# Mitsubishi mini cab van, Mattracks installation



## m1west

Ok , its time to start the Mattracks installation on the mini mini van. This morning I washed it off and took it to the shop. Pulled the front wheels off and was able to get one side on the front lift kit installed. It was much easier than the Suzuki. After jacking it up and removing the front tires.

1- Remove the 3 nuts holding the top of the strut in place on the body.
2- Remove the bottom bolt where the strut attaches the spindle and push down and pull out at the same time, this gives access to the top of the strut outside the fender well.
3- compress the spring and remove the center nut on the top strut mount. remove the the nut then the mounting plate ( be careful there are washers and spacers to drop and loose ) remove the spring. 
4- the new spring is  then installed, it went in easily with minimal compression of the spring.
5- After installing the top mount back on the strut add the new 3" spacer to the top and orient the plate as shown in the picture, The slot in the top is how you correct the castor and camber after adding the spacer, then reinstall the bottom bolt that holds the strut to the spindle.
One side took about an hour. Next I will do the other side and then move to the rear.


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## Jim_S RIP

m1west said:


> Ok , its time to start the Mattracks installation on the mini mini van. This morning I washed it off and took it to the shop. Pulled the front wheels off and was able to get one side on the front lift kit installed. It was much easier than the Suzuki. After jacking it up and removing the front tires.
> 
> 1- Remove the 3 nuts holding the top of the strut in place on the body.
> 2- Remove the bottom bolt where the strut attaches the spindle and push down and pull out at the same time, this gives access to the top of the strut outside the fender well.
> 3- compress the spring and remove the center nut on the top strut mount. remove the the nut then the mounting plate ( be careful there are washers and spacers to drop and loose ) remove the spring.
> 4- the new spring is  then installed, it went in easily with minimal compression of the spring.
> 5- After installing the top mount back on the strut add the new 3" spacer to the top and orient the plate as shown in the picture, The slot in the top is how you correct the castor and camber after adding the spacer, then reinstall the bottom bolt that holds the strut to the spindle.
> One side took about an hour. Next I will do the other side and then move to the rear.



Dibs on the first ride!


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## m1west

Jim_S said:


> Dibs on the first ride!



You come to the mountain, you get the ride


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## Jim_S RIP

m1west said:


> You come to the mountain, you get the ride



That’ll be me beside the road with my thumb out!  :th_lmao:


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## m1west

Today I got the lift kit finished and now the front is done. I started looking at what I am going to do in the rear. After measuring and pondering, I ordered a set of air shocks, that is the easiest option to raise it up a couple inches and wont sag when loaded with stuff.


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## country_boy

looking good


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## m1west

country_boy said:


> looking good



any fire up you're way yet? If not start clearing you're property up there, there will be soon.


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## m1west

Today I finished the lift kit on the van, the air shocks I ordered showed up yesterday. Learning from the Suzuki build you can save a lot of money resourcing you're own parts. The air shocks are a set of universal air shocks from eBay $78.00.The air shocks for the Suzuki were bought from a Mini truck parts dealer for over $200.00. The stud is smaller than the hole in the shocks so it is easily fixed with a piece of 1/2" poly tube as a spacer. Looks like I paid over $100.00 for .50 cents worth of poly tube the last time around. They worked out great 70# of air brought the rear 1/2" higher than the front. I have to modify the front 2 wheel spacers by opening up the hole that fits over the locking hub to 81mm, the rear is OK. I will get that done tomorrow. After the adapters are installed it will be time to bolt on the tracks and fabricate the anti rotation brackets. After the tracks are installed it will go another 8" higher. When I went to the cabin I looked at the burned Suzuki and determined that I can use a lot of the parts from it on the van. I plant to go there again soon so I will either remove the parts there or if enough time load it on the trailer and bring t home.


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## m1west

Hi all, today I got the wheel adapters and the tracks on the van. I had to enlarge the center hole that clears the locking hub to 81mm to get them installed, the rear had no issues. Next I had to drill the stud holes in the tracks to 31/64 to fit the studs on the adapters, that didn't bother me as larger studs are stronger. I found that the Mattracks drive flange is not machined for a tapered lug nut. I used flange nuts, and the flange fits snugly in the counter bore so I feel good about it. When I do final assembly I will use blue locktite on everything ( too many stories involving the nuts falling off ). The ground clearance at the bumpers is 24" and 14" on the diff center section. There is only 24" of clearance between the tracks, thats a lot more track under it than the Camso tracks on the Suzuki plus the Matts are an inch wider and have more aggressive lugs on the tracks. The side doors even open, I was a little worried about that. Next is the final task of fabricating the anti rotation assemblies.


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## m1west

Today, I started fabricating the attachment brackets for the anti rotation. First I tacked together a frame made from 3/16" x 3/4" flat bar for a trial fit as seen in the picture. Then I made the rest of the frames and welded them together.
Then welded 4" x 1/4" x 8" on one end so I had plenty of material to work with. In the picture of the frame around the rubber dampeners the flat bars the dampenets sit on for a square hole in the middle. The arms with the frames welded to them get a hole on center with a piece of pipe welded in that fits into the square hole, then a bolt from the back of the plate on the track gets a bolt with a big washer that goes through the backing plate through the pipe and a nut on the outside that holds the whole assembly together and allows it to pivot with the dampeners. ( if you can't understand my explanation you will have to wait until I finish. I am going to the cabin this weekend and will rob all the pivot parts from the Suzuki that may be used on the van. The front has to attach to a bracket that is on center of the lower ball joint so it won't bind while turning. The rear I can either go to the leaf spring mount towards the front or to the rear shock mount on the rear end. I need to think about it for a while now.


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## country_boy

wow that thing is looking good those tracks are definitely bigger.  turning that mini into a beast! we have pretty good defensible space around our place never enough tho.... and with forest service closing the forest makes it interesting....


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## m1west

country_boy said:


> wow that thing is looking good those tracks are definitely bigger.  turning that mini into a beast! we have pretty good defensible space around our place never enough tho.... and with forest service closing the forest makes it interesting....



Thanks, it should even better than the Suzuki in the snow, and I was happy with that. Do you have to pass through BLM land to get to yours? At you're elevation there should be less trees to burn ( hopefully ) Have you been up there in the winter? That is really my favorite time to go to the cabin. Its takes more time to get there and more work hauling the van or snowcat but to me its worth every minute. I am headed there tomorrow to finish hooking up the solar panels, secure the gates and some clean up.


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## country_boy

No BLM land just forest service land. and yes my wife and i snowmobile up there every winter. definitely one of the best times to be up there! we are still in the tree line, we are proactive about tree clearing.


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## m1west

Today I was able to get back on the van, after study of the arrangements made by Mattracks and some thinking I have come up with what I think will be a pretty simple design. The hardest part is making the attachment to the Mattracks with the rubber dampener arrangement, its over engineered and complicated when it didn't have to be. A solid attachment and a threaded rod with a spring and nuts for adjustment like Camso tracks work good and is much easier to fabricate. The way the system works is 4 rubber pucks are captured on the flat bars and the outer ring welded to the 4" flat bar, then a tube is welded in the 4" flat bar that passes through the square and protrudes slightly out of the round hole in the backing plate. Then a bolt with a washer passes through the baking plate and the tube with a nut that holds it all together and lets it articulate slightly without binding. I plan to make a link bar assembly with Hyme joints to the axels.


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## m1west

Today I finalized the design for the rear. The rear mount is welded to one of the U bolts holding the rear Axel, the link bar is just for mock up. I plan to use heavy duty Hyme joints with a threaded rod for the link bar, that way I will have fine tune adjustment and tolerate any mis alignment without binding. I jacked it up and tilted the tracks and it seems to work, when I laid it out on paper it seems to work because the tracks are tilting from the center of the axle and the link bar is off center so it binds and stops it from turning, controlling the tilt. The front will be a little different as it will attach to the front A-arms on center the lower ball joint.


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## alryA

What is the thickness, width and length of the stabilizer flat?


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## m1west

alryA said:


> What is the thickness, width and length of the stabilizer flat?



The bracket welded to the U bolt on the rear end is 1/4"X3" 
The flat bar that is bolted to the track is 3-1/2"X1/4"
The collar that fits around the rubber pucks is 3/16"X3/4"
The link between the brackets is 3/16"X1" but it is just for mock up. The real link will be made from 1/2" Hyme joints with a 1/2" threaded rod, it will give me some fine tune and will be very strong.


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## m1west

The Hyme joints and threaded rod showed up over the weekend. This will be the final design for the rear track attachments. The Hyme joint arrangement will give me 1/2" in or out for a total of 1" adjustment plus the extra holes should allow me to fine tune the rotation. I have to weld in the center tube where the bracket bolts to the track, add some jam nuts on the threaded rod and paint the assembly then 1 rear assembly is done and the others side is nearly there also. I started working on the front brackets while waiting on the Hyme joints. Another week or 2 and we will be testing the rig out.


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## m1west

Today I started making the brackets for the front, they bolt to the A-arm stabilizer  bolts. There will be a bent angle welded to the part that is now bolted to the A-arm that will be centered under the lower ball joint so you can turn without binding. Also made the rest of the links, turned out to be the same length as the rear 8-1/2". Back on it tomorrow.


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## m1west

Today I nearly finished, the rear end is completely finished. All parts are made just waiting for the paint to dry on the last 2 parts. Tomorrow morning I will bolt them on and start testing.


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## KickerM

Is your rear brackets welded to the axle or just to the UBolt?


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## m1west

KickerM said:


> Is your rear brackets welded to the axle or just to the UBolt?



welded to the U bolt


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## m1west

Today the fat lady is singing. I finished the front brackets and did some testing, I drove it around the property up and down hills and some pretty steep ditches testing the anti rotation. The tracks never rubbed the body, everything seems to be working out with the original set up. After running it hard nothing broke or bent. I will continue to play with it around here and now cleaning it up. Next I will change the oil and tune it up. after it warms up the idle is set a little low at 500 rpm I will re set it at 800 rpm, after that its time to put it on the trailer and wait for snow. The van is going to be great for the winter cabin trips, at 1500# easy to tow so I don't have to store it up there that saves $110.00 a month. The room on the inside is great, plenty of room for the wife, dog and everything else. I still have the winch from the Suzuki but the remote and controls burned up.I plan to fabricate new bumpers with receivers so I can plug in a winch or tow something. I saw another set of used Camso tracks on an equipment auction, if they can be had cheap maybe there will be another Suzuki in the future. Having a truck up there that can handle the terrain was very helpful. A dump bed would be nice.


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## m1west

Hi all, today I put a set of seat covers, front and rear to keep the dog from ruining them. When I went to start it after sitting 3 weeks or so the battery was low. So I made a trip to NAPA and picked up a garden tractor battery the same size with 230 CCA. After installing it, now it cranks over way faster than it ever did. We don't need any dead batteries off grid. Then I did some more testing around the property getting use to what gear to be using in different situations. There is one more thing I need to check, I want to pull the timing cover off and inspect the belt even if I don't change it this season.


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## m1west

Did some more testing around here. Either the Mattracks have less parasitic drag than the Camso tracks or the supercharged engine in the van makes a lot more power than the Suzuki. I drove it to my buddies house up the road today and it is much more zippy than the Suzuki and was able to pull 3rd gear up the hill. The Suzuki would not. The mountain got some snow this weekend, just a few inches but its a start.


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## KickerM

Mattracks claims to have super low rolling resistance; hopefully that justifies the price! Lol


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## m1west

KickerM said:


> Mattracks claims to have super low rolling resistance; hopefully that justifies the price! Lol



They really weren't that bad at $4100.00, I really wanted the MAXI's but could not justify almost double the price at $7100.00 for a little longer track and 2 more bogie wheels on each side. If they were 25% more I would have bought them. I have a 2' gap between the front and rear tracks, the MAXI's would have nearly closed the gap so it would have been completely tracked under the van. There is 3-4 days of snow reported to come around Thanksgiving up on the mountain, hopefully I can go up there.


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## battdad

that is SO cool! i love it.  i built a similar type of thing out of a pt cruiser that was pretty fun in the snow.  I am curious as to how easy (or not) it is to steer. the mattrax seem to be engineered quite well but i wonder if they have the same steering issues that mine has.
will be looking forward to a report on how it performs.
great looking vehicle.


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## m1west

battdad said:


> that is SO cool! i love it.  i built a similar type of thing out of a pt cruiser that was pretty fun in the snow.  I am curious as to how easy (or not) it is to steer. the mattrax seem to be engineered quite well but i wonder if they have the same steering issues that mine has.
> will be looking forward to a report on how it performs.
> great looking vehicle.


Thanks, I've been busy with work and we haven't got much snow but next week looks promising, testing around the property it turns easily even on grass. The turning radius is about 15-20 feet. I will be loading it on the trailer soon and would like to make a trip right after the first of the year. I will take pictures and short video clips of the trip.


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## battdad

That sounds good, we haven't seen much snow either in nw montana,  pretty thin as of yet.
good luck on your maiden voyage!


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## m1west

Its been snowing the last few days bit a colder bigger system moving in and snow forecasted on and off for a few more days. Today I took the Burned Suzuki tithe scrap yard then loaded the Minicab Van on the trailer. When it stops snowing I am planning to make a trip to the Mountain for a few days.


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## alryA

KickerM said:


> Mattracks claims to have super low rolling resistance; hopefully that justifies the price! Lol


I've not got to work with Matt T's due to there exorbitant cost.  But all the brands I have you can roll the tracks around the shop in order to move them when off the machine.  The tracks rotate on the pods quite easily..


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## m1west

Hi all, I made a trip to the cabin and was the maiden voyage for the track van, when we got there after waiting for the snow to stop for days, it was the same as last year. The snow turned to rain and melted most of the snow down low and the road was solid ice. We made it up but not without some slipping and sliding on the steeper par





ts, and there is plenty of 15-20 degree hills. It doesn't look that steep in the pictures but it is. Only had one pucker time though when going down a very icy steep grade early in the morning the day we went to town, It kept wanting to swap ends on the way down where I had to add power to keep it straight. Lucky there was no turn at the bottom of the hill. I just ordered 1000 screw in studs. The van did very well in everything else and had no problems with it except I blew a brand new air shock in the rear, 80# of air and had maybe 300# of gear in the back?? Not even close to capacity, must be a defect. Really liked the extra room over the truck I used last year, very comfortable. Also has plenty of power with the supercharged motor, it runs a little fat up there so I need increase the idle speed as it wanted to load up at low idle.


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## ezroller

Cool little vehicle!!! I always wanted one of those. Got the bombi instead cause I wanted more floatation in the snow. I thought about picking one of those up chopping it, and using the cab for my bombi instead of the stocker.

Nice work!!!??


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## m1west

ezroller said:


> Cool little vehicle!!! I always wanted one of those. Got the bombi instead cause I wanted more floatation in the snow. I thought about picking one of those up chopping it, and using the cab for my bombi instead of the stocker.
> 
> Nice work!!!??


Not as bad as you think, ground pressure is .68 psi


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## ezroller

Wow That's impressively close!


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## ezroller

How much does that thing weigh all done?


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## m1west

ezroller said:


> How much does that thing weigh all done?


it weighs 1500# with tires I would say 1800# if you include the track weight. Supercharged 550 cc, I'm paraphrasing but I remember it being 84hp and 65 ft. pounds of torque come to mind. 4 speed manual with hi-lo transfer case.


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## m1west

Well its that time again. Im busy with work but sometime at the end of February I should be able to make a cabin trip. Cabin Neighbor says there is around 10' so far this year. Last year it kept snowing followed by rain and would melt leaving the very steep road solid ice. The van made it but there were a couple hills we did some slipping and sliding to the point of almost not making it. This year I am adding studs to the track. I work on them an hour here and there. it takes about an hour to do 1/3 of each track. So far I'm about 2 hours in and got 2 tracks 1/3 done. when 4 are 1/3 done I will have move it forward and start over, repeating the process until completed.


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## m1west




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