Loss of control

I have recently bought a Jimny VVT (2005) and have never driven one before.Today on a roundabout in fairly light rain I lost control (doing 20 mph approx) and luckily didn't crash into anyone! Are there any general tips/advice for driving a Jimny on-road (my primary use) especially with regards to its limitations? Thanks

Gerbil wrote: I have recently bought a Jimny VVT (2005) and have never driven one before.Today on a roundabout in fairly light rain I lost control (doing 20 mph approx) and luckily didn't crash into anyone! Are there any general tips/advice for driving a Jimny on-road (my primary use) especially with regards to its limitations? Thanks

It has to be said they (and many 4x4s) need to be driven a little differently from regular motors. Something that can take a bit of getting used to is the rear wheel drive. Particularly with the plethora of front wheel drives around now. Yes it has four wheel selectable but one of the reasons I favour permanent 4WD is that selectable 4x4 (when it is primarily RWD) is never there at times when you want it.

Also a choice of tyre suitable to your application might help.

Ironically, the last car I span out was a FWD. :laugh: :laugh:

Just be gentle with it, don't accelerate hard when the steering isn't straight, and don't try going quickly round sharp bends/islands.

"Modern" cars are so good nowadays that people have forgotten what it is like to drive a Proper Car from The Olden Days.


When I'm in the Other Car, and I see a gap at a wet island, I just stamp the accelerator into the floor and hang onto the wheel, and it just shoots off from a standing start with a variety of lights flickering on the dashboard (your tyres are on fire/ you are not ripped enough to drive/electro-plasma system etc. ) and goes round the island at speeds that would have had my old metro on its roof. :woohoo:

facade wrote: and goes round the island at speeds that would have had my old metro on its roof. :woohoo:

Snap, it was a Metro that I span. :laugh:

Worth checking the age of the tyres.
My 04 Jim had the original Duellers on made in 03 and although still plenty of tread left on all the tyres it was very very bad in the wet :woohoo: .

Changed tyres to Insa Dakar mud remoulds 4 months ago and havent lost grip on the road yet including emergency stops in the wet.
( Remoulds are frowned upon by the tyre snobs, still havent figured out why)

and don't forget trye pressure can play a big part too

I have had the same problem with both my jimny's, On standard tyres the first one was lethal until i put a set of goodyear wranglers on it. Traded up to a newer model a year ago and had to learn how drive it again on standard tyres, cannot wait until i can afford to upgrade the tyres, (hoping i don't stuff it first )

Remoulds sometimes do this.

Thats why people don't always like them.

As has been said, old tyres harden and are no good. New tyres will likely solve this.

Some remould companies ought not be in business. Insa Turbo and Malatesta I know to be good.

Goodyear and BFG are known good new brands. There are many more but avoid budgets.

Kirkynut

I have to say that I have yet to have a serious problem with the factory duelers other than when the last front pair were down to about 2mm but that's not a fair complaint as all types of tyres struggle with standing water when they are that worn, and in their defence they had done 36k miles which is totally acceptable as a wear rate for a 65 quid tyre. With the new ones on the front I have not had any problems with understeer or stopping even when the rain has been bouncing a foot back off the ground and before anyone says that's fine driving gently I am blessed with a very heavy right foot. Also as a grass tyre they seem to be one of the better options as we have them on both the front of the jimny and all four on the terios and on the jimny in 4wd if it spins it is mostly the rear infinity 200s that let go yet in the same wheel tracks the terios doesn't slip so much with the duelers. Hardly scientific research but they're not as bad as everyone likes to make out.

The duallers are fine on the road. Check your pressures as the Jim should run pretty low (23ish I think)

I'd change from the duellers, the brand new jimnys all slide everywhere too, just need to be REALLY gentle on the throttle or have it in a higher gear, you'll get used to controlling the slides