Runaway Winch! Ultimate Suzuki Samurai Episode 16. The shake down run.

This Episode of our build series was tough to film! With all the people blaring music, using language KZbin doesn't like and no co-pilot... I had to either cut footage, talk over it or not video at all lol. But it was important to me to share the first time this Samurai hit dirt! This Little monster is such a fun machine to use offroad, but this trip wasn't without it's problems!
Today we will tighten fittings, troubleshoot problems and get a game plan of what to fix before it's first real trip!
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Due to factors out of the control of Dirt Lifestyle, we cannot guarantee against improper use or unauthorized modifications of this information. Dirt Lifestyle assumes no liability or responsibility for property damages or injury incurred as a result of any information contained in this video. Use this information at your own risk. Dirt Lifestyle recommends safe practices when working on vehicles and/or with tools seen in this video. Any injury, damage, or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or from the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not Dirt Lifestyle. Be safe!
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[@DirtLifestyle]

This Episode of our build series was tough to film! With all the people blaring music, using language KZbin doesn't like and no co-piolet... I had to either cut footage, talk over it or not video at all lol. But it was important to me to share the first time this Samurai hit dirt! Since this trip, I bought a new transmission and have huge list of things to finish. The next trip should be a longer format trip video like I normally do. But since this was the first time offroad with the samurai... I felt compelled to share what I had! I hope you enjoy this little peak into my 2 days at KOH! Now I need to start editing the first Rock-lander route video 😁

[@jessicaduncan7470]

This has been such an awesome project! I am going to be up in Waller later this month to visit family. Do you ever do meet & greets? I would love to see the Sammy in person!

[@4Low_life]

Hammers is definitely rated R when the sun goes down!!

[@DrHavok1]

Blah blah lol... Nate, stop being so self conscious bro we came to your channel years ago for this guy and his creations... actually, I came after you from BLEEPIN because I loved your ability to put your imagination into the metal and make it live... not for high-end production wheeling movies or scripted highly thought-out dialog(even though you're damn good at that too)... just Nate and his skills blowing my mind. This zuke IS NOT UGLY it's badass... I feel like some back to the roots Nate is in order. Relax... be happy man, don't let any of these trolls make you explain yourself.

[@riverrockfab]

I just want you to know that me and many other subscribers really appreciate your effort to double down and get this thing running so you could take it to hammers, even if it was only for a couple days. I hope you’re happy with the overall results because you really should be, this thing is rad and works so well. I think it’s important to say too that most of your subscribers are not here for the cinematic drone footage (although it’s appreciated and such a cool addition) I, for one, watch because I like learning, appreciate the tech and you build vehicles that I’m into. So thanks for all your effort! ✌🏼

[@kylancook3477]

Here for ya bro!

[@grenobel]

That's the coolest, chilliest, little crawler. Effortlessly gliding over the rocks like nothing I've seen. Congrats!

[@DirtLifestyle]

Thank you! This zuk is unlike anything I have ever driven. Such a fun little buggy 🙌

[@kjhaglfjhgfasd]

Man this rig is SO sick... I absolutely love your build of this Samurai. But also, new fear unlocked... winch runaway. lol

[@DirtLifestyle]

Thank you! And dude... I've only heard of this happening lol. This is the first time I've encountered it live. It sucked 🤦‍♂️ but it could have been worse.

[@TrailTime.]

For being only 39 inch read labels the clearance is nuts.

[@thesneak281]

Pretty wild to see a Ian and jessie combs vehicle. My childhood right here with those two!

[@deadskimountaineer]

I used a Blue Sea Systems battery cut off switch (one of the rotary ones) for my winch, never had any problems. I put mine in because I got spooked about big unfused cables and fires, but it would work just as well for a runaway.

[@FlexRocksRollovers]

Awesome to see this thing perform! Can't wait to hit a trail with you! See you soon!

[@matthewgood8864]

When you started this build I was not to stoked about it. It’s weird and ugly blah blah. After watching it preform, Nate you are a genius. That thing is so stable and looks like once you fix all the kinks it’s unstoppable. It’s the new moon rover.

[@machine2747]

Never really thought much about the Samurai until seeing this at the off road games. Amazing build!! Now I want one!

[@FlawedOffroad]

8:29 says it all, somehow not hitting that boulder...

[@davewilson3295]

KoH is a fine place to do a shake down. Lots of other like minded folks to help out and give input. You're on the right track and will soon have an ultimate 4x4t that you can be proud of. Rear steer will only give you another option to get where you want to go. You have now learned that sometimes you have to bite the bullet and spend a little more than you want to in order to get a reliable unit. Ultimate Trail Bashers take time to assemble.

[@StormbornJKU]

Definitely super cool to see all the build videos finally lead to this. Badass rig and I look forward to more content containing it!

[@OutdoorAuto]

Wow… when the lockers work.. that thing was floating. Pretty cool… you have got to be stoked.

[@Lukaslevanen1435]

These are the videos I love. Not some huge video endeavor but just a guy and his love for offroad in the raw. Keep up the great content Nate. It’s what brought most of us here.

[@mbagley5803]

The little diesel that could , LOL ! Awesome build Nate , keep up the good work !

[@DirtLifestyle]

Lol will do! Thanks bro 🤘

[@eeassa]

That thing is a BEAST!

[@matt6986]

That's an awesome Samurai. I wish I would have had a chance to see it in person but I was busy racing. Looking forward to more videos on this rig! It made the trails look easy and having raced over 35 rock trails in the race I know those trails are definitely not easy

[@DirtLifestyle]

Thanks dude! How did you do out there? Did you cross the finish line? That's a brutal race...

[@ratfarmers]

Soo awesome! It even sounds like a Unimog with that little diesel clackin away!

[@DaddyJeepGarage]

Glad it was a successful shake down. It looks awesome on the rocks.

[@DirtLifestyle]

Thank you! Me too man.

[@whiteouthamstra]

The fact that you saved a chassis that I watched get built on TV when I was younger is great. Would be a dream to get to own something that both Ian and Jesse combs worked on. Also 2nd and reverse being like that is normal for the ax15. Especially reverse it’s non synchronized.

[@DirtLifestyle]

I feel sooooo fortunate to own this thing! It was my favorite rig on Xtreme, and it's a piece of off-road history as far as I'm concerned. 👍

[@whiteouthamstra]

@@DirtLifestyle it is a piece of off-road history!!

[@johnvansloun7443]

Looks like it performs great! Your flow comment is dead on, it looks like it just points and goes. No drama!

[@Jan-pw4po]

So glad to finally see your efforts on the dirt

[@DirtLifestyle]

Me too! It feels good to drive it instead of just look at it 🤣

[@VWJawbreaker]

Well done Nate!

[@DirtLifestyle]

Thanks!

[@rctrucktalk1149]

Congrats on an awesome build, it looks great, soooo smooth crawling it was almost unreal. You put the time and sweat into great to see it payed back with dividends.

[@DirtLifestyle]

Thank you! I'm excited for more "testing" 😁

[@SirWilliamGoes]

Watching this thing crawl the rocks in person was pretty dope. Great job on the build bro 🤙

[@troydecker9685]

Dude this thing is so Rad!!! The Mog’s are legit. I remember back when I started off roading you saw Mog’s on all the high end rigs. Excellent work man.

[@4WDAdventureCrew]

Dang it we missed to see you at KOH and to see the Masterpiece in person but we will have our Chance one day, Keep up the great Work!!

[@DirtLifestyle]

Bummer! I'm sure I will see you guys eventually 👊

[@shanenorwell8580]

Great episode as always man. The content with Brad will be awesome.

[@DirtLifestyle]

Much appreciated 🙌

[@craigduffy7879]

Nate love your channel. It’s the best blend for me between fabrication and wheeling. Heads up but did you see the liquid dripping underneath? Look at the video around 9:13. I’m sure you saw it already and maybe it’s water from washing it but figured I’d point it out just in case you didn’t see it!

[@chrisgardner1431]

Awesome shakedown. It’s gonna be a beast with 42s

[@jeremywood7682]

Amazing. That was a mind blowing demonstration of some rock crawling.

[@M1ST3RHYDE]

I've seen a few Run away problems in vids over the years and a couple and some forum talk. Hours ago, so a couple margaritas. I tested my new synthetic line by removing a rooted tree ( figured I'd test it at home before I was on the Rubicon) Everything went well including using a wheel sling on a jeep as an anchor to turn a 90 with a snatch block. Tree came down, re spooled the line and the last couple bumps and the winch ran away. The 150A fuse didnt blow and the line welded it's self and broke 8" from the eye before I could disconnect the ground lead. I'm just glad it didn't do it while it was rigged up, The Jeep and my truck where already getting dragged while under my control. long story short, Im going to bring 75 A and 100A fuses to start with and install a manual switch.

[@dennisthompson7707]

Awesome rig, when you get it sorted out it's going to be a blast to watch.

[@Clappedoutgarbage]

That thing is badass! The stability is unreal definitely ready for a full crawlin vidya of it

[@JesseHires]

Comgrats on getting it done in time to go play. Looks like a helluva rig!

[@DirtLifestyle]

Thank you!

[@Fix_It_Again_Tony]

That thing looks like a beast. Can you do a lesson learned video and talk about your initial choices, what you needed to change, what worked, etc? I would be particularly interested to hear about the suspension design, what numbers you targeted and how you feel it turned out.

[@dougholcomb6851]

It’s trippy watching the axle shafts spin in the opposite direction of the tires 😵‍💫

[@slaptybachumdybum]

Congrats on another awesome build! You've got every right to be proud.

[@paulus387]

dude, thats awesome. i love it. im glad it worked as good as it did, and probably even better than you thought it did. when i first found your channel, i never even heard of TDI swapping vehicles, or any of that. but the amount of modifications you've done to the samurai, and your other vehicles, its just insane. i plan on picking up a TDI tomorrow for a future swap in my ranger. if i never watched your videos, i wouldnt be picking it up, or even think about doing a TDI swap. thanks for all the great content, and dont be afraid to take some time to relax and hang with your buddies, and dont get burnt out!

[@DirtLifestyle]

Thank you for the kind words 🙏. Tdi swapped rangers work great! There are quite a few in the Tdi swapped trucks FB group 👍.

[@ChuckHolt]

Nate I am absolutely loving this build! The exact same thing happened to me with an Amazon wireless winch solinoid, I went to the warn version and it was good for a few years then did the same thing! I went back to wired after that

[@reddcocker64]

That is such a cool buggy. Thank you for sharing the build with us.

[@matthewschneider2089]

Dude!!! Great video!!! It looks like you where in your front room in your EZ boy!!!✌️

[@TacoXL]

Cali is the car capital of the world. From KOH to the Long Beach Grand Prix. The best lower rider shows I’ve ever seen to the LA auto show. It’s just endless.

[@stephenlea5765]

Just watched coverage from last weekend’s Grand National Roadster Show @ Pomona Fairplex and was thinking the same thing!

[@northwestoff-roadopportuni7176]

It sure turned out amazing Nate! Great work 💪

[@DirtLifestyle]

Thank you!

[@NCMTNBOY]

One of the coolest builds ever.

[@bRad73016]

Been following the entire build. Super nice job Nate. This thing is wicked cool! Can't wait to see more of it. You're gonna ROCK at Matt's off road games.

[@richardpowell6844]

Those cummins solenoids have two sets of windings, pull open and hold open. They power the pull open windings to get it to switch on, then the hold open to hold it on. I dunno if that has anything to do with the issue, but it was my first thought when you talked about it. Love the build!

[@DirtLifestyle]

Yes sir! That's how I have it hooked up. The momentary locker switch is just to get it to engage, then it is held in place by a constant power. It worked great in the shop, but I have a feeling the front locker will kick back a little bit in certain scenarios. The lower amps when in the hold position might not be enough for this application without some mechanical assistance 🤔. More testing is neccessary!

[@jiggyquinn5635]

Thank you Nate.

[@DirtLifestyle]

Thank you for watching 🙌

[@rsanoian]

Sweet build! Look forward to seeing what you and Brad have cooking

[@b.s.adventures9421]

Not bad not bad, pretty good pretty good.

[@derekjarman1638]

Sweet little rig!!

[@ndafarachaitezvi1139]

Awesome as always.Thanks for sharing and taking us along

[@amcustomfab]

such a cool rig well done ...

[@DirtLifestyle]

Thank you! 🤘

[@jhinton088]

RIP Jessi Combs!

[@darrelllockard2107]

That thing is sick

[@scottyh72]

I like this type of video. Actual testing and wheeling. Great job on the rig. Looks sick, and seems to work very well..

[@beerfrog_TheOriginal]

Awesome 🤩 can’t wait to see more 👋🇸🇪

[@dlansburg2673]

Looks great,works even better,nice job!

[@RM_Garage]

All things considered - that's a win for a shake down run. Super difficult trails and overall the issues weren't that serious! Awesome job dude

[@jamiethomas8975]

I know rear steer is cool and I believe you already bought the axle for it. But I really like seeing this thing do what it can with how it is now. Its much more relatable too being that most people dont have rear steer. Either way, love this build cant wait to see more! Just hope we get to see it in its current state a little before you change it. Awesome video man

[@DirtLifestyle]

I do have the parts but I'm not sure when rear steer will happen. I plan on working out the rest of the gremlins and enjoying it a little first 👍. But we will see!

[@FatMatAdventures]

Dude, that thing is rocking so far!!!

[@marctrivelpiece3341]

Love seeing this thing come to life

[@bwofficial1776]

Those Unimog axles are impressive. Keep the center of gravity low and it'll just walk up anything. Now that you know what bugs need to be fixed you can make the Samurai even better.

[@kevingoodrich3050]

Mog axles are great. I have them on my jeep and everyone says I am cheating. The 4WS is going to be SWEET. Can't wait to see it run. Can we see a picture of the ram you are using to activate yor lockers. I will see if it's the same one i have on my rig. I also have a small air tank.

[@lurpwgn]

Been waiting to see this thing in action.. never been a big sammy fan, but this thing is just built so F'n badass. Grats on the awesome job man

[@Angrykromag]

Man now im even more excited for the offroad games, i love this rig and cant wait to see it!!

[@MJAVXC]

Absolutely amazing project execution!

[@jeffreypatterson-kane2180]

Need to see this thing in the next flex, rocks and rollovers 24hr hell and back, what I sick rig.

[@tomlucasrccrawlers9108]

I love this build. Blueberry is a good trail. Both my cousins know that trail well. Next time you're out there, I'm sure they'd love to go. They hit Johnson Valley several times a year. They're just down the road.

[@masterflashtheone1715]

Maybe you could just run a pneumatic piston of proper stroke length for the lockers. They would be more complex than the solenoid, but more adjustable in terms of holding force. With a small air tank it could be a good setup. Tons of cheap options on Amazon to experiment with...

[@TomSmith-nx3hx]

That thing is really cool. Well done. Thank you for sharing.

[@offgridrecon]

That thing looks/works soooo good! Good job Nate! 👍🏻❤️🇺🇸

[@fvpaquetqc]

This thing works soo good! Impressive first shakedown

[@k-funk]

Love the music, vibe and flow 👌

[@sirmerlin860]

These analysis videos are really informative. more plz

[@foygill711]

Awesome video , keep doing what you do

[@DirtLifestyle]

Thank you! Will do!

[@pnw.paramotering3458]

I used a spartan 600amp switch on my winch. Works well and added safety for less than 100 bucks.

[@DirtLifestyle]

Good to know! Looking it up now.

[@chrisdenning9816]

Great run. Congrats on the successes. Thanks for

[@mikejensen-fogt4662]

I freaking LOVE this "little" samurai you've built!!! 😍 what an ABSOLUTE UNIT!!! 😍😍😍 I've been saying this for years now but id really like to go to KOH. I need to make it a mission for next year and push hard to actually go next year lol. Thanks for the amazing videos and inspiration Nate, I always look forward to your uploads because I know they are always top-quality content that I will enjoy watching while I sip my morning coffee. ☺

[@scottbartlett4853]

Great content Nate!

[@rivertaubitz8176]

Super fun series. Excited to see the continuation of the build moving forward! Also wheeling content!!

[@mikepresto1]

Such a cool build! I love that thing!!!

[@Solvefunction]

Very Impressive shakedown run and vehicle, nicely done!

[@BadlandIndustries]

It will be awesome to see how much it's changed since sema. See ya in utah!

[@slowlearner984]

Have a long term soft spot for Suzuki 4wds, Unimogs and Vw turbo diesels. What a combo. Love your work.

[@lomcevac913]

Such a cool build!

[@jk_wrangler13]

It's good to see that thing on the rocks. Going from what was to what it is now, it's awesome

[@andymcgehee261]

Shake down runs on epic rocks is fun. I got done building my jeep played around the farm a bit drove from Oregon to the Rubicon trail for the first trail I hit. really happy i had no issues and had a blast.

[@s7courier]

The world loved this Suk when it was built on Ian and Jessi's show. Still loving it.

[@dirtbiker4376]

Another top-notch video! Another top-notch build! Congrats Nate!

[@rafaelnevarez3296]

It works really good congrats 🍾

[@Bighorn_built]

Well as unfortunate as the winch situation is, you have shed light on a safety issue that is never though about. Having a high Amp inline cut off is almost as important as the fuse itself

[@DirtLifestyle]

I've considered this being a potential problem, but I never took it seriously. I would have guessed I would see a winch catching fire before doing this. It's definitely something I need to consider from now on...

[@KingRhinoDIY]

Looking good that ride, wish you lots of fun with your little zuk, cant wait to see the upgrades, thumbs up mate

[@cpthillbilly]

great job bro! I love the Zuk!

[@KC-7mm]

The way you edit and film your videos makes it so much more enjoyable to watch especially and off road channel great job Nate the Sami is such a cool rig can’t wait to watch more videos on it

[@patrickrankin9591]

The Suzuki came out amazing and I wonder if you can use an ox locker cable an shifter to keep the lockers locked

[@KendrasEdge757]

That’s the sickest Samurai I’ve seen! Excellent job and enjoyed watchin the build so far! 🤙

[@stevebratten6592]

Great tribute to Jessie Combs & Ian Johnson!

[@generaldreamsoutdoors43]

That rig is awesome! I have always wanted a Samurai

[@merritts3515]

Excoted for the rocklander route