I would ditch the auto hubs in favour of some Aisin manual locking hubs, the auto ones can be unreliable.

If you fit a 410 transfer box it will bring the gearing back to stock gearing with 235/75r15s and correct the speedo reading.

[SMITHEREEN]

Scottie, excuse the dumbass question here but how many manual locking hubs do I need?

[Jordi]

If its an SJ they aren’t auto hubs. Thought Scottie would have twigged that

They are permanently locked flanges.

It’s a 1/2 hour job to swap to manual locking hubs. (2 hubs required). Aisin hubs were the factory option that a lot of people retro fit.

Usually plenty on ebay. If purchasing second hand you need to ensure they come with a full set of cone shaped washers.

They make the MPG a bit better and made mine handle a little bit more refined as it reduces the drag on the front hubs as its not turning the diff.

With regards to towing the same applies to using 4wd as it does any other situation.

Only required when needed, soft / slippery ground. The sort of incline that requires 4wd to get up is highly unlikely you will ever tow anything up a hill that steep.

Never run with it permanently in 4wd on grippy surfaces such as tarmac or gravel tracks as it just winds the drivetrain up.

[SMITHEREEN]

Thanks Jordi when I say towing I should have been clearer I mean being towed as the maual that came with the car states it can only be towed from the rear with the rear wheels off the ground I was asking about locking hubs to get around this issue for off road breakdowns, or have I missed something (usually do)

[Jordi]

I used to tow one of my SJs on an a-frame. It had standard fixed front hubs. No free wheel hubs.

I just put everything in neutral and it seemed fine. Nothing ever broke.

Strictly speaking this should not be done though. It can cause transmission wind up. The safest way is to fit FWH to the front and remove the rear prop shaft from the diff and either tie it up or remove completely. All depends how far you are towing it.

From the legal aspect, unless using a braked towing dolly SJs can not be towed on the road as a way of transporting them as they weigh more than the 750kg allowed for an unbraked trailer (ok for short distances as a means of recovery).

Also depending on the age and licence held by the driver of the tow vehicle a B+E licence may be required.

Can i ask what manual that is? Again as it mentions auto hubs, i have never seen or heard of auto hubs being fitted to an SJ / Samurai. Not sure if they were even an optional extra?

Any chance of a photo of one of the hubs?

[steve greenc3]

235/75s, no problem with 1.3 engine. As long as you dont intend mega motorway milage.

[SMITHEREEN]

Hopefully I've managed to attach some pics of the manual and the hubs. The manual sounds as if the manual locking hubs were the optional extra rather than the "autos'. No idea to be honest.

Thanks for the info on the towing Jordi and cheers Steve for the vote of confidence on the 235's I'm pretty sure I won't be going near any motorways in it so should be good.

[Jordi]

Thats just a plastic cover over a fixed drive flange.

Undo the bolt and there will be a drive flange with 8 bolts iirc, a small domed cap over the end of the half shaft.

I ran 31s on standard driveline. Never gave me any massive issues. Drove all the way from Darlington to Billing Aquadrome and back (i did swap the t/box to a lobster box at the 4x4 show).

Drove fine there but was better on the return trip.

[SMITHEREEN]

So are we saying the hubs aren't automatic and are fixed so always locked?

[Jordi]

99% certain.

This is a fixed drive flange without the little domed dust cap over the end of the half shaft.

If you take that plastic cover off thats what you will probably find under it.