NL Pajero 3.5

[Dexter]

Hey all I have a quick question about my new purchase. I have a 98-99 NL pajero GLX and was wondering what sort of lift they had stock, I know that the previous owner didnt have it lifted or any suspension mods done to it.

It had new Ranco 9000X's fitted to the rear for the RWC and that has made it feel alot softer in the rear, but it doesnt jar accross bumps like it used to.

Any way heres a piccy

Currently running 31x10.5 BGF ATs on stock 15" rims

[hudson44]

Correct me if i'm wrong here guys but i think you'll find thats an NK. I thought all NL's had the flare type guards on them.

[South]

Its a poverty pack NL. GLS and Exceed were the wide flared ones, all others were like above.

[-Scott-]

Only the NL GLS had the pumped guards - the "Gen 2.5" as the Yanks call them. The GLX looked like all the rest of them.

I'd say that Paj is a little low at the front. Stick your head underneath, and locate the upper and lower bumpstops. The clearance to each should be about the same at "stock" ride height. Most Paj owners "crank the torsion bars" so they're closer to the droop stops (the upper pair) than the bump stop (the single large bottom stop.)

Edit: South is right - Exceed too...

[Dexter]

Yeah its a NL... or its build plate says so. The flare type guards were on the GLS

[hudson44]

Thanks guys, i had no idea. Ya learn something new everyday i guess. Not a bad looking canvass dexter. When are you going to SAS it?

[Dexter]

Thanks guys, i had no idea. Ya learn something new everyday i guess. Not a bad looking canvass dexter. When are you going to SAS it?

Hahahahaha, yeah not sure about that one, cant say I have been anywhere serious at all and dont have plans just yet. Although I have managed to get it hoplessly bogged but I think that was mostly to do with the driver(me) and my lack of skill.
It isnt a daily driver so it could go as wild as I want it, money permitting.

But my first mod should be a little more height I think, I bumped/draged it over a few things that weekend, would be nice to have a little more travel at the front too.

[-Scott-]

I have managed to get it hoplessly bogged but I think that was mostly to do with the driver(me)

As best I can tell, I don't think your tyres would have helped much.

[Dexter]

Hehe yes after some reading I have found that BFG AT's arent all that highly regarded.... Any suggestions?

Unfortunatly they are quite new at the moment, last owner just replaced all four of them.

[hudson44]

Hehe yes after some reading I have found that BFG AT's arent all that highly regarded.... Any suggestions?

You will get lots of opinions on which tyre to run but i'm a big fan of my Goodyear MT/R's but -scott- will probably say the STT's (yes i'm a fan)

[Adomw]

Dex

I highly regard the BFG A/T's

57000k on them, probably 20000k to go, no flats - excellent traction (for an AT) and will run happily all day at 15PSI in the soft stuff

But then again an opinion is an opinion

Ado

[Dexter]

Well I went away last weekend and am really enjoying playing around in it, but have found some limitations already. I really think a locker would be very useful to stop me from getting left high and dry so often(well only happend once on the weekend) but I wanted to go in the puddle damnit! Anyway would it be best to get a front or a rear locker first, assuming both are availble. I have read that the Pajero rear LSD is a very good one, however I am wondering if mine has worn out.

I also found that I was dragging my bum a bit so I believe a suspension lift is in order so research into raising("cranking") the front. Along with some springs for the rear, I have read about GQ springs being too heigh, however I havent really researched any alternatives, any recomendations?

[Ian Sharpe]

Well I went away last weekend and am really enjoying playing around in it, but have found some limitations already. I really think a locker would be very useful to stop me from getting left high and dry so often(well only happend once on the weekend) but I wanted to go in the puddle damnit! Anyway would it be best to get a front or a rear locker first, assuming both are availble. I have read that the Pajero rear LSD is a very good one, however I am wondering if mine has worn out.

I also found that I was dragging my bum a bit so I believe a suspension lift is in order so research into raising("cranking") the front. Along with some springs for the rear, I have read about GQ springs being too heigh, however I havent really researched any alternatives, any recomendations?

Yep, cant beat a locker, fronts are available from ARB & soon I believe they will have one for the rear.

[-Scott-]

Anyway would it be best to get a front or a rear locker first, assuming both are availble. I have read that the Pajero rear LSD is a very good one, however I am wondering if mine has worn out.

I had my Paj for a year or so before I realised I had LSD, much less one that works well - I thought I was just a good driver.

The Paj LSD, like the Nissan LSD, is a "ramp loading" type - it tightens up with more torque applied. Unfortunately, when one wheel is spinning freely, there's no (significant) torque being transmitted, so the LSD is "loose" - which is why one wheel is spinning.

Pull your handbrake on 2 or 3 notches. The extra drag on the spinning wheel causes the LSD to tighten up, and send drive to the other wheel. It's got me out of trouble a few times.

Of course, now I have a locker in the front - I save my handbrake and hit the switch.

[Dexter]

Thats really good to know, I didnt know it was a torsion type lsd(is that the correct term?)

[-Scott-]

Thats really good to know, I didnt know it was a torsion type lsd(is that the correct term?)

Good point.

Earlier Mitsu LSDs (like mine) are ramp-loading clutch type LSDs.

Later models (I think NL onwards) use a Torsen (TORque SENsing) LSD, which doesn't have friction plates (which wear...) But I believe they behave in a similar fashion - the wheel with high traction receives a multiplied amount of the torque going to the low traction wheel. The "factor" is typically somewhere between 2 and 4 times as much, depending on the design of the diff. Force "X" amount of torque to the "spinning" wheel, and the wheel with traction will get 2 to 4 times "X" torque.

I believe the handbrake trick works with Torsens, but I've never driven one to try it.

Clear as mud?

[Dexter]

Excelent stuff, ARB have a special on Lockers atm, buy 1 get a air compresser free.