Montero driveline to D50 swap

[natureboy]

A few months ago, I believe it was on the older currently dead site, someone posed the question "What would your dream truck be, ordered from the factory?", or something like that. I've been thinking about that lately, and I have a dream truck in mind now, and am more than half-heartedly thinking about a 2g Montero driveline swap to my 87 D50. As long as I'm dreaming it, I'd love to swap the 3.5 V6, along with the front and rear axles, to take advantage of the bigger front brakes, rear disc brakes, 4.63 gears, and the coveted upper A-arm-for-more-lift swap. I've got a line on a 95 Monty in a local boneyard that has everything on it. I can get the complete axles for $75 each, the motor for $150, complete wiring harness for $50 including the ECU. I'd like to go with a 5spd manual over an automatic, but if I can't find one I'd go auto.

Has anyone here done anything similar, or heard of anyone doing it? I absolutely love my truck, but I would love to have the benefits of all that torque and other upgrades that the Monty's got. It may sound loony, and I know it would be a helluva lot of work, but I still want to do it. I'm not interested in a turbo swap, 4g63 or Starion set up-I use my truck as a truck in my construction business, and I'm not looking for a racer, just a workhorse. I don't want a full size truck, I want my D50 with the gear that should have been offered in it, and probably would have, if Mitsu could have stuck it out amid the competition. I'd end up with a very unique vehicle, I think, with incredible reliability and functionality. I rebuilt my current 2.6 in april, and it's been perfect for 15,000 miles since then, and I've got plans for it as well. Something to do with a 72 or 73 Colt, like my first car when I was in High School.

Didn't the Monty's also have an option of a rear E-locker? The one I'm looking at has the center diff, but I don't think it has the rear locker.

I invite opinions, criticisms, ridicule, ass-kicking-it's all good. Thanks

[Spicoli]

My 95 Montero blew up, Ive been thinking about doing the same thing swapping it over to my 91 V6 powered MM. I'm not 100% sure but the only problem that would be a huge PITA would be whether the front diff swaps in to place or not. Ouside of that everything else otta pretty well bolt up. Cept the rear axle b/c its coil sprung.

The 92-97 Montero SR came with an Air Locking rear differential. In 98-00 it still came with monteros only certain ones, that were part of the cold weather package. Just look for the orange sticker on the center console.

The SR/ColdWeatherPackage rigs came with a 8in front and 9.5in rear ring gear also both high pinion.

The center diff lock is just a torque divider set up, that makes sure 50% of the power goes front and 50% rear.

I ever get around a junkyard that has one, I'm gonna try swapping all the suspension stuff over also.

The 95 is DOHC motor too, it makes a lil bit more power then the SOHC 6g74.

If you really were serious about all the goodness of monteros being in a truck, find a gen3 montero at the junkyard with the 5spd auto. But they have a complicated wiring set up that makes them difficult.

[natureboy]

Yo Kerby,
Sorry to hear about your Monty heading to the great beyond. Thanks for all the great technical info! I've done a little more research since I posted yesterday, and I'm getting pretty excited about doing the swap, now. I think the rear axle will convert to a leaf spring app pretty easily, by welding on a pair of perches from a D50/MM axle. I like how the rear diff is a high pinion design, too, for more ground clearance on the shaft. It looks like all of the SR's came with only the auto tranny, but that's not a real big issue for me. I could also install a 5spd manual from an LS Monty, that came standard with the 5 spd manual, and mess with the ECU. I think it would be quite a capable truck with all of that stuff on it! I believe the SR axles are wider than the LS units, which would also be a plus. In fact, I can't think of a single part of this that would be a negative. Looks like I can get all the stuff I need from my local yard for about $500, and I would rebuild the engine first. By the way, is your V6 D50 still going strong? Hope all your projects are doing well!
Cheers,
Rick

[Spicoli]

I have ambitions of putting a SR locker in my redtruck when I can

5spd from any V6 otta work.

The axles are the same, they changed the rims backsapcing, offset to make em tuck on the SR/LS the SR came with the big plastic body cladding were the LS didnt.

And them 3.5s are pricey to work on.

My V6'r has a harness problem. I'm working on it when the weather allows.

[capev86]

newer montero v6's came with the V5M31 5spd which is superior to the old km132 family that can't handle any more torque than a naturally aspirated 3.0 can throw at it.

i want to go a similar route as you guys with my 87 ram 50 std cab short bed base model truck (manual steering, etc) but stay 2wd. i do keep abreast of the tech in the 4x4 circles as much of it can be adapted to 2wd platforms.

i want to upgrade to second gen montero front brakes and bigger sway bar, graft in the rear clip from a 2nd gen montero with trailing arms, coil springs and sway bar, install a limited slip with a highway friendly gear ratio (hear the awd 3000gt has a compatable ring and pinion in the back diff and it is 3.301). for an engine i want to install the MIVEC 3.8 from a new eclipse with 260hp/tq. wanting to keep my truck 2wd (want lsd for better winter driving) and i may try to import a R5M31 which was never available in the states. i don't want to use a toyota trans with an adapter. only other choice is the '04-'06 kia sorento 3.5v6 5spd that was available in both 2 and 4wd versions. you can pick one of those up for 1/3 the price of the mitsu trans and also save on paying to import it.

the only part that i can't figure out is how to put on a proper (symmetrical) dual exhaust AND keep the gas tank in the stock (side) location.

[natureboy]

Wow! Those are some cool ambitions! I hope your efforts work out well. I haven't done a single thing since my tranny went out in Feb of this year-been too busy with my own personal pity party. Looks like I'm going to get the rebuild kit and do it myself in a few weeks. Hopefully I won't have to spend too much for specialty tools and widgets.

[capev86]

actually....been thinking about just using the complete 2nd gen montero chassis and shortening it and swapping the body mounts. probably easier than trying to graft two different frames together. the montero with the trailing arm rear is the long wheel base. i don't want a 4.63 rear though. the stock gear is either ad 3.90 or more likely the 4.22 and with a .86 overdrive ratio highway driving really sucks.