Severe wobble

This has happened twice now the first time it was just after having new tyres fitted . Happily trundling along at about 55mph hit a bump in the road and she just started violently wobnling it that got worse when I tried to slow down . Not my kingpins , wheelsbalanced guessing it might be suspension related ? Any ideas anyone she's a 05 model done about 63000 miles . Had jimny 3 years now no problems .

Ok you need to check everything for play to eliminate it as a possibility - bearings, bushes, track rod ends etc. its very likely its the Kingpin bearings if they have not been changed recently. 

If they are all ok then read on.

In my humble opinion it's wear and tear on everything associated with the front axle. When new everything is tight, this combined is friction, this friction damps movement associated with the axle. Unfortunately the Jimny has a natural resonance between 45-50 mph, so that tends to be the sweet spot for these issues. Over time as things wear the friction level drops, this makes it easier for any oscillations present to start to influence the axle - IE wobble. Changes in tyres (weight) and dampers can and do make a difference at this later stage in the Jimny life, larger / heavy tyres and suspension lifts just exaggerate the situation.

So what to do.
1) Check everything, back to my first suggestion.
2) Add friction to the kingpin bearings (pre load), Martin sells the shim washers in the Big Jimny Shop.
3) Add friction in the form of a steering damper kit, now standard on the G4 as even Suzuki couldn't remove it totally.

From your description, assuming the kingpins are ok, I would recommend a steering damper. Your description is exactly what happen to mine, the steering damper fixed the "bump" related wobble.

Good luck
Mike
 

Just to add to that, if it's lifted has it had castor correction bushes fitted, that made a difference to mine, along with damper, & kingpin bushes

I wonder if the bump has damaged something, may be a tyre or rim and thrown it out of balance? If you always had a small amount of play on the front the bump might have thrown something out to the point where a small instability becomes a wobble. Or something might have broke, a coil spring or suspension damper?

Although a steering damper will help (I have one fitted but not to fix a wobble), it shouldn't really be seen as a solution to a severe wobble, that is just covering up the problem.

I would suggest having a read through the wiki article on 'Death Wobble'
www.bigjimny.com/mediawiki/index.php/Death_Wobble

Robin

It's not lifted just replaced old rear tyres with some geolanders , it was on my way back from having them fitted on the rear that it started . So was wondering if it altered anything . The tyres removed were more off road tyres .

Its wasn't like wheels wobbling (death wobble)the whole vehicle was shaking .

What is the make of the tyres on the front and are the front and rear the same size?

I am sure you weren’t but was your Jimny in 4WD?

Are the rear wheels fitted square to the hubs?

Same size tyres buy not the same make , will have to look what they are , but they are road only type tyre . No wasn't in 4 wheel drive .
Going to take the wheels off and check them , iwas wondering wether new tyres might have altered the tracking .. Also the rear panhard rod was bent when I bought it , I have replaced both panhards .

I need to say when the vehicle wobbles its not through the wheels / steering wheel , it's the whole vehicle

If it is the whole body shaking, not the steering wheel, I'd look at the back axle.

A bent rear panhard rod is a red flag, something else got bent/distorted/broken/loose when the axle had a big enough bang to bend the rod..

If it was all the time I'd suggest a bent wheel or halfshaft, but as it is fine until a bump sets it off I'd look at all the bushes and the mountings.