VanHans' 95 Montero SR

sopexped

New member
i just bought a rig like yours. do the 33 tires rub at all. mine is a 96 sr. i also have a 94 ls with 31 tires. they rarely rub. i would love to run 33 but an concerned.


sorry about my typing. not illiterate just on a phone.
 

VanHans

New member
Yeah, no rubbing at all. I haven't had the truck off road yet, but from what I've seen, It shouldn't be a problem.
 

VanHans

New member
Got a few things done on the Montero this weekend.

With six of us riding in the truck, storage was a major concern. I came across this cargo net and decided to give it a try.

The net comes with four of these "buttons" to attach the net to.
DSCN2360.JPG

Quick pilot hole through the trim and into the steel underneath, and the "buttons" were mounted.
DSCN2363.JPG

I mounted two in the rear corners, just behind the third row seat belts, and two at the top of the "c" pillars.


Net mounted:
DSCN2368.JPG


Third row seats up:
DSCN2371.JPG


Foreman checking over my work
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The net works well for small light weight items. The kids can shove sweatshirts, hats and the occasional pillow-pet up there.

The net hangs a little lower than I'd like. The kids still have enough head room in the third row seats, but I'd like the net to be a little tighter to the roof. The net is a little wide for the Montero. I think if I had put the front mounts a little farther forward, it would help tension the bungees and reduce the sag in the net. It's a work in progress, and I have a couple ideas to try to tension the net. We will see.
 

VanHans

New member
Next up was the roof rack.

I had pulled the Yakima LoadWarrior off my WJ when it was totaled, and wanted to mount it to the Montero. I dug through the garage, and came across a set of Surco gutter mounts I had picked up for another vehicle and never got around to using. I liked the way the Surcos fit, so I ordered up a set of Surco crossbars, and hoped I could figure out how to bring everything together.

While I was at it, I added a second extension tho the LoadWarrior, bringing it's total length to just under 7'.

DSCN2478.JPG

DSCN2435.JPG

I think the LoadWarrior is a little narrow for the Montero. If I had the choice, I would have gone with the wider MegaWarrior, but I had the LoadWarrior, so that is what I used. If I ever do replace the rack, I will probably go with something a bit more robust such as an ARB or a Baja Rack.


I also managed to get the antenna mounted for my CB. I used a FireStik door jam mount with a 4' FireStik II.

DSCN2443.JPG



I've decided to mount the CB in the second din slot under the stereo, so I'll be replacing the factory double din head unit with an aftermarket single din unit soon, and then I can finish up the CB install.
 
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jakestg

New member
I love this setup!! Perfect example of what I want to do! I have a 96 LS. What do you mean by saying surco/Yakima roof rack? Will that fit stock crossbars? What size is the roof rack and will it fit mine? And I thought 33s won't fit? Did you lift your torsion bars? And if you did does it cause damage?
 
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VanHans

New member
Thanks for the complements everyone. We are real happy with the truck and how it's coming together. Can't wait to load it up and get out and use it. We've made quite a few local road trips in it, and it has quickly replaced the van as out go to weekend family wagon, even for quick trips.

We have a camping trip with a large group of friends coming up. Just some car camping at a state campground, nothing offroad, but I think it will make a good shake down trip for the mods I've made so far.


What do you mean by saying surco/Yakima roof rack?

I used Surco gutter mounts and crossbars with a Yakima LoadWarrior basket.


Will that fit stock crossbars? What size is the roof rack and will it fit mine?

The Yakima LoadWarrior includes mounts to attach to factory or after market crossbars. I never really cared for the Yakima mounts, so I came up with my own hardware store engineered mounts to attach it to the Surco bars.

The basket is about 40" wide. I have two extensions in mine so total length is right around 80". It would be a bit long for the factory Montero roof rails. I removed my factory roof rails to allow the Surco setup to set a little lower. I wanted to be able to load quite a bit on the roof rack if I needed to, and I didn't have a lot of confidence in the factory rack. The new set up is much stronger than the factory, and I have a fourth crossbar/mounts if I decide to add it.


And I thought 33s won't fit? Did you lift your torsion bars? And if you did does it cause damage?

The 33x10.5s fit perfect. No adjustments to the suspension, and no rubbing. I did quite a bit of research while I was looking for my Montero, and came across a few people running 33x10.5s on otherwise stock trucks. Hauling six people and all our gear, I may eventually go with higher rate rear springs such as OME or Iron Man. If/when I do, I'll adjust the front torsion bars to match any lift the rear springs give me.
 

off-roader

Expedition Leader
33x12.5 fit fine also but require you to upgrade to a minimum 8" wide rim since most tire shops won't mount them on 7" wide rims.
 

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