Jimny towing

Hey folks

New member here but I have been lurking for the last few weeks well thinking about what 4x4 to buy.

Basically looking for a cheap to run 'proper' 4x4 with a big modding community and the Jimny seems to be the best vehicle for this, except from maybe a Defender... Which I cant afford .

I know they Jimnys can be fantastic off roaders, think one actually towed my old Shogun out at a Pay and play a few years back, issue is I need my vehicle to function as an occasional use tow vehicle to haul my track car 3 or 4 times per year.

It's a pretty light mx5, weighing in at 1070kg and I am an experienced tower, I am just wondering how the Jimny handles weight right up at its braked towing limit (possibly 60-80kg over with a dually trailer).

Anyone had any experience hauling stuff with a Jimny, if so is there any worthwhile modifications to make it better, I know defenders benefit greatly from a beefed up rear suspension, ARB and some wider rubber, I assume Jimnys are the same.

A Jimny and an MX5 make a great pair of fun cars!

It will pull it fine, albeit slowly. Make sure the trailer brakes are in good working order as the low weight and short wheelbase of the Jimny mean it will easily get pushed out of shape by an under-braked trailer.

You will probably find the 2wd-low mod useful for manoeuvring a trailer about at low speeds. I made a how-to guide here:

Fitting a 1.6 engine helps speed things up a little. If you are planning big tyres you will definitely need to correct the gearing for towing.

In terms of budget off-roading, you can build a very competent Jimny for the price of a rough, unmodified Defender. And Jimny's are much easier to work on and nicer to drive. You can't go far wrong!

Hehe yeah, 2 seater sports car + small 4x4 is definitely the best recipe for fun per £ in my opinion. You're right about the defender pricing, they are getting ridiculous, especially recently, I'm toying with a Disco1/2 as they can be picked up reasonably, but the potential for unexpected bills is pretty high with those.

Outwith the green oval brigade the Jimny seems to be the only other 4x4 in the UK with a large, active, modding community, which I really like. Also considering a GVitara but from what I've read they arnt as toughly built as the Jimny.

As for Mods I'm not sure what I'll do, definitely chucking a set of BFG KO2s on it for mixed used, the set on my pals L200 lasted him 60k miles so I assume on something as light as a J they are a tyre for life if looked after! , not sure about what size to use, definitely bigger than stock but I don't want to mess the CoG up going ridiculously high. That 2wd low mod looks like a pretty good idea. Don't really plan on engine swapping unless something blows up, I have no problem chilling with the Tescos lorries and overloaded Polish lutons whilst occasionally towing. I'll need to see how to put my car+trailer on a diet as they come in at 1400kg as it sits at the moment, but that's with fuel + spare wheels etc.