Alright, in a way stole this nice montero from my dad ( $500 and a month of labor on home renovations... SUCKED) but anyways I would like to make the truck a little nicer... Its not to far from that point so its worth tinkering with... I'm a 17 year old kid so of course I want the most aggresive look without breaking the bank and making it look redundant <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />. So I would like to do a set of 31's or 33's but every tire place tells me that they don't make rims or tires for it that are that big... I see every body does a different style wheel immediatly so what are those iggnorant jerks doing wrong? that and I would like to do a brushguard but not a big concern. Do I need to put a body lift on to fit a tire like that? that and looking for a drivers seat for it... someone had a lot of friction on there butt <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />. Ideas, Suggestions, Rants, Raves are all welcome just would like some insight to this problem.

Thanks guys <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cyclops.gif" alt="" />

Welcome!!

What year and model? Add that to your signature so we don't have to keep asking you.
2.6L gen 1's can handle 31's maybe 32's w/out a lift.
3.0L gen 1's can handle 32x11.5's w/out a lift. Maybe even a set of narrow 33's
3.0L gen 2's can handle 33's w/out a lift. Maybe even 35's w/ a 2" body lift but not sure since it uses a smaller rear axle.
3.5L gen 2's can handle 35's with just a 2" body lift or even 37's but you'd need. 3" body lift and gears so the gears mean $$$$.

Tell them to fit the damn tires. There are hundreds of monteros running around with 31's on stock wheels, and they work just fine, no rub, no interference, and the stock wheel width works very well, and in fact, helps keep the tires on the rims when you air down for the gnarlies.

Also tell them that they can't measure. The wheels are 6 on 5.5 lug centers, and there are millions of GM, Ford, and Mopar trucks running around with those wheels.

They know not of what they speak.

Welcome aboard. You got the truck cheap, and you made a good deal to get it, and you learned something in the renovation work, too, right? Nothing worth having comes free. Remeber that one and it will help you in later life.

Find another tire shop <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />
and
when you get your tires on,go back by and show them <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/butwiggle.gif" alt="" />

Thanks guys, Yeah Dicount tire and Hell I mean Belle tire is a crock. But i will hunt up a set of 31's for the stock rims... The truck came out of georgia and the rims are immaculate so I might just go that route. Save myself a little money in the long run <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" /> But the truck was Basically ready to roll, an oil change, trans flush, and a little Hypoid oil in the diff to stop that shutter and churp <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> But I Appreciate the welcoming and the tips. So how good are these trucks in the mud? I pulled a 28 FT. RV out of the mud along with a little wrangler and he thought his was broken <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

Crank the Torsion bars a bit and put 33x10.5x 15's on stock rims- looks great Trust me ( I own 2 montys!)

What would I like to own more than one of these?

A Mercedes G-wagen, but I hate the rear window layout, or a LandRover, nah, the electrical systems suck big time, or a FJCruiser, nah, it looks like an electric razor, or a, well, I guess these are the best trucks in the known universe. Vent windows that open, headroom for a stetson, mountain goat in it's genes...

Yeah I've always wanted a G-Wagon (My dad was a Volvo/ Mercedes tech for a long time till he started his own place) so i got to see a few but they just are nowhere near as reliable as these montero's... I drive mine daily and never hesitate to drive it anywhere long distance... a once over and lube the joints and i'm rolling... I think the worst job on these trucks is front brakes but the toyota pickups are way worst. So yeah I'm satisfied... That and a lot of space for the rear passengers... just gotta do something about the play in the steering, especially if im gonna do bigger tires

I look for gen1 steering slop this way.

First, open the hood, and standing at the fender side, watch the steering shaft and pitmann arm as you turn the steering wheel side to side from limit of looseness to limit of looseness, watching to see if there's slack in the steering box itself, or in the steering shaft flexible joints (replace the joints if it's here). If the box is loose, loosen the lock nut on the screwdriver slotted threaded adjustment stud on the top of the steering box, and tighten the adjustment stud to snug, then back off a hair. Test drive to make sure the steering still self centers hands off after a turn. If not, it's too tight and you need to slack off a little more. Then with a steering wheel operator assistant, crawl under and watch the various steering joints as the assistant does the same steering wheel movement plus a little into steering resistance, say 3" of wheel rim travel more each way. Look at the idler arm and see if it's pivot shaft is rocking (usually fore and aft) in the housing on the pside frame. If it is, the bushings are shot (this is the most likely source of looseness - it usually feels like you have a wheel flopping from one side of the slack to the other as you turn into a corner, a twitch in the steering wheel) and you install two new plastic bushings, IF the shaft is not galled up. Now, jack up each front wheel in turn, and grasping the top and bottom of the tire, feel if there is slop in the wheel bearing adjustment, and adjust as necessary. I've found this is the second most common source. Next, using a large pair of channel lock pliers, first measure the height of the stud on the ball and socket steering joints like the tie rod ends and center link ends from the base of the socket to the tip of the stud (calipers work well for this finicky measurement), then squeeze the stud as far into the ball socket as it will go with the channel locks and remeasure the length as above. If there's over 1mm of difference, the joint is worn out and should be replaced. Repeat this test on the upper and lower ball joints. A pry bar may be used in lieu of the channel locks here to overcome the torsion bar tension. Lowers are much more prone to wear than uppers. Once you tighten up all these, you should have rock solid steering feel. The idler arm bushings wear quickly (especially with oversized tires and if you keep the camber at factory instead of dead flat), I'd replace annually to keep it tight.

Yeah, I did the screw trick on the P/S box a while back with my old man but I might try it again here this spring... Are stabalizers of any help in this situation?