Suspension and Wheel Set Up

I know what you ment Rob

Personally I'm not a fan of lifting, the manufacturers spend serious time and money designing all the gubbings as well as serious maths for it all to work, and then people get a kit and bolt things on and bugger it all up. Now if your building a comp vehicle of some sort then crack on but for something that's going to have occasional off road use why bother with the expense? I would change the tyres get some guards for underneath and see how you go, you will be surprised how far it will go standard. And if your money's burning a hole in your pocket get a lockright diff lock and a winch much more useful than a lift kit.

I'm on standard height and the only time I've ever run aground is on ruts that landys on massive wheels or the farmers tractor has dug deep ruts, and a lift wouldn't of made any difference in those cases anyway

And any 4x4 instructor will tell you to straddle the ruts anyway :whistle:

I totally agree, decent tyres under armour and a sensible driving line will get you most places, especially laning.

Huge tyres and big lifts for pay n play and comps.

jonesyba420 wrote: And any 4x4 instructor will tell you to straddle the ruts anyway :whistle:

Usually do straddle them but not always possible, narrow lane, trees etc

*throws 2-cents in*

I've had my Jimny from stock.

I've put in a Tough Dog 2" lift kit (shocks & Springs). With 2" you don't need to worry about extending brake hoses or camber correction. 2" lift increases the angle of the drive line so insignificantly that it's not really necessary. IF you're paranoid, then by all means, put some camber correction bushes in, but I don't think it's necessary.

Regarding Tyres, Standard is 205/70r15 roadies. Nothing wrong with them. If you're going off road I'd recommend 215/75r15s. They WILL fit on standard rims inc. alloys. I have alloys. If you're going to put those size tyres on then there is the risk of rubbing on the bumper arches when the vehicle flexes. So I'd recommend a 2" lift combined with 215/75r15s. Even then, you'll probably find that you'll still get a bit of rubbing every now and then, but only from front tyres. On mine, I got rid of the front bumper altogether and installed an Xrox Bull Bar (see my profile pic) and I did a small trim of the other side of the arch too.

Regarding brands of tyre. BFGoodrich are good but pricey! I'm on a set of Falken Wild Peak All-Terrains. No where near as expensive as the BFGs and just as good in my opinion.

I think you said that you do a lot of road driving so if I were you I'd stick to all-terrain tyres. Mud tyres are great off road, but can be uncomfortable on road due to the aggressive tread pattern. I use A/Ts and I've never been stuck - might help that the Jimny is 1/2 a ton lighter than the next 4x4 on the market. Less weight per tyre = less likely to get stuck!

Regarding clutches and gearing. 215/75s are probably the limit before you may want to consider your gearing. When 235s are put on, you're increasing the circumference by ~11% so it'd be wise to look into gear reductions, but this is where things can get really expensive.

My advice:
2" lift
215/75 tyres (which will increase ground clearance by ~2cm)
Bull bar and/or bumper trim
Go from there.

If you find a track that has an obstacle that you can't surpass, tell us and we'll be able to come up with some solutions so you can make it next time.

Also, we love pics and vids, so post some!

Jake