Essential mods for taking on off-road trails

Great pictures, which country are you in?

If I were you I'd install rated recovery points and a set of good tyres and then just get out there and drive. Breathers are quite a good idea too. But otherwise I'd just use the vehicle, and see where the limits are for your driving style/the terrain you encounter, and add modifications if and when required.

As 300bhpton said I'd also make sure I have equipment with me, like a shovel, first aid kit, rope and some form of communication.

Welcome to the forum, lovely little zook you've got there

I'd agree with the consensus so far that the Jimny is extremely capable in its standard form. I recently undertook a 4x4 event in my Gen.4, It went everywhere the larger, heavier vehicles went with no fuss. There are a couple of pictures on my build thread of this event.

The only off road modifications I've made to date are:

ARB diff breathers, Gen.3 Steel wheels with BFG K02's.

The tyres alone will be the most worthwhile modification if you're going to be spending any considerable time off road, I'd recommend you look at that before anything else.

I've noticed with the off-loading I've done in the Jimny to date, the only area where I feel I need protection is the radius arm body mounts. They drag along the mud/ground and look relatively delicate so protection is belt and braces.

The Engine sump is well out of harms way and protected by the front axle and steering components so you won't need a front skid plate. The transfer case gaurd/centre skid plate isn't essential either in my opinion unless you're likely to be crawling over large rocks. Even then if you picked correct lines you wouldn't need one as it's tucked up fairly high in comparison to the floor pan & chassis.

Diff guards offer little in the way of impact protection, but they do allow a nice steady traverse over a bump rather than dragging or getting caught. I found my rear diff was dragging it's front face through the mud like a plow, so a nice tapered guard would help this. But again it's not essential!

I'm going to be looking at an ARB compressor install in the engine bay, this is a nice to have and completely not necessary. It'll allow future inclusion of an Air locker should I ever find any terrain that justifies one.

I'd recommend that before you start doing any spending, go out and test the vehicle in the environments you plan to use it. Find it's limitations, see what you feel comfortable with and then pursue any modifications that'll be beneficial. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised, I was!

Hi,
All good stuff above, but as stated by all for the most part you don't need any modifications other than a set of good tyres. This will get you most places without damage so long as you plan your route and proceed in a controlled manner, to this end some training is a good idea.
If you want to run at every obstacle at full speed then fit it all :woohoo:
I've been to plenty of pay n play sites and so far never even removed any paint on the underside with careful route planning, can't say the same about tree branch scratches on the paintwork however!
So tyres and a bit of training get my vote. After that see how it goes and how extreme you want to push the Jimny.
Mike

Really good advice already added by everyone. I have A/T tyres and radius arm guards and never had any issues. Jimny is built for off-roading As many have mentioned, off road training is probably most important as well as knowing the limits of your ability and the Jim.

Anyone know of any good 4x4 training providers that are reasonable?

Cheers,
Dunders

At the moment your Jimny is more capable than you are. You need to pay for proper tuition to equal the score. Pay and play sites are really to hone the skills you learn in school. You took lessons before you took your driving test and it's no different here. Once you have the basics and feel more confident with yourself and you begin to understand your Jimny then you can start thinking about what extras you need but remember, the Jimny is a lightweight 4x4 and adding lots of desirable extras, so you think, is maybe such a good idea. I have a small hand winch with 4metres of steel cable and coupled with a 5metre length of 18mm nylon rope extracted my SJ413 from many a mud hole and because it was mobile I could use it from any direction. Learn the basics at school, practice at pay and play, ask lots of questions - "why do you do it that way etc" and slowly you will get better than your Jimny. Then you can modify it if you think it necessary, remember it may be good enough as it is.

Roger

Dunders wrote:
Anyone know of any good 4x4 training providers that are reasonable?

Cheers,
Dunders

Hi Dunders,
It's possible to cut your teeth on a 4x4 experience day, so find something local. Ask loads of questions including the location any local groups that meet. You tube also has some good tutorials that get you thinking in the correct way. You should plan ahead for both success and what you will do if you fail. Avoid videos with groups "having a laugh" , you want some guidance on the simple basics. I am no expert and drive in a very defensive manner so need nothing more than a standard vehicle. Others will push the envelope and so need degrees of modifications to achieve their goal. If you go this route assume you will damage your vehicle at some point.
I cut my teeth via the Series 2 Land Rover club events, plenty of experience people willing to pass on knowledge and help. So any local 4x4 clubs near you?

Also going to add to the "mods for off road" question - Very few suggest a first aid kit and some basic knowledge of how to apply. Off road driving is great fun, but when it goes wrong it happens very fast and can (does) cause injury, so be prepared. ( Not trying to be a fun sponge :laugh: )