Emmet, my '03 Monty Sport
- Thread starter hove102
- Start date
Shocks and CB Install
I stopped by 4 Wheel Parts on Friday after work and picked up these beauties...
Unfortunately this is only half of my order, as the rears for this thing seem to be a pretty common size. 4WP is ordering them direct from Bilstein, I guess they're on backorder or something. Love that the guy at 4WP was very vague about when they would come in. Anyway, yesterday I got kinda antsy and decided to throw the front shocks in. "Throw" is a relative term, of course, being these things are a S.O.B. to put in. Having to wrestle them through the front suspension was a struggle until my dad and I realized that we needed to shorten the shock to get it to fit, and then lining up the eyelet at the bottom was another pain in itself. Fortunately, about an hour and a half (and a few four-letter words) later, the shocks were in and the difference was massive. This was only the front shocks done and it seemed like I was driving a brand new truck. The motions are overall better controlled and this thing doesn't heel over as much as it used to under braking or in corners. That being said, it really does make me notice how bad the rears are now. I would highly recommend these Bilsteins to anyone with a stock-height Montero...definitely worth the pennies, and they'll last for quite some time too.
Sorry about the lack of photos. I was doing most of the work and the light was fading so I didn't have time to shoot!
My truck is pretty gross underneath...see my hands for proof.
I also had time to install this little beauty yesterdat. Pretty clean install if I do say so myself. My one flaw was not noticing that putting the CB there wouldn't let me open the glove box all the way, but I rarely use it anyway so I doubt I'll notice too much. The self-tapping screws included with the radio weren't exactly "self-tapping" in plastic, so I had to bust out the drill to get the holes started. Other than that, the install was pretty painless, and finding a power source wasn't too difficult.
I stopped by 4 Wheel Parts on Friday after work and picked up these beauties...
Unfortunately this is only half of my order, as the rears for this thing seem to be a pretty common size. 4WP is ordering them direct from Bilstein, I guess they're on backorder or something. Love that the guy at 4WP was very vague about when they would come in. Anyway, yesterday I got kinda antsy and decided to throw the front shocks in. "Throw" is a relative term, of course, being these things are a S.O.B. to put in. Having to wrestle them through the front suspension was a struggle until my dad and I realized that we needed to shorten the shock to get it to fit, and then lining up the eyelet at the bottom was another pain in itself. Fortunately, about an hour and a half (and a few four-letter words) later, the shocks were in and the difference was massive. This was only the front shocks done and it seemed like I was driving a brand new truck. The motions are overall better controlled and this thing doesn't heel over as much as it used to under braking or in corners. That being said, it really does make me notice how bad the rears are now. I would highly recommend these Bilsteins to anyone with a stock-height Montero...definitely worth the pennies, and they'll last for quite some time too.
Sorry about the lack of photos. I was doing most of the work and the light was fading so I didn't have time to shoot!
My truck is pretty gross underneath...see my hands for proof.
I also had time to install this little beauty yesterdat. Pretty clean install if I do say so myself. My one flaw was not noticing that putting the CB there wouldn't let me open the glove box all the way, but I rarely use it anyway so I doubt I'll notice too much. The self-tapping screws included with the radio weren't exactly "self-tapping" in plastic, so I had to bust out the drill to get the holes started. Other than that, the install was pretty painless, and finding a power source wasn't too difficult.
sxharr05
Adventurer
Nice progress! I'm looking to do some Bilsteins this summer hopefully. I'm around 120,000 on the stockers. Probably time.
Also, nice choice on the Uniden. They make a pretty good compact unit. I've run a Pro520XL and currently have a Bearcat 880 mounted in the cubby hole in front of the shifter.
Keep up the good work.
Also, nice choice on the Uniden. They make a pretty good compact unit. I've run a Pro520XL and currently have a Bearcat 880 mounted in the cubby hole in front of the shifter.
Keep up the good work.
Thanks sxharr05! The stock shocks are pretty soft when new, from what I've heard, but I think after 100K they're probably toast. I was able to compress the ones I pulled off my truck with very little effort...in comparison, the Bilsteins needed to be compressed with a ratchet strap to get them in place. And it's good to know I made a solid purchase on the CB. I wanted to put my CB in the same spot as yours but taking the console apart proved to be more of a job than I anticipated, so I went to plan B.
nwoods
Expedition Leader
What did you do for power? CB's like CLEAN power. It is recommended to go straight to the battery, through the firewall. If you are tapping off something else, you might get ignition noise in the circuit.
I went sort of the "redneck" way and put a fuse tap into the fuse block since it was most convenient. I haven't had a chance to use the CB with the truck running yet so you might be right about getting interference. So far I've heard people saying that the fuse block is the next best thing to the battery...I also couldn't find anywhere to run the wires through the firewall so that was something I took into consideration.
sxharr05
Adventurer
Very good point by nwoods that I neglected to mention. That's what I've always done and for the most part has been fine, though occasionally I forget to turn it off. Not that it's a huge draw anyway.
As far as a spot to het through the firewall, there is a spot where some other wires go through that has a little room around the edges, or the plug for what I imagine is for the clutch linkage on manual-trans models. You gotta kinda contort yourself a little to see it from the inside but from the engine bay it's fairly noticeable.
As far as a spot to het through the firewall, there is a spot where some other wires go through that has a little room around the edges, or the plug for what I imagine is for the clutch linkage on manual-trans models. You gotta kinda contort yourself a little to see it from the inside but from the engine bay it's fairly noticeable.
Good to know that what I did works for the most part! I know exactly where that blockoff plate is, but I'm not sure how it's actually fastened in. Plus I wouldn't want to drill through the blockout plate in case the next owner (far down the road) wants to remove the CB for whatever reason. The way I have the CB installed now is pretty non-permanent, which is exactly what I was going for.
Thanks man! I would have liked one in white just because it's easier to clean but silver was close. It's been a good truck so far; still figuring out little issues and what needs to be done, but it's a solid DD and (hopefully) a good starter trail rig, once I actually get it on the trails!
Update: well, one of the classic Mitsubishi failures happened today. On my way home from work, it occurred to me that the 4WD shifter had seemed a bit loose and that I'd never tried to engage 4H or 4L, so I gave it a go. I came to a stop just down the street from my house, put the truck in neutral, and gave the lever a push.
I couldn't even get the lever into 4H.
I pulled the lever back into the AWD position, or at least as close as I can get it, but so far as I can tell, either the ball in the mechanism has disintegrated, the lever is out of the shift forks, or both. Now, I feel comfortable turning a wrench to a certain extent, and I think I'm pretty smart about disassembling and reassembling things, but when it comes to this, I'm not sure how comfortable I feel, and since my parents' names are on the title, they don't feel comfortable with me doing the work either. I'm making calls to my local Mitsubishi independent shop and the local Mitsubishi dealer, but I'm not expecting the news to be good. I know you either have to buy the whole assembly or pull one out of a wrecked rig, so we'll see what happens. I'm counting on the Mitsu independent shop owner to give me the most honest solution, since he's a fellow Montero owner, and I'm counting on the news to be less than favorable. Fingers crossed he has the parts lying around or knows how to repair it easily and cheaply.
I couldn't even get the lever into 4H.
I pulled the lever back into the AWD position, or at least as close as I can get it, but so far as I can tell, either the ball in the mechanism has disintegrated, the lever is out of the shift forks, or both. Now, I feel comfortable turning a wrench to a certain extent, and I think I'm pretty smart about disassembling and reassembling things, but when it comes to this, I'm not sure how comfortable I feel, and since my parents' names are on the title, they don't feel comfortable with me doing the work either. I'm making calls to my local Mitsubishi independent shop and the local Mitsubishi dealer, but I'm not expecting the news to be good. I know you either have to buy the whole assembly or pull one out of a wrecked rig, so we'll see what happens. I'm counting on the Mitsu independent shop owner to give me the most honest solution, since he's a fellow Montero owner, and I'm counting on the news to be less than favorable. Fingers crossed he has the parts lying around or knows how to repair it easily and cheaply.
Good news! Emmet is fixed. After almost 2 weeks of the dealer trying to find a part that was in good shape, he found a part from out of state and had it shipped and installed for less than what was initially quoted (but still a pretty penny). I haven't tried to use the lever yet but it doesn't wiggle around anymore, which I see as a really good sign. Hopefully I'll get to use 4WD soon and actually use this truck for what I bought it for.
Also, would highly recommend the Bilstein 4600s for anyone with a Montero/Montero Sport. They firm up your ride on the street a bit, but the damping motions are very well-controlled and the shocks do inspire a bit more confidence in the turns. I also cannot wait to see how they perform off-road, both at slow and moderate speeds.
Next mods for the truck are tires (General Grabber AT2s or BFG A/Ts, maybe Cooper Discoverers A/T3 or S/T Maxx...can't decide!!!) and whatever other maintenance items come up. I'll also be building up a gear bag and hopefully adding a roof rack & basket once I start getting more seriously into overlanding trips.
Also, would highly recommend the Bilstein 4600s for anyone with a Montero/Montero Sport. They firm up your ride on the street a bit, but the damping motions are very well-controlled and the shocks do inspire a bit more confidence in the turns. I also cannot wait to see how they perform off-road, both at slow and moderate speeds.
Next mods for the truck are tires (General Grabber AT2s or BFG A/Ts, maybe Cooper Discoverers A/T3 or S/T Maxx...can't decide!!!) and whatever other maintenance items come up. I'll also be building up a gear bag and hopefully adding a roof rack & basket once I start getting more seriously into overlanding trips.
Last edited:
March/April Updates
More updates (for anyone actually following this thread):
I used 4WD in a dirt lot the other day and it worked flawlessly! The shifter action is firm and precise, which is how I assume it should be from the factory. Granted, the idiot lights in the gauge cluster for 4H and 4L don't work all the time, but the one plus to my AWD Monty is that the 4WD engagement is all mechanical, and there's no pesky vacuum disconnects or electronic equipment to get between me and 4WD. Just push the lever and go. Also, after I got the truck back from the dealer, (where they told me the truck was "low" on oil, aka halfway between the High and Low marks on the dipstick) I put a splash of oil in the truck and magically, the lifter tick from the passenger side bank of the engine went away. I've run the truck in all the conditions that usually caused it, and it hasn't come back, which I am more than pleased about! I absolutely hate the sound of noisy lifters, and I know there's not a lot you can do on these 3.0 motors so if the truck decides to fix itself, who am I to complain!
I realized I forgot to post photos of my installed rear Bilsteins, so here they are:
Passenger side:
Driver's side:
For anyone with a Montero Sport and thinking of swapping the rear shocks, find a buddy with a lift or get a tall-@$$ jack to lift the rear end...you're going to want the space. The driver's side top bolt is nearly impossible to reach without a long extension and the bottom bolts are on there with what feels like a million foot-pounds of torque from the factory. A 3' piece of square tube on the end of a breaker bar did the trick, but having the lift helped even more. Many thanks to my grandfather and his awesome garage. I'll definitely need to use his lift again when I decide to put the OME coils in the back, unless any ExPo locals want to have a mod day. :coffeedrink:
More recently, goodies came in the mail today!
I figured the truck could use a K&N element to help it breathe a little better, a hitch plug to class up the rear end, and some oil additive to combat the small leaks the engine has. I did a lot of research and this Liqui-Moly Motor Oil Saver seems to have a solid reputation amongst the oil nerds of the world. It's German, which hopefully says something about the quality. I will report findings once I actually put it in the engine.
Here are some pics of the K&N install...I went a little more in depth than was necessary:
Old paper filter was pretty dirty.
So was the airbox.
Some Simple Green (my favorite cleaning product) and some elbow grease later and it looked almost new!
This seal has to come out since the K&N has the seal built in to it.
I cleaned off the airbox lid too...I think I have a problem!
That looks a LOT better.
This sticker is good for 5 horsepower right?
...and this one is good for 10. :sombrero:
Here's how Emmet looks in his current state, pretty damn close to where I want him to be if you ask me. Add some LEDs in the front bumper, some new tires, and a roof rack and I think I'm in business! If you see me cruising around Orange County, honk or give me a wave. Hopefully I'll actually see you guys on the trails soon! :smiley_drive:
More updates (for anyone actually following this thread):
I used 4WD in a dirt lot the other day and it worked flawlessly! The shifter action is firm and precise, which is how I assume it should be from the factory. Granted, the idiot lights in the gauge cluster for 4H and 4L don't work all the time, but the one plus to my AWD Monty is that the 4WD engagement is all mechanical, and there's no pesky vacuum disconnects or electronic equipment to get between me and 4WD. Just push the lever and go. Also, after I got the truck back from the dealer, (where they told me the truck was "low" on oil, aka halfway between the High and Low marks on the dipstick) I put a splash of oil in the truck and magically, the lifter tick from the passenger side bank of the engine went away. I've run the truck in all the conditions that usually caused it, and it hasn't come back, which I am more than pleased about! I absolutely hate the sound of noisy lifters, and I know there's not a lot you can do on these 3.0 motors so if the truck decides to fix itself, who am I to complain!
I realized I forgot to post photos of my installed rear Bilsteins, so here they are:
Passenger side:
Driver's side:
For anyone with a Montero Sport and thinking of swapping the rear shocks, find a buddy with a lift or get a tall-@$$ jack to lift the rear end...you're going to want the space. The driver's side top bolt is nearly impossible to reach without a long extension and the bottom bolts are on there with what feels like a million foot-pounds of torque from the factory. A 3' piece of square tube on the end of a breaker bar did the trick, but having the lift helped even more. Many thanks to my grandfather and his awesome garage. I'll definitely need to use his lift again when I decide to put the OME coils in the back, unless any ExPo locals want to have a mod day. :coffeedrink:
More recently, goodies came in the mail today!
I figured the truck could use a K&N element to help it breathe a little better, a hitch plug to class up the rear end, and some oil additive to combat the small leaks the engine has. I did a lot of research and this Liqui-Moly Motor Oil Saver seems to have a solid reputation amongst the oil nerds of the world. It's German, which hopefully says something about the quality. I will report findings once I actually put it in the engine.
Here are some pics of the K&N install...I went a little more in depth than was necessary:
Old paper filter was pretty dirty.
So was the airbox.
Some Simple Green (my favorite cleaning product) and some elbow grease later and it looked almost new!
This seal has to come out since the K&N has the seal built in to it.
I cleaned off the airbox lid too...I think I have a problem!
That looks a LOT better.
This sticker is good for 5 horsepower right?
...and this one is good for 10. :sombrero:
Here's how Emmet looks in his current state, pretty damn close to where I want him to be if you ask me. Add some LEDs in the front bumper, some new tires, and a roof rack and I think I'm in business! If you see me cruising around Orange County, honk or give me a wave. Hopefully I'll actually see you guys on the trails soon! :smiley_drive:
Last edited:
PirateMcGee
Expedition Leader
I would ditch that K&N as fast as you can. They dirty up air flow sensors and let more dirt through all while not providing a boost in horsepower. They are great on old carb'ed vehicles with restricted intakes or a track vehicle but I will never have one again in a daily.
What makes you say that? Everyone I know who's used one has nothing bad to say about them. My dad's 2002 Silverado has had one since it was almost new and the improvement was definitely noticeable. Manufacturers wouldn't offer similarly-designed filters if there wasn't some benefit to the K&N-style design. Also, K&N would have, quite frankly, gone out of business 30 years ago if their products didn't work or caused more problems than they solve. I've even seen plenty of guys on this site install K&Ns for a benefit.
I'm definitely putting my flame suit on now...I didn't know K&Ns were so polarizing! :campfire: