Getting too old to take the jolts on 12 miles of dirt road getting to the nearest town. Like it where I'm living, love my Mitsubishi but I need the smoothest off road ride possible on my 1989 Montero LS. Any and all upgrade advice appreciated.
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Air shocks.
Bouncy seats.

Clay

Have someone grade the road <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Their is no magic shock for the montero. KYB's work gread off road on washboard but are stiff on road.

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Add to the list in lower tire pressure and some gushy mushy Monroe shocks.

Kevin

Get a 6-8' length of 4' or 5' or 6' high chain link fence, one fence tension bar of the same length as the fence height, two shackles, some heavy iron wire, a length of chain (chain length L = (fence height F) x SQRT(2), like for 5', L = 5 x 1.414 =(approx) 7') and a bunch of concrete blocks. War the blocks to the fence, weave the tension bar thru the 3rd from the end set of fence diamonds, shackle fence diamond (next to side), tension bar, and chain end to each other on each side, and hook center of chain to tow hitch ball with one wrap around ball neck. Yo now have a weighted drag. Drive to town and back about 20 times and the road will be smooth, until it rains again. The folks in town will look at you funny, though.

Just be glad it's NOT an 87 K5 Blazer. I could send you my shocks, too, if you want REAL squushy, as in OEM with 244k miles.

I have also noted that if you drive real fast on bumpy dirt roads, they seem a lot smoother, because you dont hit the bottom of the sharp bumps, but there are some problems with traction....

I like fast's technical explanation of the "red neck grater" <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shiner.gif" alt="" />

Throw the 'ol leafs off a cliff and give it a 4-link airbaged rear suspension. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Get the leaf packs re-arched with teflon or other slicky stuff between the leaves, or use one of those grease hypodermic needles (you'll probably use up several) to inject grease from a gun between the leaves. Make at least one county commissioner or the head of the county DOT a close personal friend, so the Cat 12 motor grader visits your route often. Campaign contribution to the former and either a quart of Jack or a good big ham (check religious affiliation and position on temperance before deciding) to the latter.

Drive the high side of the road, especially in corners. Washboard dirt road ripples form more toward the downhill side. Run the part of the road between the worn tracks. Flat parts have more potholes than tilted parts of the road. Potholes are a result of wheel impact on wet spots which then refill with water. Travel out of the worn tracks misses most of the potholes, but you're in the loose scree there and side and braking traction are reduced.

My handy tip of the day. It's faster to scrub off Oh Crap speed in dirt by getting sideways than by braking, so if you enter a curve too fast, let it get into a partial brody instead of braking, and the half broadslide will help you keep on track for the corner, where locked braking will slide you off the outside of the curve in a relatively straight line (look at the next set of bad wreck skid marks you see - mostly straight as an arrow into the next solid object).

Me too. My kidneys are too old for the rough ride. Here's what I did.
Red Rider Comfort shocks (very soft)
Lower tire pressure of 24 psi in 32" mudders.
Remove big bottom leaf spring and replace with add-a-leaf.
BoUnCy seats.
I drove my neighbors Chrysler Sebring and it rode rougher than my Raizer/Montero. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

I noticed that my factory "helper" (overload what-ever) leaf is contacting or close to contacting the rest of the spring. I dont know if its is from a bit of sag over the years or if its supposed to be that way.

Most leaf springs have a little bit of clearance from the overload leaf to the main leaf pack to provide a progressive spring.

I could see how re-arching the springs would help soften the ride up.

ALso I replaces all the rubber bushing in the leaf spings with fresh factory pieces, it made a differance. Mine were worn to the point of metal on metal in a few places.

Kevin