Hey I was at the Junk yard today and notices a pretty beefy axle under a mishibishi montero. The axle looked pretty beefy and the more I looked at it i notices that it had a factory air locker in it. It had a bango fitting on the top of the housing and on the dash it had a button that said rear dif lock. I've never heard about anybody throwing one of these under their yotas or anything like that. Is this axle something cool or does it have some killer weakness somewhere? I'd be interested in any info you guys have on it. Thaks!
mishibishi air locker axle?
- Thread starter KrazyKarl
- Start date
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
I've heard about a factory Montero air locker, but they're so rare there's little info about them.
Spork
Tin Foil Hat Equipped
- Location
- Saratoga Springs, UT
Lka1988
Active Member
- Location
- Cedar Hills, UT
My buddy had a Montero, I recently worked on another Montero, and a guy I know (Phil @ Alignment Guys in AF) buggied a Montero.
All three have factory air lockers. Doesn't seem too rare to me...
All three have factory air lockers. Doesn't seem too rare to me...
spencevans
Overlander
- Location
- Farmington
The mitsubishi rear axle with an air locker is a great axle. Mitsubishi is one of the world leaders in offroad technology. There is a reason that Mitsubishi has won the Dakar 7 out the last 8 races. It's just too bad Mitsubishi doesn't import the good stuff anymore. If I were you I would jump on that axle.
- Location
- Smithfield Utah
I think that there are better options for the Toyota crowd, but for someone with a Mitsubishi that needed one this would be a great upgrade. Either way I'd snag it and sell it to somone that could use it 
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
I doubt the numbers of factory lockers Mitsubishi has brought to the States is even close to 25% of the factory lockers that Toyota has brought over. I bet the number is closer to 10%, for every 1 locked Montero axle, I bet you can find 9 locked Toyota axles. I think that's rare enough!
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
I'd conservatively put that number more like 200:1. Every TRD Tacoma from 98-04' had a rear locker, ~10% of FZJ80's and LX450's had F&R lockers. Older 97-02 4Runners and Tacomas had it as a factory option too. Newer Tacomas, FJC's get them as well.
I've seen a Montero with with air activated differential. The guy was trying to source air line parts for his setup, nothing like the ARB but I think he was able to get something figured out with a custom hose at EVCO. Seem like pretty stalwart units.
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
I'd conservatively put that number more like 200:1. Every TRD Tacoma from 98-04' had a rear locker, ~10% of FZJ80's and LX450's had F&R lockers. Older 97-02 4Runners and Tacomas had it as a factory option too. Newer Tacomas, FJC's get them as well.
Sounds like the Mitsubishi lockers do qualify for rare in comparison to factory Toyota lockers then.
Houndoc
Registered User
- Location
- Grantsville
Any idea what year it is off of?
Also, anyone have a feel for what is involved to set it up if swapped onto a rig?
Also, anyone have a feel for what is involved to set it up if swapped onto a rig?
- Location
- The Land Northward (Bountiful), Utah
Karl, talk to Carl (Motero on Utah4x4club.com) that's where I learned about that axle in the first place. I'll pm you his email
Houndoc
Registered User
- Location
- Grantsville
I would suspect the axle would be the same as was in Montero Sports, in which case the generation with the air locker options used 9" gears, 1.2" shaft diameter. But, I do not know for fact they used the same axle. The newer Sports (with the 3.5L engines) are 9.5" gear, 1.4 diameter shaft.
How old of a Montero is it from? I can look into it and see if those numbers are likely right or not.
How old of a Montero is it from? I can look into it and see if those numbers are likely right or not.
ZUKEYPR
Registered User
- Location
- 651.78 miles East of the Rubicon
I've known Karl..it's with a "K" for years and he wheels his Montero pretty hard, I mean not Upper Helldorado hard by know means, but hard. I don't know of him ever having an issue with it. I think he's on here too, IO just can't recall his user name.
Rodeoman
Registered User
- Location
- Taylorsville, Ut
This is what I gathered from expedition portal, Mitsu forum.. All of 94-96 Montero SR's came with a factory locker. So I am pretty sure no Montero Sports came with one as they are newer models. There is a wealth of knowledge at 4X4wire.com... Under Mitsubishi tech and talk BBS forums..
Houndoc
Registered User
- Location
- Grantsville
They did have air lockers on the early Montero Sports. I believe it was only with the 3.0 l engine, thuse the smaller axle as noted in earlier post.
I don't know if it is the same axle as was in the Montero generation you mentioned, but logically could be. I'll see if I can find out.
I don't know if it is the same axle as was in the Montero generation you mentioned, but logically could be. I'll see if I can find out.
Houndoc
Registered User
- Location
- Grantsville
So, what did you learn?
Yea so when I took the axle apart I measured the ring gear and it is 9 3/4 it uses 31 spline shafts and it noticed that the shaft from a ford 9 inch fit in perfectly. The locker looks pretty stout as well and it only needs about 12 psi to engage. The gears in it are 4.64. I think when my engine swap it done it is going under my 4runner.