ZUKS OFF ROAD
Trail Armor for your Samurai; Part One
Editor: Eric Bewley
Albany, OR – Here at ZUKIWORLD Headquarters we are embarking on a new project Samurai. This new trail vehicle will have such features as turbo power, custom scratch-built axles, roll cage, coil-over suspension as well as other goodies. The first step though is to find some sturdy armor to put on so that our Samurai doesn’t end up all wadded up in a ball on the trail. Zuks Off-Road out of Arizona has many solutions for Suzuki trail armor. We are going to install, review and feature their front and rear bumpers, as well as their rock sliders.
Here it is, the beginning of our project. It is a stock 1992 Samurai 4×4 with such features as radio delete and a Mexican blanket for a rear seat cover. It is perfect! Installing the Zuks off-road bumper is a fairly simple affair and you really only need one buddy to help hold it up while you install the bolts. If you are friendless, a floor jack will work.
1. Remove your bumper. Also cut off the outside mounting tabs and tubes that your stock bumper was mounted to right where the tubes meet the main frame.
2. Install the bolts and shoulders / spacers in the manner shown to the right. Leave the bolts flush to the inside of the frame rail. This makes it easier to position the bumper and tap the bolts through. 
3. Position frame and tap the top bolts through to hold the bumper. 
4. One may have to use a floor jack to get the bumper positioned correctly. 
5. Using the supplied hardware, Place the light guard over the indicator light. 
6. Position the light behind the bumper and bolt in place. 
7. Our bumper had the optional Stinger and uses the factory indicator lights. Zuks Off-Road offers many options for their bumpers including aftermarket lights and several bumper toppings including a “safari” looking bar set and a plain no tube bumper too. 
8. Install your winch. 
9. Enjoy your new Zuks Off-Road bumper. 
As one of the most affordable armor-solutions for your Samurai, the Zuks Off-road bumper presents a good value. It’s installation is quite easy and should afford us quite a bit of protection against future trail monsters. With a bit more attention paid to finish detail, this bumper could be at the top of the heap. This is definitely a bumper to consider if you’re weighing price and functionality heavily in your build. Stay tuned as we will be bringing you installation and reviews on a rear bumper and the sliders too.
Zuks Off-Road
(928) 567-3061
