Gen 4 Jimny Shocks

Thanks, for some reason I thought the most recent Wrangler had gone IFS.

As I said, there are few passenger cars with a live rear axle. You're 100% correct that many trucks, pickups, and derivatives have them still -- but I rather doubt the OP is coming from the truck world, or he would not be bothered by the Jimny's ride quality.  

From what I see in my country, perhaps a third of Gen4 Jimny owners are people who wanted a small SUV-like creature, and the Jimny's good looks caught their eye.  Those are the ones who come to the forums later when they discover the Jimny handles like a shopping trolley full of marshmallows.  

One thing, check your tyre pressures! They should be 26psi all round.

l bought ours second hand nearly new and the ride was definitely worse than the one we test drove. l checked the tyre pressures and they were at 42psi.

l think they are shipped with these pressures when new, and some dealers forget to set them to the correct pressures before sale.

 Once l set the pressures to 26psi it was noticeably better.

Thanks for the only reasonable answer so far! I suspect it's the shocks that make it a bouncy ride. Nonsense like I've bought the wrong car.. really? I buy the car I want, then change what I want to change.

Of course you bought the wrong car -- you want something with a smooth ride and good highway manners, and that is certainly not a Jimny.  Now you are going to spend time and money trying to make the Jimny into something it can never be.

But so what? It's your money, and I don't think anyone is saying you don't have a right to spend it as you please.

However when you start asking about things like the "harsh ride" or how to fit "an overdrive unit" to your Jimny, you are going to hear some hooting from the gallery. Sorry if that hurts your feelings, but we're not trying to be nasty.

In any case, I hope you come to accept the Jimny in all its primitive glory, and enjoy your time with this automotive throwback.  After all, enjoyment is why we are all here on this enthusiasts' forum.  Good luck and safe travels.

Jimnyjon wrote:

Thanks for the only reasonable answer so far! I suspect it's the shocks that make it a bouncy ride. Nonsense like I've bought the wrong car.. really? I buy the car I want, then change what I want to change.

"I will not use the car off road and would like a more comfortable ride". It is an off-road vehicle, if you want a more comfortable ride and are not going to use it off-road, then you bought the wrong car.

As said, first thing is to set the tyre pressures correctly. How old is the vehicle? It may just be that the shocks are worn out and need replacing. If that doesn't help, then there are a number of suspension options available that will give a better ride than the stock suspension.

Do remember to fight nicely children.

Jimnyjon wrote:

Thanks for the only reasonable answer so far! I suspect it's the shocks that make it a bouncy ride. Nonsense like I've bought the wrong car.. really? I buy the car I want, then change what I want to change.

As said. No the shocks won’t change what you are describing as bouncy. That is probably more a narrow track short wheel base live axle 4x4.

Meaning you sit relatively high from the road and axle line. So a small movement at the wheel translates to a larger movement at head and shoulder height. Shocks will not change this. A wider lower vehicle with stiffer anti roll bars might. But may well cause other ride issues.

Changing stuff is fine, but you can’t defeat or alter physics.

Thanks to the two people that responded to my question, to the others, I am not interested in nonsense opinions and useless comments. It is you that give good places like this a poor standard. I won't be bothering to return here.

I have just gone back through this post to see if there are any lessons to take on board and as far as I am concerned nobody has been offensive, rude, lied or tried to offer misinformation. It's not, in my opinion, wrong to help people understand that the jimny is a specialised vehicle that is not suited to every usage case and neither is it wrong to explain the reasons behind its shortcomings in certain usage conditions. As was suggested simply throwing money at a jimny because it doesn't meet a perceived requirement is not going to miraculously solve anything, certainly not without the budget that Suzuki put into the r and d to get it where it is now.