Placek's 33" Jimny

My 31" Jimny was not awesome enough, mainly because of it's weak 80PS engine, almost stock suspension and too small wheels so I decided to rebuild it completely Unfortunately coilovers are too expensive, so for now I am going to use Ironaman +2" springs and shock dampers.

The one that I'm rebuilding is the green one: www.bigjimny.com/index.php/forum?view=to...d=55403&limitstart=0

Rear suspension is almost ready, just need to fit shock dampers and finish the A-radius arm.
Btw the rear axle is from Suzuki Vitara 1.6 16V with 5.125 ratio. I'm going to put some armour on it.

I'll put the fuel tank to the inside of the car.
I decided to install Vitara's axle because it's much more durable than Jimny's - it has to bear 33" Silverstone MT117 Extreme tyres and BMW 1.8is 140PS engine in rally conditions Front axle is the wide one from samurai with TG 33-spline axleshafts and cv joints. The rear axle has been also moved 6cm to the rear.

Picture of the front suspension (no shock dampers yet) and the whole chassis upside down.
In the next few days we should put on the wheels and flip the chassis to do the final measurments and suspension welding incl. panhard rod, which we think is going to be a bit problematic.

Chassis on it's wheels. Looks big Sorry for the poor quality, but the photos were taken with a cell phone...





And a little bonus - my new emblem

This is looking good.

What is going to be done to the body? Anything radical or left as was?

I've often thought Sammy axles with TG shafts would be a good idea on a Jimny because the diffs remain Suzuki ssized, so you don't lose ground clearance taken up by Toyota or G Wagon bigger axles. You then gain more by the same bigger tyres.

It's just a case of getting the castor right by rotating the axle to suit and sorting out the location of the other components. I say just but it's beyond me!

Kirkynut

Thanks
The body will be as stock as spossible, I'm not going to cut it in half. But some serious fenders trimming and mudguards mods are going to happen, because the wheels are just too big.
I chose vitara's rear axle beacause of it's 5,125 ratio - I also used vitara's front differential in samurai's front axle. And btw.: rear axle from 1.6 16V is much better than from 1.6 8V - same ratio, but the gears are attached better and axle shafts are thicker.

Can you get TG shafts for the Vitara rear axle? Are they needed with a locker in the Vitara rear axle or are the standard Vitara rear shafts bomb proof?

I know you can get them for Sammy rear axles.

Kirkynut

Twenty years abusing Vitaras and I've only ever turned the splined ends off two shafts where they enter the diff (with the help of a Centerforce clutch, crawler box and a rear LSD)... if that helps

kirkynut wrote: Can you get TG shafts for the Vitara rear axle? Are they needed with a locker in the Vitara rear axle or are the standard Vitara rear shafts bomb proof?

I know you can get them for Sammy rear axles.

Kirkynut

Rear Vitara axle is bombproof I have TG shafts and joints in front samurai axle.

MysticRich wrote: Have you moved your front axle forward ?
It's a job on my to do list as I'm running 32" tyres on the jimny axle with Robb storr shafts ect and my tyres still foul on the body and I have 4" springs on the front with a 2" body lift on what cab I have left after the tray back and that's after I have cut everything away possible.
Interested in the used of vitara rear axle and could be a good option.
Would the jimny diff fit in an vitara axle to keep gearing same ??

Hi MysticRich, just reading ur post about ur tyres fouling on ur body with 32" tyres. i have the same sort of setup as u.i have 32" insa turbo tyres no body lift, and a 4.5" D&G suspension setup, but i did have D&G radius arms front and rear. i had to cut away the inner arch foot well side and angle the small box section under the head lights. but now i have changed the front D&G radius to kap suzuki ones which are about 12mm longer. which totally misses the body.hope this helps, Nick

MysticRich wrote: Have you moved your front axle forward ?

Yes, 16cm.

do you know how the ORA mk1 radius arms compare for size ? i have the same tyres/setup and same problem

thanks