Lift options & Tires sizes, Look here first
Theoretically possible ...
Greetings everyone!
I decided to try the X-Trail rear struts as well (Mapco 20526/20527) for a bit of lift and more travel. Had to use new bolts (strut to hub assembly: M12x70) and make some small spacers (OD 14mm, ID 12mm) as the holes in the X-Trails struts are 2mm larger. I used some heavy duty washers to take up the extra space on the sides. For the top of the strut I made the spacer described above, OD 15mm, ID 12mm to fit the lager strut bearing and top plate holes.
Measuring the fully extended struts, the X-Trail is 60mm longer than the stock one I took off the car. This puts the ball joint and the tie rod end at extreme angles (seems like the downward travel is now limited by the joints rather than the length of the strut) and this is a bit worrying.
As I don't want to drop the front frame, I am thinking to shorten the total length of the strut by somehow reducing the diameter of the top end to 15mm to fit inside the bearing and also get rid of the small spacer (the section marked in red, below). Any ideas how to achieve this without disassembling the shock?
Thanks,
Silviu
In theory it's possble - if you can find someone with a large enough lathe (who is willing to take the job), but in reality there are a number of pit falls - the first being that if you let the shortened strut rod slide in to the body you're going to destroy the seals
Hi guys, it's been a
Hi guys, it's been a while.
Thanks Claude, I did come up with this set-up and have had it in for over 12mths now and only had 1 problem with it so far. I tried to use a 25mm spacer on top of the strut for more clearance but ended up popping the drivers inner CV out so I took the spacer out.
As for more travel I am running the iO lower pan spring on the x-trail strut and it does give alot more travel so yes CV angle and balljoint is extreme when lifting wheels off the ground but generally isn't in that position in long periods of time anyway and so far i haven't had to replace either cv's or balljoints so still till this day i am very happy with this set-up and has proven to be very handy in deap ruts so i wouldn't swap it out for anything else at this stage.
I hope anyone who tries this set-up has the luck that i have had and still having with it.
So if you are running any spacers on top of the strut for more lift you will have to take them out because with the X-trail struts and iO springs everything is running at max when lifting wheels up off the ground.
And as for the rear of the
And as for the rear of the car I am (like others) using the mazda 323/ford laser front springs combined with the Hilux shocks and now my car just walks through a lot of ruts and stuff that i use to lift wheels on and has actually changed the handling on the road better than what it was before.
If using the hilux shocks you will need to remove the brake lines out of the last steal bracket on chassis before the flex hose and zip tie them so they don't stretch and snap the brake lines.
Also you will need to replace the panhard rod with a adjustable strong one as mine twisted and sapped in 2 pieces.
Quick update on the rear
Quick update on the rear X-Trail strut on the front:
With a bit of work (3h on the grinder) I managed to reduce the diameter of the shaft to 15mm and slide the bearing in place. With this, you no longer need the small spacer inside the bearing, obviously. What is needed is number of washers as the top is not threaded all the way and some new caps to fit on top of the bearing after applying grease as the old ones will no longer fit.
This is how it looks like:
Another thing that needs to be fabricated is a holder for the brake hose and ABS sensor cable:
With this setup I noticed interference bethween the tie rod and radius rod under full lock and full suspension drop. I guess this gets even worse with more drop. In my case they barely touch.
Yeh i'm using the gabriel
Yeh i'm using the gabriel shocks but going to try the extended ones and see how they go. I have a feeling they might put too much angle and pressure on the rubbers on the control arms and diff.
As for machining the top of the X-trail strut you will loose the drop that it is giving and for the tie rod hitting on other things at full drop mine is fine and does't touch anywhere so mybe if you flip your balljoint the other way you might be able to fix the problem, I will have to look but I think mine is the other way around anyways so I don't know why yours would be that way.
3d / 5d
Yeh i'm using the gabriel shocks but going to try the extended ones and see how they go. I have a feeling they might put too much angle and pressure on the rubbers on the control arms and diff.
As for machining the top of the X-trail strut you will loose the drop that it is giving and for the tie rod hitting on other things at full drop mine is fine and does't touch anywhere so mybe if you flip your balljoint the other way you might be able to fix the problem, I will have to look but I think mine is the other way around anyways so I don't know why yours would be that way.
I have the 3 doors and I think you have the 5 doors, maybe this is why things sit differently.
And no, the tie rod end does not go in from the top.
Hi all just joined the site
Hi all just joined the site lots of good info on here, I have just finished lifting my 99 5 door and thought id chime in on this topic, i fitted t30 x-trail rear struts to the front with original low pan springs and 40mm spacers in the rear, sits a little higher in the front but thats what i was after to accommodate the bulbar im modifying to fit at the minute. The x-trail struts are easy to fit just need spacers for the lower mount and 18mm high x 14mm od, 12mm id sleeve for the strut bearing. I previously had fitted the kyb high pan struts but found them rough on dirt roads and wanted more wheel droop, the x-trail strut gave me allot more droop and room to fit a much larger tyre, currently running 225/75/16 ats but could now go to a 245/75 with the higher pan height. Total cost of the lift was $250 using new struts just waiting on new triton shocks for the rear to allow more wheel travel.
Hi Buddy, welcome to the
Hi Buddy, welcome to the group.
Ok getting to the x-trail struts on the front as I was the one that found the option and if I were you unless you do a diff drop you will pop the drivers inner cv joint with the 40mm spacer on top of the strut, I tried a 25mm spacer and the inner came out and all the 5 ball bearings fell out.
But yes it does give more droop and in a great ride suspension wise. I used Hilux shocks on the rear as a few guys on here did and gained 65mm more flex but you will need to take the rear brake lines out of the last bracket on the chassis so they don't rip off but it makes a big difference when 4wdriving.
Yes doing the x-trail convertion on the front is a bit fidly but well worth it once it is done.
There is another connvertion that a couple of us here in Australia might be trying soon and that is longer lower control arms on the rear to give way more drop but we need to find a suitable longer shock to allow this.
But anyway welcome and happy motoring.
Hi. This is my first time in
Hi. This is my first time in this forum, and im reading a lot comments.
Im spanish and i have a IO 1.8gdi 3doors, im sorry for my bad english.
I have the long version of kyb strut front shock absorber(334405) and ironman +4 springs.
I dont want use a wheels spacers.
Here i see people who use 225/75/16 with wheels spacers.this work good?you have no problems when turn your wheels?
What is the max tyre size possible without wheels spacers?
Im thinking to use 225/70/16, but i dont know if this tyre have no problems...
Thanks a lot.
225/75/16
Hi. This is my first time in this forum, and im reading a lot comments.
Im spanish and i have a IO 1.8gdi 3doors, im sorry for my bad english.
I have the long version of kyb strut front shock absorber(334405) and ironman +4 springs.
I dont want use a wheels spacers.
Here i see people who use 225/75/16 with wheels spacers.this work good?you have no problems when turn your wheels?
What is the max tyre size possible without wheels spacers?
Im thinking to use 225/70/16, but i dont know if this tyre have no problems...
Thanks a lot.
I have had 225/75/16 with my original wheel and a 50 mm lift, slight rub at full lock but nothing to worry about and I never used wheel spacer. This said, I am not sure what are the off set of your wheel, another is that not all 225/75/16 are actually the same size, some manufacturer make them a bit smaller or bigger.
Give them a test before you buy if you can.
Happy io
Yes someone did mention that
Yes someone did mention that somewhere but if you only use the X-trail strut without any spacers on top of it then the droop is at it's limit.
I put a 25mm spacer on the top of the strut and ended up popping out the innner drivers side cv so I took it off and is fine so if anyone wants to put a spuce on top then a diff drop wil have to be done.
I have had the X-trail struts in for over 12mths now and the only problem I had was the small spacer to put in to take up the difference in the diamater of the strut shaft which i made at home.
And the 3mm x 2 spacers for the 2 bolts that go on where the strut bolts to the hub assembly.
No don't have wheel spacers
No don't have wheel spacers in anymore that's why i get some rubbing on full lock (turn) but when I did have them I had no rubbing and they were 8mm spacers but didn't like how much thread I had left for wheel nuts to go on to so took them off.
I only used them because I was using suzuki vitara rims which had a smaller centre hole and didn't fit on properly.
I haven't tried them yet but I think 16inch Jeep rims may fit on the car and have a slightly better offset to stop the rubbing at full turn. They do have the same stud pattern, I did try Jeep 15inch rims but were hitting on the front brake callipers so no good.
Sunraiser rimes will fit but unsure if they will also hit brakes so yet to be tested but my next job is doing a diff drop and also putting extended Hilux shocks on the rear for more travel. I do have the standard hilux on at the moment and very happy with them and also have made custom Pan Harhd Rod for the rear.
Also have been looking at
Also have been looking at options for a bigger fuel tank and I am going to see if the holden commodore ve tank will fit as the are the same design and hold 75ltrs instead of our iO's which only hold 53ltrs so I will let you guys if it works out.
Rear springs
Rear springs info
Pajero io
Free Height: 305mm?
Diameter (id): 125mm?
Spring thickness: 11.5mm
Mazda Astina
Free Height: 330mm
Diameter (id): 125mm
Spring thickness: 12mm
R50 Pathfinder (oem)
Free Height: 350
Diameter (id):127mm
Spring thickness:14mm
R50 Pathfinder (pedders springs)
Free Height: 385mm
Diameter (id): 130mm
Spring thickness: 14mm
I previously had astina springs with 1 inch landcruiser spacer but due to dual battery, rear wheel carrier and shelving it sagged too much. I have replaced with oem R50 pathfinder spings and it is now slightly higher than before so maybe 3 - 3 1/2 lift with the pathfinder springs. Being slighlty thicker and wider they dont sit as perfectly as oem but still sit well. Obviously it will lift an unloaded io more.
The rear X-trail struts offer
The rear X-trail struts offer around the same lift maybe a bit more as the king springs but the extra bit that they offer is the extended travel when 4wdriving but you are better off using the low pan iO springs on the X-trail struts for the lift and extra 50mm more travel for those deeper ruts.
323 springs - different length.
Quick question regarding the 323 springs, I'm about to fit them, and noticed that the drivers side spring is quite a bit taller. Should I trim the extra half coil off to make it closer in length to the passenger side, or just fit them as they are?
xtrail rear struts in front
Question - the top spacer has been specced as both 15mm OD and 14mm OD. Which is correct? As my padge is my daily driver, I am unable to remove the OEM strut to measure. Ideally, I want to make the spacers so I can swap the whole lot over in one go. I've done the 323 springs / l200 shocks in the rear, and the front looks ridiculously low at the moment.
Hi Guys, New to the Forum and
Hi Guys,
New to the Forum and just picked up my first Pajero iO 3 door. Just wanted to find out what would be the biggest tyres that can be put on the stock 16in rims?
Many thanks for letting me know. A bit new to the Pajero world. but finally have my dream car :)
Welcome to the forum...
Now - new or not - it's always a good idea to familiarize yourself with the forum and it's contents before jumping in and asking questions that have been asked numerous times before.
If you had taken the time to read this lift thread, you would know that your iO could have one of two front struts, and that the answer to your question will be determined by which of those struts you have currently fitted. So - we can't answer your question until you do the research and determine which strut you have.
Read this lift thread, read the strut data thread, get a measuring tape and go outside - if you have the low pan struts I think 215/70R16 is the largest that will fit, if you have the high pan struts I think 225/75R16 would be the largest, but you may need to get a rim with a different offset - I could be wrong, if I am, Bob or Claude will be along and they'll know.
I am currently running
I am currently running 245/70/16 Jeep rims but had to use a wheel spacer on the front to stop rubbing on the brakes and had to go high tech where the front mud flaps sit at the bottom with a hammer and bash the cross section back a little as the tyre was rubbing when turn full lock but now I have a bigger foot print on the road and no more rubbing on chassis at full lock as the offset on the jeep rims make the wheel come out more, plus the car looks sick with the jeep rims on also.
They would look better with
They would look better with muddies but i haven't got the money to buy some and as for the front bumper I made that. It has a steel skeleton frame behind it with a lot of supports and bracing and covered with 2mm checker plate painted charcoal metallic hammertone trailer paint, it took about 3 weeks to make as I changed my mind about 4 times while doing it. I think it turned out good and looks alright also.
strut top bolts
Hi to all the clever guys out there, what is the easiest way to remove the front strut top bolts, I want to install 20mm spacers. What is the current bolt lenght. Thanks Andre
The top bolts are a knurled stud - you will struggle to find a replacement -
I ran bolts with nuts and bent up a ring spanner to get in and reach the heads for tightening. You can fit up to a 20mm spacer without detaching the pillow mount from the strut.
The ebay russian spacer kits come with new longer studs - for the price they are well worth it and come in 20, 30 and 40mm sizes
Syndicate
strut
Welcome to the forum.....
You are right in saying that 60 mm is too long, 45 mm is safe, 50 mm is border line. I never worked with this set up, maybe the maker of this can help you out as he probably though of that.
Happy io
My io is now SOLD Thankshttp://pajerio.com/forum/claudes-io-2002-zr-built-thread-onlyhappy-io