Parts for your 1991 Mitsubishi Pajero-Strut mounts

1991 Mitsubishi Pajero strut-mounts — are they used?

According to the Mitsubishi factory workshop manual for the 1991 model year (suspension section), the front of a 1991 Pajero (also known as Montero/Shogun) runs an independent double wishbone setup with torsion bars and separate shock absorbers, while the rear uses a live axle with coil springs and separate shocks. Gregory’s and Haynes repair manuals covering this generation confirm the same layout. Because there’s no MacPherson strut at either end, a strut top mount/bearing assembly isn’t part of this vehicle’s design. In short, strut-mounts aren’t used on the 1991 Mitsubishi Pajero.

Strut-mounts exist to support and locate a MacPherson strut and, on the front of many cars, to provide a bearing surface so the whole strut can rotate with the steering. The Pajero’s double wishbone front end locates the hub with upper and lower control arms and steers through ball joints, the shock absorber is just a damper and doesn’t carry vehicle weight or steering loads, so it only uses simple rubber bushes at its mounts, not a strut-mount with a bearing.

Mitsubishi chose this layout for durability, ground clearance and off-road articulation. A torsion-bar double wishbone front and coil-sprung live rear axle are tougher in rough country, easier to service in the field, and keep steering geometry more stable under big suspension movements—handy on corrugated gravel or rocky tracks. That’s why you won’t find a strut-mount listed in the genuine parts catalogue for this model year.

Chasing a top-end clunk or vague steering on a 1991 Pajero? Look to the parts it actually uses:

• Front upper/lower ball joints and control arm bushes
• Front shock absorber upper/lower bushes and hardware
• Sway bar links and bushes
• Torsion bar anchors and crossmember mounts
• Rear shock bushes, panhard rod and trailing arm bushes

Service tips: replace perished or cracked shock bushes, torque suspension hardware at normal ride height, and align after any control arm or torsion bar work. If a catalogue shows “strut mounts” for this Pajero, it’s usually a generic category—what you need are shock absorber mounting bushes or hardware, not a strut top bearing.

FAQs

Does a 1991 Mitsubishi Pajero have strut-mounts?
No. Technical references (Mitsubishi workshop manual, Gregory’s and Haynes for this generation) show double wishbones with torsion bars up front and separate shocks all round, so there’s no MacPherson strut and no strut-mount assembly.

What should be replaced instead of strut-mounts on a 1991 Pajero?
If there’s knocking or vibration, inspect and replace shock absorber upper/lower bushes, sway bar links/bushes, and any worn ball joints or control arm bushes. These are the wear items that mimic “strut top” noises on this model.

How can someone tell if the front-end clunk is a shock bush and not a strut-mount?
With the Pajero on the ground, have a tech lever the control arm slightly and watch the shock eyelets for movement. Perished bushes will show play or cracking. Since there’s no strut top bearing, any top-hat style rattle is almost always a shock bush, sway bar link, or an upper/lower ball joint issue.