Parts for your 1986 Suzuki Jimny-Steering bushes

1986 Suzuki Jimny steering bushes — are they actually a thing?

Short answer: no, not as a standalone “steering bushes” part. The 1986 Suzuki Jimny (SJ413/Sierra) uses a recirculating-ball steering box with a pitman arm, drag link and tie rod ends rather than a rack-and-pinion. Authoritative sources — the Suzuki SJ410/SJ413 Factory Service Manual (steering section), the Suzuki Electronic Parts Catalogue for 1986 SJ413 (steering group), and local references like Gregory’s Manual 511 and the Haynes SJ410/SJ413 manual — all show a steering box and linkage with ball joints, and do not list rack mounts or rack bushes for this model.

Because there’s no steering rack, there are no rack-mount bushes to replace. The Jimny’s solid front axle and leaf-spring layout relies on ball-jointed linkages for precision and durability off-road. Rubber or polyurethane “steering bushes” simply aren’t part of the factory steering design for this year. The only bush-type items you’ll find around the steering are the steering damper eye bushes (if fitted) and the steering column support bush/bearing — both separate from the linkage itself.

If someone’s chasing “steering bushes” to cure vague steering, they’re usually better off inspecting and servicing the parts that do the real work on an SJ413:

• Tie rod ends and drag link ends (play here is the most common cause of wander)
• Steering box free play and mount integrity
• Pitman arm spline fit and retaining hardware
• Steering column universal joints and column lower bush/bearing
• Steering damper and its eye bushes (if a damper is installed)
• Front wheel bearings, kingpin bearings and alignment (toe), plus leaf-spring and shackle bushes which affect straight-line stability

For routine servicing on a 1986 Jimny, a good workshop check includes: confirming zero free play at each ball joint, adjusting the steering box within spec per the Factory Service Manual, checking the column U-joints, and replacing any tired damper bushes. On high-kilometre rigs that feel loose, renewing the drag link and tie rod ends often transforms the steering feel more than any “bush kit” ever could.

Popular questions

Does a 1986 Jimny have steering rack bushes?
No. Factory documentation (Suzuki SJ410/SJ413 FSM and EPC) specifies a steering box and linkage with ball joints, not a rack. As a result there are no rack bushes to service or replace on this model year.

What should be checked to fix vague steering on an ’86 Jimny?
Start with play at the tie rod and drag link ends, then check steering box adjustment and mounting, column U-joints, and the steering damper and its bushes. Don’t overlook front wheel bearings, kingpin bearings and leaf-spring/shackle bushes — wear here also shows up as wander and kickback.

Are there any “bushes” related to the steering at all?
Only indirectly. Many 1986 Jimnys run a steering damper with rubber eye bushes, and the steering column uses a support bush/bearing. Both are serviceable items, but they’re not the same as rack-mount steering bushes found on rack-and-pinion vehicles.