Pajero Owners Club of South Africa

Hey Guys

car - 2005 Pajero 3.2DiD SWB - Standard

My heart is saying do suspension R11 000 = 40mm lift and all the other pros of having it fitted.

My mind is having a bit of a battle with me on this tho.

As it is, i dont do enough 4x4ing, but im intending to change that as i love the adventure and outdoors! As far as heavy loading goes, it's only me and the Ms and we tend to travel light. So that's not an issue at this stage.

Questions:

- Is it a worthwhile upgrade on the pajero?
- Will this really help the capability of the Pajero, articulation, traction etc?
- Will the on road ability suffer greatly? (I know it's not a race car)
- Are the benefits easily felt on the Pajero?
- Does the Pajero need the extra lift?
- Is it still beneficial on a 4x4 with independent suspension?

If i had to do this upgrade, i wouldn't be able to afford extras like decent bash plate etc for a while, but I feel the upgraded suspension will greatly reduce the potential risk of damage which can happen on trails. Also, being the 2nd owner im not sure if the shocks have ever been replaced and the car now has 168 000km on the clocks, although it does feel stable and there are no noticeable signs of worn shocks.

I would appreciate your unbiased and honest thoughts.

Thanks guys!

Jayson

You asked for an honest opinion - so here goes.

Unless you have proved to yourself the need for the lift (i.e you have used the vehicle and found the suspension limiting), only THEN do the upgrade.

Buy the bashplates as a first mod. That will protect you from more knockes than the suspension will.

BTW, I still have standard supension, I have done pretty hard core stuff and never felt the suspension limiting... but then I have a Gen2

Questions & answers (my opinion anyway...):

- Is it a worthwhile upgrade on the pajero?
Yes, but I have the LWB which needs the extra clearance more than your SWB.

- Will this really help the capability of the Pajero, articulation, traction etc?
No, articulation can actually decrease due to the stiffer springs. The shocks are most probably the same length so will not allow more articulation. As far as I know only the TJM Gold Series shocks offer slightly longer travel. I found traction to be better with my original, more supple suspension.

- Will the on road ability suffer greatly? (I know it's not a race car)
Actually in my situation the on road ability improved

- Are the benefits easily felt on the Pajero?
If you need the clearance and/or load carrying capability, yes.

- Does the Pajero need the extra lift?
This depends on where you go with it.

- Is it still beneficial on a 4x4 with independent suspension?
Yes!


As Simon suggested, invest in good bash plates first then decide if you need the extra clearance.

Have fun!
B