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Adjustable castor bar off Mitsu Express L300


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Thought I asked same question in last week, but has vanished.

Someone once said Mitsubishi vans known as L300 and Express in 4WD form had a Castor bar/ radius rod with threaded adjustment would work or fit our EA series 

So, anyone ....

The two bolt holes for securing rod to lower control arm are going to be critical in the centre to centre measure

Looks like 39.5 - 40 mm centres from Fuji

I had a chance look at a plain old RWD Express van and it looks to be well....yes, threaded adjustable ends, just unable at this stage to measure the bolt centres

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well, an update on thoughts of using these strut rods as you guys call them, on the Mitsu Express or L300 vans

 

Our EAs have 40 mm centres between bolt holes

Mutsu 56mm

I tried drilling a 12 mm hole at 40 mm centre from rear most hole but it cuts into the existing front hole on its edge

Not using actual rod, not using any CAD software either - just a piece of scrap :)

Then considered drilling a new set of 40 mm ctr to ctr holes at 12 mm diameter, straddling the rear most Mitsu hole, cut off the front Mitsu hole

This may still work....

EA81 radius rod measure from end of thread to rear hole centre ~410 mm

Difficult to measure the Mitsu on the street but getting a rough 425 from end of its thread to centre of rear hole,

so to make a new rear 12 mm hole, gain some adjustments forward, makes new hole too close to old Mitsu hole,

not gonna gain anything

except that in original EA81 form, there is a lot of thread once but is done up at the back end, so maybe if new holes safely made up front, use up the threaded rear for adjuster nuts it might work....

As I type (slowly) starting to think it will work safely enough to use rear Mitsu hole, make new hole 40 mm centres forward, just busting into front Mitsu hole, shove 12 mm alloy rod in hole and weld up the steel around it, cut excess and use a good broard washer up top of front.

Subaru rod 17 mm

Mitsu rod 20mm with threaded section 18 mm across the thread pitches so  think the EA81 bushes will fit the 18 mm threads with a squeeze

15872670623941540070933.jpg

Edited by Step-a-toe
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The strut rods would be easy to make, I was going to do it before I found the ones from Ingalls. Get the correct diameter, cold rolled round stock and cut it approx an inch and a half longer. Take the pieces to a machinist with a factory one and have them turn the end down going that extra 1.5" for the threads.  You can have them cut the threads or do it yourself. Local shop was going to charge me $50 so that's not bad really.  Heat the opposite end up with the torch and put it in a press to flatten it out. If you don't have a press, a large bench vise should work or I suppose you could pound it flat but that might be hard to keep things accurate. Get a couple extra jam nuts, install it and set it.

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Skishop to the rescue once again :)

Been thinking just that, then found them listed but had troubles getting a price to believe posted down under.

My email resulted in the items vanishing and a sorry email

Have access to a dirty old press, an oxy etc

Thinking to make up a jig to squash the flat end down to 10 mm with some 10 mm bar either side of rod while under press plates

Dont see a need to replicate the factory size thread so just hope to find a thread size to suit the 18.2? mm bar

Dreaming at this stage....

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You don't 'have to' reproduce the factory threads, but you still have to turn down the end for the bushings to fit. Bushings with that size hole would be significantly larger in diameter. Also, if you just thread the rod, I'm pretty sure that the size of the nuts would be so big, you'd have problems getting a wrench in there to get a proper turn for adjusting/tightening. You'd also have to drill out the mounting hole reducing the amount of surface area which would compromise it's strength.

Edited by skishop69
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skishop, you do have things thought out don't you?

Ahead of me. I seem to recall that some bushes maybe EA82 have lips to kiss each other in the hole of the rear bracket. I think the hole is OK diameter for 18 mm thread

Gonna have another look at the Express van item.

I know many others have used washer spacers and our roads are not a precise science so FWA really can't be that fussy !

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Measured the Express bars nuts with a crude, plastic vernier ~27 mm

I have this project nagging at me from the wallet pocket...

For what wreckers want for a pair of Express bars I can buy three new tyres.

I reckon drill the front hole, cut off the excess taking out part of the hole, grind excess piece to match up complete hole and weld it in place

So much less stuffing about for wheel alignments with adjustment over washers and packers

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