My Chiffon Ivory JB74 SZ5 - blog/mods/build thread

Managed a little off road today, the Jimny drives as good as ever. And while on road I did notice the bumper being there at first. You really wouldn't know it is there when off road.

All apart from the fact it has no witness marks like the plastic standard bumper did that is. Approach angle is much improved.

As a reminder to where the front bumper used to get caught up:

CC Baxter wrote: Nice write up and pictures, on the website (ARB admittedly) it states the integrit finnish is unsuitable for colour coding. That sounds like a challenge to me.
Lambert makes a good point on the implications of fitting such heavy duty equipment and we should all be aware of the dangers. What we choose to do with that knowledge is down to the individual. I wouldn't fit one now (that's age for you) but I have fitted similar in the past. Chris

Re: your last point.

I have a HD tubular bumper on my 1979 Land Rover 88. Should I also not drive that? What about a standard Defender 90 bumper, it is hardly any more friendly?

We have a JCB Fastrac on the farm, it'll do over 30mph, has weights on the front and weighs about 5 tonne.

The front end of a 1960's muscle car is hardly any more impact friendly for a pedestrian. Should they all be banned too? How about lorries, buses, vans and pickup trucks?

Really, wft is the fuss about fitting something like this on a Jimny? It's not as if the forum isn't littered with pics of other Jimny's with winch bumpers on. But I don't see people bitching and moaning about them!!! FFS pretty pissed off with it if I'm being perfectly honest.

Blimey?! Yes, why so negative folks?...

I've been modifying and a member of the Suzuki community for nigh on 27 years now, and the joy for me is the variety of vehicles and owners and what they each do their vehicles to make them individual... it's rare to see two Jimnys with the same spec', each owner builds them to their own taste and to meet their own needs and aesthetics...

Not a word has been said about the front end of my buggy? -



With it's bumper made from a piece of 8" x x4" 6mm thick box section...

It'll be insured with photos sent to the insurers, and is being built as a sturdy buggy to take in the rigours of the mad type of lanes we chose to drive, so it can't have a deformable plastic bumper on the front...

If this owner wants to fit an ARB-style bumper, who are we to deride them?

"Each to their own", that's what makes the Suzuki modifying hobby (obsession!) so interesting to me...

The reason this is raised is the law change in 2007 which completely unfortunately lacks clarity and everyone interprets it differently.

Anyway, this legal element had been discussed to death in another thread and all over the internet. Therefore this element of the conversation stops here.

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Reason2doubt wrote: Wow. That thing is big! I hadn't quite realised the depth of it until looking closely at the photos. I can't imagine that moving anywhere in a hurry - plans to pop a winch in at some point? I do like the look of it though - I always liked the Australian 4x4's with these on!

What is the weight out of curiousity? It does look heavy as you allude to with the steering, but it can't be THAT heavy surely? Perhaps 35kg?

Not surprised the landy you mention has 4 bolts to hold the bumper on....explains why a while ago I tore somebody's off when pulling them out. My little Chinese import bumper has a fair few bolts to secure it to the car and generally to sandwich the two halves together. That one seems indestructible! Very cool and nice write up on the company/experience.

Thanks. Honestly not sure on the weight. Can't see any published figures anywhere. I don't think it is that heavy if you know what I mean. But just enough that I could tell the difference when I got in it. I've got used to it now though. Unless you drove back to back I don't think you'd really notice the difference.

Winch, yes. quite fancy one. But no rush. The Ironman winch looks nice and claims 28kg with the synthetic rope. But they are £695+vat + fitting. No idea how they stack up with other winches in terms of performance, quality or price.

www.ironman4x4.com/es/products/12v-elect...-with-synthetic-rope

mlines wrote: The reason this is raised is the law change in 2007 which completely unfortunately lacks clarity and everyone interprets it differently.

Anyway, this legal element had been discussed to death in another thread and all over the internet. Therefore this element of the conversation stops here.

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BLIMEY! Look at the front end of this one...



Who's is that?!

pre-2007

But you get the point?...

They do absorb impacts to protect the vehicle.

crash486

Sorry to have caused offence. I thought the bumper looked good and comments I made I thought were balanced, my mistake. I wouldn't fit one now because my tastes have changed, this was not intended as an attack on your judgement.
Chris
PS. Lose the original tie down eyelet, it looks too exposed now.

CC Baxter wrote: PS. Lose the original tie down eyelet, it looks too exposed now.

No worries all is good

Yes. I think I will 'trim' the factory recovery point. It has got hung up a few times. Odd place for it really. Just waiting for the Ironman ones to get to the UK, as they fit in with the bumper. I also like how they are mounted.

Transfer Box Update:

So I went back in to the local dealership today to follow up on the transfer box jumping out of low issue. Thankfully the dealer is local and I have access to some off road terrain near by. So I had pre-arranged for a tech to come and see the problem in action.

And sure enough after only about a min and half off road it jumped out of low. So I'm pleased it is being consistent. They want to have the vehicle in for a couple of days and take the transfer box out and strip it down. Booked in for next week. So more to follow on this.

I still haven't heard of anyone else having this issue. Although it does make me wonder if others are affected and just haven't been driven off road. I know there are some good YouTube vids of people off roading these. But I'm willing to bet a good proportion stay firmly on the tarmac. Or only go down a gentle lane or track. I'm pretty sure a normal green lane would not show this issue up on mine. It's down to the fact I'm getting the suspension fully flexing, lifting wheels and making the traction control work that has shown up the issue.