How Good (or Bad) Is the Old School Suzuki Samurai 4X4 System in the Snow?

[@kaan898]

we had this samurai from 1991 to 1996,this was my dad's favourite 4wd vehicle of all times,he passed away last year,i hope he is doing well with his brand new samurai in heaven...

[@honda116969]

God bless your family & your dad sorry to hear about your loss & you damn right he's up there 4 wheel driving around having a great time don't worry about your dad he's having a blast! 😉👍🏻😎🇺🇸

[@billyputnam6892]

Sorry about your dad. Like you said he's probably having a blast with a Sammy and all the other guys who love these little Riggs!

[@oldwolf1928]

Love My Sammy!

[@SuperEman500]

Nice, here in Eastern Europe i can get a UAZ 469 for €800 - 10,000 euros.

[@Loyalwhiteknight]

Those little Samurais are awesome little rigs. To bad Consumer Reports screwed Suzuki over and tanked they're sales or we would have the Jimny right now with a practical price tag unlike most new 4x4s today. Great video.

[@Offshore1977]

Shawn Showalter Consumer Reports brought the end of the CJ-5 as well.

[@nuur2825]

What did consumer reports say? They weren't safe?

[@kevinsong712]

@@nuur2825 They Faked results and claimed that it flips over.

[@Loyalwhiteknight]

@@nuur2825 While they were testing it and some other SUV's like the Jeep Cherokee, they couldn't make it tip over onto two wheels so they rigged the test and kept at it until they finally got it to do it and when it did, they actually cheered. There's a video of it on KZbin.

[@ggolds5]

The really sad thing for me was I had just purchased a new , first year 87 Samurai. Would you believe I called Consumer Reports and asked them just before it was brought to the Northeast if they were going to test it and if I should buy one before they did or avoid it. I was worried that since the CJ-5 got so poorly rated that the same could happen for the new Suzuki. Of course they said they couldn't give me any information privately. I then bought one, and 1 month later I got the CR issue showing a Samurai on it's side in the snow. I was horrified, was dropped by Allstate insurance. No one would insure it after that. I decided to sell it and oddly enough a local Fireman wanted it anyway. I then bought an 88 Suzuki Sidekick a few months later. They had JUST come out and CR liked it. I still get CR because for the most part they are really good at testing just about everything, but I had a bad taste in my mouth to this day about what they said about the Samurai and how they almost made it so I couldn't sell the damn thing and almost got stuck with it forever. I loved that little trucklet. I almost bought a bootlegged Suzuki ..... can't remember what the smaller, even thinner 900 cc vehicle in 1986. That was only sold in Hawaii and Europe prior to the Samurai and sold them through some car dealerships here in CT. They weren't suppose to sell them supposedly because even Suzuki new those would never make the handling tests. The Samurai was supposedly to be a more stable vehicle and not have the same issues here in the US. Unfortunately CR didn't agree. They stopped selling it in 92 or so. Sales had dipped to just 5K a year. The Sidekick and the GM version badged the Geo Tracker sold very well, even after the Samurai slam. They left the US only about 5 years ago, due to slow sales of their latest car that got good write-ups but a CVT transmission that made the car too slow for the US to be like enough by US drivers.

[@jebu100]

In this situation you are just testing the tires not the car.. in my country we call samurai as gypsy and believe me this car perform amazing on 14 thousand feet or even higher roads in Himalayas

[@paradiseroad6405]

...testing the tires and driver...

[@blooberization]

hahaha thats amazing, gypsy, love it

[@takiman1]

Here in Sweden in the north you never put the parking break on in sub-zero degrees. Rather leave the manual transmission in 1st gear. But, that mistake almost everyone has done at least once. Great content!

[@takiman1]

ConnorConzo123 well, just like showed in video- the handbrake freeze shut and you can’t/ have a hard time get it free.

[@michaelheimbrand5424]

I wonder if the swedes ever forget these basic skills? Svar ja, häromdagen i mitt fall. ;)

[@Tango4N]

@@ConnorConzo123 See my comment above! From Canada and the same thing... don't use it in winter for parking.

[@Jimfinn649]

Surprised this guy didn't know to not leave the E brake on while parked on level ground in freezing temps..with a warmer garage in front of him..when planning to make a video the next morning. His reading the "recommendations" was torcherous.

[@anilpanta1505]

I have maruti Suzuki gypsy MG410 that is 1000 cc. I live in Himalayan region and have driven it on river beds, snow, ice and mud on quite steep inclines and no roads. It is very good in snow in 4L, but on ice one has to be extra alert like in any other car.

[@johnpearson492]

A Samurai with real snow tires is by in far the most controllable and best vehicle I've ever driven in the snow. In 2wd it's just powerful enough to have fun doing low speed drifting. In 4x4, it's just about impossible to spin the tires. Short cars do want to lift off oversteer a bit in the snow but I've never found it a problem to correct. Simply put, a Samurai is a fun vehicle in the snow, capable and engaging to drive.

[@chrisgarcia5462]

My father bought my sister one of those back in 89 for school . My brother and I were so surprised that it was a little beast . It went through some of the trails that some of the small Nissan and Toyota pick up's would go through. My father took care of it big time making sure it was topped of with oil, coolant and the thermostat changed every 2 yrs. It ran forever with no issues until some drunk idiot crashed into it 10yrs later with 180,000 miles when it was on the side of the freeway cuz of a flat tire. I was definitely impressed with that little Samurai.

[@patloughner9551]

I had a 1995 Samurai, I had that thing in places you couldn't walk. It was so much fun to 4 wheel in. I use to jump it, cross deep creeks, and used it for hunting , fishing, and camping. I used it for yard work too. If it didn't rust away, I'd still have it.

[@scenicdriveways6708]

I had a 1988 Suzuki Samurai and it had no problem with the Wyoming winters , it was also very good on the mountain trails.

[@Bigben-pz8bx]

Don’t use the parking brake in the winter. Park the car in 1st or reverse

[@regsparkes6507]

@Jason ...and or freeze!

[@Billy123bobzzz]

@Jason When the weather gets cold enough we do hat regardless of the possibility of snow because the brakes have frozen of us with no snow in sight.

[@KTMcaptain]

Jason you don’t need it to snow. Simply getting moisture on the brake and having the temperature plummet is all it needs.

[@andreasm2882]

Yup, and these guys should have known this. It is not like this is their first winter

[@Sebastian_Dinwiddie]

It was on flat ground. Don’t use the park brake on an old vehicle in the winter. Google to the rescue! Let’s see, run the engine to generate heat. Genius! Thank you google! Seriously people?

[@Teamoneilrally]

These things were GREAT. Here in the northeast the trails are often so tight and narrow, these can go places that bigger rigs just don't fit.

[@roxydog545]

With the motor running, take a hose, if you got one, attach one end to tailpipe and point the other at the rear drums. Wait for it... then drive away. The heat from the exhaust will thaw the drums. Only try this if the unit is parked outside, safety first.

[@davidbrennan5]

Buddy of mine had one and with good snow tires it would climb hills that 95 percent of vehicles couldn't in the Winter after big storms, That thing was easy to lift go from under leaf springs to over leaf springs add some brake extensions and you have a 3" lift. It was light so it was good in the mud the short wheelbase made it awesome for going through narrow ditches. Bigger tires Lockers and lower gearing for the axles are the best mods you can do to one.

[@LouieSmithSenior]

"My feet are about a foot." wise words.

[@metalman69201]

Mine too!

[@jonny-nava-367]

Mine 10 1/4"

[@GreatW0N]

4WD does actually help stopping a bit. When in 4HI the front and read axles are connected, so as the front brakes harder it slows down the rear tires more than if it were in 2WD. There are some videos on KZbin comparing braking in 4WD vs 2WD.

[@mikijovanovic525]

He should have downshift it too while braking

[@tmar9159]

Agreed. On that vehicle, with a basic 4HI system, I think you will find that it WILL stop a litter better in 4wd rather than 2wd. When in 2wd, on a snow/ice covered road, many times the front wheels will lock up and the rears will keep rolling. In 4wd, all 4 wheels should lock up at about the same time. You then modulate or pump the brakes to just BEFORE the brakes lock up for the best braking.

[@78a67h]

Bravo! These are the kind of tests off-roaders are REALLY interested to see.

[@cnoyes72]

"fast" and "snow" don't go together, unless your goal is to get into an accident.

[@hk-1290]

Can I add Whiskey too your equation 🥃😋?

[@elsnidostoycompany9777]

I put about 100k on one of these I bought new from 88-94. I found that you did best braking by using engine braking together with the brakes. In 4wd you would basically feather the brake and the clutch while downshifting to get a decent stopping distance. In reality, I also would use downshifting in normal dry city driving as well because the brakes were pretty small. All that and I can still say nothing bad about my years with Sami! I'm so loving this video series.

[@greenman2515]

Oh wow the memories! Lol I beat the crap out of mine it always came back for more. My only complaint at the time was that any speed over 65 and it sounded like it was going to fly apart because of how it was geared lol definitely not a interstate vehicle but man it was so fun off road. I drove that thing for years.

[@vinuv16]

Samurai's cousin Gypsy in India is a great offroader climbing himalayas with ease.

[@90AlmostFamous]

Vv hese I will take Gypsy over those gimmick suvs any day

[@robertwilliams3457]

Awsome video! Great little truck. Nice to see one that hasn't been molested and turned into a beast off-roader. I own an 86 Samurai and drive it daily.

[@mcraw4d]

I owned a 87 Samurai for 12 years (original owner) and used it for off-road, daily commute, and driving on the occasional Texas Iced roads. I found the short wheel base to be less prone to tail whip. My experience mudding with it probably helped with learning how to drive it while under slippery conditions, never had a catastrophic loss of control. Also, it never took the distance you experienced to stop with M&S tires, found that interesting. The Consumer Report was udder BS. I drove the thing like I stole it most days and never had any concern about roll-over. On one occasion while being chased by a jealous ex (and his three amigos) of the girlfriend at the time, I did a move to lose them that involved braking from 50 mph to 30mph with a hard right. One of only two times I even felt the suspension lift to an awkward height the made me uneasy. If the report was legit I should have rolled it more times than I can count. I wouldn't be surprised if I don't buy one when I retire for "Sunday drives".

[@ojbarberena7090]

Here on Colombia we are fortunate to have the new Jimny and it's HOT.

[@ec6933]

Man that thing looks good

[@scottyellis3442]

Best "truck" I've seen on TFL, nothing powered, no big screens, no heated seats or steering wheel, no electronic 4×4 crap, just a good basic 4×4. That's all I need. Guarantee it will give less trouble than any 70 or 80 dollar truck & let's not even talk about a all electric truck.

[@greathornedowl3644]

Interesting video. I purchased a new 1989 Sidekick (JLK, 2 seat, 5 sp, soft top). Loved it! Remember soft top heating issue (cardboard in front of radiator) and rubber boot for stick freezing stiff (below zero MN winters) kept popping out of gear, and during our week below -10 PCV would clog blowing out valve cover gasket. Now was looking at side x side (2020 Polaris Ranger) $5k and thought of used Samurai.

[@dommm111]

Old school's the best

[@Scottstunts]

Those little things are awesome! They have a t-case that isn’t connected to the trans making engine swaps of all kinds super easy. My buddies got one with a turbo charged Nissian Sr-20 engine.

[@matticusmac6452]

Most underutilized reviewer at TFL, great work.

[@cornrichard]

Samurai won't blow heat out of the dash. Floor and defrost vents only. The little pictures on the control lie.

[@Billy123bobzzz]

Thats not the only car the did that, since heat rises it worked passably well, it just took longer to defrost the windshield.

[@Offshore1977]

The pictures don’t show heat from the dash either. Look carefully, it only shows from the floor and defogger

[@pryme2013]

My old 82 toyota 4wd didnt blow fron the dash vents either. Only floor or defrost vents.

[@stalincat2457]

It's designed that way on purpose to prevent people getting sleepy. It's a Japanese thing.

[@ohmyadventure61]

This is true. I almost forgot. I always had a blanket in mine because as soon as you started moving all the heat blew out the softtop.

[@regsparkes6507]

No matter how cold it get, Mike will have that 'beard' to keep him warm !!! That Samurai is just great,..I'd love to own one. Firestone,...have you guys ever looked under a vehicle like this? What the heck has revving the engine got to do with warming the parking brakes that are one the rear wheels, and out there in the cold? Those 'tips ' are laughable. Mike did the right thing, by driving it into a warmer garage and let the warm air do the job.

[@Billy123bobzzz]

You're right! We used to suffer from frozen brakes, during blizzards, and no amount of engine heat ever warmed up the parking brake which was at the other end of the car. I suspect that when he called "Firestone" he meant that he called a local tire shop, and no disrespect intended but tire shops expertise is in mounting tires not in severe weather rescue/recovery.

[@regsparkes6507]

@@Billy123bobzzz Yes, I know that there are Service Centers all over called 'Firestone ' Service Centers,...these are the one I referred too. But the idea perhaps to not use your hand brake system in freezing cold weather. It is better to leave the vehicle in low gear or reverse with the wheels turned towards a curb. ( if possible/available )

[@williammawk1720]

I own a 1992 Samurai that has been modified to the gills so it would not be fair to compare it to a stock one the only thing in mine that is stock is the engine, I think it has 66 H.P. It has Detroit Lockers front and rear, a bigger fuel tank, a 6" lift kit after the spring over modification and 30 inch tires. rock sliders, totally undercoated just to name a few things. I am literally amazed where it will go. I will say this it will go where you shouldn't be.

[@vonbaker5804]

I love seeing you younger dudes appreciate these older vehicles bravo fellows.

[@HoosierDaddy_]

YEESSS! thank you for finally dusting this truck off! You'll love it on the trails in the spring. Maybe you could do a winter tire VS all season tire test with it?? How about winter tire in 2wd VS all season tire with 4wd.

[@takiman1]

Brad Conklin Yes, and snow tires and a winter- GoldMineHill-run!

[@rodkoehler]

I bought a Sami in 2000 to have a convertible in the summer. Turned out to be great during our 4000 ft. winters. While everyone else is digging out, I love to bounce around the hood in my Sami. Great ski park car.

[@emmanuelhernandez3335]

You took after your father save the pair of eyeglasses. The voice, rhythm, pauses, logic, humour etc. He must be beaming with pride.

[@malkamusik]

My older sister had a Samurai. My parents kind of freaked out when reports were coming about about how easily it tipped over. I didn't think it was a big deal.

[@JohnSmith-gm4fj]

in 1990 I spun my 88 1/2 Samurai around at least 3 times on the Mass pike, no damage or injuries, got her in gear (after stalling her - I was panicking) and off to Lee Mass. If there is a God, he was with me on that day! Had the car for over a decade before selling it. Sometimes I miss her, but man was she LOUD and shook the hell out of my kidneys. If I had her back for even a day I would know exactly why I sold her.

[@BeanoNoir]

A lot of what was said about the tires I strongly disagree with. The main reason traction is worse in winter is because of the temperature, not that the tires aren't biting underneath the snow. This is doubly true as snow is in fact, not mud. It compacts, whereas water, and suspensions in water, like mud or slush, is a non-compressible fluid. That fluid is either evacuated through an open tread pattern, or depending on surface tension and relative speed of the vehicle, creates a hydroplane effect. As there is less surface area on a skinny tire, the fluid can evacuate more quickly, like tread with like tread. (As why some mud racers use skinny tires to reach hard ground below) Snow however, doesn't evacuate, and simply compresses. Since the coefficient of friction actually decreases the more snow is compressed (as it is ice) having more mass on a smaller surface area is actually worse. This is made worse by using all season and summer tires that use compounds that become very hard in low temperatures, greatly decreasing the coefficient of friction of the tire as well. Mud and snow rating is an ancient rating system that has no real standard of testing to back it up. So you may be getting a tire that is okay in snow or one that is slightly better than a sport cup 2 is in snow. Winter tires are specifically designed with a compound that stays softer in colder temperatures, and with plenty of siping so the tire can flex the tread to present more surface area to the snow covered ground. They also use a large open block tread pattern to evacuate the affore mentioned slush and water. So to sum up, M+S means nothing, skinny tires are worse in the snow (ever see a lynx with tiny paws?), mud is not analogous with snow, most rubber compounds suck when it's cold, and snow happens when it's cold. Sorry for the essay, but I had to address a pretty big deal as far as misinformation and educate as to why it is so. Also, for those folks looking for tires that are decent in the snow that aren't dedicated snow tires, look for the mountain snowflake symbol. This symbol is only displayed on tires that have gone through a fairly rigorous standardized battery of testing for effectiveness on snow and ice. They still aren't as great as similar brand snow tires, but some of them test better than lower performing snow tires.

[@sugarnads]

MSTRCHIEF143 And yet, look at EVERY WRC car since about 1980 competing in Sweden. Uber skinny tyres. More weight through a smaller contact patch pushes the tyre thru the snow to the harder surface. Those guys know about traction in low grip conditions and they ALWAYS use super skinny tyres in snow. So yeah.

[@darkstaroblivion]

best 2 4x4 i ever had a zuki and my bronco ii .. while not the fastest they certainly are small light dont cost much to push down the road very good working 4x4 in snow and mud . i miss my old zuki

[@boohoomoron7629]

Love this car especially the way it creeps the jeep folks out of their mind ... Lol

[@Billy123bobzzz]

Exactly! I also love the look on Jeep driver's faces when the Suzuki passes them on the trail, its priceless!

[@spyder000069]

Throw two 60lb bags of sand in the floor behind the front two seats and you will have a beast in the snow. Also get some boots because eventually every samurai driver tries to see just how far they can go.

[@jrhunt414]

Never use the parking brake in the winter. Just leave it in gear. At least you’ll only do it once.

[@RememberVietnam]

Why?

[@apumontano4307]

jrhunt414 too risky since it’s a stick shift

[@morgancoldfirecoldfire8256]

never use your parking brake in the winter . If you have any experience in cold whether you will know this.

[@EastCoastATV]

You can use it in the winter if you use it all the time. If you don't use it much at all it will seize on you when you go to use it, no matter the weather. I live in a snow belt and use mine everyday and never have a problem with it.

[@morgancoldfirecoldfire8256]

if you get freezing rain with high winds it still can freeze up had a 1999 f350 Duelly freeze its parking brake. In like 5 hours . @@EastCoastATV

[@johnpearson492]

I've been using the handbrake daily on my manual cars for the last five winters in the snowbelt. Never once had an issue. We don't get any freezing rain here like down south. I have had trouble with ice building up on slotted brake rotors then not allowing me to stop the first stop after driving. I'll never put slotted rotors on a car again after that.

[@morgancoldfirecoldfire8256]

live in alberta get all type of whether up from freezing rain to -45 C with out wind chill. I would not recommend to use the hand brake in winter . Most likely its more of a problem with vehicles that are older but ive had it happen on a few vehicles and I would not recommend it . First gear should hold you just fine . @@johnpearson492

[@tylerdavidson2400]

Morgancoldfire coldfire I lived in Wisconsin and used it all the time.You must be talking about old cars

[@MrELIAN602]

Suzuki Samurai Rules

[@Tango4N]

From Canada here. Re frozen park brake. Basically, don't put it on when you park. Leave it in gear. When you drive and come to a stop, ou are heating the brakes. Snow gets on them, and the heat melts it into water. Now you park and put the brake on and walk away. What happens? That water turns to ice and freezes your park brake on. Use it to start the vehical up and warm it up. Or to hold it for a few minutes. Don't shut it down and walk away with the park brake on in winter or it will freeze for sure. Same thing when coming out of a car wash in the winter. Don't put the park brake on for a while.

[@TellyWatcher1997]

I have a Suzuki Jimny and love it dearly. It's getting old now and I will be so sorry to have to replace it. All Wheel Drive is becoming popular now but you can't get away from how robust 4x4 is in the snow. Also, it is much more fuel efficient than the big petrol or diesel engines. Hopefully, it's also slightly more environmentally friendly. In low temperatures petrol is better (it doesn't freeze) and the refining process is meant to be cleaner. I have a Mk 3 Jimny and it is, in my opinion, the best looking of these little trucks.

[@finnblu3002]

Funny: Never flipped my black w/ grey interior 86’ fully optioned hardtop in 60,000 miles Did I manage to do a 360 on the JFX in a snow storm at 60 mph and scare the passenger / us - you bet Went anywhere / everywhere in Northeast winters, streams, mud, fields, NYC Perfect condition at time of trade Zero rust, perfect black paint, zero dings, perfect bumpers, perfect little tractor motor and had ac Heat worked just fine That soft top option was plain funky / sloppy looking and noisy vs the little hardtop Grunt buggy And they soon had multiple lift flex options. Tip : if it came with custom 4” Suzuki mud mats, you needed to take the driver’s side out to fully mash the accelerator to squeeze every mph on highway Four adults plus select luggage on roof from Baltimore to Manhattan and back in winter .... think about that trip on I-95... Traded a 86 loaded black mr2 for this 🤔 Back when the Mr2 was a hot car that turned heads as THE two seat Toyota It was impossible to drive that’s 86 in 86 without many stopping me to check it out It was so unusual as a micro 4-wheel in 86’

[@robertmoore119]

Did a good job showing 4wd capability in the snow with acceleration. 4wd does nothing for stopping ability. It actually makes stopping harder. If you want to stop faster in the snow, use neutral. With neutral, you don't have the engine trying to drive any wheels while trying to stop. Especially helpful with 2wd vehicles that are rear wheel drive.

[@markl8043]

Those are classic’s shouldn’t drive in the winter salt. Love it

[@trapperkreeper6105]

Before watching the video the answer is it is good in any off-road situation as well as snow. The only thing it doesn't do well is highway driving, although not terrible if you're not in a hurry

[@williammartinez2312]

I’m a fan of the show. I like the way you guys explain things. I’m also a big huge fan of Suzuki. Seriously you guys have to stop reporting on this poor 30 year old Samurai. We all miss Suzuki but they are not coming back to the U.S.A. Best thing you can do is go to review the new 2020 Suzuki Jimny in Mexico or Canada 🇨🇦

[@Tango4N]

We don't have the 2020 Jimny either. Suzuki left Canada when it left the USA. Maybe they need to bring it in again as a GM like the Tracker (which I have as a '97 ).

[@Sig721Tau]

TFLoffroad, You guys should review the 2019 Suzuki Jimny that's currently out now. Looks pretty cool.

[@brandondannys-menary3678]

Not available in the usa

[@martinder3199]

Do the canadians have it? Maybe the canadian TFL branch has access...

[@Sig721Tau]

@@martinder3199 My thoughts exactly.

[@XerxesTheGreatOne]

@Martin Der, we do NOT have the Jimny in Canada. I wish we did, I would have bought one yesterday! It's a shame that Suzuki left Canada because the SX4 and the Grand Vitaras were selling well in Canada and my gf at the time was also considering the Kizashi just before they left Canada a few years back. The only reason we didn't get the Kizashi was because we ended up worrying about warranty and long term part support when we heard Suzuki may be leaving Canada and US.

[@tima6549]

Throw some 235 75 15s all terrains or mudders on that thing. You could go 30 9.5 15 but you'll have to do some hammering to the inner fenders a bit. I had a Samurai for several years. Unstoppable on the snow, they're so light footed. The bigger tires will help it glide over just about anything. And rip off the exhaust and throw a different exhaust on it, or at least open it up a bit. That little engine responds well to a better exhaust, and any power you can get out of it is a win.

[@manos_kall]

My grandfather has one of those in red and I LOVE IT

[@Harold710]

Had a 87 in Anchorage for over 15 years. I added a winch and it never failed to start. Great mpg, very lightweight with high ground clearance I don't know why the stopped making them.

[@mboiko]

Yup short wheelbase you need snow tires maybe even with studs. Here in New Hampshire, they are pretty important and although it's been some time since I lived in Colorado...at least in the front range and mountains they were pretty important too.

[@meisterraul]

I have a suzuki samurai and it's an offroad beast

[@solarflare1008]

Can you imagine one of this with a 13B Mazda rotary engine. During the 80s, 90s and still today in Puerto Rico. Is common to see that insane madness 🚀

[@ApocGuy]

13B from FD3S is overkill for this little bugger :P

[@steffenscheibler5849]

Speaking as someone who spent 2 decades in mountains; the most important thing in snow is not a narrow tire, it is a snow tire. A snow tire has a boatload of little ridges and "blades" in the profile which grab and release the snow as they turn. The difference is night & day. Personally I find people who daily-drive on snow with all-season tires must have a latent death-wish. All-season tires just have such poor grip in wintery conditions.

[@howarja]

That was a fun video! Really enjoyed watching!

[@mikeyfaulknor9970]

Love my samurai have an 87 tin top. Bought it stock when I was 15 currently on toyota axles caged 37’s extended wheelbase etc... they do great in the snow because of their weight and if they’re locked can go anywhere snow or mud.

[@vinceclark6164]

Great video Mike. I love that little rig!

[@marysmith4576]

Ok ive found that my braking is actually better in 4wd than 2wd. This in all of our older 4x4 vehicles (50 cj3a, 63 cj3b, 70, j20, 00 suzuki vitara and 02 suzuki vitara). With a gear to gear "mechanical" transfer case and NO traction control the braking seems to help balance out our braking power front to rear. Almost all of these are on all season "Generals" which help out greatly.

[@daswiese7378]

I used to daily drive a 93 wrangler, my parking brake would freeze all the time during the winter here in Indiana, finally started to wise up and park the thing in first gear

[@Fix_It_Again_Tony]

The only thing I don't like about these trucks is they are sprung for carrying weight, and if you are just driving your butt around they ride pretty stiff. It's fine on road, drives like a truck, but offload there is very little flex and you basically bounce over things. There are some leaf spring swaps you can do, but in stock form it's like driving a pogo stick.

[@LoudGuitar14]

It's the switch under the brake handle keeping the light on and not actually frozen. Just have to wiggle the handle as you lower it. Also dear Denver, a mile is not that high. Lots of us live well above that

[@Loyalwhiteknight]

It wasn't the light, the brakes were actually on and frozen. Most of us in cold climates leave the car in gear and the emergency brake off during the colder temps.

[@LoudGuitar14]

@@Loyalwhiteknight It's rolling just fine and not frozen. I've lived through winter in the Rockies with a Samurai too. I think he got tricked by the light

[@Loyalwhiteknight]

I thought the same thing at first too but he asks if it's maybe just the light and says no, it's the brake because it should be rolling back and it's not.

[@willhopkins678]

I had one it was badass went everywhere in the blizzard even after the blizzard excellent little 4 wheeler,I'm talking the older model

[@adammontgomery1405]

when are you putting it against a Roxor

[@luvr381]

My '03 XL7 had limited slip diff in front but open in rear, it was awful in snow in 2wd even with good snow tires.

[@mikefoehr235]

Never set the parking brake in cold weather. The only way to get the brake to release is to drive in 4LO and hope the wheels will turn and create some friction and therefore heat to help release brake. I would recommend going real slow in 4LO. I have done this in my Tacoma because Tacomas have shitty rear brakes.

[@Joe-eg7ml]

Saw one over the weekend and thought, wouldnt it be cool if TFL reviewed it...lol and here it is.

[@spurgear4]

I miss my Samurai

[@NuclearSandwich7]

I know the goal of the brake test is to test the brakes themselves, but everyone driving a samurai would be downshifting as well..

[@ipdjbt]

I want to see you guys run Fins & Things in the Suzuki!

[@jakestech28]

It's a super easy trail, I bet it would do it. I've seen stock Ford rangers do it... It's not hard at all.

[@TheBolacreen]

No sun roof, heated seat , cruise control, central locking , heated mirrors etc . Just a good 4x4

[@OverlandTT]

As for braking in a manual transmission - you should only ever press the clutch just as you hit stall speed/come to a almost complete stop.

[@50mphslider]

Loved the couple of Suzuki SJ's I had, had the 1.0l and 1.3l, I actually preferred the 1.0l revvy in comparison. They take an absolute beating and with some decent tires on them. Mountain goats! I want to see a proper offroad video with the rest of your vehicles. SJ's love speed though!

[@kaptainkoolz6359]

Dont know about suzuki but the manual on my mid 90's toyota advises to not use the parking brake in below freezing temps, I carry a wheel chock in the bed for such situations.

[@michealwhynot]

I've had them since 1982 a Suzuki SJ 4 10 970cc with a side draft carb

[@michealwhynot]

Then I had a 1985 a 1986 and a 1990.5

[@michaelheimbrand5424]

Transfer box 4WD actually helps a lot with braking in slippery conditions. With 2WD you can´t utilize the brakes so much that the rear brakes gets activated, and if you did you just slip with the important front brakes. In the Suzuki and all others with non-diffed transfer box, you have the front and rear locked together, so anything that happens at each end happens at the other. And in the case of snow, even the minimal brakes applied to maintain grip will also be applied in the rear. And that´s what we see in the brake test. Notice how the rear slides sideways a little bit. Of course, that is also making the brakes too powerful in the rear and the car will more easy go sideways. But anyway, used right, it´s not a bug - it´s a feature.

[@ohmyadventure61]

Rolled mine at 55mph after hitting black ice. They roll nice, hahaha. Drove it home after the roll.

[@KTMcaptain]

11:05 4wd does help you stop. You need to realize that torque flows both ways through the drive line. Brakes when locked to other wheels can transfer their ability to absorb energy if the other wheel in the system can no longer do so. On dry pavement, instead of locking a wheel the awd system transfers some of the torque from the brake to other wheels and allows to further maximize the available traction to the braking system. This wouldn’t matter if your car had perfect brake distribution, but it can and does help. In the snow or on the dirt it works the opposite. The transfer case will lock up all 4 wheels instead easier which allows the tires to dig in and build up mass around the tire. That mass now needs to be moved as well allowing the vehicle to stop easier. Even team O’Neil rally school teaches this. autoweek.com/article/car-life/will-you-stop-faster-2wd-or-4wd-engaged-turns-out-it-depends

[@1234tric]

I did learn one thing. over steering. I was coming down a slight hill in my Samurai. As the road gently curved to the left. The back end caught up with the front end. Without any warning. There I was spinning like a soda bottle. I hit the left bank, pointing back across the on coming traffic, that was none coming . I gave it some gas thinking a car was coming. By then I had gained control of the little short wheel based car. Went on my way. shaken from the near disaster. What caused it? I think because the road had a little due on it. and oil being on it, lead to my spinout crash.

[@100subscribersnovideos9]

My dad has 1 he loves it

[@paradiseroad6405]

...I have resided at 9500 feet elevation in Colorado for 35 years...I have owned a Samurai for 31 of those years...and if they started selling them again tomorrow...I wouldn't hesitate to buy a couple more...

[@matthewm7666]

Hey that switch that goes to the brake light on the dash is right on the brake lever on the inside of your vehicle. All it does , when working right, is detect if the brake lever is pulled up or is down.

[@DerWerkstattdino]

Hello. Very nice Video. I like this Suzuki very much. Now I am waiting for snow :) Best regards from Germany

[@foxtroth1]

oh snow tires like a regular studded snow tire? a tire that actually works. and not the so called "winter" all terrain snow tires that, resembles hard plastic. when it gets below 20F

[@TProfileG]

I had one of these 20 years ago and now I have a 20 year old Jimny JB43 which is the same as the SJ but coil springs and power steering. I miss the Samurai but the JB43 has the same character.

[@garrettabell4741]

I miss my samurai. Bought it with a bad engine. Rebuilt it with a over bore and put on a Weber carb. Still wasnt the fastest but it would good for what it was. Top speed was a little over 70 mph

[@dmitriyplaksin5272]

Will be interesting to see comparison with Mahindra Roxor especially on.winter offroad obstacles

[@mukundthorat5672]

Suzuki has better ground clearance and ramp over angle and is lighter. Both have open diff both ends .I suspect Suzi will come out on top. Roxor has torque which is useful in crawling on the rocks. The comparison should be fun to watch

[@tbip2001]

I’m from the uk, and just found your channel. Really likeable. I do think the music is a little loud though

[@revbobmartin]

Those did very well up here in Alaska in 4+ feet of snow and great on the trails because they were very light.

[@offgriddlifestyle2544]

my dream car up to this day

[@deadbrother5355]

Good vid. Either tires and/or lack of finesse gave the terrible numbers. The key is to never spin or lock up the wheels in vehicles which have no nannys. Once you have done that the damage to control and time cascades. Feather the throttle on the way up and never spin a tire, twice as fast guaranteed. 4wd can slow you down, you just down shif and brake while its compression braking. The drive train acts similar to abs, but because of the open difficulty you still have to be careful. Twice as fast at stopping easy. No nanny driving is more fun, more dangerous, and much more technical than new school.

[@Weebbs]

Loved my old Samurai...

[@jp-fv8ph]

Here in india it's known as gypsy , and still in production used heavily by indian army ,very reliable compact car

[@OutnBacker]

If you live in a known area for very cold temps, just don't set the brake. Leave it in gear and carry a truck type tire chock or two.

[@JustSomeGuy641]

Always wanted one of these from the 80s. You put a set of tracks on them and your about 10k in for around the same weight of a tracked UTV.... Perfect for ice fishing instead of spending 30k plus on a tracked ranger hvac. PUT A LIFT ON IT AND SET OF TRACKS GOLDMINE HILL!!