2006 Mitsubishi Raider - chassis

The 2006 Mitsubishi Raider's chassis and suspension are designed to provide improved dynamics and refinement while delivering a high degree of functionality. Attached to a rigid steel frame, the Raider's combination of unequal length A-arms and coil-overs up front, combined with a live axle and multi-leaf arrangement at the rear help this vehicle tackle work, rough terrain, or the boulevard with equal acumen.

Rigid Ladder Frame

The Raider's full-length steel frame provides a solid foundation for this highly capable mid-size truck. The welded steel frame construction unites hydro-formed, roll- formed and stamped steel components together into a rigid assembly. The frame is designed with fully boxed rail sections that help the assembly realize higher standards of bending and torsional rigidity, and to help better mitigate NVH issues. All of the frame's joints and sections of stamped or rolled steel are welded for maximum strength and stiffness.

Four different frame assemblies cover all Raider applications, but all frames utilize the same stiff side rails thanks to a common wheelbase. For instance, the ladder frame of the Raider Double Cab is distinguished by a unique center pillar mount structure welded between the frame rails. Two-wheel-drive ladder frames also include a supportive driveshaft center-bearing crossmember.

In addition to improved ride and handling, the Raider's frame maximizes occupant safety in the event of a collision. The front frame rails feature internal stiffeners to help manage deflection during frontal impacts and help focus impact energy in the rail tips. The front rail structures are also straighter, which enhances the assembly's overall strength and rigidity. Such a structure is also more effective at transmitting impact energies, reducing deformation, and helping to keep the cab intact in the event of a collision. The frame's boxed side rail sections are composed of high-strength, low-alloy steel to better resist buckling under impact.

The robust rear portion of the ladder frame is designed to improve impact safety and protect the integrity of the rear fuel system and fuel tank that mounts between the rear sections. As with other sections of the Raider's frame, internal reinforcement structures also appear in the rear frame rails.

To improve the durability of the ladder frame, an improved electrocoat paint process is employed to more thoroughly coat the internal surfaces of the boxed frame rail members. This process involves electrically charging the frame rails and submerging the assembly in paint to help draw the paint into corners and cavities while spreading uniformly. The coating is designed to last 15 years during normal service.

Front and Rear Suspension Design

The Mitsubishi Raider's suspension layout is designed to deliver a superior level of steering feel and handling precision while offering a comfortable, refined ride. Attention to design detail and specific NVH countermeasures help the Raider achieve ride quality and refinement goals. For instance, the spring and shock absorbers are connected to the frame using specially tuned mounts that help isolate the cab from vibration and road noise. A dual-rate bushing also connects the shock absorber module to the lower control.

The front suspension's unique "coil-over" spring and shock configuration works within a short and long control arm configuration. The spring and shock module located within the unequal length control arms are shared between the 2WD and 4WD trucks with only minor differences in tuning, but both share the same ride height (except with B.F. Goodrich tires). The front suspension's control arms are connected by a tall steering knuckle casting that also supports the wheel hub. The unique design of this steering knuckle locates the ball joint next to the tire sidewall instead of tucked within the diameter of the wheel, creating a pivot location designed to improve handling. The greater distance between the upper and lower control arms afforded by the heights of the knuckle design also help optimize camber changes throughout suspension travel. As a result, the Raider's suspension geometry is designed to produce less camber change and reduced toe change over bumps, which also helps reduce tire wear. The reduced camber changes produce the truck's confidence-inspiring handling and a high degree of predictability. The cast-iron knuckles, whose height helps reduce the sensitivity to alignment variations, also include integral steering arms. The upper control arms are made of forged steel with integral ball joints and are optimized for light weight and high strength. Cast iron lower control arms provide excellent durability over just about any sort of terrain. The location of the control arms' pivot axes help mitigate break dive and reduce harshness when braking on bumpy roads. A link-type stabilizer bar utilizes a ball joint at the lower attachment to the control arm. Such positioning helps the component better control body roll and improve handling.

The Raider relies on a proven live rear axle design supported by leaf springs. Each multi-leaf spring assembly is comprised of spring rates that were chosen for ride quality even as cargo loads increase. The assembly's spring tension helps show only a slightly negative attitude in the vehicle's stance when the cargo area is near capacity. Maintaining a near-level stance when laden also aids handling by minimizing the possibility that the suspension will bottom out. The leaf springs attach to the axle using tension-type rear shackles and the leaf's spring eyes are located above the frame bracket attachment point which also was designed to improve handling. All Raider models are equipped with a rear stabilizer bar. The rear shock absorbers are mounted in a staggered arrangement to help combat wheel hop or axle oscillations during launches. One shock absorber is mounted ahead of the axle and the other is mounted behind the axle. Both 2WD and 4WD Raiders share the same leaf spring arrangement.

Steering

The 2006 Mitsubishi Raider is equipped with a power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering system designed to strike the ideal balance between steering effort and responsiveness. Parking effort is light and the Raider's alignment has been tuned to help provide straight tracking on crowned roads with minimal steering input. The power steering pump and reservoir are designed to achieve superior mixing of the returning fluid while creating less air bubbles to provide a more consistent steering response, and to reduce noise. In addition, the system's hose lengths and shapes are tuned to minimize the effects of low-speed, high-effort, low-flow pumping situations while maintaining consistent steering performance. A looped-tube style power-steering fluid cooler is mounted ahead of the air conditioning condenser to help control fluid temperature and maintain steering performance.

The Raider includes a tilt-steering column as standard equipment on all models except the LS Extended Cab. The column offers 11 tilt positions to help aid driver comfort. This steering column is rigidly mounted to a lightweight magnesium support bracket that attaches to the instrument panel cross-beam structure, which is attached to the body. The rigid A-frame structure helps contribute to the Raider's steady, solid steering feel. The Raider's stylish four-spoke steering wheel is designed for comfort, improved grip and control.

Brakes

The 2006 Raider uses a combination of vented front disc brakes up front and drum brakes in the rear to combine for a swept area of 414.6 square inches that generates superior braking performance for the class. The front brakes utilize dual-piston calipers (2.13 in. or 54 mm) designed to generate reduced sliding forces to help lessen drag and improve braking performance. The calipers grip large 12.3 in. x 1.1 in. (312 mm x 28 mm) rotors that are vented to help fade resistance. Rear drum brakes with a leading and trailing brake shoe provide a response and pedal feel similar to discs. The drums, which measure 11.6 in. x 2.3 in. (295 mm x 58 mm), also help save 15 lbs. (6.8 kgs) per truck without sacrificing performance or durability.

Wheels and Tires

The Raider offers several wheel and tire combinations across its trim levels. The base Raider LS Extended Cab rides on steel 16x7-inch wheels and 245/70R16 tires. The LS double cab uses 255/65R16 for 2WD and 265/70R16 for 4WD. The Raider DuroCross V6 and V8 Extended Cab models are equipped with aluminum 16x8-inch wheels with 265/70R16 tires for 2WD models, and LT265/70R16 all-terrain tires for 4WD models. This is the wheel size combination available on all Double Cab Raider models except the XLS Double Cab, which rides on unique chromed aluminum 17x8-inch wheels with 265/65R17 tires.

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc., (MMNA) is responsible for all manufacturing, finance, sales, marketing, research and development operations of the Mitsubishi Motors Corporation in the United States. Mitsubishi Motors sells coupes, convertibles, sedans and sport utility vehicles through a network of approximately 570 dealers. 

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