Replacing Jimny Kingpin Bearings

That's exactly what I did, worked a treat and it's exactly as described in the "how to" on here. I should probably also explain when I said "the upper right as you look at the hub head on" I was thinking of the nearside / left. I should have said the upper bolt towards the rear.

www.bigjimny.com/index.php?option=com_ku...=7&id=2448&Itemid=75

Found the above link in Jimny Technical Forum regards the front ABS sensors.
It shows a couple of decent pictures of the ABS sensor, its fixing and the rotor.

Obviously removing a working sensor for reuse without damaging it would be ideal - they are not cheap!

Something to add/update to the original well-written HOW TO for the newer Jimny owners?

Unfortunately, despite wishful thinking and common sense, there is no connector for the front abs sensor, both sensors are wired to a single plug at the abs unit :ohmy:

I would take the disc off, and spray a bit of plusgas*, or diesel on the thread of the sensor bolt, then remove it and carefully twist and push the sensor out.

*WD4* isn't a penetrating oil, it doesn't work.

Having just replaced the kinpin bearings I would say by the poor state of the lower bearing that it had suffered from water ingress.
The grease around the lower bearing had emulsified; the bearing was all black, badly pitted and fell apart on removal.
Has anyone any suggestions on how to improve the effectiveness of the swivel hub seal?
Also, what about pouring 100ml of SAE 140 EP gear oil thro the top kinpin opening on re-assembly?

overthetop

It will come out. And it smells :sick:

As someone pointed out, the seals are a service item and should be checked and renewed pretty much every time you drive through mud or sand. :ohmy:

Just use waterproof grease on the bearings, and strip and clean them every year.

I accept that the Jimny swivel hub seal isn't going to keep out all the weather but at £60+ a pair that is a bit steep for routine replacement for owners like me who only go off-road once in a blue moon.

I think you will find that waterproof grease isn't 100% waterproof – it is just a bit more water resistant than some of the other greases used on motor vehicles.
Under extreme pressure between the components of the taper roller bearing, the grease and any water ingress will eventually produce an emulsion mix to the detriment of the bearing.

So what about a top hat shaped shim to keep in the grease and keep out the water for the bottom kingpin bearing?

Shims are already available for those who want to increase the kingpin bearings’ preload.
The idea being to take the quality of fit of the assembly to something a bit better than the result normally achieved from the machined tolerances of all the parts involved.
Ideally, this preload will maintain uniform steering characteristics when driving under normal situations.
Properly measured, a small increase (but a well chosen amount) of preload, is likely to reduce bump steering when driving off-road.

So, the answer to my question is yes, by all means add a little more preload to that chosen by Suzuki but at the same time why not try to keep water out of the bottom kingpin bearing.

That is my logical for adding a top hat shaped shim. Obviously the top hat dimensions must be suitable for its location. Not too tall as to foul the CV joint. Not too small as it would not have a small grease reserve and/or a small airspace above the bearing.

Or is my logic flawed?