Front drive shaft seals

Hi, both were at dealers. Both were low mileage, the first was in a sorry state all round really and a walk away. The second one was less miles and leaking badly at the oil seals, the back box is shot and a crack in the windscreen which needs repairing quickly as it will soon spread in front of the driver. New mot by the way. I've left it that they call me if sorted but my gut feeling is that it will stay on the forecourt for the unsuspecting buyer. Maybe general car dealers don't get the Jimny quirks, but it's hard to miss the oil up the inside edge of the tyres!

BR

Did it look like this?

Yes but worse, showing seepage at least a foot towards the diff and was all over the back plate and all over the back of the wheels and tyres. The brakes were really bad too so probably contaminated.

BR

Muddymoss wrote:
Any advice would be much appreciated.

BR

IMHO the magic test for king pin wear (which as has been stated allows the drive shaft to mess up the oil seal and cause a leak) when viewing a prospective Jimny is to grab the top of (each in turn) the front wheel and shake it back and forth in a tugging sort of way. You will feel and maybe hear the play if the pin's bearings are shot. it never fails and is quickly done.

Hi, is that a Pinin in the bottom photo? How does it compare with the Jimny.

Muddymoss wrote: Hi, is that a Pinin in the bottom photo? How does it compare with the Jimny.

Oooh that's a good question.

It is actually a Pajero Junior below my Pajero 2.5TD in the picture which is/was the forerunner to the Pinin. Interestingly I had a Pinin - AKA Pajero Io - just before the Junior it but it turned into a bit of a lemon. Just about all the UK Pinins (Shogun named)that I have had dealings about suffer with rot/rust and mine was no exception. By now they are over 10 years old and the British roads are unkind regarding rust. Pinin was a nice ride and very clean above sill level but the engine as well as the rust was a pain. I think the Pajero Io as an import is the only way to get a good one and a good one would be superb.

So I turned away from the Pinin and I went on the hunt for a Pajero Junior. A big reason for getting it was it is in the cheap annual tax bracket. It has the same wheel etc. set up as the Io so my black wheels were a straight swap.





Then when I found one I sold the Pinin. I also wanted both/either because of the front suspension which I find very important; the Jimny worried me over water ingress after I did the king pins.

I also wanted a vehicle that was easy to access and work on, that applies to both too. Unhappily I was having to work on the Pinin almost daily. It never inspired confidence in terms of reliability.

I liked the Pinin being permanent 4x4 but I am OK with selectable in the Junior, just like the Jimny.

So do you want me to tell you how the Pinin compares with the Jimny or the Pajero Junior does? Both have a commonality comparisonwise in some respects. Like I said the front suspenders is a sort I prefer being independent and both are the same.

The Junior is very like the Jimny in many ways; engine layout, size, engine size (though a bit smaller), chassis though it has welded outriggers so is sort of monocoque (and is one area where the Pinin rots), Junior's auto is 3 speed and facilities like aircon etc.

Would you like to know more about the Junior or more about the Pinin?