Dave's "S200KYS" Jimny 'laner Build...

I think there's been a supply chain issue with koyo bearings to the UK for some reason?

Yes, there is a shortage of quality brand bearings at the moment.

Quick change of plan...

Ordered Koyo non-ABS bearings from Martin's BigJimny store...

I'll use the Koyo's with the cheaper brands' ABS retaining collars, and make the cheaper bearing and non-ABS collar into a kit to sit on the shelf for the buggy in time, as new bearings were fitted all round in the rebuild...

Result

So, bearings today...

The 'cheap' ABS bearings I ordered off eBay -



Arrived but didn't have the ABS 'cog' attached... from chtting with the rest of 'our little group' on WhatsApp, some ABS collars are supplied and fitted separately?... ok, we'll see...



With the festive period coming up, time is short, looking at the weather it looked doubtful today, but having finished in the shop for the morning, I walked the dogs as they didn't get a walk yesterday as it lashed it down all day...



But the weather held All stripped and shafts out...



And just as I took them into the garage it started spitting... perfect timing!



I drew a tool,,,



Cut it out...



Tapped it into position under the ABS collar's cogged bit... Applied loads of heat, balanced the tool on two bricks, and with a 3"x2" timber offcut on the end of the shaft, banged and banged... :lol:

And...



Nah, that's not moving, it's definitely a one piece one...

So, I walked round to the local friendly garage 500 yards away, and asked them to get me some ABS collars, the same as they did 18 months ago when I last changed all the bearings...



Kettle on, Mr. Angry out...



And cut the collars and bearings off!... ABS collars come tomorrow, combine them with the Koyo bearings from the BigJimny store and fit them and reassemble everything on Sunday then... Still in good time for our next planned trip, our annual traditional Christmas Run on the 29th...

Back to the rear bearings today then!



As the eBay ABS bearings and retainers had no ABS cog pickup rings on them they ended up getting sent back for a refund. So on Thursday I ordered some genuine ABS collars from my local friendly Suzuki dealer (part number 43485-76J00-000 and £40 each), the only problem was our staff member for Friday and Saturday was using up her remaining holidays so I couldn't get to the dealer to pick them up A quick call to Alan my good friend and usual passenger on 'laning trips... and he went over and picked them up for me so I could fit them today Thanks mate you're a star!



Oil seals out with my special tool...



Half a pair of over-centre pliers!



The new seals get tapped in with a front bearing tool as it's the right diameter



Frozen shafts! They spent the nigh tin the shop's storeroom freezer!



Oven warmed (not too hot!) collars on and then beat with a hammer using a length of seamless tube over the shaft...



And after some serious beating they're in place and ready...



... for reassembly!

Job done... fresh oil in the axle, a test drive, and just as I locked the Jimny up on the drive... the heavens opened! Perfect timing...!

I have a question. Kinda brought on by the last but one picture. The disk conversion, does it really make a noticeable difference in stopping performance on your truck over the standard or is it more for ease of maintenance and service accessibility. I feel you're the best person to ask given the size and weight of s200kys over Dreadnaught. Thanks in advance.

Hi Lambert, sorry for the late reply, it's silly-season in our Post Office and shop this time of tear :lol:

Disk brakes seemed to be the way to go... I've been offroading Suzukis for 25+ years now, and used to suffer in the early days of pay'n'play sites that drum brakes just fill up with liquid mud... Disk brakes are fully open and wash themselves off when wading (in fresjher water!)

Braking is great, much more bite, and the ABS copes well with the different brakes on the back...

But, yes, the main advantage (to me) is indeed how much easier it is to get the shafts out and change bearings, etc...

I find it hard to believe - coming from Vitara ownership - hw difficult it is on a stock-braked Jimny?! On a Vitara the half shaft can be taken out with the drum brake backing plate still in situ - albeit with a bit of wiggling - so you don't have to disassemble the brakes to do it...

Mine's the JimnyBits kit with Megane calipers... I initially suffered from uneven wear on the pads, but JimnyBits supplied spacer shims to compensate, but since switching to TrailGear HD shafts I haven't had the issue as much?

Hope that helps...

Dave

I remebered today, there was more I meant to write about changing the bearings...

You can see in the photos that I chilled the shafts in the shop freezer overnight, and heated the ABS retaining collars in the oven until they were warm, but not hot... I don't believe this really helped, just in case anyone thinks to try it, it was still a job to hammer them on, and needed a sledge hammer in the end, as the lump hammer just wouldn't cut it...

I was banging so much that one of my neighbours wandered iver to see what the commotion was... he told me "to give it a rest", and I thought he was having a go :evil: which was strange as we've been good neighbours for many years... but :lol: he meant to give the shaft beating a break... working for BAe he reckoned all the hammering would create heat in the joint and things would get even tighter... so I fitted the offside shaft into the axle and rebuilt the brakes, and had a cuppa, and then went back to the other shaft I was struggling with, and bugger-me, a few taps with the sledge and it went home and snuggled up to the bearing?!

In hindsight, perhaps heating the ABS collar swells the inside diameter? as things warm up it's going to spread both ways isn't it?...

Just a few thoughts, might help someone out there....?

Nice one. Thanks for your thoughts. I will have to start saving . Cheers.

S200KYS wrote: I remebered today, there was more I meant to write about changing the bearings...

You can see in the photos that I chilled the shafts in the shop freezer overnight, and heated the ABS retaining collars in the oven until they were warm, but not hot... I don't believe this really helped, just in case anyone thinks to try it, it was still a job to hammer them on, and needed a sledge hammer in the end, as the lump hammer just wouldn't cut it...

I was banging so much that one of my neighbours wandered iver to see what the commotion was... he told me "to give it a rest", and I thought he was having a go :evil: which was strange as we've been good neighbours for many years... but :lol: he meant to give the shaft beating a break... working for BAe he reckoned all the hammering would create heat in the joint and things would get even tighter... so I fitted the offside shaft into the axle and rebuilt the brakes, and had a cuppa, and then went back to the other shaft I was struggling with, and bugger-me, a few taps with the sledge and it went home and snuggled up to the bearing?!

In hindsight, perhaps heating the ABS collar swells the inside diameter? as things warm up it's going to spread both ways isn't it?...

Just a few thoughts, might help someone out there....?

You probably did`nt warm up the collar enough?
I`ve only done mine once, together with a car mech friend (that has access to a press) but we did not cool down the axles (TG hd`s), only pressed on the bearing, and heated up abs collar with a induction heater ALOT. Like no F`in way you touch it with anything but tools.
Dropped right on there, all the way down. Gave it acouple hits on it to be sure it got all the way down while it cooled down, but never saw it move.
My friend said thats how they always did it at the shop on all kinds of brands with this setup.

This was the koyo kit.

I don't wish to gloat but I bought a press with saved up birthday and Christmas money from my parents, accumulated over a few years! It takes longer as you get older as you get less!

Kirkynut

All the work paid off... Great day's greenlaning from Barmouth to Corwen with Alan, Brett and Riccy & Joel today!...



Impromptu map meeting on my bonnetas we eaited for Riccy and Joel who spent the night in Bamouth before our day's adventure...



Here they are! Left to right as is the norm'... Brett in Jalapeno, me & Alan in S200KYS and Riccy & Joel in Ulysses, overloking Barmouth's estuary...





Mid-Walean for "Byway"



Quick break...



With the by-now-traditional sausage rolls perpared by Brett (1) and Mincemeat Swirls provided by my Missus...



A fallen branch..



And we soon cleared the byway with some good teamwork and my cordless chainsaw "Buzz"











Narrow bridge!







Nice descent to the valley floor!



Another awesome day out!