Installing a towbar- one thing leads to another...

My Jimny came without a towbar. It must be one of the few without one. Monday, I started changing that... installing a new towbar. I did it 'by the book': removing the left panel in the back for access: the wiring loom. I nicely soldered (!) the towbar wiring into the wiring loom and covered it all with heat shrinking tubing. I hate those blue lego blocks. It all works fine. 

After removing the rear bumper for the towbar, I spotted some rot in the back. So out with the welding torch and pieces of sheet metal. It took longer than expected.

Next up: the steering damper. That was installed in a few minutes.

Finally, I spotted that the front part of the exhaust looked bad. So I ordered a new front part + catalyst converter. That took two days to arrive. But the good part is, that it came with really everything you need for the installation.

I saved the worse for last... undoing the front of the exhaust from the manifold! That was extremely difficult. I needed a torch (be careful not to set fire on my steering column (LHD!) and a long piece of heating pipe to get it all going. In the end, an almighty BANG! freed the exhaust from the manifold. Foir a split second, I was afraid that the bolt had broken off... Luckily it didn't.

So, after 10 hrs of work, the car is rustfree again (how long???), more quiet and ready to haul tons of firewood from my forest.

Menno
 

Nice work!

Don't you just hate it when a simple job spirals out into a big one?

Good work Menno. This Jimny of your is certainly providing you with plenty of entertainment.

I fitted a tow bar and a steering damper to my Gen 3, but there was 18 months between the two, not all in one go.

I haven't had the pleasure of having to do the exhaust or any welding yet, but as mine is 10 years younger than yours, perhaps I had better get ready.....

Robin

Between my first post and now: I've taken the car to the motorway and did a 20km run at 100 km/hr (= max. speed during the daytime on the motorway). All went well: my car is not suffering from death wobble since the last alignment and balancing a month ago, but I have the idea that it's all a little more 'firm'. Is that suggestion or...?

When driving, the normal noise the car makes is not reduced with the new exhaust. But, when I returned, I had to open a gate to get on my land. I did that with the engine running. THAT was the moment I realised that the car is now quieter than before. 

And what Soeley said: indeed, this sort of job always takes more time than you hope it'll take. I had the car safely up on ramps, so I was determined to finish all the 'underside' things in one go. 

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