Just purchased my first Jimny

Well, that was a very long day.

Some new tasks for me in there - had to make a new brake line after some shenanigans trying to undo it from the ferrule to fit the extended line for the back axle. The brake line turned with the nut and wound itself into a lovely spiral. Looked nice but no good as a brake line anymore.

Have never used a press for bushes on radius arms either so after I watched one being pressed in and out I spent a fair bit of time on my own getting things sorted. Including sending some metal parts flying about since I had not quite got things squared away when I gingerly started pressing the bushes in.

Anyway, the suspension is all fitted now, including caster correction bushes in the front radius arms. I spent a while measuring and marking to make sure the holes lined up properly in the caster correction bushes.

I have only driven it a mile from my pals garage - suspension seems so much smoother and softer and more supple on the road, not more crashing and banging. Lambert was right again. Finally, the steering is once again self-centring.

I want to do some checking on the front end to see if it is worth either putting some box section under the bushes on the front anti-roll bar or make some flat bar extensions for the mounts for the drop links.

For now, well pleased. Oh and I forgot to take photos!

2nd that

Quick update - just been out around the country roads where I live - Wee Jimmy is good fun now on the road now and handles well for what it is. A million miles from my VRS Tdi PD estate, which is a weapon, but still I came home with a smile on my face.

I think we shall have to visit some nice lanes near Betws this weekend and see how the new setup performs.

Adjusted the headlight beams - been meaning to do it for a while - they were sat a bit low, a touch more noticeable with the new suspension.

Yay, it's started snowing

So, being a bit odd decided now was as good a time as any to do a coolant flush and put the proper pink G12 coolant and water in.

It's stopped now.

Am in North Wales

A couple of pics - wheel, new tyre and bolt through the hub to fix the hub. New shock and spring in the background.




Outside my pal's garage after doing the suspension.



Still got the clunk on the back left. Radius arm bushes need doing and I wonder if the axle mount holes are a little oval.

Have found the clunk - there is a little movement in the n/s/r rearmost bolt through the axle mount from the radius arm - spotted a bit of lighter coloured rust next to the head of the bolt.

Have nipped up the bolt a touch more for now which has helped a lot - I'll check the torque on it tomorrow. I'll likely weld a penny washer on there next week.

Since I now have fixed hubs I just did this mod to take the controller out of the loop.

Had a nice run out today. The new suspension was so much better. New tyres performed well even with 14 psi in them. Was going to go lower but thought I would try with that to start.

I am now certain the clicking at the front end when I am on bumpy and twisty stuff is the anti-roll bar / drop links or bushes. Rather than fix them up I was pondering it on the run home and decided to just remove them and fit some extended braided steel brake hoses on the front from llama.co.uk. That way Wee Jimmy will have better flex at the front.

www.llama4x4.com/page10.htm

I had a random engine check light on the dual carriageway no change in performance. I reset it by disconnecting the battery. it has not come back after 5 hours more driving. I'll see if anything was stored with a code reader tomorrow.

Extended stainless steel braided lines order from llama4x4 ordered.