Suzuki Tie Rods for Sale in South Africa

South African road surfaces are harsher on suspension than the conditions these cars were originally calibrated for, and Suzuki's lighter kerb weights mean components are sized closer to the limit. The Jimny is its own case entirely: enough of them have been lifted or re-shod that standard-height parts are the wrong answer more often than not. In practice the decision in front of you is whether to replace only the component that has failed or refresh the whole corner, because everything bolted alongside a worn damper has covered exactly the same distance over exactly the same roads.

The generation or year, and — if it is a Jimny or a 4x4 derivative — whether the suspension is standard or has been modified. With that we can usually confirm the right part quickly, and we'll tell you whether we're quoting new, aftermarket or good used rather than leaving you to guess.

Get the front off the ground and rock the wheel at the nine and three positions. Rest a hand on each joint in turn while an assistant rocks it: movement you can feel at the outer ball joint means the outer end, movement at the rack boot with the outer joint tight means the inner. It is worth doing properly, because the inner is a much bigger job and you do not want to buy the wrong one.

Not strictly. If one side has taken a kerb hit and the other is tight, replacing the damaged side alone is fine. But on a high-mileage car where one has worn out through use the other is rarely far behind, and doing both means one alignment instead of two.

Less so than most steering parts. The ball joint inside is a wear item with no way to judge remaining life from the outside, and it is a safety-critical link. Where used parts earn their keep on this job is the rod itself, the rack boots and the clamps. Send the derivative and year through the quote form and we will tell you what is realistic.

It does not, and the Jimny is the one Suzuki where the whole vocabulary changes. It uses recirculating-ball steering, so it has a steering box, a drag link and a pitman arm working a live front axle, not a rack with an inner and outer tie rod each side. When a Jimny owner asks for tie rods, the parts actually needed are usually the track rod or drag link ends. Say which model you have first, because nothing here crosses over.

Free play in a steering joint is one of the specific things an examiner tests for, so yes. It is also one of the failures that can move from a knock to a loss of steering on that side, which is why it is not a job to leave. If the boot is split and the joint is dry, treat it as due now rather than at the next service.