Hi all,

After recently taking my wife's '97 Montero SR, which we've owned since '99, out for the very fist time this year I'm completely hooked. Went out to Hungry Valley in May and just last weekend to Silverado Canyon and Main Divide Road.

I feel like I've learned a ton already about off-roading in general from the two trips and trolling these boards, but I'm sure I've only scratched the surface.

So here I am to get some opinions or feedback on what I'd like to do with this clean slate.

My goal is to have a daily driver for my wife that we can take out on weekends or on camping trips (I actually slept in a tent for the first time in my life this year too).

My first purchase will be new tires since traction was a problem on my recent trip and I need to replace the rears regardless of whether I plan on doing any more off-roading. I'm looking at the Firestone Destination MTs (preferably on the stock rims). Can I fit the 33s on without any rubbing, or do I need to do a lift first? I understand I can do a torsion bar lift on the front for 2", but I"m not sure where to get the rear done. All the online 4x4 stores I've found so far either don't list equipment for Mitsu's specifically or they don't list my model year.

It looks like the Rancho RS9000Xs are popular for many. I like the fact that I can adjust them for different surfaces. I don't know if I'd go so far as getting the in-cab controls, but Xmas is right around the corner. Opinions?

I figure I'll replace the stock side steps with rock rails once they get ripped off. I've looked at the Roger Brown rails (4crawler.com), but there must be others. Suggestions?

The ARB bull bar seems to be the popular choice for front bumber, but so far I can't seem to find one for my year with the fender flares that are standard on the SR. Are there other brands available? I haven't seen any listed yet.

Well, I think that's a good start. I'm not looking to tackle Rubicon yet, but who knows where this will lead?

Thanks in advance for any and all advice/opinions/suggestions/etc.

Banacheq

Welcome!

I have 32x10.50x16 Firestone Destination M/Ts and like them very much. Traction is very good in wet or dry conditions and they're very quiet compared to many other tires.

I've used Rancho shocks on other vehicles and didn't like them. I think there are better choices - but since I have a Gen1, I would rather let others give you suggestions for shocks that will work best for your truck.

Frank

33" tires is a good start, they will fit on the stock 15x7 rim although a lot of shops wont recommend it, but I ran this combo for a few years with no problems. You will rub the front anti sway bar slightly at full lock but its minor. I like running the 33's with a 15x8 as it sets the tires out just a hair from the sides providing body protection in those tight spots. No lift is needed to run the 33's but you might wan to give the front a slight boost with the T bars. You can also get longer coils made for the rear or get a coil spacer made for some minor lift.

I run 2nd gen 4 runner bars that are modified to fit my rig they work great and I prefer the combo of a square inner tube with a round bent tube that extends up and out to protect the door and provide a pivot for the tight spots. ARB used to make a front bumper for the gen2 with flares but I'm not sure if they still carry it. the mounts have to be modified to fit US spec trucks. You'll have to do some research and poking around to find out about this one. Others have used ARB bumpers from other model trucks such as the jeep ZJ and modified to fit. For the rear you'll have to go completely custom.

The people I know who have tried rancho's on their gen2 have not been very happy. I recommend KYB or if you have the stock 3 way adjustable KYB's stick with those till they wear out.

In 97 Mitsu changed the gear ratio in the diferentials to 4.1 so you might want to look into lower diff gears in the future. To help cooling install a bypasss switch so you can turn on you AC condenser fan without turning on the AC. Cheap but effective way to greatly improve cooling on those slow crawling technical trails..

The list goes on and on but Tires and armor are the best starts <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Justice has given you some good advice above. I think I'll install a bypass switch for the a/c fan <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Just to clarify a little, 97-99's came with 4.272 gears and not 4.1. Still crappy though <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/notooth.gif" alt="" /> 4.90's would probably be a good upgrade, especially if you want to run bigger tyres. having said that I run 32's with 4.272 gears and I only notice a small power difference when the truck is loaded with kids etc and we're going up a steep hill. Normally switching off the O/D for a minute does the trick <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for the catching that MS..You could probably find the 4.63's out of a 94-96 fairly cheap if you wanted to go the budget route.

I ran a set of Kumho MT's, and they were really quiet, and handled really good on pavement wet and dry, and really sticky in the non-pavement, but they did not last long. I'm gonna buy two more and put them on 15x8 steel wheels and put some AT's on the road wheels. AT's do ok for spontaneous 4wheeling, and I've gotten 50k out of a set before, which is over twice what I got on the MT's...

Thanks to all for the excellent feedback. I just gotta convince the wife on the new tires and I'm there. Not sure I can pull off new wheels (15x8) at the same time, but it's worth a shot.

I found a ARB dealer nearby, so I'll look into the front bumper. Justice, can you post a pic of your rear (bumper I mean). Where'd you have it made?

I'm not sure if the shocks that are on right now are original or not, but I'm pretty sure they're not KYB.

Funny you should mention overheating. I did just that when trying to ascend a hill and noticed the temp at the top of the range. I backed her down and turned on the heater and it cooled off really quickly. Will your suggestion of the bypass switch serve the same purpose without cooking me?

Putting in new gears sounds like a serious commitment as opposed to the rest of the mods I'm looking at which are bolt and go for the most part. I'll add that to my list, but it will be a lower priority for now.

I'll post some pics of my recent outing if I can get my brother-in-law to send them to me.

Banacheq

You can also go to the junk yard and buy 4 chevy 15x8's for cheap for the o/r wheels. Just paint them black.

The FIRST thing I would do is remove the radiator and have it rodded out. Trust me on this one. Do NOT overheat an aluminum head engine. Lot$ of trouble$ if you do....

I agree completely with Fasteddy on the radiator rodding. Wheeling will be putting a lot more strain on your cooling system than any other type of driving, and since it's already telling you that it has issues, you'd better be on the safe side. Get your radiator rodded out, & service the cooling system. I would replace the thermostat, cap & hoses while you've got the cooling system drained, just for peace of mind. Also, make sure your fan clutch is working properly.
I installed the OME shocks & rear springs on my GenII and have been very pleased with them. They give about 3/4" lift in the rear, coupled with a t-bar adjustment in the front, and clear my 33's with no rubbing. Best part is, they ride far more comfortably than the stock setup did, especially on rough roads, but work very well off-road also.

Welcome. I agree with all the advise above, these guys really know what they are talking about. Take care of the overheating NOW. Dont wait until you warp a head $$$$$ if you dont do the labor yourself.

Also thanks for searching and looking stuff up before you came here and asked. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />