Hi there, as some of you may know im looking to do a jago / suzuki conversion ie: jago body onto a suzuki chassis.

Now over the weekend i went to have a test drive in one for sale and it felt very wooly on the steering, you could shake the steering wheel a good 10-15mm side to side before the wheels would move, on the dual carrigeway it wondered alot and i felt i had to hold it very rigid and when it did wonder i had to correct it with lots of slight movments otherwise it would vear very easily.

Trouble is i have never been in one of these before or driven one before so i have no idea how they drive or what to expect as normal?
if it makes any difference its on a j plate sj413 standard shackles, suspension etc no signs of off roading

so has anyone owned one or driven one that can say wether the above is just how they handle (as i know from reviews their not great anyway) or what could possibly be wrong with this one that could cause this?

Many thanks in advance
Greg

Can't help with the Suzuki, but my Terrano is similar with the steering slop.
But doesnt wander particularly badly, just enough for you to have to drive it, not like new car for instance
I expected it to be normal for a basic 4x4 and soon got used to it
I presume its a steering box rather that R+P?

My mother had one, it was brand new and what you describe rings bells.

They are horrible, why not try plonking it on an early dihatsu 4track, the silver top diesels go well, red tops are a bit sluggish but you get the same vague steering etc.

My mum had one from new!
Yep that was def the steering. No input what so ever! Early early ones rolled over too due to

Narrow wheel base I believe.


Oli

I had one. They do that.

You get used to it and it's not a problem.

Neil

The Samuai uses a steering box. If you are used to rack and pinion systems then it will feel a bit woolly by comparison. However, if it's excessively sloppy it may need some adjustment which is a relatively simple process.

We have a Jago at the moment and daughter has a Jimny. I haven' measured it exactly but the wheelbase is the same just not sure of width, I think - would look more in that direction than the sj as quite a lot of jimnys get rolled bashed about the bodywoithrunninggear being untouched.
Atb
Mike

I have since been told about free wheeling hubs, how you can lock the front axle so it's turning or have them free wheeling.
If the front hubs were in the locked position when I test drove, would this have made it handle differently?

As Mike says with a steering box it will feel a bit woolly. If there's free play at the s'wheel then it probably needs the s'box adjusting ... but you won't get rid of it all.

From memory the free wheel hubs are automatic type rather then manual, so they should be in the freewheel mode in normal use. If they where locked it'd be very heavy on the steering and really want to go in a streight line.