[quickdraw]

Originally Posted by Sukh4030

Moving to another issue of concern. I intend to travel to mountains (Leh included) frequently.

Nothing to be concerned about, he hit his car on a rock most likely. And BRH has really tested the limits of what the Jimny can do, after all he has done to finally have this happen is a testament to Jimny's build quality. Unless you plan to do off roading in rocks (which wont happen on normal routes/Leh) you don't have to worry about a thing. Also the milage improves after first service. Insist on oil change at 1000km.

[Turbolove]

Originally Posted by Sukh4030

A big thanks to everyone who replied to my post about fuel efficiency of Jimny.
Moving to another issue of concern. I intend to travel to mountains (Leh included) frequently. I follow a Youtuber - BRH expeditions who has done the Manali to Leh road trip. In his last but one video post, he had major breakdown wherein the mount (driver side) of transfer case broke into half.

Given the kind of roads BRH drives on and how, its quite possible for this to happen to most cars. A rock thrown hard enough can mess with the mounting points of any car, be it a Jimny or a Fortuner. A transfer case protection plate should have easily saved him though. They're available in a quite a few places now, Swastik and Bimbra being the known ones.

[Sukh4030]

Thanks.

I just spoke to Swastik fabs. Mr Vijay.

Enlightening. He said that the aluminum alloy mount for the transfer case is a high precision element and acts as a fuse/circuit breaker for any hit on the transfer case. The mount breaks on purpose to save the transfer case. Hence it should never be replaced by anything else except itself.

The transfer case protection is the way to go for extra protection.

[4x4master]

Originally Posted by Sukh4030

Thanks.

I just spoke to Swastik fabs. Mr Vijay.

Enlightening. He said that the aluminum alloy mount for the transfer case is a high precision element and acts as a fuse/circuit breaker for any hit on the transfer case. The mount breaks on purpose to save the transfer case. Hence it should never be replaced by anything else except itself.

The transfer case protection is the way to go for extra protection.

Very true. I had added transfer case protection from a vendor whose design replaced aluminum mounts with their mounts. This caused my 4L to get disengaged when it hit any obstacle. Replaced it later with Swastik design and original mounts.

[ShivC]

I wanted to improve the lateral body roll in the Jimny which becomes pronounced with a 40mm lift (or any lift for that matter) and get it drive as near a normal monocoque SUV as possible. On doing some research and going through various forums narrowed this down to correcting the Panhard rod alignment.

There were 2 ways of doing this (a) install adjustable rear Panhard rods or (2) install a Panhard bracket. I chose the second option as the first one involved finer tuning to adjustments with proper values on the geometry – one that I wanted to avoid as was not sure that I could do this correctly with no professional help at least in my city and very few installation videos on geometry correction of the Jimny . Also, the second was way simpler.

Thus started the search for one. Checked with ARB – Oldman EMU makes one but they do not just sell bracket stand alone in India. Also, the product had multiple adjustments with multiple washers near the Panhard rod – so not a good design as per me - so decided against even importing one. Narrowed the sourcing of the bracket down to Lambert Engineering – a small business in UK where the owner has a Jimny himself and was recommended. Ordered one – but turned out to be not suitable as was made for a 3 door and the 5 door has a nut welded to the chassis where this bracket would fit – after spending nearly a full day with multiple trips to the lathe machine we had FAILED.

Not one to give up – decided to get one made to order on measurement in India as all the brands like available outside India - Hard Race, Taniguchi etc. are all for the 3 door.

One distributor of similar products promised to make on for me – has a Jimny himself but it was one week merging into another merging into months. Kept telling me they are on the job but had given up any hope of them making it.

Was going through the brochure of 4XForza as wanted to order the underbody protection and saw that they sell XshockDakar suspension – the 3” one had Panhard rod mount re-locators mentioned as one of the components in the kit. Called them and spoke about my requirement of a Panhard Relocation bracket – was put onto their technical and design team – post which magic happened. In no time designs were sent to me - was fabricated and delivered to me – with 3 options incorporated on request – option for a 30 mm, 40 mm and 50 mm lift. Was playing it safe this time

The product:


The before and after – the pictures speak for themselves – put the rod on the 40mm lift slot – checked the basic geometry – it was perfect and better than fixing it in the 30mm and 50 mm slots (both of which were tried as well).:

Panhard Rod before installation of bracket:


Panhard Rod after installation of bracket:


THE VERDICT : Our Jimny has now the best of both world – a lift and a much reduced lateral body roll. Would stick my neck out and say it drives almost like a normal monocoque SUV now. Superb in fast road handling with much enhanced stability both on and off the road.

Some facts on the PANHARD RELOCATION BRACKET:

It essentially just corrects the angle of the rear Panhard to be parallel again with the diff/axels to work as intended. It essentially raises the rear roll centre.

The Panhard relocation bracket is a component that is used to keep the Panhard rod level and prevent bump-steer. It is not a must but is considered a good idea, especially when the vehicle has a suspension lift. The bracket raises the mounting position of the Panhard rod to suit the new position due to a suspension lift being fitted.

The purpose of the Panhard relocation bracket is to maintain the proper alignment of the Panhard rod, which helps to prevent lateral displacement and keep the the Panhard bar parallel to the axle , helps to avoid bump-steer, which is the tendency of the vehicle to steer to one side when encountering bumps or uneven terrain. It can also help improve the handling characteristics of the vehicle, reducing roll over steer and settling the on-road and fast road handling.

A special word of thanks to the 4XForza team for their excellent professional support in making this possible.

[Catamaran]

Installed the "Jimny optimized sound package" by Pioneer and what a difference it made. The sound delivery is in a different level now compared to the stock speakers. It’s a six speaker plug and play set up with the additional tweeters installed on the A Pillar. Came with the woofer baffles and tweeter brackets for A Pillar. Looks very neat. The tweeter bracket is precisely made for the Jimny A Pillar and doesn’t look like an aftermarket fitment.






Done damping on all 4 doors and the sound output is crystal clear. However the bass is just adequate due to the absence of a sub-woofer. All in all well worth the investment and highly recommended if you are looking for a speaker upgrade, without the fuss of making modifications on the door pads and pillars.


Meanwhile was in Kochi for the last five days and had ample fun in the Jimny. Took her to Vagamon hills and nearby off road tracks to Uluppuni tunnel where only the rented Jeeps are going. Also took a short cut mud road to Moolamattom, with only stone and rocks (all sand was washed out in the rains). The car handled the all the terrain with ease.

Last two days was completely in the Kochi city traffic, raining heavily and the diminutive size (both width and length) and ground clearance really helped. Parking and driving the car in the traffic is a breeze and you dont need to bother the large crater like potholes. My other car in India is a Honda city and that’s hardly driven after the Jimny’s arrival. Honda City is now reserved only for long drives with family and for rest, its the Jimny . Few pictures of the drive:

[madraspaiyan]

Do the Yokos touch the wheel arches with that profile?

[Catamaran]

Not at all. The tyres are 215 75 R15s'. I think the 235 width tyres only touch the wheel arches while turning. This upgrade is well within limits.

Originally Posted by madraspaiyan

Do the Yokos touch the wheel arches with that profile?

[quickdraw]

Originally Posted by ShivC

I wanted to improve the lateral body roll in the Jimny which becomes pronounced with a 40mm lift (or any lift for that matter) and get it drive as near a normal monocoque SUV as possible. On doing some research and going through various forums narrowed this down to correcting the Panhard rod alignment.

This is amazing Shiv, thanks for sharing. I am running stock suspension and would very much like to get rid of the lateral roll and also keep room for future proofing if I ever change suspension and get a lift etc. Can I get this modification done to my car too.

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by quickdraw

This is amazing Shiv, thanks for sharing. I am running stock suspension and would very much like to get rid of the lateral roll and also keep room for future proofing if I ever change suspension and get a lift etc. Can I get this modification done to my car too.

The geometry of Panhard rod needs to be maintained while doing any mods like lift kits hence this bracket is being used after the lift. Some kits may come with a drop kit for the frame side and an extension kit for the axle side, trying to get the Panhard bar to level , there maybe adjustable bars too to ensure axle is located correctly.

But its not going to reduce roll inherent to a vehicle with solid axles on either end, stiffer springs \ dampers will help of course at the expense of ride comfort if that is what you are after.

[ShivC]

Originally Posted by quickdraw

This is amazing Shiv, thanks for sharing. I am running stock suspension and would very much like to get rid of the lateral roll and also keep room for future proofing if I ever change suspension and get a lift etc. Can I get this modification done to my car too.

No am afraid this is possible by design only to be fitted on solid axle vehicles with a lift. What we are trying to do is raising the roll center by by trying to get the rear Panhard rod to be parallel again with the differential/axles - as it comes in the stock Jimny (A Panhard rod should ideally be at an angle close to horizontal). This photo would be self explanatory on why it cannot be fitted without a lift:



The Panhard rod in the stock vehicle is like this:


This was how my vehicle's Panhard Rod was post lift:


For lifts of 60mm - 75mm a Rear Panhard Rod Offset Relocation Bracket and Adjustable Panhard rods (rear and front) along with the Relocation Bracket would be required.

The only way to be future ready would be to buy the Panhard Relocation Bracket keeping in mind your planned lift when you do it . Mine is future ready both ways 30mm or 50mm should I ever change.

[pepega]

Originally Posted by Catamaran

Installed the "Jimny optimized sound package" by Pioneer and what a difference it made. The sound delivery is in a different level now compared to the stock speakers. It’s a six speaker plug and play set up with the additional tweeters installed on the A Pillar.

How much was the cost for the same? Did they provide installation as well or did you have to get it done yourself? Thanks.

Regards,
Pepega

[Catamaran]

If you google Pioneer sound package for Jimny, the website mention the details and dealers in different states. I contacted one from Kochi. He quoted Rs. 21,000 for the kit including installation and additional 7000 for damping all four doors. He said MRP was 30,500, and no further discounts. After paying an advance the kit arrived from Bangalore in 2 days and the installation and damping was done in half day.

Clarity wise I can fully recommend and way better than the current speakers, however the bass is just adequate since there is no sub woofer. Hope it helps.

[evilmessiah]

Originally Posted by Catamaran

If you google Pioneer sound package for Jimny, the website mention the details and dealers in different states. I contacted one from Kochi....
After paying an advance the kit arrived from Bangalore in 2 days and the installation and damping was done in half day.

Nice ICE upgrade. I liked it. Do you recollect which dealer it was? Was it Galaxy in Palarivattom? Did they do the damping and installation?

How many layers of damping did they do? Which material did they use? Hope you're happy with the installation and damping. Trust the noise levels have reduced post damping.

Originally Posted by Catamaran

Clarity wise I can fully recommend and way better than the current speakers, however the bass is just adequate since there is no sub woofer. Hope it helps.

Are you thinking of going all the way and adding an amplifier and an underseat subwoofer? It could round out the experience.

[quickdraw]

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

But its not going to reduce roll inherent to a vehicle with solid axles on either end, stiffer springs \ dampers will help of course at the expense of ride comfort if that is what you are after.

Understood, I'm more or less happy with the stock suspension and it's served me well especially on really bad roads like Kunzum Pass which I did last year. I will wait it out till they go bad and then figure out what I want to do. Right now most of the 5D/XL options available for suspension are more off-road focused. I want a balanced setup for all round usability and a bolt on solution that solves these kind-of issues.

Originally Posted by ShivC

No am afraid this is possible by design only to be fitted on solid axle vehicles with a lift.

Understood, thanks so much for the easy to understand explanation. This seems akin to what a sway bar is in monocoque vehicles. Always great to learn and understand new things.

Quick 1 Year Update on my Jimny

Chilling with the monster Jimny

Thought I'd make a quick update to this thread as the Jimny is turning a year old. I remember throughout the journey of discovering the 5D Jimny is being launched in India the first, the excitement over 100s of pages of the pre launch and post launch threads among the numerous other technical/milage/tires/accessories discussions. It has truly been a blast.

This is the first 4x4 I've owned although my friend recently remarked I now have all AWD (A45S, XC60, Jimny, Tiguan) cars from not so long back when I had a FWD, RWD, AWD garage (Superb, E90, Tiguan). It compliments the garage extremely well. In-fact it is the most used car for me in the house as whenever I want to go nearby the Jimny is just the perfect size and it has lead me to invest a bit in creature comforts like full damping of the car (Roof, Doors & Floor) along with a generous Gladen audio upgrade. I will capture more detail on the mods in the other thread (Maruti Jimny Accessories & Modifications)

Nice and clean (Kaza outskirts)

Some points to note from my ownership experince so far

• Milage approx 8000km, with milage hovering around 10 overall. I've gotten similar milage while driving in the hills +-2km/l depending if you are in 4H and average speeds
• The brakes are not the best in this car, I'm satisfied by regular performance but in the hills (>15000ft) I've had the issue where brakes were not working and rock hard.
• Some small internal modifications will transform the cabin to be extremely usable and feel spacious
• My car also suffers from the propellar shaft issue thats being discussed elsewhere
• I got the oil changed at 1000km, 3500km and 7000km and after the first 2 there was a noticeable difference in drivetrain sound and smoothness
• Car has been abused and driven hard and there are no creaks or rattles. There was no water ingress during last Gurgaon monsoons but there is a recurrent issue that your front number plate will wash away while water wading.
• Lights are inadequate and needs upgrade (mine is a Alpha model)
• In hindsight I would not go for the black roof as it always looks dirty due to dust compared to the rest of the car
• This car will be around for long so you will likely see me going down some extreme modifications unlike how I am with my other cars. Goal is to be minimalist and have the best creature comforts with ability to overland and highest reliability

Taking part in RocknRoad Delhi NCR Qualifiers

Overall I am extremely happy with the car even with its shortcomings, it feels like the perfect car for adventures in our country and look forward to doing many more trips in it and have fun building it out. Few of the upcoming items I have planned for the Jimny are

• Bride Seats - There are some really good options since its a JDM car.
• Upgraded lighting - Already underway with fog lamps lights changed and added some lovely Hella Black Magic flush fitted flood lights to the front bumper
  
• Tires & Wheels - Rays ALAP J wheels with Toyo Open Country RT Tires, unfortunately due to the wheel/tire import issues this is stuck
• Turbo Kit - My best friend has upgraded his Jimny with an Avo world Turbo kit and I will report once I've had a change to drive it for a decent amount of miles
• Suspension & Brake Upgrades - Will have to go hand in hand with the Turbo upgrade which makes the overall project very costly (almost 50% price of the car) so this one will likely come later on
• Underbody Guards - After experiencing what the stock jimny could do at the RocknRoad finale I am not too sure if one needs this. Especially since I don't do technical off-roading often or do rock crawling. Will discuss this further as and when I get something installed
• 80 Litre Long Ranger Tank - I am not a fan of carrying fuel in Jerry cans or any kind of external storage on the car so this is an option I'm seriously considering. There is a company in Australia that makes these for the 5D and it can be installed with minor modifications