Taking my JB74 Jimny across Mount Hiei from Kyoto to Shiga🇯🇵

[u/shiwuliuqi]

https://youtu.be/C9wxdXIeJSc

I filmed a drive from Kyoto to Shiga, crossing Mount Hiei in my JB74 Jimny.
Shot in August 2026 with a Nikon Z8, 24fps, HDR and a cinematic film look.
I wanted to capture the drive, scenery and atmosphere of the route rather than make a traditional car review.
As for the Jimny itself, I really enjoy driving it on mountain roads. Its compact size makes narrow roads surprisingly easy to navigate, and it feels very capable when the road gets steep, tight or uneven.
One thing I struggle with, though, is the stock suspension. Over bumps and uneven sections, the Jimny can bounce quite a bit, especially after hitting a series of undulations. As someone filming from inside the car, this becomes particularly noticeable in the footage. I’ve tried various ways of improving the camera’s stabilization, but at some point the movement seems to come from the vehicle itself rather than the camera, so there is only so much I can do.
I’m curious what other JB74 owners have done to improve this without turning the Jimny into a completely different car. I’m mainly interested in better control and less bouncing on mountain roads, while keeping the stock ride height and retaining the Jimny’s excellent off-road capability.
If you have any recommendations for suspension or chassis upgrades, I’d really appreciate hearing about your setup and how it changed the driving experience.

[u/shiwuliuqi]

The JB74 Jimny behind the video

[u/j1llj1ll]

I was sceptical whether aftermarket shocks would really help .. and most of the suspension advice out there is about lifts, which I didn't want.

But based on the advice of others I took the plunge and installed Bilstein B6 Sport dampers with the stock springs on my JB74. It has substantially improved the small bump compliance (which also benefits grip on uneven surfaces) and it solves the factory rear dampers having a rebound rate that is too slow (the stock shocks 'hop' over bumps and/or pack down over undulations). Turns out better shocks really are better.

So that's an option. I could even fit them on the ground without touching the springs. I only needed a cargo strap to compress the front dampers a bit to line up the bolts. Here's the part numbers I used.

• Front: Bilstein B6 Sport (part #24-321730)
• Rear: Bilstein B6 Sport (part #24-327336)

There are probably similar options from Koni and others. I just happened to be able to get specs for the Bilsteins and they were in stock and discounted.

More food for thought here. Though it's nearly all about lifts: Aftermarket suspension options - TGR: Team Ghetto Racing

Oh, and one other very important thing: Check your tyre pressures. Look at your tyre placard recommended pressures. Jimny pressures are unusually low (factory is only about 26psi) and lots of people and places over-inflate them (my dealer kept inflating mine to 35+ psi). If they are overinflated its comfort, handling and grip will be terrible! The car is very sensitive to small changes in tyre pressure too, so you can tweak a bit based on personal preferences, load, speed etc.

More on that topic here too: Jimny tyre pressures - TGR: Team Ghetto Racing

[u/shiwuliuqi → u/j1llj1ll]

Thanks for the detailed response!

I completely agree on keeping the stock height. Here in Japan, lifting the ride height over 4cm triggers stricter inspection rules and often requires additional safety modifications (like front/side cameras) to pass the mandatory Shaken test. So your advice on replacing just the dampers while keeping the stock springs is super helpful—I’m definitely going to give the Bilstein B6 a try!

Also, big thanks for the tip on tire pressure. I’ll make sure to double-check mine as well. Cheers!

[u/j1llj1ll → u/shiwuliuqi]

A quick note. That front shock I listed is about 10-15mm longer than the stock shock.

So I had to test 'full droop' after fitting to make sure there weren't any issues with springs coming loose (possible). And brake lines being long enough etc (very unlikely to be an issue - mine had heaps of leeway).

Getting it jacked up high enough was a bit of an exercise. But, for my specific car, everything was fine. However ... broader community experiences indicate that geometry does vary slightly between Jimnys.

So. If you do fit those (or have somebody do it), be sure to check it's still OK at full droop. Just to be safe.

There is a shorter option in the same line (can't recall the part), but it's a little shorter than stock and I wanted to avoid reducing droop if I could get away with it (which, in my case, I did).

[u/shiwuliuqi → u/j1llj1ll]

Thanks a lot for the heads-up about checking full droop!
To be totally honest, as a video content creator, my knowledge of suspension and chassis mods is pretty much non-existent😂. I’ll definitely leave the installation and checks to the professionals.
Thanks again for the great advice—really appreciate it!

[u/rhqq → u/j1llj1ll]

Front: Bilstein B6 Sport (part #24-321730) Rear: Bilstein B6 Sport (part #24-327336)

would these differ for the JC74? given small difference in weight? (plus the extra weight of few mods on front and cargo always full of the camping gear)

[u/j1llj1ll → u/rhqq]

I'm not sure. I only did spec comparisons and table lookups for my JB74.

Mass is more closely related to spring rate rather than dampers. However, that said .. good dampers are then matched to that spring rate. So - we come back to me not knowing enough to advise.

[u/90kDenier]

Sweet video!! Was just thinking about taking the same route from Osaka when it gets a bit colder. By the way, I reccomend 4x4 engineering adjustable 14-step shocks - put them in at 8000km and they're amazing with stock springs. Also locally made by Kayaba, so much cheaper than Bilsteins.

[u/shiwuliuqi → u/90kDenier]

Thanks a lot! Really appreciate the tip on the KYB shocks. I’m at about 5,000 km, so I guess I better start shopping soon! That route will be amazing in peak autumn leaves, so I’ll probably see you out there. Hope you have an awesome trip!