Lifting on a budget.

[Smitty004]

So I am planning on lifting my 2000 Montero Sport about 2 and a half inches. In the front I am simply going to adjust the torsion bar, and in the back I am thinking of using an air lift kit. Do you guys know if the kit at the link below will be a good fit for my rig?

http://www.autoaccessoriesgarage.com/Suspension/Air-Lift-Leveling-Kit?set-vehicle=1

Thanks in advance!

 

[billygoats]

I'm not sure if your sport has coil springs in the rear, but a common mod for the full size montero is to use a 2" coil spring spacer made for a Toyota sequoia. About $80 for the pair.

 

[Smitty004]

Thanks, I'll look into that!

 

[PirateMcGee]

Don't use the airlift, it's too stiff (I got them for towing a trailer when I moved from CO). Instead just get the OME coils for the rear: $167.00 for the pair from http://www.rocky-road.com/mitsubishi-montero-lift-kit.html

What do you need the lift for?

 

[MummifiedCircuitry]

Which montero sports use coil springs? The one's I've seen were leaf, did they change certain years?

 

[PirateMcGee]

2000+ are rear coils

 

[Smitty004]

For the coil, would it be more beneficial to get the heavy duty as opposed to the medium duty?

 

[PirateMcGee]

What are your plans for the vehicle?

 

[Smitty004]

The goal is to get some clearance so I can get on some mild trails for overlanding purposes.

 

[PirateMcGee]

A lift won't gain you clearance unless it is coupled with larger tires. You can fit 32's/265/75r16's with no lift. I would recommend going that route unless you find clearance to be an issue. I haven't on my 2001 and I've been all over the Western US in mine. For running offroad trails you would want more clearance but for forest roads and most of the milder stuff ("overlanding") the 265's with good shocks is a nice setup that will maintain fuel economy.

Honestly stock sized tires in a more aggressive tread is plenty to get you most places. I've considered going back down to stock size once my tires wear out.

I would get a set of Bilstein shocks, make sure ALL your maintenance (even little details) are up to date, get gear for backpacking plus a few extra comforts and save the rest for gas.

 

[jp1985]

I wanted to ask Will that 2" coil spacers work for a full size 2002 ls?
And can a full size ls fit that big of a tire fitment on original non lifted specs?

I am looking into budget lifting it and get some bigger size tires so i can do some mild over landing as well.

thanks all

 

[PirateMcGee]

Take your stock vehicle out, you'll be impressed where you can go. Budget lifts suck, do it right or don't do it. Most of the time it's unnecessary anyways.

 

[montypower]

Coil spacers for the rear. Adjust torsion bars up front.

 

[lilkia]

I wanted to ask Will that 2" coil spacers work for a full size 2002 ls?
And can a full size ls fit that big of a tire fitment on original non lifted specs?

I am looking into budget lifting it and get some bigger size tires so i can do some mild over landing as well.

thanks all

265/75/16s fit just fine on the fullsize montero. I was running 285s but they were cheap tires and didnt last. I went with GY wranglers this time. Mucho better.

 

[redraif]

Coil spacers for the rear. Adjust torsion bars up front.

I was looking for a budget lift and was looking into coil spacers... I never found anything for the sport and decided to go via the body lift first to get the larger tires on.... Yeah I did for the look. The sport just looked to blah on the stock size... Nobody looked twice at it. It was my daughter's and she hated it. Now with the 285's and the tweaks to its looks... I've got my daughter, son and their significant others wishing they never passed on the offer to have it. Sorry guys, its all mine now! I soon plan to go for a suspension lift via heavy duty OME for the suspension coil replacements in the rear. But in the interim...If anyone has a line on spacers that are safe for the rear coil springs I would be interested. All I found was the style that goes in between coils, not body to coil or axle to coil. I was advised to avoid the between the coil style as they tend to fall out on trails... just sharing.

I think my rear coils are getting weak anyway... 245,000 miles and 700lbs in the rear had the little guy squatting pretty good. With my body lift and larger tires, I have parked by some stock sports with stock tire size and my rear does not sit much higher... scratching my head... my nose is way higher though!