I've left the Toyota Fold, AKA my Montero Build Thread

[red87]

Hello all,

I picked up a 96 Montero SR yesterday with about 146k on the clock. I've been looking for a replacement for my truck for a little while now and the Monty ended up being the top of my list. It's the only the second car (out of nine, so far) I've owned that has AC and I couldn't be more excited :wings: Its the little things, right? Pretty much everything works, except for the compass (it gets confused) and the little diagram that shows when I'm in 4wd, AWD, and/or diff locked never has my rear wheels lit up. Is that normal?

Anyway, at Cyi5's request, I'm starting a build thread and this is it.

Today's jobs included installing the third row seat, putting some 100w bulbs I had laying around in the fog lights, removing the running boards and taking off the stupid bullbar. If anyone wants either of those, tell me ASAP as I'm taking them to the dump pretty quick here.

Here are my as purchased shots so you can follow my changes:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_nFmfvJXcmGw/TXblS4PKdoI/AAAAAAAACsc/0328XiK4RpE/s912/DSCF0930.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_nFmfvJXcmGw/TXblUBbVkpI/AAAAAAAACsg/KeEypPIK5Q8/s912/DSCF0932.JPG

I hate running boards so those were the first to go. I measured them once they were on the ground and I gained about 5" of clearance under my doors just by taking those off.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_nFmfvJXcmGw/TXblYxpMm2I/AAAAAAAACss/wdBvzLaXI88/s640/DSCF0935.JPG

The bullbar was next. Whoever installed it must have been functionally retarded. They used carriage bolts like normal bolts and then didn't even bother actually connecting the wires for the extra lights to any kind of power source.

Here it is with all that garbage removed:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_nFmfvJXcmGw/TXblXNa2gDI/AAAAAAAACso/JEfJ9vI-Bt4/s912/DSCF0934.JPG

When I pulled the skid plate off (surpassingly beefy, by the way), I found this guy:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_nFmfvJXcmGw/TXblVYQax_I/AAAAAAAACsk/fi3wixJjYSo/s912/DSCF0933.JPG

I'm not real sure what it is but my father said it may be a mixing tray for testing different kinds of ceramic glaze. Anyone else have an idea?

Finally, the key fob had been broken in the area the key ring normally goes through so I needed to address that. This is the nicest car I've owned so far and the keyless entry damn well better work :)

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_nFmfvJXcmGw/TXblRK9O8jI/AAAAAAAACsY/dE_21FrsA28/s912/DSCF0929.JPG

That's nothing I can't fix with my trusty Dremel, some strapping and some epoxy:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_nFmfvJXcmGw/TXblZZGlT_I/AAAAAAAACsw/r9vWw3sEtlE/s912/DSCF0936.JPG

I know its a little ghetto but free is a whole lot cheaper than buying a new fob.

[Clem]

Nice purchase...I'm curious, did you buy your Monty near San Francisco? There was a red '96 for sale on craigslist that dropped in price $1,000 while I was watching it and was gone before I had a chance to look at it.

Congrats!

Clem

[red87]

Nice purchase...I'm curious, did you buy your Monty near San Francisco? There was a red '96 for sale on craigslist that dropped in price $1,000 while I was watching it and was gone before I had a chance to look at it.

Congrats!

Clem

Yup, that was me. Did you by chance call the dealership as I was signing the paperwork?

[theicecreampeople]

sweet bro jazzed for ya ,looks good ...:wings:

[Clem]

No, that wasn't me calling while you were picking it up. By the time I got ready to make my move the CL ad was gone. Did the salesman use the call as a reason to not work with you on the price as the Monty was getting "a lot" of interest?

[red87]

No, that wasn't me calling while you were picking it up. By the time I got ready to make my move the CL ad was gone. Did the salesman use the call as a reason to not work with you on the price as the Monty was getting "a lot" of interest?

Actually no, it was just that guy's bad luck. He said only a couple of people had looked at it and none of them had the cash or credit score to take it home. I guess it had been sitting on his lot for a month by the time I got it. That's the only time I've been happy about high gas prices. Who wants an premium-drinking SUV when gas is $4 a gallon? :sombrero:

[Clem]

Who wants an premium-drinking SUV when gas is $4 a gallon?

Just me, you and the guy who called while you were signing the paperwork, I guess:sombrero:

[CYi5]

Keep bringin' the photos, love watching the progress :).

[Silverwulf]

I'll take the stupid bull bar! I have same one, but damages and need to replace it. PM me .:sombrero:

Thanks, Chris.

BTW You're going to love these trucks!

Oh, the white tray thing is the thing that they use at oilstop to show you old vs new trans, diff, ps fluids. Lol, the dude under the car left it in there. At least you know they were servicing it :/

[red87]

Really? I would have never guessed that, haha.

[RU55ELL]

Congrats. There is a club of you Toyota converts building now.

[red87]

Just ordered some BFG MT KM2s in the 33x10.5 flavor. Can't wait for those to get here.

[Silverwulf]

Good luck with the km2's. I went to order some just yesterday and I was told by 3 different shops they are an national backorder from BFG. I was bummed untill I scored some other tires on CL ( see my other post):elkgrin:

[red87]

Good luck with the km2's. I went to order some just yesterday and I was told by 3 different shops they are an national backorder from BFG. I was bummed untill I scored some other tires on CL ( see my other post):elkgrin:

Yeah, just happened to me too. So that plan has been scrapped. I'm looking at the BFG ATs now. I spend most of my time in the desert, I don't do much in the rocks and I avoid mud so maybe an aggressive AT is right for me. Problem is, very few companies make a 33x10.5 tire. All I've seen are the BFG AT, MT and Baja and the Toyo MT.

[Silverwulf]

I had the BFG A/T's on my old "03 frontier. I didn't like them much... I replaced them with Bridgstone revos and was VERY happy with the Revo's. Awesome wet asphalt grip.

[red87]

I had the BFG A/T's on my old "03 frontier. I didn't like them much... I replaced them with Bridgstone revos and was VERY happy with the Revo's. Awesome wet asphalt grip.

Well my ATs should be be here in 4 business days so I'm committed now, haha. How did the Revos compare offroad?

[Silverwulf]

On my frontier (4x4 crew supercharged) the revos were better all around. Equal offroad, superior on road. The bfg a/t were bouncy and vague on the freeway, revos made truck feel like car on freeway. But that was freeway driving. I didnt get to do much offroad in that truck.
Back then I was a car guy that got a truck. That truck got wrecked, I got another car. Missed the truck ever since. Now I'm here with a monty!

[LaOutbackTrail]

Truck looks great! Send that POS brush "guard" my way!:sombrero:

I like the red better than my "Adriatic Blue" but its finally growing on me.

Glad to see more Yota converts here! More power, more beef, less money!

[PirateMcGee]

Glad to see more Yota converts here! More power, more beef, less money!

hey now......lets not get carried away:elkgrin:

[red87]

First mod: floor mats! I think I've gone soft :yikes:

Anyway, I needed some decently deep rubber ones and CYi5 pointed me towards Costco. $18 got me a set of four mats that should catch plenty of dirt and keep my carpet clean. After all, they are the ULTIMATE FLOORMATS or so I've heard...

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_nFmfvJXcmGw/TX89XNAbJTI/AAAAAAAACvk/zSu_BV6GBwg/s912/DSCF0941.JPG

They even almost match.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_nFmfvJXcmGw/TX89YdSpVgI/AAAAAAAACvo/fpCz4Vxa3HY/s912/DSCF0942.JPG

I should have some pictures up tomorrow from the Monty's first trip off pavement under my care. In all honesty, the undercarriage was so clean when I bought it that I wouldn't be surprised if it was its first trip off pavement with ANY owner.

[LaOutbackTrail]

I should have some pictures up tomorrow from the Monty's first trip off pavement under my care. In all honesty, the undercarriage was so clean when I bought it that I wouldn't be surprised if it was its first trip off pavement with ANY owner.

I'm sure its been off pavement at a soccer field or two..... pulling soccer mom duties! :ylsmoke:

[Jeff@QuadShop]

Do you still have the brush guard? If so let me know how much shipped to 40207.

[red87]

(Not so) Funny story about the brush guard... I had it sitting in the back of my dad's truck along with the running boards for a dump run and he took it before I could tell him anyone was interested in it. Sorry folks.

[off-roader]

Well, as far as the brush guards go, it's probably better it's now at the dumps than someone using it and getting a false sense of security from having them.

In anything but the most minor fender benders, Brush Guards will likely create more damage than protect your vehicle. The problem is, they are designed to be a cosmetic guard and in function, simply don't work as 'protection'.

I know... I used to have a nice $$$ Manik brush guard on my first Gen I. I sold it long ago to someone who wanted it and knew it was not really designed for impacting anything more than 'brush' and in a real accident would likely cause more harm than good.

[red87]

Well, as far as the brush guards go, it's probably better it's now at the dumps than someone using it and getting a false sense of security from having them.

In anything but the most minor fender benders, Brush Guards will likely create more damage than protect your vehicle. The problem is, they are designed to be a cosmetic guard and in function, simply don't work as 'protection'.

I know... I used to have a nice $$$ Manik brush guard on my first Gen I. I sold it long ago to someone who wanted it and knew it was not really designed for impacting anything more than 'brush' and in a real accident would likely cause more harm than good.

That's precisely why I removed it. The only thing it was good for was mounting lights and I can figure out a solution to that. In fact, I already did and will be doing so once I can figure out where I can run a couple wires though the firewall without drilling a hole.

[Silverwulf]

I have that gaurd now, only it has some damage to it. It is pretty flimsy. I am just using it for a light bar. If I can find a decent price on one. Will a bumper from a different truck fit with mods to the brackets? My old mad has a full machine ship and welding equipment.

[LaOutbackTrail]

Yeah, for ARBs, they are pretty much all the same bumper with different mounts. I saw someone mount an ARB designed for a Jeep Grand Cherokee to their monty. I think it might have been grasscat. I plan to do similar.

[off-roader]

Absolutely.

I'm running Smittybuilt SRC bumpers for a Jeep JK in both front and rear. Grasscat did have the arb modded to fit.

In fact, I'll be upgrading to another bumper as soon as I can get a mount adapter built up. So you say, you have access to a fab shop? Rohnert Park's not that far away. :sombrero:

[Silverwulf]

Mostly engine machine shop. Rods, valves, heads, flywheels and the like. 99% import (bmw vw porsche audi and mercedes) BUUUUTTTT anythings possible. Also does brit bikes:elkgrin:

[off-roader]

Nice. At some point I need to do the valves on my 01 Audi S4 but that's a couple of grand and on top of that the turbos are past due to be replaced and I can already hear the bearing whine so, I'm not sure if it will be with doing all that.

[Silverwulf]

Tell me about it... I have an BMW E38 AC Schnitzer S7, and I need to do a 60k service and valve cover and oil pan gaskets. Even with my hook ups It will still be @$12-1400.00 Just before I got the monty, I replaced the shocks and springs with bilstein sports and H&R stage II springs...9 hrs labor @$100/hr. Not to mention the $ of the parts.... But now its extra :drool::drool::drool:

[off-roader]

The turbo's (2 of them) are $1300 ea. The R&R process includes removal of the engine to access them. Alternatively you can remove the rearward cross member but it's still very tight and difficult to access them. Most mechanics would rather simply remove the engine to get to them more easily and possibly save time.

In addition to the turbo's, the labor to do the valves is over 10 hrs (I've got low compression/probably burnt valves on both sides). The R&R of the turbo's does not help at all with the labor to do the valves.

Sucks for sure.

[red87]

Tires are here :wings:

I got my 33x10.5 BFG ATs mounted up today at America's Tire. They handily beat Tire Rack's prices AND I learned that their free replacement certificates also cover offroad damage. I've have bad luck with tires on my Death Valley trips so I opted to get the certificates. After the money they gave me for the tires that were on the Monty it was only $20 extra. Don't mind the spare not matching, I'm officially on the lookout for a used tire to stick back there. I don't want to be THAT guy at the mall; all the girls will laugh at me.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_nFmfvJXcmGw/TYGb0cJDPHI/AAAAAAAACwM/h9NLXUnkDBU/s912/DSCF0943.JPG

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_nFmfvJXcmGw/TYGb1-ixXVI/AAAAAAAACwQ/uI3l1Slqk_M/s912/DSCF0944.JPG

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_nFmfvJXcmGw/TYGb4A0InnI/AAAAAAAACwU/LCs3mAmHdV0/s912/DSCF0945.JPG

[CYi5]

Very nice! Those stock monty rims are pretty sweet, gotta admit. You get those tires dirty turning into your driveway? When's the lift getting ordered? Rubbing?

[red87]

There was some mud at soccer practice. No rubbing and the lift gets ordered once someone buys my truck. If anyone's curious, it can be found in the classifieds here :)

[LaOutbackTrail]

You'll find that you wont need a lift. I want the heavier springs in the back of mine so that I can carry a moto back there. Then I'll just crank the torsions.

Tires look good, but a wee bit skinny, and very exposexual! :elkgrin:
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/168483_588731939931_62002887_32982818_340257_n.jpg
Real meat. :Wow1:

I wish you were closer, I'd like to do a back to back comparison and write up on how the Montys perform the way we have them set up.

[red87]

Same here. I've got a KLR250 I eventually plan to stick on the planned-to-be-built rear bumper. OME's got my back there.

You're welcome to come out to the desert in the next few months so we can compare real meat with exposexual and see who comes out on top :sombrero:

[CYi5]

You'll need to find someone running 285/75's to get that "Ahhh, this porridge is just right," conclusion.

[red87]

When do yours get here?

[LaOutbackTrail]

You'll need to find someone running 285/75's to get that "Ahhh, this porridge is just right," conclusion.


I have an 80 series in my driveway with brand new 285s on it.... so tempting... :sombrero:

[Silverwulf]

I'm down to go play in the desert. I've got the in between size. 32x11.5.15's

[CYi5]

When do yours get here?

Whenever the ladies stop biting. Summer time perhaps. May as well meet up half way in Utah.

[red87]

Locker testing. For science.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_nFmfvJXcmGw/TYcgpIr2alI/AAAAAAAACw8/mE3fZlfeRb4/s800/muletown%20rd1.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_nFmfvJXcmGw/TYcgp00vADI/AAAAAAAACxA/aQh7HvvO_5w/s640/muletown%20rd2.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_nFmfvJXcmGw/TYcgr12wkuI/AAAAAAAACxI/1Yvwh5mTX5s/s640/muletown%20rd4.jpg

Seems to work just fine. The more astute among you may notice the tires aren't the new ones. These pictures were taken with the highway tires the truck came with, not my BFG ATs. Even with those tires, I was still impressed. It may not be clear but that rut/ditch was deep enough that I was using the front skidplate as a ski of sorts. I had no idea until I got home and noticed all the mud pushed into it :elkgrin:

[Silverwulf]

Science is cool...:)

[LaOutbackTrail]

Hehe, I did the same thing a couple days after purchase. :elkgrin:

[schnutzy]

I just looked through the thread, lookin good!
I am hoping to have mine all modded out by fall :victory:

[red87]

More updates!

I finally installed my HID lights tonight. These are the same ones that were on the front of my Toyota. I couldn't find anywhere to put the wires through the firewall until CYi5 gave me some help on the matter. Turns out all the wires go through one big fitting on the passenger side and its super easy to shove a couple more through. The pictures this time aren't great because I forgot to document until I was part way though. Ooops :elkgrin:

So the first thing I did (after buying wire) was to pull wires through the firewall and install the switch. That way I figured I could just work my way around to the battery. That was more difficult than it should've been as the dealer had apparently bathed the car in armor-all. As I now know, NOTHING sticks to that. But that wasn't anything some Goo Gone couldn't deal with and, as an added bonus, it took the residual adhesive off the door where I had removed the "How to use four wheel drive" sticker. I'm a grown *** man, I don't need a sticker to tell me that. That said, I still forget to put it in Neutral sometimes. This whole automatic trans thing is hard to adjust to :sombrero:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_nFmfvJXcmGw/TYxkQw7YA5I/AAAAAAAACyM/z63Ap4iWJxA/s912/DSCF0954.JPG

Next step was to mount the lights. I had been messing around with ideas for that and I decided on just bolting them to the bumper. That center section comes right out so its easy to replace if I don't like em later and I can hide the ballasts under it for a nice, clean install. After some measuring and some dry runs, I decided on mounting the lights nine inches in from the edge and centered front to back.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_nFmfvJXcmGw/TYxkSDkZywI/AAAAAAAACyQ/wpvzNm06GFo/s912/DSCF0947.JPG

Then I ran into the problem of how to mount the ballasts. I already knew I was putting them under that top piece but I didn't know how I would secure them. I like mechanical attachments much better than tape or glue so those two were out. As we know, the first holes are the hardest to drill and the rest come easy so I figured the best way to secure the ballasts was to drill a couple holes in the lower bumper part and use some zip ties to hold them down. Pro tip: if you want to drill and/or mark on chrome, lay some masking tape down first. Its easy to write on and helps the drill bit not move around so much when you're starting the hole.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_nFmfvJXcmGw/TYxkTiUwSsI/AAAAAAAACyY/g7MfP5q2QRw/s912/DSCF0946.JPG

While the holes were being enlarged to 1/4" to fit the zip ties, my friend had the brilliant idea to put little bits of rubber in the holes to act as buffers and prevent the sharp edges of the holes from eventually wearing through the zip ties. Apparently he uses something like that in his day job building bridges.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_nFmfvJXcmGw/TYxkVC3hw4I/AAAAAAAACyc/n4PiIIM-91Q/s912/DSCF0949.JPG

We also decided it was prudent to add some dense, closed cell foam rubber pads below the ballasts to both dampen vibration and add some tension to the mounting system and keep it tighter.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_nFmfvJXcmGw/TYxkWEwIg4I/AAAAAAAACyg/-lhfm-_hMjY/s912/DSCF0950.JPG

While test fitting the top piece of the bumper, I noticed that it had a bit of a lip on the front I needed to be careful of. That led me to just push the ballasts all the way to where they were just flush with the rear of the bumper. That had the added bonus of reducing the number of holes I needed to drill because now I could just wrap the zip around the end of the bumper instead of drilling an additional hole for the rear of the ballast. The spacing between the ballasts is 1.5 inches. That gave me about a 1/4" clearance between the center support for the top and the ballasts.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_nFmfvJXcmGw/TYxkX_thJqI/AAAAAAAACyk/Nh9rWipjIAI/s912/DSCF0951.JPG

That bring us to my mostly finished shot. I finished up the wiring after this and then took my truck out and aimed the lights as best I could. I really wish I could say I meant to line up the fog lights and the off road lights so well but it was a complete accident. Sure looks nice though :)

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_nFmfvJXcmGw/TYxkZDnEPqI/AAAAAAAACyo/sJWvGmdvGTo/s912/DSCF0953.JPG

[Clem]

Well done!:clapsmile

[Silverwulf]

Got a pic of the hole in the firewall? I ran the wires for my Hella's from the bumper to the battery then through a hole on the ds inner frnder, through the inner fender to a rubber grommetthat came out right by the fuse box under the dash. Came out pretty clean. I'll post a pic on my install later this weekend.

[red87]

Got a pic of the hole in the firewall? I ran the wires for my Hella's from the bumper to the battery then through a hole on the ds inner frnder, through the inner fender to a rubber grommetthat came out right by the fuse box under the dash. Came out pretty clean. I'll post a pic on my install later this weekend.

I do not. However, if you look at the far right side of the firewall, under the dash you'll see it. Its a big ol bunch of wires.

[RocKrawler]

Any chance you can take a picture for me? I'm looking for a shot of the rear seat area with the front seats moved all the way back to see what kind of legroom these have. If you can manage it I'd appreciate it. There arent any for sale close enough to me to make cheacking one out easy and back seat legroom (or more precisely, LACK of it) was the reason to sell my 80 series.

[red87]

Any chance you can take a picture for me? I'm looking for a shot of the rear seat area with the front seats moved all the way back to see what kind of legroom these have. If you can manage it I'd appreciate it. There arent any for sale close enough to me to make cheacking one out easy and back seat legroom (or more precisely, LACK of it) was the reason to sell my 80 series.

I'm assuming you mean the middle row. I've sat in the third row and I fit better than I though (6'1"). It wasn't roomy but I could get in.

I took this with the driver's seat all the way back. Looks like 29" from the back of the front seat to the front of the seatback on the middle row and 11" from the back of the front seat to the front of the middle seat cushion. I'm comfy back there. All seats in the Montero do recline if that helps.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_nFmfvJXcmGw/TZBAiWnBPAI/AAAAAAAAC0Y/IFJrPzXm7aU/s912/DSCF0956.JPG

[RocKrawler]

I'm assuming you mean the middle row. I've sat in the third row and I fit better than I though (6'1"). It wasn't roomy but I could get in.

I took this with the driver's seat all the way back. Looks like 29" from the back of the front seat to the front of the seatback on the middle row and 11" from the back of the front seat to the front of the middle seat cushion. I'm comfy back there. All seats in the Montero do recline if that helps.


Excellent, thank you - looks like much more room than an 80 series, and looks like it sits up a bit taller than the front seat unless its a optical illusion in the pic. My son just turned 15 a couple days ago and just hit 6'3" so the back set (middle row) is more of an issue for us than most folks! I appreciate the pic.

[red87]

Excellent, thank you - looks like much more room than an 80 series, and looks like it sits up a bit taller than the front seat unless its a optical illusion in the pic. My son just turned 15 a couple days ago and just hit 6'3" so the back set (middle row) is more of an issue for us than most folks! I appreciate the pic.

6'3'?! You guys grow em big where you come from. I think you're right about the front seats but I'll go sit in them in a bit and get back to you.

[CYi5]

All reclining seats and chrome door handles?? I think we have a new luxo-cruiser in the group. Sexy floor mats; ribbed for your protection.

[off-roader]

All reclining seats and chrome door handles?? I think we have a new luxo-cruiser in the group. Sexy floor mats; ribbed for your protection.

I think the SR's are all chrome door handles. Not sure about the RS/LS models though. SR's are the ones with the beefier axles and a stock rear locker.

The 96 SR with the split folding seats are reclinable but I'm not sure about the earlier non-split seats. However the gen I rear seats also reclined.

[red87]

I just checked and yes, the middle seats are higher than the front. By a pretty significant amount too.

[CYi5]

I just checked and yes, the middle seats are higher than the front. By a pretty significant amount too.

Stadium seating...ooo aaah :).

[Jeff@QuadShop]

I think the SR's are all chrome door handles. Not sure about the RS/LS models though. SR's are the ones with the beefier axles and a stock rear locker.

The 96 SR with the split folding seats are reclinable but I'm not sure about the earlier non-split seats. However the gen I rear seats also reclined.

My 99 SR has black door handles.

[off-roader]

My 99 SR has black door handles.

The inside door handles are black? Those are the chrome one's I'm talking about.

From what I recall the SR model wasn't offered in 99? At least that's what my research has shown. The LS/SR monikers were dropped after 1997.

The features may have still been available but the model was no longer an LS/SR.

[Jeff@QuadShop]

Sorry, I thought you were talking about the outside ones, I've never really paid attention to the ones on the inside.

[off-roader]

Sorry, I thought you were talking about the outside ones, I've never really paid attention to the ones on the inside.

I don't think any of them came with chrome exterior handles. If they are chrome, it was either dealer installed or modified by a prior owner, not from the factory.

[irsa76]

Chrome exteriror handles were factory fitted on some models, iirc from 1994/95 on the top spec Exceed here in Australia. Our old base spec, rubber floor, part time 4wd with manual hubs and rear leaf suspension, had a reclining back seat, 2 rows only.

[red87]

The next phase of my project involves replacing the passenger side headlight as mine is cracked and full of water. Anyone have one or know where I could get one?

[red87]

Small update this time.

Got this nice little scuff wheeling a couple of weeks ago. Looks like sliders should be on my short list :elkgrin:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_nFmfvJXcmGw/Tcx2ldck2RI/AAAAAAAAC2o/tGbxxcuiv24/s640/P1010169.JPG

And I thought I'd share a nice little "flex" picture while I'm here.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_nFmfvJXcmGw/Tcx2rbN7mOI/AAAAAAAAC2w/mQozzsylB90/s640/IMG_2064.JPG

[LaOutbackTrail]

Lookin' good! How are the 10.50s working out for you?

[red87]

Lookin' good! How are the 10.50s working out for you?

Can't complain too much. Freeway mileage is decent and they give me the clearance I need. I have yet to wish I had wider tires EXCEPT in some deep, soft sand. And even then, airing down pretty much fixed that issue. Last time I went out I didn't bother airing down (forgot the compressor, haha) and I didn't get stuck or anything. I've yet to try them out anywhere other than that place but I expect them to be fine. The next test is Mojave Road in a couple of weeks.

[LaOutbackTrail]

Cool. Yeah if my 12.50s weren't so cheap, I would have probably ended up with 33x10.50 BFG KM2s. But, I've been satisfied so far. The only time I don't like the wide tires is around town (reduce MPGs)....

[red87]

Cool. Yeah if my 12.50s weren't so cheap, I would have probably ended up with 33x10.50 BFG KM2s. But, I've been satisfied so far. The only time I don't like the wide tires is around town (reduce MPGs)....

Something tells me that extra width may have been helpful this weekend...

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-o3ziAFrwfXk/TeTprfilzRI/AAAAAAAAC4c/mYE7CN6WbjM/s640/stuck.jpg


Turns out that wet sand was actually soft stinky mud. Oops.

[LaOutbackTrail]

I didn't even air down my 12.50s last weekend when we were doing the tests in the sand.... I would bog the rear tires down in 2wd and try to get out with the MAXTRAX and Smittybilt elements. If the devices didnt help, I'd just put in 4wd and crawl out of the sand.

At one point I bogged myself to the point of my front drivers side tire lifting off the ground.
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/247388_626201949731_62002887_33240517_2554321_n.jp g

[red87]

When I sold my old Toyota I made sure to keep the HID lights and my ham radio as they were the only things that would really swap over to the Montero. I got the lights on pretty quickly but it took until last week to get the ham it. I really didn't want to remove the factory CD/radio/tape deck as it sounded just fine and looked nice in the dash. Unfortunately, there was no place to put my ham radio other than below a single DIN CD player. So that led me to this point.

In the past I've just used butt connectors when making wiring harnesses for CD player installs but this time I decided to do it the best way and use solder/heat shrink tubing. I must admit, I'm very pleased with my results.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hUAZJ1sLTE8/TegIjLXGhBI/AAAAAAAAC5Y/mADChcv_AJ0/s640/DSCF0962.JPG

I then tackled the removal of the stock radio. I went into this blind so imagine my surprise when it was painfully easy. First you remove the top two screws holding the radio trim in, then gently pop off the bottom where two metal clips hold it in. Then remove the 2 screws on either side of the radio, unplug it, and you're done. You may notice I removed one of the screws before I remembered I had a build thread to keep up :)

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Bspuamel738/TegIiDHXMYI/AAAAAAAAC5U/Bcf7Au6gRPA/s640/DSCF0959.JPG

Once you get the deck out, you'll notice the four screws holding each nice little bracket to the deck. These are VERY VERY tight. I manged to ruin one and had to resort to using a dremel to remove the head of the screw.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-uN_PYcDKu_Y/TegIj3kFf5I/AAAAAAAAC5c/PSfI82cGIKc/s640/DSCF0963.JPG

Mitsubishi was thoughtful enough to put a divot right where I needed to drill a hole to get my Yaesu FT-2800M radio to line up perfectly with the front of the new CD player. I marked it with a blue sharpie for easier viewing.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-FUhMAV-RrQM/TegIkmEyojI/AAAAAAAAC5g/k8hIOM_FwKg/s640/DSCF0964.JPG

Here you can see the ham/cd player combo bolted up ready for installation. The second hole is 2" on center back from the first.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-xa8NAlzNDHk/TegIlYWj8hI/AAAAAAAAC5k/4-BfYWWBndk/s640/DSCF0966.JPG

My old Toyota came with both a tape deck (that worked) and a CD player (that did not work). So when I put the ham in that guy, I just hacked the CD player apart and used it's case as a mounting bracket. I ended up reusing that same case piece as I had some durability concerns about just hanging the ham from a couple of bolts on the sides. It isn't as wide as a CD player so I had to use some long bolts on one side to get the factory brackets to work. The old CD player case acts like a cradle and supports the ham from the bottom so the bolts don't apply any leverage to the ham radio.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-cdu3bjfxVgw/TegImfBjFuI/AAAAAAAAC5o/D2VPlOTNTUo/s640/DSCF0967.JPG

At first I tried to run the power wires for the ham though the same grommet used for every other wire that passes through the firewall but the wires were just too big and I didn't want to damage the connectors on the end. I ended up just passing them through the fender and around the door frame. Not super clean but it is better than drilling extra holes in the firewall.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-bAmWCP3vrto/TegIm3SKujI/AAAAAAAAC5s/I5WwCy0ydLY/s640/DSCF0968.JPG

Sadly, the trim that came with the new CD player is too wide to cover the gap left between it and the lovely fake wood surround so I have that nasty gap. Also, I need to source something to fill up the gap to the right of the ham radio. I was a bit rushed during the installation as I had to leave for the Mojave Road the day after I got it installed so I haven't had a chance to figure that problem out yet.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-kwAJrFeOPD4/TegInz-lBwI/AAAAAAAAC5w/gvmIrb91bjU/s640/DSCF0969.JPG


The new CD player connects directly to my iPod and lets me control it which I LOVE. I had a tape deck adapter before and I didn't like having that wire just hanging out the front. Sound seems to be clearer but that is probably just because the iPod is plugged directly into the stereo now, not through the tape deck.

The one problem I have after the install is that my ABS light is on sometimes and my front wheel drive lights flicker or flash on occasion. I never had these problems before but I don't see how a radio would cause them. Any ideas?

[CYi5]

nice boots

[red87]

nice boots

Thanks :26_7_2:

[Jeff@QuadShop]

I mounted my CB in a similar way in my Mazda. I used thick black foam tape to fill in the gaps, it turned out great. I'll try to get some pics soon.

When I get around to installing a CB in my Montero, I plan on mounting it in the space below the factory head unit where the fake woodgrain block off is. The factory head unit is actually a very nice system that sounds great!

[red87]

I mounted my CB in a similar way in my Mazda. I used thick black foam tape to fill in the gaps, it turned out great. I'll try to get some pics soon.

When I get around to installing a CB in my Montero, I plan on mounting it in the space below the factory head unit where the fake woodgrain block off is. The factory head unit is actually a very nice system that sounds great!

Don't get your hopes up. I had that same idea but once I got in there, I found that space to be full of all kinds of stuff. IIRC, it was airbag and ABS things and the associated wires. Thanks for the tip about the foam tape though :)

[red87]

Laters swaybar, its been fun...

On a related note, I now have two endlinks and two swaybar brackets if anyone needs them. Cost of shipping and they're yours.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SD2jiYoIclI/TewkUpYcHHI/AAAAAAAAC6o/cHFaXicGsyQ/s640/DSCF1023.JPG

[off-roader]

Nice work. Hope you can join us on the next trip down south. There's usually 3-7 built montero's on those trips.

As for the sway bars, just did that to mine the other weekend as well.

[red87]

Nice work. Hope you can join us on the next trip down south. There's usually 3-7 built montero's on those trips.

As for the sway bars, just did that to mine the other weekend as well.

Tell me more about these trips...

[off-roader]

We do everything from easy trails (Mojave Trail, death valley, etc.) to difficult rock crawling runs (Big Bear, Anza Borego, etc.).

I'm currently working on upgrades but once I'm ready, I'll start planning another trip.

[red87]

We do everything from easy trails (Mojave Trail, death valley, etc.) to difficult rock crawling runs (Big Bear, Anza Borego, etc.).

I'm currently working on upgrades but once I'm ready, I'll start planning another trip.

Very nice, keep me posted.

[red87]

Work is finally picking up so hopefully the updates here will too. Today's big news is that I got my windows tinted! All that glass was killing me in the Bakersfield heat; the AC couldn't keep up on the 105+ degree days. And, as an added bonus, it looks pretty sweet :cool: Auto Tint West did it for me and they were great. They stayed 30 mins past closing just to get my truck done. They also used some black out tape on the edge of the rear sliding windows to hide the part that can't be tinted.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-54a9tX9wamI/TgU8t2Hp6kI/AAAAAAAAC8A/tnsDGTTQ_s4/s640/tint.JPG

[red87]

I know its been a looooong time since my last update but I was pretty busy last summer and didn't really do a whole lot to my truck. However, I just picked up my best mod yet and I'm pretty excited.

I got a new co-pilot!

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-LMueC8ULciE/Tsm_EcBHWbI/AAAAAAAADCo/biUYR61hwRY/s640/DSCF1052.JPG

Took him up to the Giant Forest in Sequoia Nat'l Park last Sunday for a snow test and he passed with flying colors.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-eE3204LP-0A/Tsm_Akx1SkI/AAAAAAAADCE/kWAr3XXY31M/s640/DSCF1042.JPG

It was around 30 degrees most of the time we were up there and it was snowing the entire time.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-twqwMx-oXm8/Tsm_B9DAocI/AAAAAAAADCQ/vDzLqzUi_Yg/s640/DSCF1045.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IY_l6udLqaI/Tsm_DHA5MPI/AAAAAAAADCc/t7C4cfzkm9k/s640/DSCF1048.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-mGoNNiY9wWY/Tsm_CmU4XuI/AAAAAAAADCY/zjWNbKXvYVk/s640/DSCF1047.JPG


I did learn that dogs aren't allowed out of the car in the park though, so our day was cut short. Apparently the Nat'l Forest is much cooler with dogs so I'll just have to go up there next time.

[scrubber3]

Nice to see a worthwhile thread coming back to life! I'd love to get some snow soon. I love the fluffy stuff.

[mike5]

Beautiful pictures. I'm anxiously awaiting snow in the local mountains so I can take my Montero there and drive in it!

[tdesanto]

...Pretty much everything works, except for the compass (it gets confused) and the little diagram that shows when I'm in 4wd, AWD, and/or diff locked never has my rear wheels lit up. Is that normal?

I'm a little late to the party, but I wanted to ask if this had been addressed already. I didn't see it in the thread, but I may have just missed it.

If this is still an issue, it is probably just a few bulbs burned out behind the gauge cluster.

This happened on my '01 and I got the parts from my favorite Mitsu dealer (http://www.southwestmitsubishi.com/parts.aspx)for a few $ each.

Truck looks good; I think it was a wise choice on the 10.5" width tires versus the 12"

[Silverwulf]

Cool mod!... We should have a Co-pilot dog thread.

[red87]

I'm a little late to the party, but I wanted to ask if this had been addressed already. I didn't see it in the thread, but I may have just missed it.

If this is still an issue, it is probably just a few bulbs burned out behind the gauge cluster.

This happened on my '01 and I got the parts from my favorite Mitsu dealer (http://www.southwestmitsubishi.com/parts.aspx)for a few $ each.

Truck looks good; I think it was a wise choice on the 10.5" width tires versus the 12"

I ended up finding the owners manual and a whole bunch of receipts in the nifty little storage bin below the passenger seat so that told me how to re-calibrate the compass and I did end up replacing some bulbs in the cluster. Of course, one already burned out again so according to my gauges, I have one wheel drive :) I do need to order the bulbs for the compass though so thanks for the link.

[tdesanto]

I ended up finding the owners manual and a whole bunch of receipts in the nifty little storage bin below the passenger seat so that told me how to re-calibrate the compass and I did end up replacing some bulbs in the cluster. Of course, one already burned out again so according to my gauges, I have one wheel drive :) I do need to order the bulbs for the compass though so thanks for the link.

No problem; glad I could help. Ask for Keith Sexton, the Mitsu parts manager. He's not only very helpful, but very knowledgeable. Their prices are great too.

[red87]

Ordered new bulbs for the compass/thermometer just now. $9 shipping for $3 worth of bulbs :eek: At least I'll be able to see it at night for the first time. Now to figure what I bent in the front to make it pull so badly...

[m3at333hp]

I picked up a Montero is July that I have slowly been working on. Let me know when you guys do a trip out here. This is my first post on this site. So far, I have lifted my 98 with OME suspension, purchased a Garvin roof rack and ordering mud terrains soon. I just haven't decided if I want 32's or 33's.

[off-roader]

I picked up a Montero is July that I have slowly been working on. Let me know when you guys do a trip out here.

Nice. Where are you in California?

[m3at333hp]

I am in the inland empire. I head up north to SAC to visit my sister, but not often.

[off-roader]

I am in the inland empire. I head up north to SAC to visit my sister, but not often.

Ahh... I'm near Manteca/Tracy.

I'm thinking about planning a trip south for the New Years holiday (I should have Friday through Monday off). Maybe Anza Borrego are or the Cleghorn trail. Haven't decided yet. Will post up a separate thread once I decide for any interest from others to come along.

[m3at333hp]

Sounds good; Cleghorn is about 20 minutes away from me (although I have never been). This is my first 4x4 but I have always loved Monty's. Growing up, my parents has a 1990 and then later on they had a 1996 LS. So hit me up but expect me to be a noob ;)

[mike5]

Off Roader, I'd most likely be able to do a new year's trip as well...so let me know too.

m3at333hp: you have a E46 m3?

[m3at333hp]

Mike,

No, just one of my all time favorite cars made :) I maybe should have bought one recently, but instead I am driving an E60 525i since I drive about 60 miles a day and it is comfortable. Luckily, I was able to at least find one in a 6 speed manual :sombrero:

[red87]

So I caught up on some maintenance yesterday and replaced all three wipers, both fog light bulbs, a tail light (apparently we have 4, haha), and the bulbs in the compass. My one question is about the compass lights. Are they supposed to be on all the time or what? They bulbs were out when I bought it so I have no background here.

[m3at333hp]

So I caught up on some maintenance yesterday and replaced all three wipers, both fog light bulbs, a tail light (apparently we have 4, haha), and the bulbs in the compass. My one question is about the compass lights. Are they supposed to be on all the time or what? They bulbs were out when I bought it so I have no background here.
Yes, I believe the light is supposed to be on all the time. The reason I say so is because my '98 light is going out so I have been paying attention to it more and it is supposed to be on without the lights on.

[Silverwulf]

Yes, they are on all the time. They dim when dash lights are turned on. I took the little blue bulb covers off. I like the yellower look.
FOG lights were a PITA huh?

[off-roader]

Your 96SR came with fog lights? Are they oem or aftermarket?

[red87]

I'm pretty sure they're aftermarket. Here's a pic so you can verify for me:

78227

It looks like the plastic grill above the skidplate was modified (pretty cleanly) to fit them

They weren't too bad to change out. The lens is held in with little metal clips that pop right off with a screwdriver.

[Silverwulf]

Those are a factory option fog light. I used to sell them at the dealer I worked for. The mechanics hated installing them ad it was like a 4 Hr job! Whole front bumper had to come off to fit the mounting brackets.

[red87]

I guess that explains the clean install eh? :p

[jluck]

What are your thoughts about the sway bar removal now you have some time on it?. How much did it improve your flex?

[Silverwulf]

I took mine off 2 weeks ago. There is more lean. But, there is more road stability issues with 32"m/t tires cornering at 30+mph than the lack of a sway bar. If I had street tires or even a/t's I would have kept it. Since my intentions for this is more slow, trail type driving, I chose ine increased wheel travel. Removing the bar added at least an additional 2" in individual wheel travel. One side can go up higher while the other can drop lower. I checked this out when installing the rear spring spacers. If you dont want to cut it in half, you must remove both shocks to get it out in one piece.
HTH:ylsmoke:

[LaOutbackTrail]

Can't it just be unbolted when at the trail?

[off-roader]

Yes you can in your driveway/garage.

I found with my 11.5-12.5" wide tires (32, 33, & 35") the rig handles fine without them although I make it a point to drive it like a truck and not a car.

Hth.

[red87]

Handling is fine on pavement with 10.5" tires. There is for sure more body roll but it isn't bad. What I notice more is the improved ride over diagonal bumps. You get less of that side-to-side head tossing motion. I personally have yet to wish I still had it installed. Just pull one of the endlinks and drive around for a while if you're curious. Same effect on the handling.

[red87]

Trimmed my extension bumpstops today after discussing it in another thread. I found it easiest to just unbolt the bumpstops and take them inside. I'm also not supposed to work on my truck at my apartment complex so I had to be somewhat stealthy ;). Cutting them down wasn't too hard, I just used my hacksaw. If anyone else is looking to do this, it'll help restore extension travel lost when the torsion bars are cranked. I used an existing seam on the bumpstops as a guide as it was pretty much where I had planned on cutting anyway and it provided a nice line to use. It also made me cut both sides evenly. Haven't driven anywhere yet so no feedback on ride quality but once I do, I'll post it up.

80999

[red87]

84385

Checking my flex out in Death Valley last weekend.

[LaOutbackTrail]

Who says these rigs don't flex??


Oh yeah, everyone. Flexes enough for what you and I use em for it looks like!

[CYi5]

33x10.5 should have been the stock size Montero tire. Perfect proportions. Digging that the matching spare fits as well :).

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-xq2q48WC4Vg/TyhhzlGd43I/AAAAAAAAKh4/L2fXAJfHVxQ/s640/IMG_2274.JPG

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-cXDZrTuPToU/Tyhi_-9KpuI/AAAAAAAAKmI/X_dHzkAO_LU/s640/IMG_2316.JPG

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ffUOmO_mwd0/TyhifAAVolI/AAAAAAAAKiQ/VErBmzDWyqg/s640/IMG_2278.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ftjjC6YzRvA/Tyhi9waMzPI/AAAAAAAAKlg/FAViaOXONCc/s640/IMG_2306.JPG

[red87]

Oh sweet, thanks for uploading those

[eurosonic]

full size shovel on top..nice touch

[scrubber3]

The first tires I got for my Monty were 31/10.5/15 BFG ATs. They were great on the highway, in the snow, and on several trails I went to. They wore great and had virtually no highway noise. A very good tire! Glad this go round I got my 33/10.5s. You couldn't be more right when you say they "go" with the truck perfectly.

[red87]

Small update, as usual. I got some new front speakers (Kicker KS65) from my good buddy last week and installed them today. I'm not allowed to work on my car in my apartment complex so I had to wait until Sunday for the office to be closed to install them :) Nice clean sound from the new speakers. On a related note, I've got a pair of stock front speakers for anyone who needs them. Cost of shipping and they're yours.

84954

[skinzluch]

the little diagram that shows when I'm in 4wd, AWD, and/or diff locked never has my rear wheels lit up. Is that normal?


I replaced mine too. They seem to burn out quickly (last a year maybe). I guess it's because they're always on. Anyway, here's another resource for those dash lights.

http://autolumination.com/74.htm

The bulb for the wheel indicators (and a lot of other things in the dash) is the #74 wedge bulb. It lists for $0.99 and they come in a variety of colors. (The standard, non-LED bulb is about 1/4 of the way down the page. If you scroll down to the bottom of the page, you'll see that they even sell the little colored bulb caps that you sometimes find when you pull these bulbs out of the dash.

They have an amazing selection. I found some red-tinted bulbs there to replace the standard map lights too. Here's a link to that page:

http://autolumination.com/festoon.htm

Nik

[skinzluch]

Nice truck btw! It's nice to see more people driving Monteros. :smiley_drive:

[red87]

Thanks. Its very much a work in progress. Does anyone know the thread pitch and bolt size for the rear bumpstop bolts by chance? This is very relevant to my next little project...

[red87]

Who has two thumbs and just fixed his door locks? This guy! They've been bothering me since I bought my rig like a year ago so I'm pretty stoked to have them working correctly again. Both of the stops inside the actuator were destroyed so it would be very frustrating to try and unlock it.

These two zinc plated bolt are what holds the actuator in:
88585

There's one plug and the door lock arm attached too. Pull those and the bracket off and you'll be left with this:
88589

If you look at the backside, you'll notice a seam running all along the outside of it. You can carefully pry this apart to expose the inner workings. Mine needed a knife and a small flathead screwdriver to get it all the way apart. It messed up the edges a bit but its all cosmetic damage. And besides, I figured even if I broke it I wouldn't be any worse off. These are the inner workings. You can see the destroyed bumpers in the upper corners of the actuator:
88590

It appeared they used to be about 1/8" thick so I cut some rubber off a bent motorcycle jack I use as a tiny coffee table to replace them. The neat square rubber is my new bumper and the little booger-looking things to the right are the old bumpers. They almost disintegrated when I pulled them gently out.
88591

I used superglue to attach my new bumpers where the old ones lived. So now my fingers have some nice little glue spots. Try as I might, I can never avoid getting that stuff on me. The new bumpers are in the bottom corners of the actuator in this picture:
88592

I don't have any pictures of me closing up as I just wrapped it in electrical tape. I'm not proud of it but I didn't want to use superglue to put the actuator back together i case my fix doesn't last very long. Turns out I didn't even need to do that as the bracket wraps all around the backside and will hold it together regardless of what I did. Now I can use my key fob again!

[CYi5]

Did you have to do this on all four doors?

[red87]

Nope, the one actuator controls all four locks.

[red87]

Its time for another of my far too spread out updates!

Last weekend I attended the Long Beach Grand Prix and got some fabbing done with the help of CYi5 and his excellent welding skills. Unfortunately my cutting skills don't quite match up, but at least my new gas can holder is strong, if not a bit ugly :wings:

The design for this came directly from Inyo Man's build thread. My biggest departures from his design are using square tubing for the extensions and welding the can holder onto the plate. I used square tubing because that's all the steel place had and we welded the holder on due to a time constraint. It should be stronger too so its win-win. I won't bother with the build pictures as you can just reference Inyo Man's thread for pictures if you're curious. His mount looks much nicer anyway :)

96867

96868

You can see how far out the whole thing sticks when the can's attached here:
96869

I had no idea these holders were lockable until I looked closer. I must admit, I'm pretty pleased about that.
96870

I'm looking forward to next time I'm out in Death Valley and I can just cruise on by the crazy expensive gas stations for once.

[off-roader]

I'm looking forward to next time I'm out in Death Valley and I can just cruise on by the crazy expensive gas stations for once.

Very nice. FWIW, also consider picking up some NATO Jerry cans. They're usable inside your rig because they seal well enough that no fumes escape from the can unlike the blitz cans. In my case, I hope to eventually get one of those locking holders mounted back there once I modify the mount to fit. I'll use it for one of the Blitz cans I have. With it back there, it's a very effective accident avoidance tool since most drivers won't want to hit it and will give extra room to prevent that from happening.

[Inyo_man]

[QUOTE=red87;1094403 His mount looks much nicer anyway :)[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the compliment!
Great job on the project! It's so nice to breeze through Furnace Creek without stopping for gas, and then spend the money you saved on more beer.

Regarding the sealing qualities of the Blitz cans, I've had a different experience than off-roader.
My Blitz cans have always sealed so well that the sides crush in when it's been opened at altitude and then driven to sea level.
However, I've heard of others that have had problems with them sealing. I've been using them since 1986 and never have had an issue.
(My secret is to replace the o-ring when it gets worn.)

[off-roader]

Thanks for the compliment!
Great job on the project! It's so nice to breeze through Furnace Creek without stopping for gas, and then spend the money you saved on more beer.

Regarding the sealing qualities of the Blitz cans, I've had a different experience than off-roader.
My Blitz cans have always sealed so well that the sides crush in when it's been opened at altitude and then driven to sea level.
However, I've heard of others that have had problems with them sealing. I've been using them since 1986 and never have had an issue.
(My secret is to replace the o-ring when it gets worn.)

My experience was with a brand new can used for the first time when doing a Utah Swell trip way back when. Maybe it's because I was trying to close them by hand. I guess if you use something to give you greater leverage they can be closed well enough to seal properly. Kind of a pain if that's the case.

Regardless comparing them side by side it's a no brainer. The original Jerry can design is superior IMHO but this isn't the forum to discuss those details. I can post more info on my experiences in a separate thread if you'd like.

That said, I do see a good use for them as a fake jerry can on the back to keep tailgaters at bay. :sombrero:

[Inyo_man]

Thanks for the offer off-roader, but there's no need to post anything.

One thing I love about these mounts for the Blitz cans is when the can is not on the mount, the mount sits tight against the rig. Many Jerry can mounts need a platform for the can to sit on in order to secure it. Just a bit more low profile.

[off-roader]

Just a bit more low profile.
They sure are. It's why I also have that mount as well. It's just too bad there isn't one like it that works for NATO cans. Oh well. Cest la Vie...

[red87]

I use a screwdriver as a lever to tighten the cap down on my Blitz can. In all fairness, I'm out less than one of those super nice Scepter cans for both my blitz can AND the mount we made. For me, its a fair trade.

[skinzluch]

Congrats on your new truck!

As far as the 4x4 indicator lights on the dashboard. The ones that show the rear wheels burn out faster because they're always on. It's not to tough to take the instrument binnacle apart, pull out the gauge cluster and replace the lights. You can find replacement bulbs at autolumination (http://autolumination.com/74.htm). They have all kinds of different LED versions of the bulb but search for this text to find the most basic incandescent version: #74 (T5, T1-3/4) bulbs are 3/4" x 1/8" diameter. They're available in any color.

Do you have the manual to set the compass? If not let me know and I'll post the instructions.

[red87]

I do have the manual, thanks. I didn't know about that bin under the passenger seat for a solid month after I bought it. That's where I had the owner's manual and a TON of receipts for work done. I was pretty stoked to see all that stuff.

[skinzluch]

Cool. Yeah, it took me a while to discover that bin too. It's nice to discover that your truck's been well taken care of.

Thanks for all the info in this thread. I've been thinking about taking my anti-sway bars off. Good to read about someone that's done it. Same with the bump stops.

[red87]

I'd leave the front. Taking the rear off is fine but you'll probably notice some more body roll. I hardly notice it but my last truck didn't have swaybars either. My buddy rode in and commented about the amount of body roll. I'll be sure and post up once I get my bumpstops installed.

[scrubber3]

I second the notion to leave the front.

[red87]

Just ordered my OME lift! I'm excited to try out their new Nitrocharger Sports

[off-roader]

What was the cost and which setup did you order?

[SOFpirate]

What was the cost and which setup did you order?


x2 on that question.

[red87]

It ended up right around $600 from Sierra Expeditions. I won't bother with the torsions until I get a bumper. I went with the Nitrocharger Sports and the regular rear springs, not the expedition-weight ones.

[red87]

Got the new suspension on today! Can't post pictures from my phone so I'll get those up later

[red87]

I didn't get too many pictures of the install as its pretty straight forward. The only trouble I had was with an obscenely tight nut on the lower end of one of the rear shocks. The driver side rear spring went in super easy and I had to use the factory jack to push down the passenger side of the axle to slip that one in. All in all, not too bad. Ride is much better now and it holds weight very well. I was driving around the past day with like 200 lbs in the rear and that felt better than stock with no load. On a related note, I now have a pair of stock Gen 2 rear springs for sale so tell your Gen 1 friends :)

Check out how much bigger the OME shocks are than the stock adjustables:
99617

In their happy new home:
99618

Rears installed:
99619
Forgot to take comparison pictures before I installed them. They're supposed to give me 2" more travel in the rear. The front travel is unchanged.

How it sits with ~200 lbs of tools and stuff in the back with the torsions cranked a bit:
99620
I'll get an unloaded picture later today. It looks very close to stock rake, just higher all around.

[LaOutbackTrail]

Looks good! I like the front lifted as you have. Do you recall about how much you needed to lift it?


Also, do you know if its necessary to replace all four of the adjustable shocks at the same or can the back two be replaced first and then the front two? I haven't checked the system too closely yet to see if there is a valve anywhere for the shock adjusters.

[red87]

Thanks! The front is roughly 1.5" higher than stock. 12 turns on the adjusters.

The shocks have electronic adjusters on top, no valves anywhere. However, I don't know how the circuit works so I don't know if unplugging a couple will affect it or not.

[red87]

Side shot with no weight in the rear. Not a great picture but hopefully it'll show the rake:
99710

[LaOutbackTrail]

I literally get that much squat with about 600lbs of gear in the back of my rig with the OME heavies. It also rides like a dream with that much weight...

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=99710&d=1336374934&thumb=1
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=99620&d=1336343304&thumb=1


I just need to crank the torsions in the front to somewhat level out the truck, still quite stink bug....

[red87]

Just got back from a fun desert trip out by Ridgecrest and Lake Isabella. The new suspension worked fantastically! The auto adjusting valving in the OME shocks could really be felt and made a big difference in ride quality.

[red87]

Also got this nifty little guy for my birthday:

100975

HIGHLY recommended accessory. Fits nicely in that bin under the passenger seat and makes airing down so much faster.

[scrubber3]

Also got this nifty little guy for my birthday:

100975

HIGHLY recommended accessory. Fits nicely in that bin under the passenger seat and makes airing down so much faster.

I have that exact one! Love that thing. I get all of my tires air down before most get just one finished.

[Inyo_man]

Just got back from a fun desert trip out by Ridgecrest and Lake Isabella. The new suspension worked fantastically! The auto adjusting valving in the OME shocks could really be felt and made a big difference in ride quality.

The OEM suspension has won me over as well. When the rig is loaded, the suspension really starts to perform at its peak.
Where were you exploring on your trip?

[red87]

CYi5 and I were out around Lake Isabella and Ridgecrest. Went to the Holly Ash Cleanser Mines, Burro Schmitt's tunnel, Bickel Camp and a couple other places.

[Inyo_man]

CYi5 and I were out around Lake Isabella and Ridgecrest. Went to the Holly Ash Cleanser Mines, Burro Schmitt's tunnel, Bickel Camp and a couple other places.

Those are fun day runs with the family. Is Jose still care-taking at Bickel Camp? He is a kick in the pants and a wealth of knowledge about the area. Did you take the walk all the way through Burro Schmitt's tunnel...that is a fun adventure. Did you happen make it up into the forest around Lake Isabella, I was wondering what the flow rate was on the rivers and if they were passable yet. Any photos?

[red87]

I forget the guy's name who was the caretaker when we were there. He has a built red wrangler if that rings any bells. We definently walked though that tunnel. It was a nice reprieve from the hot sun :)

The kern river wasn't too impressive when we drove over it. We did hit up the kern river brewery the first day. Good tasty beer there. Pictures are trickling in from the crew so I'll look at t some later on and post the good ones.

[red87]

Small but important mod today:

104209

Found some bolts to attach my new recovery point! I managed to increase my departure angle AND give myself to recover (or be recovered) from the rear. Thanks to scrubber3 for getting it to me.

[red87]

Here's a couple shots from my most recent trip up Sherman Pass and up to Monache Meadow up in the Sierras.

116049

116050

116051

116060

There should be some sweet water crossing shots eventually, once the photographer uploads them...

[red87]

Some more pictures of that last trip. I like the water crossing one the best :)

119338

119339

119340

[red87]

Now its time for a question. I used my truck for work the other day and I got check engine light and my rig started running like garbage. I made it to Kettleman City (awful place) and ended up being stuck there for almost 11 hours trying to get my truck diagnosed. There's no autozone to rent me a code reader there so I had to find a mechanic to do it for me. Turns out the code was for a misfire on cylinder 6. He pulled the spark plug to check compression and found this:

119341

Compression was fine but I'm pretty out of ideas how this happened. There wasn't any mark on the electrode like something hit it or anything, it was just pretty black. I'm not sure how a spark plug gets crushed without anything foreign in the cylinder. No weird noises from the engine when it happened and everything has been fine since that plug was replaced. Thoughts?

[BlueBomber]

weird....quick question. Was there any carbon built up between the grounding strap and the electrode or is it mashed to the point that they are touching?

[red87]

weird....quick question. Was there any carbon built up between the grounding strap and the electrode or is it mashed to the point that they are touching?

They're touching and kinda melted together

[LaOutbackTrail]

I'm thinking it wasn't gapped properly and finally built up enough carbon to cause the misfire. But that is purely speculative.

[off-roader]

Glad to see you're making some progress there. Can I assume the original plugs are quality denso or ngk iridium plugs? If not, they will wear very very quickly and as you can tell they're far from easy to access.


There's no autozone to rent me a code reader there so I had to find a mechanic to do it for me.
I bought a 'cheap' $60 actron obdii reader from pep boys.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41nRex7t%2B6L._SL500_AA300_.jpg
This is the same one on amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/Actron-CP9125-PocketScan-Code-Reader/dp/B0007LEG2K).

I store it in the cubby hole for the bottle jack and have used it many times (mostly on other rigs) and IMHO it was well worth the $60.

[red87]

There isn't any carbon build up to speak of on the plug; the electrode is smashed together.

The plugs were all densos but that stupid town I was stuck in didn't have any so cyl 6 now has a normal copper one. I had to get home somehow :(

Good tip on that code reader, thanks. I may just pick one up. Either that or a scangauge so I can monitor the engine too.

[off-roader]

If you have an android phone it's even cheaper with bluetooth scanners as cheap as $25 (http://www.amazon.com/BAFX-Products-Bluetooth-diagnostics-compatible/dp/B006MPZ9VC/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1346876239&sr=1-2&keywords=obd2+android) and a reader app like Torque at only $5 or Dash Command for free!!

[red87]

Oh really? I wonder if iPhones have the same kinda thing...

[off-roader]

Yes but as you might imagine they're WAY more expensive. Check out http://www.amazon.com/PLX-Devices-Kiwi-Bluetooth-Wireless/dp/B004B0C1NE/ref=pd_sim_sbs_auto_4 which is $100. I had considered buying one for my iPod Touch but the cost put me off. Then I found the android option for my phone with a free or $5 app plus the $15 bluetooth reader. Ka-Ching. 2 day shipping with Amazon Prime so it should be here by the 6th.

[red87]

Stupid apple products :(

[Monterorider]

Yes but as you might imagine they're WAY more expensive. Check out http://www.amazon.com/PLX-Devices-Kiwi-Bluetooth-Wireless/dp/B004B0C1NE/ref=pd_sim_sbs_auto_4 which is $100. I had considered buying one for my iPod Touch but the cost put me off. Then I found the android option for my phone with a free or $5 app plus the $15 bluetooth reader. Ka-Ching. 2 day shipping with Amazon Prime so it should be here by the 6th.
Just got one of those. Ka-Ching wouldn't connect to truck nor to phone.

[Silverwulf]

I got a obdII bluetooth dongle from ebay for @ $20 shipped. I can connect to iphone/android via bluetooth. I used to have a program called tourq on my android. it read EVERYTHING REALTIME.

[LaOutbackTrail]

Just got one of those. Ka-Ching wouldn't connect to truck nor to phone.

Dumb question... what vehicle did you hook it up to?

[Monterorider]

Doesn't work in either of 3 OBD2 complient vehicles I own. I've got ODB2Pro USB that works great but wanted to get out of laptop business.

[taylorRichie]

I use the Kiwi Wifi OBD2 Adapter, Has worked great with my iPhone/ipad. There are several apps available, they vary on price, and capability.

The bluetooth adapters are a lot cheaper, and work with most of the iphone applications, they just weren't around when I bought my adapter.

I use DashCommand when i bought it it was around $30 I think it's now like $50 :eek:

[red87]

So any ideas about the crushed spark plug?

Small update, the plug I replaced it with is platinum but its not Denso or NGK. Guess we'll see how long it lasts.

[off-roader]

So any ideas about the crushed spark plug?

Small update, the plug I replaced it with is platinum but its not Denso or NGK. Guess we'll see how long it lasts.
Be prepared to replace it prematurely... You need iridium plugs, not platinum. Iridiums are designed to last 100k.

[red87]

That's what I figured. Luckily that one is one the "easy" side to access. I'm glad it wasn't one of the ones under the intake manifold.

[BlueBomber]

So any ideas about the crushed spark plug?

Not really. My guess (and it's only a guess) is that when it went in it might have been bumped to the point where the ground strap was almost touching but still able to spark. After it heated up or after enough carbon built up for it to close the gap the heat and voltage fused the metal together. Just a thought...........

[red87]

Oh, I didn't even think about that happening when it was installed. That's a good call. Makes me worry less, haha

[stioc]

No ideas on how it might have happened but do believe it's possible what BlueBomber and LaOutbackTrail posted or it was the wrong plug (longer). As for the code readers, I bought this $20 one (http://www.amazon.com/Autel-MaxiScan-MS300-Diagnostic-Vehicles/dp/B001LHVOVK) as my 'to loan' tool to friends as I didn't want to loan out my good one. Since then I haven't used my good Actron, so easy, convenient and cheap. It's even CAN compliant.

On a separate note, I'm thinking of heading out to Camp 9 around Lake Isabella. I posted about it in CA section if there's any interest would love to explore the area with others.

[red87]

Welp, I think I discovered why my spark plug got smashed:

122813

Found I'm missing one of the butterflies from my intake when I removed it this weekend. Funny thing is, the screws are still there, just no plate. Weird. Now that I'm already replacing that manifold and its off, I guess its time for all new plugs and wires too. It wasn't really that hard (except for one stupid bolt) to remove all that stuff, just time consuming and I'd rather just do it once.

[Justice R]

I'd stick a scope or something into the lower intake to inspect see what kind of damage the valve plate did, and if there are any remnants that still need to be removed. If compression is still good maybe you got lucky and it got spit out without doing too much damage.

[red87]

I was thinking the same thing but I'm not sure where to get a scope. I was thinking I'd stick a magnet down in the chamber and see if anything comes up. When I pulled the spark plug from that cylinder, it was all smashed again so something for sure got in there. Fingers crossed it just passed through without doing too mush damage...

[off-roader]

A well equipped shop should have a boroscope. I recall Costco was selling one for ~$150 but I rarely if ever need one so I never bought it.

[red87]

Bad news: cylinder 6 is toast. Compression is at like 40 psi or so so the motor is dead. I guess the missing butterfly valve did some damage after all. I'm not really interested in a rebuild or a motor replacement so I guess its time to sell. Anyone interested?

[off-roader]

Sorry to hear youve given up on it. Post it on 4x4wire's for sale forum and put a link in the mitsu tech forum.

so what are you going to get next?

[red87]

I'll post it up there once I wash it. Its filthy now and looks terrible, haha. Sucks that the motor went; it was a great vehicle otherwise.

I'm looking at 4Runners (96+) and Frontiers/Xterras. I almost want to get a car to stop getting terrible mileage but I know I'll regret that real quick.

[red87]

The Montero is officially for sale now. There's a thread in the For Sale section here. Asking $1500 OBO.

[LaOutbackTrail]

Sorry to hear you've decided to sell! Bummer! I'm not interested in buying the truck, but did yours have the middle skid plate section protecting the diff? Interested in parting with that? I could certainly use it!

[red87]

Sorry to hear you've decided to sell! Bummer! I'm not interested in buying the truck, but did yours have the middle skid plate section protecting the diff? Interested in parting with that? I could certainly use it!

Mine does it, but I'd like to keep the truck together and sell it as a whole.

[alia176]

The Montero is officially for sale now. There's a thread in the For Sale section here. Asking $1500 OBO.

Sorry to hear about the short ownership of the Mitsu. Now that you've had both an 80 and a Montero, I'd like to hear your comparo between the two as well as Pros/Cons. I for one like the Montero due to what seems like a lot more room. How is the power and the fuel econ on the Montero?

[red87]

I've yet to own an 80-series; the mileage scares me away :)

The power was great in the montero. Granted it was no muscle car but 215 hp/235(?) tq is pretty solid for a 4x4. I just picked up a 4Runner that I'm really liking but I do miss that extra 32 hp (and deeper axle gears) on the montero. Mileage wasn't awesome on the Monty. I'd get 13-15 city and 16-17 freeway on premium. The tank is 24 gallons though so the range is still decent.

[red87]

Also, price has dropped to $1300 OBO

[alia176]

shame you can't fix the engine on the Monty. It looks like a nice specimen! I just picked up a Monty gas tank to be used as an aux tank in one of my 80s.