Eurosonic's Montero 2.5Gen Build Thread

[nwoods]

Nwoods, he knows because it's all posted in the tech section on 4x4wire.com :sombrero: and he has my number in case he needs info on the fly (24hour support line).

I have tried to use 4wire, I really have. But everything I find that seems like it would be relevant and helpful has had all its photos deleted.
24 hour help eh? Do you do electrical? LOL:
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/139541-The-Three-Amigo-s-Weird-electrical-fault

 

[Toasty]

Nwoods, yeah unfortunately 4x4wire is missing a ton of pictures because it's never had it's own real photo hosting ability so it's a shame. hopefully threads like this one will stay complete for a long time.

I don't do much electrical, i usually trade help to a couple of my friends for that stuff.

 

[viducce]

Hi,
I've been following your build thread and it's really outstanding what you have done to and with your truck.
Just found this sometime ago and thought since you got the engine out anyway why not give it a try, I'm sure that
a Lexus V8 would be a great evolution.....

Here is a teaser and the link below....

http://www.pajeroclub.co.za/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3816&f=31

Sadly the owner never did follow up with pics of the completed truck...

 

[All-Terrain]

How have your Raceline wheels held up to off-road work? Strong enough for a heavy Montero and big tires?

 

[eurosonic]

How have your Raceline wheels held up to off-road work? Strong enough for a heavy Montero and big tires?

Yes, had no problems so far.


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[All-Terrain]

Yes, had no problems so far.


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Cool. Are they hubcentric?

 

[eurosonic]

yes

 

[justcuz]

The SAS and doubler will make it much more capable for your use, since you are frequently beyond simple expedition use. Rubicon, Fordyce and any other you choose will be doable now.
Will your Jeep front be spring under? I saw a Trooper done (maybe on this site) that used a Toyota front axle in a spring under configuration. Shackles were in front so the axle stayed out of the wheel wells on compression.
The rear coil, front leaf setup will give you tons of articulation.
4:88 gears in the Dana 44 should work fine since the difference is so minimal. 4.88 is .9959 of 4.90!
231 or 241 doubled will give you more crawl than the Dana 18, 20 or 300 and with a slip yoke eliminator will still be pretty short, lighter and easier to source parts for one style t-case instead of 2.
A high pinion Dana 44 out of a Ford F-250 axle tubes can be shortened to use the Wagoneer axles, knuckles, spindles, 6 lug hubs, brake rotors and calipers.
Instead of a doubler you could also put Rubicon 4-1 reduction gears in a 241.
Lots of ways to go but either way you will have a vehicle that is shorter, narrower and roomier than a 4 door Jeep Wrangler if my numbers are right.
Did your trip with the SAS Trooper inspire your thoughts along these lines?
Looking forward to more reports on your progress.

 

[BOPOH]

Any updates or new pictures from recent trips?

 

[IncorpoRatedX]

nah, he's a toyota guy now.

 

[eurosonic]

I am making progress slowly. I decided to pass on a Dana300 setup.

I picked up a NP241C transfer case for $100 of craigslist. It came out of 1994 Chevy Suburban with 87k miles. I will be using behind the NP231.




The NP231 case came with a 21 spline input shaft and the NP241 came with a 27 spline. I needed 23 spline shafts for both.

After much research, I ordered a 23 spline input shaft made for a Dodge NP241D and a 23 spline shaft out of another variation of NP231. 231 case required wide bearing shaft while the 241 required the narrow kind. You can see the difference in the pic.




Rear case slides right on. Front case doesnt marry with transmission adapter all the way. The input shaft is too long and will need to be chopped 1/2 inch or so.

I took it in to a machine shop, they said they will do it this week.




Meanwhile, I really miss off-roading. Haven't went out since last year. So I picked up a FJZ80 from a friend of mine who just bought a house and was strapped for cash. Its an earlier model, comes with ARB front, winch, swing-out carrier, 35s, Aussie locker and OME 2.5 lift kit. Also has a bunch of other cool minor mods. The body and interior is in fantastic shape.
Took it out for a shake down, I like everything about it except its gas mileage and lousy power. Im averaging out at 9 mpg ;(((( The truck is completely gutless. It begs for a V8 swap.


Off-road it does great. Very comfortable and roomy truck. I wont hang on to it too long. Maybe till fall.

After giving a LC the run around, I really appreciate Monteros even more. They are truly awesome trucks. Before I tore it apart I used to get 15MPG with 35s on my fully armored Montero while having great power.

 

[nwoods]

That is a very pretty 80 series. I'm always amazed at how small they are inside compared to their exterior.

 

[BOPOH]

are you planning to finish your montero before you sell LC?

 

[eurosonic]

all depends on how fast I move with the Montero. With build like this there are a lot of unknowns. Ill most likely sell the cruiser before hand.

 

[MummifiedCircuitry]

That's a beautiful 80, body is almost too nice to take out on the trails. As someone who struggled with buying a montero vs a landcruiser, I'm curious how you feel about a few points regarding parts scarcity and pricing. Do you feel feel the landcruiser may be a stronger choice because replacement parts are more common and the aftermarket support is much better.

Of the parts you have replaced on the 80, how do they compare in price to the montero?

Lastly, do you ever have a hard time making large investments in the montero, because it won't ever retain value as well as the landcruiser? A montero built to a certain level only seems to be able to be sold for >25% or so of a landcruiser built to the same level. I love my montero, but I feel these points nagging at me a bit sometimes, just curious how you see them.

Thanks a lot, I've really enjoyed your build.