It was good to finally get back off-roading after a couple of months rebuilding the car. TV4x4's monthly event was at Avon Dassett, a quarry located just south of Warwick. Following a couple of days heavy rain the normally dry and rocky quarry was transformed into a mud-fest.

After our previous visit to Avon Dassett I found I had trashed the wheel bearings, brakes and Kingpin bearings driving the 80 miles home with the mud and water jammed in the wheels and axles. This time I borrowed a trailer so that I could strip and wash the car at home without destroying everything on the long journey. The trailer provided the first excitement of the day as the car tried to slide off the side of the trailer as I attempted to unload it, this was because the trailer was a tilting type with a plywood platform, very slippery in the pouring rain and mud.

These are the pictures that many of you have been waiting for! My Jimny has a dedicated winch bumper but many owners want a more discrete and tidy installation.

Clinton has installed a winch within his bumper and it looks fantastic. Kevant has sent in copies of the pictures and I hope Clinton does not mind them being published here as this is one of the most popular questions in the Jimny world.

One of the first MOT problems was poor braking efficiency at the rear, I could not sort this one out. However a mention on the difflock site had Zukijimny mentioning bias valve.

The Jimny has a variable (automatically adjusts with load) bias valve location above the rear axle.

It is mounted to the body and attached by a spring to the axle.


Of course, for the MOT the car was emptied, including removing the spare wheel from the back door (because of concerns about obscuring the rear lights) meaning there was no weight (no seats, no tools, no carpets - nothing). With no weight in the back the bias valve is basically switching the rear brakes almost totally off. There is an adjustment on the valve but mine was almost fully adjusted already due to the spring lift. Therefore I loaded up the back with the spare wheel and tools - and passed!

Martin

She passed the MOT today!

So following on from the KingPin bearings I have moved onto the wheel bearings. Again I have prepared a "How to" guide with the full details of the change so there is only an overview here!

The problem with the front wheel bearings is that they are hidden behind a special lock nut.....