Sixstringsteve's 2003 Mitsubishi Montero Non-Build Thread

[sixstringsteve]

2003 Mitsubishi Montero XLS

I call this a non-build thread because my goal is to keep very close to stock. Unfortunately, having a garage full of fabrication tools makes it difficult to keep anything stock, so I imagine I will inevitably end up modifying it to some degree.


Goals:
I believe that all builds should have written goals, otherwise they'll drift 'till they're bigger and bigger and eventually become a buggy. My goal is to have a rig that can do the following, listed from highest priority to lowest.

1) transport me and my family safely at highway speeds in all weather conditions while getting 18+ mpg
2) handle week-long car-camping trips and backpacking trips with all the gear required to support us
3) be reliable and not leave us stranded
4) be cheap to maintain
5) be a shelter to sleep in when we are in inclement weather
6) drive the occasional 3/10 rated trail (trails like Teapot Canyon in the Maze, Elephant Hill in Needles, and Long Canyon in Moab).


The plan:
- small cosmetic and functional upgrades that don't break the bank or modify it too far from stock
- add a sleeping platform to the back


Still undecided:
- ARB Fridge
- OME lift


Current State:

Maintenance:
Maintenance:
@125k - new battery
@125k - new tires (265/75r16 Cooper AT3s)
@125k - crankshaft seal, front main seal, hoses and belts
@125k - new timing belt & water pump
@125k - transmission drain with new valvoline synthetic
@125k - engine oil switched to synthetic
@125k - new steering angle sensor

 

[sixstringsteve]

jgottfredson is to blame for getting me hooked on Monteros. He took me for a test drive up some loose, slippery hills, and the montero started to slip a little, then the traction control kicked in and it climbed right up it like it was nothing. I was very surprised at how capable this IFS/IRS rig was. It was great on washboards and bumpy fire roads, and it felt like a tank on the pavement. Visibility was excellent and it had lots of headroom and quite a few cool features including:

9.5" rear diff
8" front diff
traction control
4wd shifting on the fly
seating for 7
a rear seat that folds away and hides in the floor when you don't want to use it
pretty good mpg (18-20 on the freeway)

Anyway, John offered to sell his Montero at a price I couldn't refuse. So last night I picked it up.

Supposedly these rigs are dead reliable, but I have my reservations. I hear they burn a lot of oil, but I think that's mainly due to valve guides and valve guide seals. Fortunately the previous owner took care of the valve guide seals along with a lot of other preventive maintenance. I think she's ready for some adventures.

 

[sixstringsteve]

The wheels have been plasti-dipped and they're starting to peel. I'd love a set of wheels that stick out about 1 more inch, but I'm not going to go out of my way to find them. I'll probably peel the plasti dip off and just paint them black again. I really like the look of the 2001-2002 wheels.

A few things I need to fix:

- upper glove box sticks
- stock temp sensor wigs out (I know how to fix this and it should be very easy)
- fuel gauge may be a little bit off
- pass mirror is loose
- vibration/wobble in the steering wheel at 70mph
- add tools to swap the spare if needed
- fix a squeaky serpentine belt pulley bearing
- polish headlights

 

[STAG]

Any kind of armor protection/skid plates/rocker protection plans?

 

[Chevycrew]

What's it take to get 35's to fit?

 

[sixstringsteve]

Any kind of armor protection/skid plates/rocker protection plans?

Not at this point. I may look into beefing up the steps in case they do come in contact with a rock, but I shouldn't really be out on any trails that will require them. I have friends with sliders, I'll just ride with them.

 

[sixstringsteve]

What's it take to get 35's to fit?

Good question. I have no clue. I don't want to go up to 35s myself, but I know it's been done. Supposedly Mitsubishi has some 4.90 gears that you can swap in (I currently have 4.30s). That should make it about right for 35s.

These are unibody, but apparently you can do a small body lift on them. You can only do so much suspension lift because it's IFS/IRS. I think 3" lift is the max. That being said, my tires are 31s" and they have quite a bit of room. Plus they're tucked inside the fenders quite a bit. I'm betting a wheel spacer or a less backspaced wheel would give you more room for bigger tires. I've seen guys remove the side cladding for a different look.

 

[jentzschman]

I think I would get a small lift for sure. If OME makes one that will give about 1-2 inches I would go that route. What size tires come standard? Maybe get 32-33's?

 

[sixstringsteve]

OME makes a 2" lift. At the moment I don't need it, but if I find I'm scraping bottom a lot I may invest in a lift. I think it would give it a little less body roll on the road, which is always good.

Standard tire size is 30". I don't want to go above a 31; that would kill my mpg, freeway comfort, around town feel. That's the main reason I sold my tacoma, it was overbuilt and less comfortable on the road. Most of my driving is on-road, so I plan on keeping this rig more road-friendly.

Don't think the thought hasn't crossed my mind. It would look cool with a small lift, ARB bumper, winch, big ol' roof rack, and 33s. But I'd just end up selling it down the road because it'd be the wrong vehicle for comfortable 1000 mile road trips.

 

[STAG]

It's like a mix between a 4door sidekick and a Toyota 100 series, but with IRS. IMO anyways. How do you like the motor/power?

 

[johngottfredson]

Glad the old Monty found a good home. Make us proud, Steve.

John

 

[sixstringsteve]

I had my brother do a little photoshopping and I think I like it.

 

[sixstringsteve]

It's like a mix between a 4door sidekick and a Toyota 100 series, but with IRS. IMO anyways. How do you like the motor/power?

Exactly, that's a very fair assessment. It's bigger and beefier than a 4runner. It has way more power than a sidekick, way less power than a 100 series. Less luxury than a 100 series, but parts should be cheaper. It feels a little peppier than my 4runner. However, the trans is awesome. It know just how to shift for power all the time, and it cruises in 5th @ 30 mpg for good mpg. The tiptronic is awesome too, it responds instantly. So in other words, the motor is no rocket, but it's a 6000 lbs vehicle with a v6. I'll have to give you a ride in it someday.

 

[STAG]

I'd be down let's go camp

 

[sixstringsteve]

Maybe this weekend after the cruiser outfitter show? Head up to the uintas?

http://www.rme4x4.com/showthread.ph...ng-somewhere-this-weekend&p=993413#post993413

 

[Box Rocket]

I really like the look of these Monteros and I've entertained the idea of building one for a long time. IIRC they are unibody. That makes it a little tricky to get a lift under them especially with the IFS/IRS. I've tried to figure out if it would be possible to swap in some Toyota axles with a small lift. Ideally I think some Toyota axles and 32's or 33's as the biggest tire would look great on one of these truck.

Looking forward to seeing what you do with it and I have zero faith in you keeping it close to stock.

 

[sixstringsteve]

Yup, they're unibody. Ironically, they're something like 300% stiffer than the body on frame setup. OME has a suspension lift for them that gives them about 2" more clearance (but you have to order it from ARB Australia). I'm no expert, but it sounds like fitting 33s with the OME lift is zero problem. I think a 2nd gen montero would be a better sas candidate as it's a frame on body, and it has a rear solid axle.

I really wanted the IFS/IRS for stuff like the swell. Solid axles and lockers are cool for the Rubicon and rock crawling, but I've moved on from that. The IFS/IRS is really smooth on washboard, bumpy roads (99% of my offroad driving). I don't have a ton of uptravel at the moment, but I think an OME lift would fix that (at the expense of downtravel). Until the stock config is really holding me back, I'm going to try to avoid the temptation to lift it.

Looking forward to seeing what you do with it and I have zero faith in you keeping it close to stock.

Thanks. I have zero faith in being able to keep it stock as well, especially with all the extra cash I have left over from my tacoma sale. I'm scared my former self will creep back in and start hacking stuff up.

 

[Box Rocket]

Yup, they're unibody. Ironically, they're something like 300% stiffer than the body on frame setup. OME has a lift for them that gives them about 2" more clearance (but you have to order it from ARB Australia). I'm no expert, but it sounds like fitting 33s with the OME lift is zero problem. I think a 2nd gen montero would be a better sas candidate as it's a frame on body, and it has a rear solid axle.

I really wanted the IFS/IRS for stuff like the swell. Solid axles and lockers are cool for the Rubicon and rock crawling, but I've moved on from that. the IRS really is pretty smooth. I don't have a ton of uptravel at the moment. I think an OME lift would help out a lot there, but until the stock config is really holding me back, I'm going to try to avoid the temptation to lift it.



I have zero faith in that too. I'm scared my former self will creep back in and start hacking stuff up.

I'm with you 100% on the solid axle vs IFS/IRS topic. Just saying what was going through my head when I was contemplating one of these. I think at the time (it was years ago) that there wasn't anything available in terms of lifts for them so I was trying to figure out a way to use other components. If you can gain a bit of ground clearance and improve travel a little the IFS/IRS would be a killer desert setup for a camping rig. I think I'd handle it exactly like you are.

These trucks aren't known for their suspension travel at all. I remember when they first came out and the were being reviewed. The offroad capabilities were pretty nice but I remember almost every single tester commented that they were constantly on 3 wheels on the trails.

My brother in law has one of these and loves it. They really are nice vehicles IMO. I'm stoked you're going to figure out a bunch of crap with them so if I ever get one in the future I won't have to go in blind.

 

[sixstringsteve]

I'm excited to get started on my sleeping platform. Check out how the rear seat folds away on these 3rd gens:

[video=youtube;zE5v-X8U7P4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE5v-X8U7P4[/video]


I'm now on the lookout for a stock rear seat (the more beat up the better). I'd love to be able to make my sleeping platform tuck away in that cubby somehow. I want a spare seat to experiment with folding and mounting. If I could secure it with the stock seat mounts that would rock.

 

[sixstringsteve]

These trucks aren't known for their suspension travel at all. I remember when they first came out and the were being reviewed. The offroad capabilities were pretty nice but I remember almost every single tester commented that they were constantly on 3 wheels on the trails.

Exactly right. I'm going to need to get used to that and adjust my driving style accordingly.

My brother in law has one of these and loves it. They really are nice vehicles IMO. I'm stoked you're going to figure out a bunch of crap with them so if I ever get one in the future I won't have to go in blind.

That's what I'm here for. To me, the best part about a new rig is learning about them and experimenting. It's like a self-paced course on a specific vehicle, but with no grades and lots of fun. And it's usually cheaper than a semester of college.