Motorway driving

wrote:

Well, another positive for motorway use, we drove to York in our 2020 SZ5 yesterday and no issues at all, kept it at the legal limit some of the time, otherwise it was cruise control set at 65mph.
We averaged 44mpg according to the readout on the dash. This has definitely gone up as the vehicle has loosened up, now on 5,500 miles.
lt is better with both hands on the wheel in windy conditions, same as any 4x4 with a steering box rather than rack and pinion steering.
As you need to make minor corrections to the steering. But it was fine and once we get a tow bar fitted it will be able to tow our boat, and may replace the Defender for trips to Scotland.

On the Defender l fitted an RTC steering damper and that transformed it for road use, making the steering more car-like with better self centering and less need to make constant minor adjustments.

l haven't seen one available for the Jimny, l wonder if it would also make the Jimny a better road car, the Terrafirma one that fits Defender would be too much for the much lighter Jimny.

 

I fitted a steering damper for my Gen3, there are plenty for sale on eBay as well as companies like Jimnybits (don't know if they fit a Gen4), it made a big difference on the main roads.  My biggest distance so far is the 250 miles to the Meet-up, mostly on the A1/M1, but I kept the speed down to around 65MPH, the damper just stops a lot of the drift and the constant correction you get from cross winds and passing vehicles.

I tend to think that the Jimny is happier at 60-65 than 70-75MPH, the noise comes up a lot at the faster speed and it is more wearing on the throttle to keep up the faster speed, again a Gen4 with more power might be better suited.
 

Yes you are right about speeds, the Jimny is quiet at 65mph and while happy at 75mph the engine becomes more vocal.

With regards to the steering damper, l think the Gen 4 has one as standard.
What l am talking about is an RTC steering damper (Return To Centre)
lt has a coil spring over the damper to give more self centering action, the spring resists compression or expansion of the damper (as when turning corners)

On the Defender you don't notice the difference when turning the wheel to take a corner, but you do notice the increase in self centering when you straighten the wheel after the corner.

This makes for a more stable and better road vehicle, particularly at motorway speeds, and to be honest although l've not done any extreme off road, it doesn't seem to be a detriment off road either.

Your a lucky sod Busta. The last time I could drive at 80mph on any UK road for hours at a time I didn't have a car that could drive at 80 mph for hours at a time.

Roger

I rarely drive anywhere without having an opportunity to travel at those sort of speeds. Unless I'm in suffolk. All roads are slow in Suffolk.