Worked at a lube oil change shop for about four years back in the '90s. Tip: always remove the fill plug first on diffs and transfer cases. If you can't get the fill plug out (stripped or seized) then you'll be in a world of hurt if you drain the fluid and can't get new fluid back in...

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Good advice. I have fought with them before

@TomaszbtdZiobrowski

Жыл бұрын

hah, just wanted to ask, why drain plugs first? it can get you in a pickle, especially when vehicle like this suzuki is new to owner and fill plugs will be busted

My OCD watching you drain the front and rear diff, and transfer case without removing the fill plug had Me clawing my eyes out

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Awesome! Had to create some sort of drama. And make an oil change interesting enough to watch

That thing is SUPER clean underneath for 172k miles! Maintenance isn't glamorous, but vehicles always feel like they drive better afterward, whether they actually do or not, and the peace of mind is great.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

It was good and quiet for a few days

I had a late 90's sidekick that I adored. My daughter borrowed it and rolled it..... I have been very impressed with Suzuki cars and SUVs. Well built machines.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Little tanks

Thought for sure this was gonna be sponsored by manscaped when I saw the thumbnail 😂

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Waiting for that manscape money

Seeing your suzuki brings back found memories ,my grandfather had a 96 grand vitara his neighbor made fun of it till he pulled him out of the ditch in the blizzard of 97.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Everyone loves an underdog

Back in 2007 i baught my wife a 2002 XL7, it was silver, the dealership had ordered some chrome rims for it , we baught it right before it snowed, noticed the 4 wheel drive wouldn't lock in , the roads were iced over , we lived way out in the country, and i guess i had left the selecter in 4x4 , the back wheels spun i went through someone's front yard and side swiped a tree , totaled it , if i had a little bit more room i rhink i could have missed it but nope . I was taking it in to get the unit looked at . I did a 360 and a 180 , still have the factory rims though .lol it was a cool little rig though, till it wasn't

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Time to get another one and keep it outta the ditch

Yeah silver, especially light silver like that makes you invisible. Had an ol ram that was about that color, and folks pulled out in front of me all the time, I finally realized it was the same color as most roads.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Yeah: I dont like standing out.. but this is ridiculous

I've always loved these chassis. Basically the same as the 2000s Chevy tracker/Suzuki Vitara but a touch longer. 5 link rear, boxed frame rails, and everything tucked up above the frame/crossmembers is so rad for this era. I don't think there are many small SUVs that will put up with the abuse these can take.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

All 💯 true

Watching someone do maintenance on a vehicle is a great way to learn the basics. I’ve brought my kids into the garage to help me out many times. It’s good to have a basic understanding of how things work.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Nice! I wish my kids showed more interest

Looks in really good shape, nice fluids, etc. Imagine what kind of Jeep you would have gotten for the same money, zero frame, zero fluids, no brakes, blown u joints, the works!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

It is hard to get a good deal on a jeep

Dave you always place your tools in the most weird spot ever, that's the first thing they teach you at tech school 😅😅

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

That’s part of mechanic life.. finding tools

I'm one of "those" people. I actually pour a half quart into the engine when the drainplug is still out, just to push out that much more spent oil. Yep, one of those guys LOL. Love your channel Dave!!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

You’re doing the lords work

Fun little rig. Its always a good evening when we get a new vid from the Dirthead Shed..

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Awww shucks. Thanks

Motoring!! An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Love dirt Thx

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

True words

Dave I swear by these suzukis man! And maintenance is the key to em. I had a 94 sidekick jlx 4 dr 1.6 16 valve i got it in 2000 with 58000 miles on it it died in 2013 with 572000 miles on it and all i ever did was basic maintenance and timing belts when they were due the only other thing i ever had to replace was the ecu cuz well they were a problem on em back then lol the only reason that beast game up the smoke was because i missed a belt change and it broke i was religious about it for years and the one time i was lax in upkeep boom it got me.......................

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

It had a good long life. Thanks for sharing

I see you check for balance on your lift with every vehicle you bring in, which is very smart…. Just a tip for someone that works on their back to Nader jack stands lol. Mark your lift points with a paint pen so you can lift from the same proven spot everytime.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Good idea. Thanks

Glad to see a video that didn't require $3k in parts. Though we love the "builds" sometimes its nice to see everyday stuff that i have to do to my vehicles. It helps keep me motivated to do the little stuff.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Got to do all the things!

You know all I have is high mileage jeeps and trucks. I honestly prefer it. Once you have it and been thru it then you know what to expect. Keep the cheap maintenance up and keep rolling

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Agreed

I want to see more of this thing, if it wasnt for the timing chains these things would be way more popular. I drive my xl7 the most out of my 4 vehicles, gotta love them with lift and tires. Try making a hiden winch plate so you can give me some ideas .

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

They are easy to get a winch tucked into

I did a super sick uhmw lined skid plate on mine. Made it slide over boulders (small boulders) with ease, and no worries of hitting those tender bits underneath.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Those are fun projects

Good job

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Thanks

Raddest maintenance manly man on the KZread!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

I appreciate that

Tip for the newbs, open fill location before drain location. Also recommend synthetic gear oil. Better especially in colder climates. Ymmv.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Thanks

Safe travels

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Thank you

Nate and you are going to be such an awesome team

@TrailTime.

Жыл бұрын

Couldn’t really ask for a better couple of guys to make something I’d be interested in!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Thank you. It should be fun

Good video.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Thank you

god dave your shop is so sick. another tour soon please.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! Will do

That rig is clean for the mileage on it…wow!!!!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

It’s a good one

Thanks for sharing. I enjoy watching your videos

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching

I can’t believe how clean that is underneath. Here in coastal Maine it would be rotted out.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

I got lucky on this one

I can't wait to see this thing get cool bumpers and winch

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

I gotta make some time for it

Cool suki!! I wish my isuzu had coils up front!!!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Those torsion setups work well too

After seeing yours I've been looking for one for my family, I've loved my other suzukis and didn't realize the xl7 was pretty legit for a newer vehicle, thanks!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

They are good. Happy hunting

Such a cool daily rig. As soon as you brought that home I started diving into finding one. This thing is rad

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Thank you. I’m having a hard time, not chopping into it.

@ianfairbanks1318

Жыл бұрын

I did the same thing!

That thing is crazy clean! They don’t exist in my part of the world anymore.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Time to fly and drive one back

Hope you had a great trip. Looking forward to seeing more on it later!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! Coming soon

WOOHOO 'ZUKI CONTENT!!!!!! I'm telling ya dave, bake those head lights open and paint the chrome black. It'll make the front end look more mean and less....."mom".

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

I’m thinking it just needs a tracker front clip

@ianfairbanks1318

Жыл бұрын

@@thedirtheadshed that works?!?!? COOL!

Great video, brother. This is important stuff ro keeping your ride up to date with new fluids to get a long life out of our rides. Have a great and safe adventure, brother.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! So far so good

@rescuedandrestoredgarage

Жыл бұрын

@thedirtheadshed perfect, have fun, and if you can, bring us along for the adventure.

Dude..shoip looks pretty organized..for now. Keep up the good work.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

The mess comes and goes

Pretty clean underneath, way better than mine. My rockers are almost none existent 😅

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

I hate rust

Nice

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Thanks

Ah.. the Ol 172k, I’ve started many new to me journeys at about 172K.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Nothing wrong with enjoying an old rig

Looks great under there.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

It’s clean!

There is a huge gap between our jalopies lol, I didn't get under mine till there was a problem and that was caused by a tacase motor dying and a front diff that was about to catch fire!..

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Oh I’ve got plenty of junk around here

@MontanaDirtRoads

Жыл бұрын

@@thedirtheadshed same,you seen one of mine when you and Fred raced in Broadview,my explorer that I have dubbed the rickshaw is daily beater that I broke doing some "light" off-roadin

My 97 just got a new small block larger pistons and the engine totally rebuilt. Im definitely maintaining my junk its only got 250,000 miles 😅

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Nice! Keep ‘em on the road

Its funny the rear end looks like a Toyota rear end...... and you said something about it being like a toyota you read my mind

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Very similar

Put over 415,000 miles on a Chevy Tracker which is the same as a Suzuki with different badges

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

That’s awesome! They are solid little rigs

How do you like your all terrain tires? Will you be doing an engine rebuild video on the yellow yj?

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

I love the tires so far. Yeah. The engine parts are starting to roll in

Man our Toyota is sitting at 267,107 right now. Got some basic stuff to do by end of the month then hitting the road for another 5k mile road trip

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Nice!

If this was a 5 speed it would be perfect

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Agreed

I'm trying to get the motivation to do timing belt, water pump, and stupid valve stem seals on my old Montero Sport.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Those are a lot of work. Just gotta roll up your sleeves and do it

@SeansLittleBayofHorrors

Жыл бұрын

@@thedirtheadshed Right after I replace the left rear caliper on the wife's little sports car!

🦅🇺🇸💪🤠👍

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

You again! Hope you dug the video

I saw you struggling with a poor quality measure tape while fabricating rock sliders. Can I send a new Milwaukee 16 ft?

@thedirtheadshed

7 ай бұрын

I appreciate it. But you don’t need to go out of your way to get me a tape measure

How do you like the ironman lift? Bought a couple of their camping things and found quality and customer support lacking.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

The springs and shocks seem good. I agree with you on the shovels and stuff quality

For everyone that isn't aware, you can vote in the onX challenge every 12 hours!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Sweet! Thanks for the heads up !

Which Falken tires are those? I'm looking something a little more aggressive for my old Ford Ranger.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

These are Rubitrek, i like the AT3w too. And I’m about to test their new RT

@aguyinnc2865

Жыл бұрын

@@thedirtheadshed thanks Dave!

What about the front diff?

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

I did it. Last thing before I hit the road

Why not the front diff fluid?

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

I did it. Thought I showed it

Puddin collaboration?

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Hopefully. We live about a million miles apart though

@zachwrench

Жыл бұрын

I think Nate on the DL

I thought that was your wife’s car.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

No. She drives a Mitsubishi Outlander

If you would be interested in an f350 4x4 door in Spokane. Give me your email

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Shoot me a message on Instagram

Wow that thing is pretty well set up! Now I got another thing to scour facebook marketplace for 🫠

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

They are kinda sneaky good