The 2003 Mitsubishi Shogun
Published: 22nd December 2002
The ground-breaking monocoque single shell construction of all Shoguns has lowered the vehicle’s centre of gravity and allowed Mitsubishi to design a suspension system with improvements in both ride comfort and on-road handling.
The front double wishbone suspension has coil springs instead of torsion bar springs, while at the rear the previous model’s rigid three-link suspension has been replaced by a lighter double wishbone/multi-link design and coil springs.
Off-road performance is enhanced by long suspension travel, while both front and rear suspension are attached to sub-frames to prevent vibrations from being transmitted through the body shell. And few four-wheel drive or multi-purpose vehicles can boast a turning circle as tight as the Shogun’s – the minimum turning radius now reflects that you would expect in a passenger car with 5.3m for the 3-door Shogun and 5.7m for the 5-door derivative.
Brakes
The 2003 Shogun has 11.4 inch front ventilated discs with 2-pot callipers, and ventilated 11.8 inch drum-in-disc brakes at the rear. The enhanced Multi-Mode ABS braking system has a four-sensor, four-channel system so that each brake works independently, improving stability particularly when cornering.
Multi-Mode ABS is different from conventional systems thanks to its ability to provide controlled emergency braking even with locked centre and rear differentials. Multi-Mode ABS works by the ECU monitoring the speed of each wheel. If a wheel speed difference is detected under braking, pressure is modulated to align speeds, reducing wind-up and propeller shaft twisting, while providing reduced stopping distances.
When the rear differential is locked, Multi-Mode ABS matches left and right rear braking pressures. It also increases the release rate of the rear braking force, offsetting the rear wheel’s tendency to lock up.
Working with the ABS computer, EBD (Electronic Brake-force Distribution) evenly modulates each channel’s braking pressure to deliver ideal braking force regardless of load or surface conditions. Integrating the hydraulic brake booster, EBD and Multi-Mode ABS reduces the number of components within the overall system.
Body Construction
The introduction of the Shogun’s monocoque body broke new ground when introduced to the range two year ago giving the Shogun one complete shell with a built-in frame for maximum strength and high levels of torsional rigidity.
The key advantage over the traditional ladder frame chassis is that the single-unit monocoque construction sharpens up the responses between driver and vehicle, eliminating any delay between the body and the chassis. Therefore, the driver benefits from more feel and feedback.
Bodyweight is kept to a minimum by using a new suspension design, lightening the engine, adopting a lighter steering system, lighter brake callipers, using aluminium differential covers and using high-tensile steel and resin components.
The reduction in bodyweight has led to an improvement in fuel economy without any compromise in the Shogun’s off-roading and towing capabilities.
The centre of gravity was lowered by 50mm by lowering the engine within the bodyshell and by moving the front differential side-ways. Although the engine is lower, the overall ground clearance has been raised to 225mm for diesel models, and to 235mm for the petrol versions which is an increase of 20mm in each case.
The Shogun, including diesel version with its higher front air-intake system, can ford water hazards up to 600mm deep at speeds of up to 3mph as components such as the air-conditioner’s electrical elements and front, rear and centre differential breathers are all positioned more than 600mm above the ground.
The exterior panels are made of rust resistant galvanised steel to ensure outstanding durability even after years of tough off-road driving.
