My 2011 Rebuild

So after Wagtail, the review of the "damage".

The Jimny has being off-roading since being converted by KAP, six weeks after it was purchased new in 2003. The advantage of this is that it is still very low mileage (23,000 from new), the disadvantage is that its age is beginning to show.

Whilst at Wagtail the clutch all but gave up, the Panhard rod detached, the suspension made some clunking noices, the CV clicked loudly and the handbrake was useless again.

Whilst cleaning it down today, a few things became apparent.......



The first, shown in the picture above is the scoring in the axle tube from the Panhard Rod bush failure (the panhard is jury rigged into place in the picture to let me steer it in the garage)



Equally concerning is the brake pipe, ripped off the axle and hanging down. The damage in the pipe shows it was close to failure (see above)

Also, when jet washing the other wheel, the water foamed up into thick foam??? Therefore there is something contaminating the other wheel that causes the water to foam (Brake fluid??)

And so to the suspension...

From the front, not too bad....


But from the rear....!!!!



Drivers front indicator, distance to ground - 35 inches



Passengers front indicator, distance to ground - just under 38 inches!



Passengers rear light cluster, distance to ground - 43 inches



Drivers rear light cluster, distance to ground - just under 41 inches.



Still, looks a good lift when viewed from the passenger side!!



So its into the garage for a rebuild. The suspension was a 3 inch lift but has clearly seen better days. Therefore I need to replace it. Trailmaster do not do a three inch lift so, having looked around, I have decided to create my own. Shock Absorbers are on the way and the Springs are in production, so look out for the "BigJimny Lift" arriving in a shop near you soon!!!

On the bright side it has motivated me to sort out a lift kit!

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Yes it will be available overseas

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Our cars are quite similar Martin!

Both are black
Both are KAP products although my cage and winch bumper are locally fabricated
both have an equal amount of lean on the driver's side

My suspension is the only tired part on my Jimny though. I may wait to see what you produce in the way of a 3" lift kit before I part with any of my hard earned!

As we must have the same suspension kit - how soft is yours - does it lean much on the road as you go round corners at any speed, no matter how careful you are???

Kirkynut

First of all, I must state that it has had heavy use so its probably not a reflection on Kap.

Mine has always been very soft, loads of lean around the bends. We were watching it on the trailer behind the car and it was rocking like a boat in a storm whilst the Range Rover and trailer were level. It has Pro-comp ES9000 on the front and ES3000 on the rear.

Will fully document the process here, but it will be while before the Jimmy gets out for a proper trial run.

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Kirkynut, how about measuring yours at the same points.

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Crickey, I'm not knocking KAP, my springs and shocks have been on it for longer than I've owned it, and I have done a fair amount of heavy off roading, not as often as you or for as many years though.

My LR owning mates tend to change theirs more often than mine have been.

When you think about the amount of times each spring gets compressed to the max, then expanded to the max each time you off road, 4-5 years of it is a fair time!

I'll try to remember to measure it today but I'm not famed for getting round to things like that!

Kirkynut

Right, been out and had a measure up Martin.

Drivers front indicator, top of - 37"
Driver's rear light, top of reverse lamp - 42"

Passenger front indicator, top of - 38"
Passenger rear light, top of reverse lamp - 42.75"

So mine has fared a little better than yours. I take it you have no spring spacers on the driver's side. This could be a solution but not the ideal I don't think!?!

Kirkynut

Mine does have 1.5" spring spacers! - however I havent checked if they are still there after Wagtail