[WySiWyG]

Hi folks, if I've posted this is the wrong spot Mods, sorry, rather than delete it please show me how to move it. I'm negotiating the final deal on my brand new Jimny this weekend and I have a list of mods that I want to make and I'm looking for opinions on order of upgrade (I haven't included the basics like tinting etc) and - please note: asinine comments will be ignored. Please don't 'slam' me - I'm keen to learn.

I'm not planning on extreme off-roading but I'm looking at plenty of beaches, unmonitored dirt roads and some moderate but steady (and potholed) hill climbs so I don't ever imagine that I'll be doing any extreme mods to my Jim! This is what I'd like to change but I'm still not sure of what order in priority I should do some to get the best out of my purchase.

1. Rip out the back seats and build a false floor.
2. Already got a deal to swap my standard H/T tyres for Yokohama A/Ts - Yokos are ok, right?
3. Bullbar - what's the pros/cons of getting one with a winch?
4. Reverse cameras. Has this helped anyone?
5. Side flares - is the side clearance lousy enough to warrant these?
6. I'm considering a snorkel - opinions on water crossings without one?

And at this point I'm not sure what else I should change to make my trips smoother. Really looking forward to hearing your comments and suggestions on ways to improve what comes with a Jimny.

[Reubs]

1. Removing seats gives probably 60L more rear space. Can't say I've ever needed a false floor or drawers though and I've done heaps of camping with a partner in a Sierra which is roughly the same size.
2. Personally I can't see much 'bang for the bucks' of removing HTs and going only to AT's - just go straight to some MTs. There are some well priced ones around and modern MT tyres won't drive too badly considering it's already a 'somewhat agricultural' vehicle.
3. If you aren't doing anything too difficult than personally I wouldn't bother with a winch. That said I always carry a Tirfor when alone and it has come in handy and was able to winch backwards which was more useful at the time.
4. Reverse cameras. I personally haven't had much experience with them, but a Jimny already has more visibility and well sized mirrors compared to a lot of other offroad vehicles.
5. Flares are really only going to be useful once you've increased the rim offset and tyre size a fair bit. If you aren't doing this then they are useless. If you are running any more than a small increase in tyre size you will need to chop the guards so sort of a waste on a new vehicle.
6. Jimny's already have a well placed air intake. If you drive with water deep enough to need one - above the headlights then you have bigger problems to worry about and you will need a pretty strict maintenance regime to keep on top of the wear and tear if submarine excursions are a regular occurrence. I would consider diff breathers a necessity though.

[alien]

1) seats out, no false floor. Ute all the way!
2) MT's.
3) Bullbar yes, winch, narrrrr
4) load of crap. the one in our mazda3 is just for checking how close we are to the wall in the carport and even then the mirrors are better.
5) Nope.
6) If you waterproof everything else as well as the air intake, sure. But water crossings (and mud) ruin everything. I avoid it at all costs and just go around if i can. Since doing so my wheel bearings, brakes, bushes, everything really have lasted about 10x as long as they used to!

[pete_79]

1) your call as to what suits you.
2) don't waste time with AT, just get MTs straight up.
3) bullbar= heavy, winch= more heavy, second battery to run winch= even more heavy. In total, shit loads more weight hanging off the front of the car then you need.
4) Not needed. I thought about installing one for safety with our little kids running around, but visibility is awesome in the Jimny.
5) Save your money.
6) Water crossings can be done without a snorkel. Before I fitted my snorkel I would do the ball test, if it looked deep walk it first, if my balls got wet have a good think about if I needed to cross it or not.
Snorkels also help pick up cleaner air above the vehicle when driving in dusty conditions.

[SPEEDY]

A few things I've learned with mine
1) seats out and a cargo barrier is very ver useful.
2) bigger tyres are a + but for standard stuff stick to the 29's max.
3) winch and bullbar are good but you need to upgrade the suspension or the shimmy gets nutts.
4) the snorkel is actually really handy if driving on dirt roads or desert, you don't suck up half the dust.
5) cameras are a wast of time, you have great vision already.
6) false floor or roller draws, hell I want them.

[ozzycouch]

A bit off topic but,
Just thinking about what you want to drive I would be going for an on board air compressor as the first mod, doesn't matter what tires you decide on they need to be put to road pressure after your finished. - It may be automatically on you list of mods anyway?
Rather than a heavy bar and winch on the front, I would be spending the money on a rear locker.
No weight to wreck the performance. You have to be doing some silly driving to require a winch vs a locker and quick bit of digging to get out. Sounds lazy but I'll much rather hit a button to pop over a obstacle rather than dragging out winch lines finding something to winch off, winch, pack it all away again.

[Gwagensteve]

^this xinfinity.

Building a car that's capable enough to drive the terrain you encounter is much smarter than putting 60+ kg of bar and winch on the front to drag you through stuff you could have driven.

Steve.

[Jezza86]

1. Rip out the back seats but dont bothor with a floor just put up a wall. a tall one if you have a dog.
2. bfg km2 mt's
3. no bullbar. sure their handy to high lift jack off and install a winch onto, but theres winch mounts that hide behind the stock bar too (just have to trim the plastics. a bullbar will also cost you .2-.3l/100k fuel economy.
4. Reverse cameras. Has this helped anyone? the one in my navara is fantastic. dd i ever need one in my jimny? fuck no. using the side mirrors you can practically see anything within 3m of the car rear door. and you have a huge rear window. a reversing beeper is more effective at getting people out of the way. you would be surprised how many people have reversing cameras and dont even look at them.
5. Side flares. not for 215's. not for 235's either.
6. I'm considering a snorkel - opinions on water crossings without one? water will come up through the boot around the gear shifter before it enters the engine. then it comes through the grommet on the passanger sife firewall. then the air flap behind the passenger side tail light. then the door handles.

if your up to the door handles your fucked without a snorkel. its around this point the rear also starts to float.

[Angus Martin]

1. up to you
2. yeah or mts, what size are you thinking? 215s will fit with no mods and are he largest legal size you can go so just depends what type of terrain you want to drive
3. yes bulbar, will protect your car from roos and also bush bashing ad looks good as well as providing mounts for lights or aerials etc.
4. nah not needed
5. yes if getting large offset rims, if not no.
6. yes, it's insurance, some people say you get better fuel economy and a bit re power but IMO not noticeable, does sound good though.

[WySiWyG]

Thanks for your thoughts everyone - it's helped put some things into perspective. I'm putting in the false floor because I'm small enough to sleep in the back but I need a few extra inches so my feet don't dangle and I carry a lot of stuff in general so it'll just be easier for me. The dealer has thrown in free Yokohama ATs - might not be the best but will give me time to see how I like it. I still need to drive around town and I'm not sure MTs will suit - time will tell. I was considering diff breathers Reubs - I think I'll go ahead with them.

Anything else that I should do like lift it?

Cheers!

[Gwagensteve]

No. Lift creates a minefield of death wobble/caster correction/voided warranty.

Definitely do diff breathers before you go offroad.

Snorkel is meh.

[Jezza86]

get some maxtrax and a air compressor. for where your going their worth their weight in gold.

[tanshi]

ive seen a lot of Late model jimnys having issues with their transfer cases hitting the ground and smashing the sensors on the back of the transfer case.

consider armour.

[greenzook89]

^ this also.

From the sounds of it you want more of a touring setup than anything else. My ideal tourer Jim would have the following. No lift, 215 muddies (this also will mean you dont need gears) transfer gaurd, air compressor, diff breathers. Basically keep it simple. A locker will transform the vehicle but its up to you if the cost is justified.

[Marko_SJ]

greenzook89 wrote:

^ this also.
A locker will transform the vehicle but its up to you if the cost is justified.

My 2c, best mod $ for $ you can do.

A local fella that I wheel with from time to time (Austuff) has a very sensible looking Jimny with twin ARB airlockers.

It goes very well, its limit is only really found on big rocks or sloppy mud that it diffs out on.

[Jezza86]

Thats why I say maxtrax. For how often a tourer uses lockers maxtrax give a similar outcome. 215's dont have a lot of surface area and maxtrax give 2" lift at the diffs, more surface area and more traction for $400. That said if you have muddies a cap locker for $500 is worth it. But ttwin arb locked invluding fitting and compressor will set you back 3.5 to 4 k.

[Marko_SJ]

Jezza86 wrote:

Thats why I say maxtrax. For how often a tourer uses lockers maxtrax give a similar outcome. 215's dont have a lot of surface area and maxtrax give 2" lift at the diffs, more surface area and more traction for $400. That said if you have muddies a cap locker for $500 is worth it. But ttwin arb locked invluding fitting and compressor will set you back 3.5 to 4 k.

That's true about touring, but said Jimny literally didn't need any other modifications to keep up apart from small mud tires.

When I think about the $$$ my brother spent lifting, putting 30s on and gearing his jimny, the $$$ would have been more justified having it as it was with lockers and small mud tires... plus it wouldn't have wobbled.

[ZUZUKI]

There probably is a co. that does proper snorkels for the up-date Jimny.
The guard shape is different to the earlier ones - the SS820HF Safari snorkel can be made to fit, but its not as nice as it is on the earlier car it was designed for.
Rgs, Michael

[irodders]

I must say I'm pretty happy after putting a 50mm lift kit and 215x75 BFG AT tyres on my 2013 jimny. It looks heaps better, goes good on the trails, and still works well as a daily drive. You might get a little steering shake but mines barely noticeable

[sideways]

I'd run a false floor if I was keeping it long term, the floor is a horrible uneven shape and it's actually quite a bit louder with the seats out. Incorporate some tie downs into it and maybe a slide out table under it if you're going to be camping. About sleeping in it, if you pull the head rests off the front seats fold flat and line up with the bases of the rear seats so if you're rather short you can sleep there. There's a section in the manual about it.

I run D697 A/Ts in the stock size on mine. I'm super happy with them, they're a whole world better than the kumho HTs they replaced. Better on the road, miles ahead on unsealed and now I actually have some traction in mud. The only downside is they pick up stones, but that's A/Ts for you. No regrets for not going to an MT.

Aside from diff/transfercase/gearbox breathers I don't think there's any mods that most people would consider "necessary" on a Jimny (I think of an air compressor as an accessory). Modifying a vehicle is about driving it and seeing what you need. Everyone's needs, wants, goals and solutions are different, especially here in Suzuki world.

[nessness]

First and foremost - this has been a fantastic post! I have got a lot out of it.

I'm in a similar scenario but haven't purchased yet. I'm looking for a hybrid on/off road beast that's not going to cost a fortune. But I want to have a bit of fun off road. Not sure if I should buy stock or something with work done already. Camping is another reason I want one.

The wobble is a concern for me. From what I can gather, lifting it will cause this. Then comes the other necessary mods required to do so. I've seen the stock Jimnys and I would like a little more clearance. Would the 215 MT acheive this? What is the on road performance like? The rubbing would bum me out too. Can anyone post a pic, demonstrating stock with 215 MT?

Snorkle and bull bar is a must for me. I want to come off best if a kangaroo decides jump in front but not interested in the weight of a winch. Can you get cheaper custom bars that weigh less? I like the idea of maxtraxs instead.

Roof racks or would a basket be better for extra gear? Looking at an annex too. Any suggestions for these and where to get them?

Can anyone give us any more hot tips?

[nessness]

Also, G13BB in the 1999 models, for example. Any experience on how many km you can get out of them or issues? I've found a couple 1999 models but it's on the boarder line of when the engine changed to the MA13a. The newer options sounds like the sensible choice. Thoughts?

[greenzook89]

My first Jimny had a G13BB engine. Had 200xxx on it when i bought it. Never used any oil/water. Like anything it depends on the service history of the individual vehicle. You can get a G series cheaper as they are the first model but if you can I'd buy a M series engined Jimny. Simply for the fact they are newer

[GraphicX]

i found the G13BB a little lackluster in the power department, especially after going to the 215 tyres. reliability wise etc the G series engines are very simple, i think the biggest concerns are cracked heads & blocks, along with the usual electrical woes with sensors. but from reading i'd say they're less troublesome than most engines, not faulting the M series at all, i just haven't had any experience with them.

[Seth2013]

@nessness

Mine death wobbled before I lifted it. done 80000 km when I bought it a few years ago. its a genuine design flaw apparently and Suzuki produce shims to pre-load the offending bearings. so I wouldn't list it as a reason not to lift.

lifting will induce other issues (castor issues and body roll), but a good kit should feel as good onroad as stock if not better.

I own an m13a - but its very low km so no word on reliability. I was more inclined to go the m13a because it runs a timing chain instead of a timing belt.

[WySiWyG]

I've had the Jimny for a few days now. The back seats are well and truly gone. I have a false floor down that'll see me through an upcoming long weekend (rushed it so I could get away in some comfort and adjust to camping with a different car) but when I get back I'll redo it from scratch with adjustments. As so many have said, the pick-up is noticeable but as for around town and driving at speed, I have no complaints at all. So far, fuel consumption is expected. Only other changes have been to AT tyres and some weathershields. There's a couple more things I'd like to do but can do so at leisure - I'm pretty happy with my choice in car, I sense many miles of open roads in my future...

[shep]

Good choice. Now you just need to join big jimny forum and the Facebook page suzuki Jimny owners of Australia as auszookers isnt a good spot for jimny info.

Mine has now done 35000km without issue, has 4" lift and only ever had a wobble when I bent a rim. Last week I drove from Darwin to Adelaide in two days. Would love to see a sierra do that

[Marko_SJ]

I wish my brother could say the same Shep.

So far because he's not overly mechanically minded, he's payed a workshop to shim kingpins, rotate wheels, had discs machined, had wheel bearings replaced, checked all the bushes in the front end.

He's running 3 inch JB springs, with rough dog shocks, and those tube extended radius arms and tough dog panhards.

We're still getting wobbles unfortunately, he's running out of ideas. Next thing to try is reverting back to stock, bolting on a set of 27 or 26 inch muds and then using it until he can afford something else.

It annoys him because he really likes the jimny and its a good setup for cruising around bush and town.

A sierra would probably break down next to Renner Springs, but most other cars that aren't suzukis would do that trip as good (better than) as a jimny.

[shep]

like I said don't bother with AZ for jimnys as the same people will hate on them. Plenty of info elsewhere.

[GraphicX]

there's a lot of people on big jimny with fighting the death wobbles as well with no success. every time i fiddle with something on my car i worry i might induce the wobbles (i do a lot of highway driving) but been fine so far.