Speaking of front and rearends, they're both Dana 44's with 5.89:1 gears and Lockrite lockers to insure traction. For suspension, Dean went to Above All Auto in Cedar City, who utilized Ford early Bronco control arms with coil springs up front and Ford front control arms with half leaf springs in back. Custom Panhard rods were fabricated for the front and rear. Dean mounted 33x12.50R15LT BF Goodrich Radial Mud Terrain TA's on 15x10" alloy wheels.
For protection, a full roll cage was designed and installed to keep occupants safe, while a custom, swing down center skid plate and rear bumper with nerf bars keep the Suzuki safe. Up front, an ARB Bull Bar front bumper was installed, with provisions for carrying an axe, rock bar and Hi Lift jack. The ARB bumper was also modified to accommodate a frame-mounted Ramsey 9000-pound winch with wireless remote. For long backcountry forays, a 13-gallon stainless steel fuel tank was installed with a backup electric fuel pump available if the primary pump fails "back of beyond." For extra body protection and good looks, Cedar Auto Collision Center applied 13 gallons of Super Liner bedliner to the exterior and interior of the body, cage and bumpers.
 |  | Ford early Bronco front control arms are pressed into service to locate the rear end on the Super Samurai. Rancho RS9000 shocks adjust to any situation. The custom stainless fuel tank is up out of the way and holds 13 gallons. |
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The skid plate is designed to easily drop down for servicing the transfer case and transmission. A GRS II transfer case from Petroworks features a 4.89:1 low range, as well as two- and four-wheel drive low. |
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| The front suspension is a study in simplicity. Control arms from an early Bronco keep things under control, while custom, lighter-rate coils afford a great ride and plenty of articulation. Rancho RS9000's are the shocks of choice. You can also see one of the undercarriage "rock lights" Dean's installed. |
| The rear Dana 44 features 5.89 gears and a Lockrite locker. The custom Panhard rod is easily seen here. The cut half-leaf springs slide on low friction material in back. The strong rear bumper was built to take hard rock hits and has rock lights mounted underneath, pointing down. |
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