What's Out There For These Things?

[ArmchairRacer]

So I've been looking for a smaller and more reliable rig (10 mpg and 2 blown motors in a year makes you wonder about that Jeep) and I've always liked the looks of 1st gen Monteros, especially the 2 doors. Well I just came across an '87 2 door in the local classifieds for $450 that just needed one of the rear side windows replaced. Sounds like a great deal and I don't really need to worry about that window until fall anyway. So to my question: I've been doing google searches all morning and all I can come up with in the way lifts or any accessories of any sort is either the likes of JCWhitney or spoilers (I guess the after market doesn't get the difference between Monteros and Eclipses). So where can you get lifts for these things? Or roof racks? Or dif gears? T-case gears? Locker? I can't find anything. Please help. I'd love to get one of these but if I can't build it can take it out then it'll be little more than a daily driver.

 

[aikane]

Yeah, there's very little to none in aftermarket support for these earlier models. Check Old Man Emu for suspension, as for drivetrain, most guys swap on parts from newer models.:safari-rig:

 

[BIGdaddy]

yup, thats my experience, too. early montero's and trooper's aren't well supported in the US.

Most owners simply make their own, for the most part. Not that I'd recommend buying from them, but http://www.rocky-road.com/montero.html has a good listing of what's available from companies like ARB, TJM, etc.

 

[BIGdaddy]

(scroll down on some of these, to see more content)

lift via OME
http://www.rocky-road.com/monterosus.html

snorkel
http://www.rocky-road.com/safarisnorkel.html

ARB air locker
http://www.rocky-road.com/airlocker.html

ARB bull bar
http://www.rocky-road.com/bullbar.html

 

[BIGdaddy]

Don't let this dissuade you though, brother. These trucks are very good at what they do. comfy on the highway, and capable offroad. They're made to be used, as-is, on some of the toughest roads and non-roads available. They don't lend well like jeeps do, to modding like crazy, but this is also a good thing:

You'll spend more time on the trail out camping than you will in the garage...

 

[ArmchairRacer]

Well my plan was to eventually swap in Toyota drive train and possibly axles (I know this stuff and live within short driving distance of Low Range Offroad) eventually and just run a spring over and front end lift in the mean time. It looks like I'll just run it stock and save for the Toyota stuff. I've seen stock Suzukis do the stuff I plan on doing so I should be good, especially with some good tires and a welded rear dif. Now to convince my parents to let me have another parking spot in the driveway...

 

[off-roader]

Well my plan was to eventually swap in Toyota drive train and possibly axles (I know this stuff and live within short driving distance of Low Range Offroad) eventually and just run a spring over and front end lift in the mean time. It looks like I'll just run it stock and save for the Toyota stuff. I've seen stock Suzukis do the stuff I plan on doing so I should be good, especially with some good tires and a welded rear dif. Now to convince my parents to let me have another parking spot in the driveway...

Why not just buy a Toyota then and save the effort and $$ on the swap for other things?

 

[ArmchairRacer]

Because I don't like blending in, a ton of the people I wheel with have Toyotas. I love the look of the Montero.

 

[off-roader]

Well how hard core do you plan to make it? What kind of trails do you want to do?

Unless you have a lot of $$$ or a seriously good fabricator who knows suspensions I wouldn't even start to consider that swap. Very few in the mitsubishi 4x4 world have undertaken this route because of the complexity and cost since there are no bolt on solutions available.

Also the stock drivetrain is strong enough for 32's with the stock motor and all you need is a mild lift followed by a bit of bumper end cap trimming. Get a rear locker from ARB, armor for the rocker panels and engine/tranny/xcase and you should be capable of running most Utah trails without issues.

I've done numerous "hard" trails in southern utah with 32's on a long wheel base gen I v6 Montero. I say used quotes because from what I've seen Utah's version of hard = California's version of moderate.

You can also upgrade the engine to the 2.6Turbo out of a starion/conquest for oodles of power.

You can get a 2.85:1 xcase gearing from australia.

HTH.

 

[aikane]

Well my plan was to eventually swap in Toyota drive train and possibly axles (I know this stuff and live within short driving distance of Low Range Offroad) eventually and just run a spring over and front end lift in the mean time.

I'm contemplating this kind of swap myself, with a Toyota 5mge.:smiley_drive:

 

[off-roader]

Also the stock drivetrain is strong enough for 32's with the stock motor and all you need is a mild lift followed by a bit of bumper end cap trimming. Get a rear locker from ARB, armor for the rocker panels and engine/tranny/xcase and you should be capable of running most Utah trails without issues.

I should add that you can upgrade to a gen II model with the 3.5L v6 the running gear/drivetrain is capable of handling 37's. I run 35's on mine and it has enough HP to cruise at 85mph+ on the highways while still be very capable off road. It is a newly built rig and I'll let you know how well it handles the dusy ersham trail which we'll be doing in late summer.

I also have a close friend running 37's on a 94 montero and he does trails like the Rubicon, Fordyce, Dusy-Ersham, etc. To make it crawl better you do need to swap to mitsu 4.90 r&p gears and get the aftermarket 3.15:1 xcase gears from Australia.

Others have also swapped in the 4.3 v6 chevy for added HP into the stock 2.6L drivetrain although I'm not sure if they wheel it or how hard a trail they go on.

 

[ArmchairRacer]

As for fabbing up new suspension I'm currently a college students majoring in mechanical engineering with my emphasis being automotive design, and my older brother has designed and built multiple link style suspensions including a 4 link front suspension for a Suzuki Samurai and a 3 link front suspension for a Toyota Tacoma. The main reason I would prefer the Toyota drive train is because I know that drive train better than I do the Mitsubishi, I'm not saying that the Mitsubishi is bad by any means, I just prefer what I know.

 

[off-roader]

As for fabbing up new suspension I'm currently a college students majoring in mechanical engineering with my emphasis being automotive design, and my older brother has designed and built multiple link style suspensions including a 4 link front suspension for a Suzuki Samurai and a 3 link front suspension for a Toyota Tacoma. The main reason I would prefer the Toyota drive train is because I know that drive train better than I do the Mitsubishi, I'm not saying that the Mitsubishi is bad by any means, I just prefer what I know.

Being a student and wanting a fab project is fine and all but you first need to determine the direction you want to go with this project otherwise you'll just end up with a frankenstien rig that's won't be trail capable.

Are you looking for a decent trail wheeler, hard core rock crawler, competition rock crawler, baja/dakar racer? That will determine the direction to go with the suspension design.

I don't know the toy drivetrain. IIRC you'd want a driver side drop high pinion front axle. I know Dana 44 jeep grand wagoneer axles have been the route that most have taken with either a leaf spring or multilink-coil/coilover design.

For the rear, I'd simply upgrade to a late model 3.5L axle/diff. It has a 9.5" diff air locker & disk brakes. If the Toy diff is bigger than 9.5" then I say go for it but if it aint, you'll be going to a weaker diff. I don't recall the thickness of the axle itself but I know it's capable of 37s on rock crawling trails like the Dusy Ersham, Fordyce, & Rubicon.

Since you haven't said how big a tire you want to go or your intensions for the rig can't help you much with that.

 

[ArmchairRacer]

I want to run 35" tires. My aim is to have a solid trail rig that can be driven on the street when needed as well as do some short camping trips. The Toyota diff is 8" but they are commonly used with up to 37" tires just fine. The Toyota t-case is a passenger side drop.

 

[off-roader]

I want to run 35" tires. My aim is to have a solid trail rig that can be driven on the street when needed as well as do some short camping trips. The Toyota diff is 8" but they are commonly used with up to 37" tires just fine. The Toyota t-case is a passenger side drop.

Hmm you don't need 35's for a camping trip. I've done the 'con in a longer 4 door 90 on small 33's & a rear LSD without too much issue except in one spot that was seemingly a vertical wall.

As I'm sure you've heard... in almost all cases it's the driver that makes the rig capable and not the gear anyway.

In this case there was simply not enough gearing with the stock 4.6:1 R&P and 2:1 xcase for 33's on that one obstacle but the good news is 5.29:1 r&p's are available as well as 2.85:1 xcase gears.

I think your biggest problem with the Monty you have is the lack of HP in that motor. What I'd do is do a turbo swap (engine, turbo, intercooler, wiring harness & ecu from a starion or conquest) and swap in the front drivetrain from a V6 montero and the rear from a 3.5L montero sport (has leaf springs) which also have the large 9.5" ring & pinions then go wheeling and show your buddies how it's done. When they ask you can tell them it's all mitsu instead of it being a Toy with a mitsu body/frame.

Alternatively, find a late 70's early 80s Toy FJ 2 door instead of having a frankenrig.:coffeedrink: