Repositioning of Oil Cooler, A/C rad under steps

Leafster · Post by **Leafster** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 2:19 pm

Has anyone done a reposition on these rads yet? Now that we have removed the tube steps, they seem pretty exposed. We were doing a little wheeling the other day and the drivers side one was full of sticks.

I don't see them on Mitch's van, are they tucked underneath? It looks as though they could be moved up to horizontal with a little bracketry, etc....

What to do?

surferboy · Post by **surferboy** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 2:42 pm

huh, sorry but my two bits on this if you care to hear it, is why the hell would you want to remove the protective steps especially if you plan on doing any kind of off road, and beside, changing the configuration of those components is probably a bad idea, a pain in the but, and not worth the time, just leave the the steps which protects those components and forget about it, drive the van and enjoy it!

nice van by the way.. Cheers!

Leafster · Post by **Leafster** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 2:46 pm

We would have left them on but in order to fit 31" tires they had to go. I know we could have put something a little smaller and retained the steps but it just looks so cool with the biggies.

Adrock · Post by **Adrock** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 5:14 pm

you don't see mitch's because his is a manual (i am pretty sure at least), and doesn't have the auto transmission cooler. He has the AC one on the other side, I think. I am going to remove my ac system, or just bash it really bad and then rip it out. I'm a windows down kind of guy, anybody want an ac system? its yours if you remove it.

gondaff · Post by **gondaff** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 6:59 pm

I hear you about them being exposed. And after seeing what happened with mine on the trip, I have to say that they aren't gonna help as much as get in the way when doing any off-roading.(less clearance) Will be looking into changing things up over the next little bit as well.

Leafster · Post by **Leafster** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 7:30 pm

Alright well I'll see how it goes, probably do some work at my friend's machine shop. If I have to make some brackets, maybe I'll get extras done, cheaper that way.

Post by **BCDelica** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:48 pm

The expanded steel looked tough!

asorensen · Post by **asorensen** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:54 pm

I have 31x10.5.15 BFG All Terrain tires on my van and I have tried and tried to make the tires hit the foot steps. (ie. locking up brakes with steering turned, bumps and ruts that seem to bottom out the suspension, going over logs and boulders etc.)

They just don't seem to want to hit! I am leaving them on. Especially since I have set the van down on them and they have done their job.

I would rather fix the foot steps (well actually lets be reel does anyone actually put their foot on them? I am calling them guards) then have to do body work on quarter panels. (hey Adrock)

If I ever hit them with the tires I will think about modifying them as opposed to moving the AC (manual transmission) but so far so good.

I also like the way that they look but that is just me.

asorensen · Post by **asorensen** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 9:01 pm

Oh I forgot, one item I did remove was the side step. This seemed like a definite clearance issue and also uneccesary.

Actually uneeded from my perspective. My wife thought that it was a neccesatity until she forgot that it existed!

Adrock · Post by **Adrock** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 2:32 am

just to clarify, I came straight down on the nose. Steps would have gotten jammed into the tire and not let it spin AT BEST. If i had had steps on I would have been up shit creek for getting my van out of its vertical perch. It looks better without the steps, it performs better without the steps and it keeps me honest, If she can't make the step up she's too young.... or old.

Adrock · Post by **Adrock** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 2:36 am

Oh, and full lock is not when mine rubs, there is a point where the tire is closest, mine still rubs on the back of the AC cooler assembly when I really push it. I don't see any way you could not rub on your steps, its flush with the ac cooler and like 4 inches lower. Maybe its been modified already? Either way they might be good for one protective use. after that they will be mangled anyways, ask steve. Think, if your step hadn't been there when it "protected" your coolers, would you have hit anything at all?

Green1 · Post by **Green1** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 2:39 am

funny about that... my girlfriend always uses the step... and my roomate... well, she just about wants a ladder!

mitch · Post by **mitch** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 10:18 pm

yeah, get rid of the goofy steps... I dont have a tranmy cooler and my aircon dosn't seem to work so thats gone next. looks badass (as much as a deli can look anyway).

as far as getting in, use the great "holy shit handles" and pull.

Mitch

Leafster · Post by **Leafster** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 9:48 am

Hey Mitch, your van looks significantly higher in the front than ours. We had it set higher but the alignment tech said he had to adjust it back down a bit to get it into spec.

I would have preferred it up another inch to level with the back.

When you had your alignment done, what did they say? Did you have the specs from the site here?

mitch · Post by **mitch** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 3:17 pm

gotta go see ollie at 21st century alinment.. he's the lift master.. he'll get you the inch.

Mitch

Delica Canada | Mitsubishi Van Club

Repositioning of Oil Cooler, A/C rad under steps

Repositioning of Oil Cooler, A/C rad under steps

rad repositioning..

rad repositioning