Jimny Lift Kits in SA: Real Prices, and Do You Need One?

Cover photo: Des Sol, the Pinetown team who design and build their own Jimny springs and shocks in KZN. Go and have a look at their work.

Ask a South African Jimny owner why they want a lift, and height is rarely the real answer. They want the car to lean less in corners. They want it to stop wandering when a truck passes on the N1. They want a better ride on corrugations with the camping gear on board. The extra height is the part that looks good on Instagram.

But a standard Jimny already has 210 mm of ground clearance. Plenty of owners fix the lean with tyres and the right pressures first, and our bigger tyres guide covers that route.

This guide covers what a lift does, what every kit sold here costs, what is missing from the box, and whether you need one.

The short answer

• Tar and gravel daily driver: you do not need a lift. Fit good all-terrain tyres and run the right pressures.
• Weekend trails and loaded touring: buy a proper springs and shocks kit, with the steering fix in the box.
• Going up to 235 tyres: plan a 50 mm class kit with your fitter.

What a lift does, and what it does not

A suspension lift raises the body, the chassis, the sills and the crossmember. The car clears ledges and humps more easily, and there is room for bigger tyres.

Now for what it does not do. It does not raise the diffs, the round lumps in the middle of each axle. On a Jimny, the axles sit where the tyres put them. So the rule is simple: bigger tyres lift the diffs, and springs lift everything else.

A lift adds no carrying capacity, either. More on that below.

A lift on its own does not change your speedo. Bigger tyres do: it will read lower than before.

Height has a cost in the wind. A taller car has more side for the wind to push on, and it sits higher. So expect more wander, not less. One South African long-term test found that even a standard Jimny needs firm hands on the wheel in a strong wind. Suzuki Auto South Africa says lift kits and oversized tyres can change the Jimny’s handling, steering and balance.

So why do owners say a good kit made their Jimny feel better? Because a kit brings new shocks and springs that are made to work together. That is what calms the lean and the bounce. The height is the side effect.

On fuel, SA owners report that a 40 mm lift on its own changes little. A roof rack costs you more at the pump.

The five ways to lift, or not

Type	What changes	Lift	Typical price
Spacer lift	Blocks on top of your standard springs	40 or 50 mm	R3,199 (Zombie Offroad)
Better shocks, no lift	New shocks at factory height	0 mm	Ask the store
Springs and shocks kit	New coils and shocks made to work together, plus fitting parts	40 to 50 mm	R17,995 to R34,755
Adjustable kit	As above, but the shocks can be tuned for load and road	50 mm	R49,999 to R56,499
Big lift	Longer springs and shocks, plus parts to fix the axle angles	60 to 80 mm	R57,730 (Tough Dog)

Prices seen on 23 September 2026, VAT included, for the current Jimny (2018 on).

Spacers are blocks that sit on top of your standard springs. They are the cheapest height you can buy. The ride stays the same, because the springs and shocks do not change. Zombie Offroad’s own page says the current Jimny needs longer brake lines to run its spacer kit.

Owners on 4x4community argue about spacers. One side says they are cheap and keep the factory ride. The other calls them quick and nasty, because the car bottoms out with people and gear on board. The real saving is also smaller than it looks. You still need brake lines, an alignment and the headlight sensor sorted.

Better shocks at factory height may be the best buy for most owners. Des Sol makes a set for exactly this job, called the EV1 Sport. Its price differs so much from store to store that some listings are likely for one shock and some for a full set. Ask what is in the box before you compare.

40 mm or 50 mm? Most of the complete kits on sale today are 50 mm. But a 40 mm kit from one brand and a 50 mm kit from another are not the same shopping list. Some come with the steering fix and brake hoses, and some do not. Ask for the full parts list, not just the kit price.

The kits sold in South Africa, and today’s prices

These are the complete kits for the current Jimny, as seen on each store’s own page on 23 September 2026. Prices include VAT. Look hardest at the last column. It asks if the box includes castor bushes. They put the front wheels back at the right steering angle after a lift.

Kit	Lift	Body	Store	Price	Castor fix in the box?
Ironman Nitro Gas, Medium	Not stated	3-door	JimnyworX	R17,995	Yes (rubber offset bushes)
RAW Nitro 40 mm	40 mm	3-door	JimnyworX	R24,840 (was R27,600)	Yes
RAW Nitro 40 mm	40 mm	5-door	JimnyworX	R28,395 (was R31,550)	Yes, plus rear bump stops
Tough Dog 40 mm	40 mm	Listed for both	JimSA, Wild Access	R27,260	No, bushes are R3,250 extra
Tough Dog 40 mm	40 mm	3-door	Zombie Offroad	R27,995	Check with the store
Tough Dog Premium 40 mm	40 mm	5-door	Zombie Offroad	R29,995 (was R32,755)	Check with the store; adds rear bump stop spacers
Tough Dog 5-door kit	40 mm	5-door	JimnyworX	R34,755	Yes, plus bump stop spacers
Des Sol EV1L50 Pack 2	50 mm	Both (choose on the page)	Des Sol, JimSA, JimnyworX, Zombie Offroad	R29,999 (Wild Access R33,000)	Yes
Des Sol Pack 3 “Overlanding”	50 mm	Both	Des Sol, JimSA, JimnyworX	R32,999	Yes, plus adjustable panhard bars and a crossmember drop
Des Sol Pack 4 “Expedition”	50 mm	Both	Des Sol	R36,500	Yes, with heavy-duty radius arms
Old Man Emu	Not stated	Current Jimny	JimnyworX	R34,615 (out of stock)	Not listed
Des Sol Pack 2 adjustable	50 mm	Both	Des Sol, JimnyworX	R49,999	Yes
Des Sol Pack 4 adjustable	50 mm	Both	Zombie Offroad	R56,499	Yes
Tough Dog 60 or 80 mm	60 or 80 mm	Current Jimny	JimSA, JimnyworX	R57,730	Yes, plus panhard rods

Des Sol makes its own springs and shocks in Pinetown, KZN. Its shocks have a remote reservoir, which is a separate oil canister. The extra oil means they fade less on long corrugations. The springs are dual rate: soft when the car is empty, and firmer when it is loaded. Des Sol gives an eight-year limited warranty, as long as you keep up its paid shock service. That service is due every four years or 80,000 km. On 4x4community’s long comparison thread, Des Sol is the brand owners recommend most.

RAW 4x4 is the cheapest complete 40 mm kit with castor bushes in the box. RAW South Africa gives its Nitro shocks a two-year warranty, with no limit on kilometres, if they are fitted correctly.

Ironman is the cheapest complete kit on the list, by about R7,000. JimnyworX’s page gives it a four-year warranty with no limit on kilometres.

Tough Dog is an Australian brand, widely stocked and fitted in South Africa. Its shocks carry a foam insert that stops the oil frothing on corrugations. The 40 mm kit has no castor bushes in the box, so budget for them. Ask for the warranty in writing, and have it fitted at an authorised centre.

Shop around. The same Des Sol Pack 2 kit is R29,999 at four stores. Wild Access asks R33,000 for it.

What it really costs, fitted

The kit price is rarely the final price. Here is what else a lift can need.

Part	What it fixes	When you need it	Price seen
Castor bushes	A lift tilts the front axle, so the steering goes light and wanders. The bushes tilt it back.	40 to 50 mm, if the kit lacks them	R3,099 to R3,250
Castor-corrected radius arms	The same fix, but stronger. They also move the front axle forward for tyre room.	Des Sol: 50 to 100 mm	R6,999 (Des Sol)
Adjustable panhard bars	A lift shifts the axle sideways. These bars centre it again.	From 60 mm, and in Des Sol Pack 3	R2,450 to R5,999
Longer brake hoses	Stop the standard hoses from stretching	Every lift on the current Jimny, spacers included	R1,695 (Zombie rear) to R11,195 (braided kit)
Crossmember drop	Keeps the front driveshaft clear	Most kits from 40 mm	R3,850 (Des Sol, at JimSA)
Steering damper	Calms the steering wheel over bumps	Optional; in the Tough Dog 60/80 kit at JimnyworX	R2,795 to R3,395

Two real examples. Des Sol will fit its Pack 2 kit at the Pinetown factory for R3,825. That brings the total to R33,824, plus an alignment. A Tough Dog 40 mm kit plus castor bushes comes to R30,510 in parts. Fitting comes on top of that.

Everywhere else, fitting is by quote, including at JimnyworX in Brackenfell.

Why does the castor fix matter so much? Des Sol says a 50 mm lift can tip the front axle far enough to make the steering loose and vague.

One part people forget is the bracket for the headlight level sensor. Kits from Des Sol, Old Man Emu, Tough Dog and Ironman all include one. Check that it is in your quote. Then have the lights re-aimed after the lift.

A few fitting tips from owners and fitters:

• The bolts on the arms and the panhard bar must be tightened with the car’s weight on its wheels. Done with the car in the air, the rubber bushes wear early and start to clunk.
• An alignment is part of the job, not an extra.
• A steering wheel that sits off-centre after a lift is normal. The fitter fixes it on the drag link, the rod that runs from the steering box to the front wheels.
• Some owners report that tyre shops could not reset the steering angle sensor on the current Jimny. The Suzuki dealer had the tool.
• Fit the lift and bigger tyres in two steps if you can. If the car shakes at speed, check the castor and panhard first, and get the new tyres balanced before you blame the kit. Our common problems guide covers the steering wobble.

The lesson most owners learn the hard way

A current Jimny owner on 4x4community fitted a 40 mm lift with no castor bushes. After that, the car pulled hard to the right, even with the steering wheel dead straight. The tyre shops could not fix it. The problem was castor. Once castor bushes and a proper alignment went in, the pull was gone. Others in the thread said the bushes changed how straight the car ran on the highway.

Warranty, insurance, roadworthy and weight

Your Suzuki warranty

A new Jimny comes with a five-year warranty. Suzuki Auto South Africa says it can only stand behind work done at an authorised Suzuki dealer. It also says third-party parts could put your warranty at risk if something goes wrong.

The Competition Commission’s rules for car parts help here. A carmaker may not cancel your whole warranty because you fitted non-original parts. But it can refuse a claim that the part, or the way it was fitted, caused.

In plain terms, a lift does not void your whole warranty. Expect claims on the parts it touches to be questioned: the axles, the steering, the springs and shocks, the prop shafts and the wheel bearings. Ask your dealer in writing before you fit a kit. Keep the fitter’s invoice.

Insurance

Tell your insurer about the lift, the tyres and every bolt-on part. Get their answer in writing, and keep the invoices. There are two risks. The first is the parts. OUTsurance, for example, says it cannot cover non-standard accessories you have not told it about. The second is the car. After a rollover or a crash where handling is the question, an undeclared lift can give the insurer grounds to cut or reject your claim.

Roadworthy

South Africa has no fixed lift limit in the road traffic regulations. What counts is whether the car passes a roadworthy test, on things like the steering, brakes, lights and tyres. The 50 mm rule you read about online is Australian.

You will need a roadworthy certificate when you sell the car, so that is when your lift gets checked. In the few owner reports we found, spotlights without approval failed more often than lift height did. Re-aim the headlights after a lift.

Weight

Here is what Suzuki allows each Jimny to carry, people and gear included.

Body	Weight empty	Most it may weigh	What it can carry
3-door manual	1,095 kg	1,435 kg	340 kg
3-door auto	1,110 kg	1,435 kg	325 kg
5-door manual	1,185 to 1,200 kg	1,545 kg	345 to 360 kg
5-door auto	1,200 to 1,215 kg	1,545 kg	330 to 345 kg

Heavy-duty springs make a loaded Jimny sit level. They do not let it carry more. That limit is set by Suzuki and printed on your licence papers. Four adults of 80 kg each already weigh 320 kg. That nearly fills a 3-door before one accessory goes on. Air helpers in the rear springs cost about R7,500 at JimnyworX. They stop the back from sagging, but they do not raise the limit either. For the roof side of this story, read our rooftop tent guide. The towing and specs guide has the rest of the numbers.

3-door or 5-door: check before you pay

The 5-door is heavier than the 3-door. Its wheelbase is also 340 mm longer, as our 3-door vs 5-door guide shows. So the rear springs, and sometimes the shocks, are different.

“Gen 4” or “2018+” in a product title does not mean a kit fits the 5-door. RAW and Tough Dog sell separate 5-door kits that add rear bump stops or spacers, and they cost a little more.

Des Sol sells one kit for both bodies at the same price. You choose your body on its page. Resellers’ titles do not always show that choice.

Tell the shop which body you have before you pay, and check the invoice says it.

Many owners feel the 5-door is steadier on the highway than the 3-door, thanks to that longer wheelbase. That is owner opinion, not a test result.

Most owners do not need a lift

The standard Jimny has 210 mm of ground clearance. And 215/75 R15 all-terrain tyres fit with no lift at all. Our all-terrain tyres guide and tyre guide cover the choice. The wheels and tyres page has the rims and extras.

When a buyer called a 5-door test drive a fail, over body roll and wind, the first forum replies blamed the tyre pressures. Dealers often pump them too high. Owners said to drop to about 1.6 bar and try again. For one owner, a new set of 215 all-terrains was enough to stop the car dancing about.

A long-time owner of both a 3-door and a 5-door put it plainly. Neither needs a suspension upgrade, in that owner’s view, if you drive it like what it is.

Then there is resale. Lifted Jimnys are rare in the adverts we analyse daily, though sellers seldom list every part. On thin data, modified current Jimnys ask about R10,000 more than standard ones. A fitted kit costs three times that. So do not count on getting your money back.

The order most SA owners follow makes sense. Tyres and pressures first. Then better shocks. Then a lift, if the way you use the car calls for one.

The older Jimny (1998 to 2018)

Ironman, Tough Dog, RAW and Des Sol all sell kits for the older Jimny too. The same rules apply: check the box, add the castor fix if it is missing, and ask for a fitted price.

Who should buy what

You	Buy	About
Tar and gravel daily driver	No lift. 215 all-terrains at the right pressure	Tyres only
Hate the body roll, no off-road plans	Better shocks at factory height (ask Des Sol or your store for a fitted price)	Ask
Tight budget, want a bit of height for Sani or the Cederberg	Spacer lift, plus longer brake hoses	R3,199 + R1,695 and up, plus an alignment
Weekend trails, value first	Ironman Medium or RAW 40 mm, castor fix included	R17,995 to R24,840 (3-door)
Loaded touring on long corrugations	Des Sol Pack 3	R32,999
Going to 235 tyres	A 50 mm class kit with castor arms. Plan it with the fitter and the bigger tyres guide	R36,500 (Pack 4) and up
Serious build	Tough Dog 60 or 80 mm	R57,730
New car, mostly for looks	Wait, or ask your dealer in writing first	R0

Every kit, with today’s price, is on our suspension and lift kits page.

The bottom line

A lift is not a cure for a Jimny that leans. Good shocks and springs are. The height comes with them. If you only drive tar and gravel, spend on tyres and set the pressures right. If you tour loaded or want 235s, buy a complete kit with the castor fix in the box. Get a fitted quote with the alignment on it. Tell your insurer and your dealer. And if you plan to sell your Jimny one day, check what it is worth first, because the lift will not add what it cost.

A big thank you to the people whose photos made this guide: Des Sol in Pinetown, Zombie Offroad and JimnyworX SA in Cape Town, and Suzuki Auto South Africa. Go and see their work, and support the local shops that keep South Africa’s Jimnys on the road.