How to Customize Your Mitsubishi Suspension Three Easy Ways
There are plenty of ways to upgrade the suspension in a Mitsubishi. To do things right, though, you'll need to do the right mods for the right body style. Plus, the kinds of driving you do, where you drive, in what climate, and through what weather -- they all factor in. Put simply, what you'll need to do for a daily commuter will be different from what's got to be done for a sports car, and that'll be different from what an SUV will need.
It's a good thing you came to us for advice on what to do before your next project. Here's the rundown on three top customizations.
1. Update the Springs
Leaf and Coil Springs
If you drive a big SUV like Mitsubishi Outlander, for example -- especially through the Great Outdoors, crawling rocks, dodging downed trees on trails, fording rivers, and whatnot -- it'll need better ground clearance. One way to get it is to add new leaf springs to any preexisting, plus spring helpers for increased tension. That'll make towing and hauling a little more stable especially, letting you take full advantage of, say, the respective 1,599- and 2,000-pound payload and tow capacities of the 2024 model.
Otherwise, you can improve the durability of just about any suspension by adding heavy-duty coil springs; they'll help your vehicle stand up to off-road driving better. Of course, if you want to prevent suspension sag and bouncing, put in air springs; they'll soften the road feel and make the ride more comfortable.
Lowering Springs
Say you drive a sports car like Mitsubishi Lancer, though. Not only does the sedan need to sit lower to the ground rather than higher, enabling quicker speed-ups and stops -- i.e., improving handling. It could also use the kind of sporty look that gets attention. You can get both replacing the factory springs (or adjustable coilovers, if your car has them) with fixed lowering springs; they'll reduce ride height, enhance stability, make cornering more precise, and make handling more enjoyable.
Lowering springs are a perfect combo with performance shocks, actually: since stiffer springs can rub more, they can wear easier, and absorbers designed for performance are great means of helping prevent that. If you install any, though, be sure to check and adjust your alignment for best results.
2. Mod the Shocks
If you're behind the wheel of another adventure-ready SUV like, say, Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, you're probably already familiar with hauling a heavy load. For that, you'll need a different kind of shock.
Heavy-Duty and Coil-Over Shocks
Sure, factory shocks help regulate spring movement well enough, and they do keep handling and braking consistent while cutting down on body roll. They're even pretty dependable when it comes to delivering on stability, helping keep your wheels aligned, giving your tires a better grip the road, and helping prevent both the brakes and tires from wearing out prematurely. Heavyduty shocks or coilover shocks, though, do more: they help keep the rear end of your SUV from slouching.
Air Shocks
Another type, air shocks -- like the ride-adjusting shocks designed for rear wheels -- are tunable to help soften the suspension for a smoother ride. They can be stiffened to raise the rear end to compensate for added cargo weight, too.
3. Add a Sway Bar
The perfect finishing touch for updated shocks on, say, a sports car like Mitsubishi Eclipse? A sway bar.
Anti-roll bar, anti-sway bar, stabilizer bar, just plain "roll bar" -- whatever you know it as, it's designed to increase suspension roll stiffness. More straightforwardly, it's a bar connecting opposite wheels with short lever arms, linked together by torsion springs -- one that keeps that unnerving "lean" you feel cornering fast or driving bad roads; "body roll" -- to a minimum.
Torsion Bars
There's even an alternative for SUVs with mods for towing, like tougher leaf springs and shocks -- Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, for instance: a torsion bar, a great add if you want to adjust the height of the front wheels to keep the front end of the SUV even with the rear when it's not loaded up, and level when it is.
Shop OEM Suspension Upgrades Online at Mitsubishi Motors North America
There's a lot more you can do in the way of related updates, too. For instance:
- Add a lift kit to put even more inches on your ride height
- Install running boards to make getting into and out of your lifted vehicle easier
- Put in custom wheels, thanks to suspension mods that provide more wheel-well clearance
- Fit the tires to go with the rims: Michelin X-Ice Snow for a Mitsubishi Endeavor, for instance, or Goodyear Assurance All-Season for a Mitsubishi Galant -- whatever your destination calls for
- Replace the bushings to reduce noise and vibration during the drive
- Install braces on the struts to boost the stability and rigidity of the suspension
- And more!
We've got everything you need. It's genuine Mitsubishi, so it's not only top quality but also guaranteed to fit and covered by warranty in most cases. Not sure how to do this or that mod? A Mitsubishi dealer will be happy to help out -- get in touch with one, anytime.
Take advantage of competitive pricing and fast shipping anywhere in the US; order now, and feel free to contact us if you have any questions.