Placek's 33" Jimny

Placek wrote: Opel omega shock absorbers are too soft

More likely to be the springs that are way to soft. Going as slow as you are in that video, shocks dont have very much impact on the risc of rolling over.

But the main reason is still too narrow tracked for the height. Get some spacers on and you'll do much better.

TomDK wrote:

Placek wrote: At least the rollcage has been verified positive

At least as long as you don't expect it to withstand a highspeed rollover or rolling down a hill.

I haven't built this car for highspeed competitions.

Placek wrote:

TomDK wrote:

Placek wrote: At least the rollcage has been verified positive

At least as long as you don't expect it to withstand a highspeed rollover or rolling down a hill.

I haven't built this car for highspeed competitions.

Highspeed or not. For competition use you NEED a diagonal crossbracing in the main hoop.
As the cage is now it does not provide any real additional safety for the driver and co-driver. It just gives a bit more protection to bodywork when driving around trees and in a very slow rollover as we just say in the video.

For comp use, safety first. Always.

Yesterday tests. A friend's edit
vimeo.com/153833520

Great vid looks like your enjoying your monster jimny

I have wighted my Jimny: 3262 lbs (1480kg) fully tanked and ready to drive. Mass distribution to axles: 53% front, 47% rear.

400kg heavier than standard! No wonder she's a bit unstable.

I'd be more interested in the centre of gravity than the actual weight if it were mine what with the cage and the radiator up so high and then the body having relatively low resistance to roll with the big flexible suspension. Ok there's some low down mass provided by the weight of the tyres and axle strengthening but even so I would still be looking at getting as much weight as low as I could, as it trying falling over on every second corner would be quite tedious.

Good luck with the shake down though, I'm sure that you will find suitable solutions for some of it's little idiosyncrasies.

Placek wrote: I have wighted my Jimny: 3262 lbs (1480kg) fully tanked and ready to drive. Mass distribution to axles: 53% front, 47% rear.

is that with or without you in the car ? the GVM of a jimny is only 1420kg so you're already in the red either way

The suspension is a bit too soft, but flex does the job in rough terrain very well. That was the first test, I'm sure I'll improve few things in the future but for now I'd like to test the car in competition conditions and see how it'll do.
I'd like to avoid the half-measures because in the long term they are cost inefficient so probably in a year or two I will swap suzuki axles to toyota and go for coilover shocks, but that's expensive and after this build I am broke and need some time before I will think about big investments.
So now I will have maximum fun from what I have but will keep all suggestions in mind for the future improvements.

And of course few photos

Command center:


New emblem:


And my favourite sticker

These are my rear half-shafts after first competition I should start using my brain more often than my gas pedal, especially on a rocky surface...

The second competition was also not very successful - the A-radius turned out to be too weak and broke and the rear axle shaft with it.







A friend took a photo of me shortly after we packed our rig on the trailer. I wasn't very happy then