Jimny suspension.

[Craig]

Earlier this year I had a bladder tank made to suit the jimny. When it is full it can weigh up to about 300kg and puts a fair bit of load on the rear suspension. I have thought about adding pump up shocks but have not been able to find a supplier. As the load is not there all the time and only when we have to get some water, I was a little reluctant to modify the suspension too much just to cope with this occasional added weight. I am open to ideas.

Craig

[T1 Terry]

There are very light load carrying coil springs with an air bag inside available from the better 4 x 4 stores, might be possible for a clever bloke like you to adpt something like that. The air shocks have a nasty habit of punching the top shock mount right through the floor.
There was a photo on the wall at Illawarra Spring Works that suggested a bit of thinking outside the square, the coil spring was packed with tennis balls, the caption unde it was "Air suspension maybe?"

[Dot]

Get a bigger car or get less water.. how does the car steer with that load on? do the front wheels touch the ground???

[Craig]

The car steers fine, it is a touch light but not dangerous. As I said the load is not there all the time and only when we have to get some water. Changing vehicles is not an option. Increasing the height of the suspension is also not an option unless I raise the height of the enclosed trailer roof.

tennis balls eh

[PeterinSa]

In your situation I would ring Monroe in Adelaide in the new year. If they make a shock for the Jimmy, they will know the specs and even if they don't make a pump up there may be available a unit with similar specs and mounting for another vehicle that they could suggest you use.

[Jon and Kay]

Hi Craig,

I looked at the specs of the Jimny, 1075 kerb weight, 1420 gvm. You're working at the upper end of the specifications for that chassis, and I know you'll be careful with any modifications. My water bladder has a base of 1100x1100, which spreads the weight fairly well (the Terios also has a payload of 500kg). I assume your bladder is similar? Or is the footprint smaller?
Adding a water bladder was the best thing I ever did, with a 12 metre motorhome, accessing water is often difficult.

[BruceS]

Would both of you like to elaborate on exactly how you use the bladders?
Do you fill it before you leave home?
Do you go for a drive after midnight & fill it from someone's front yard?
Do you fill it from the river?
Do you use it from the bladder?
Do you pump it from the bladder into the MH's tanks?
I'm sure a few of us would be interested?

Me? ... I got a weak one & had to get up at 2AM.............

[SteveW]

Me? ... I got a weak one & had to get up at 2AM.............[/quote]

Likewise, no chance of my bladder adding much weight!

[Jon and Kay]

You wouldn't have us go off topic would you?

We carry our water bladder full most of the time. We can carry 300 litres in a 1100 x 1100 x 300mm bladder. Under the floor we have a standard RV pressure pump. We connect the bladder to the outside with a 12mm hose fitted through the floor to near the rear number plate. We have a two way tap fitting , allowing us to convert the outside hose to In or Out as required, by opening the appropriate tap.
We carry 30 metres of 9mm pressure potable water tube (same outside diameter as 12.5mm potable water hose, but a much thicker wall) for 'sucking' water from a river, water storage if necessary, else we just fill it from an available tap. We carry all types of tap fittings, so can access water from vandal proof taps where allowed, and boat ramps.
Although we try to filter the water on the way In, we have often only filtered it when transferring to the Motorhome.
The bladder is covered and gets no sunlight, and no air is retained in the bladder, so the water in the bladder is unlikely to grow algae.
When hooked up by hose from the bladder to the motorhome, we utilise the car's pressure pump, as on city water supply. It thereby provides an alternate should the motorhome pump fail.
We have often driven many kilometres to access water, allowing the motorhome to remain camped in the same location for an extended time, and still have good water supply.

[Dot]

I reckon Craig uses the bladder to cart water from "town" out to where they are parked up and just use that method for those times.. My bladder might be starting to not be available for you know, those "weird places" It now does it's own thing, especially when Mrs Brown is on.