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Isuzu Trooper

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Comments

  • conman2000conman2000 Member Posts: 158
    My brother inlaw has a 87 Trooper 5speed with over 120k+miles on the original clutch! Yes it slips but works fine still. I would suspect that something was out of wack and cause the clutch to wear out. Granted, some cars do need new clutch at that miles. I would contact Isuzu and tell them your story and see if they will atleast prorate the repair or replace it for free. You are kinda in the grey area of normal wear and tear though. But as for a 98+ wearing out that early, I have not heard of anyone complaining about this so yes 25k seems low for a Trooper clutch to go out.

    Good Luck,
    Con
  • boxtrooperboxtrooper Member Posts: 843
    I have put 201K on an original 1984 Trooper II clutch, sold it and the clutch was still working perfectly. I smoked it once when stuck up to the rocker panels in mud while the tire pressure was low for sand, but it did not seem to hurt it.

    I have put 109K on my 1995 Trooper clutch and some of that towing and retrieving a boat up the ramp, the origianl clutch is working perfectly.

    I have heard of other vehicles going through clutches, but I thought Trooper clutches were good for the life of the Trooper. Only to be changed when the engine is overhauled about once every 300K or so.

    Do you or another driver of your Trooper rest your foot on the clutch petal all the time? How about holding position on a hill by feathering the clutch? If there is a teen driving your Trooper I would expect a short life on the clutch and some odd looking patches of rubber on nearby roads.
  • ogden1ogden1 Member Posts: 1
    Is anyone out there having a problem with Trooper or Rodeo having the wheel studs and/or
    lug nuts stripping?
  • mtrionfomtrionfo Member Posts: 20
    Ogden1 - Stripping lug nuts and breaking studs was a frequent problem on late 80's to early 90's Troopers. I haven't heard as much about it on later model Troopers though. Maybe Isuzu is using different lugs and studs now, or maybe the tire shops are just being more careful because they've stripped enough of them from Isuzus.

    If the lug nuts are overtightened, as might happen when using an air wrench at a tire shop, the tapered end of the nut pinches down on the stud. The next time you have to remove the nut the threads on the stud are stripped in the process. Sometimes the stud will actually break as they try to remove the nut using an air wrench.

    The studs themselves are usually cheap (around $8 each), but you can find better grade studs in auto parts stores than going with Isuzu studs. The procedure for replacing studs depends on whether its front or rear, and whether you have auto or manual hubs up front. If you have a dealer do this, be prepared to pay. The labor charge to remove the wheel, hub assembly, brake shield and rotor guard, knock out the broken stud, replace with a new one, and then put it all back together can be very high.

    You will probably also have to replace the nuts, but here you may need original Isuzu nuts, as the special tapered end is used to hold the wheel properly.

    The way to prevent all this in the first place is to never torque the lug nuts over 80 foot-pounds.

    Good luck, Marty
    95 Trooper LS
  • conman2000conman2000 Member Posts: 158
    Hello,
    Just wanted to tell everyone that my 01 Trooper got bumped today at a stop light. :( Lucky it was a older Grand Am with plastic bumpers and it barely sratched the bumper as the person's foot slipped off the brakes. There are some light scratches under the bumper but nothing cleanerwax can take out. Lucky, they hit the right side so it missed the exhaust tip. I think the HH hitch helped also as they did not come close to the tire. So I will be ordering the Bar shortly from Independent4x.com very soon.

    Cheers,
    Con

    P.S. Crunchy, did you get your side bars mounted? I might just go for it and get it all. Thanks.
  • breakorbreakor Member Posts: 398
    My wife was waiting for a light to change when a truck going 40+mph slammed into the back of the line of cars. The 6 or 7 cars behind our Trooper and the car in front all sustained damage. Our Trooper came away without a scratch of any kind. And no we don't have any special bumper protectors.

    What we had was a bunch of luck and a good driving story. My wife just happened to be looking in the rearview mirror (lucky break 1). All the cars behind her were just that, low cars, (lucky break 2) so she could see over them and notice a rapidly approaching truck. The window happened to be down (lucky break 3) so the tires caught her attention when they started to squeal just before the collision. My wife also had left enough space between the car in front of her (lucky break 4) and was able to quickly cut out of the line of cars and onto the center median (the presence of the median being the final lucky break) just as the cars from behind came crashing forward.

    While I like to think I am a good driver I really wonder if would have been paying that much attention, especially while stopped, let alone had the reflexes to safely get out of the way. Anyhow this is just an anecdote to note that it isn't always the equipment that saves the day. Sometimes it is the driver.
  • breakorbreakor Member Posts: 398
    FWIW the last time I talked to Merlin at St. Charles he said he still gets people buying studs and lug nuts for the newer Troopers. So I guess it remains a problem. I know I go to great pains to explain to all the shops that they had better not overtighten the lug nuts. Most of the time they just smile and say they know about those "lousy Isuzu lug nuts".
  • zutrooperzutrooper Member Posts: 66
    You definitely should have gotten more than 25k out of your clutch. It shounds like your clutch wasn't disengaging. Unfortunately $1200 _ 1400 is the going rate for a clutch job on a newer trooper. I've replaced mine 3 times in the last 25 k miles. First fclutch was replaced at 60K miles and was less than 1/2 worn. I'd raise a ruckus w/ dealer. Mark P
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I guess it pays to have an AT then, since ATs are only about 1600.

    -mike
  • cwmosercwmoser Member Posts: 227
    What does an Engine and Tranny cost in a Trooper?

    As a point of reference, I once had a Dodge Caravan that needed a Motor and Transmission that were quoted to me new at the dealership at $3500 and $1400 installed respectively. Course not everything attached to motor were new as the installation process would use the old alternator, water pump, oil pump, etc.

    I would think the Isuzu Trooper 3.5L engine, though, to cost somewhat more. Anyone know?
  • toddswagnertoddswagner Member Posts: 33
    When I tow my boat, it pulls the back end down to where the rubber pieces are resting on the frame. My friend said I should install some additional air type shocks. He has them on his truck and they work very well for towing. Any suggestions?
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    With the air-shocks. They generally are good for a year, then the air-hoses leak. I'd get the OME springs. They are progressive rate and get stiffer as you push down on them. I'll let you know how well they hold up a car-trailer (about 5K lbs) after this coming weekend since I'll be towing my car on a flatbed up to my house in the mts.

    -mike
  • guillguill Member Posts: 94
    I've installed Airlift 1000 Airbags on my Trooper and I'm very pleased with them. I've known several people that have used these or a similar product like air shocks with great success. If you install them properly there's no reason to expect the airlines to leak within a year unless they are submitted to extreame conditions. And even then you can take precautions early like installing the airlines with another tubing over the lines i.e. I installed my airlines with a clear silicon tubing over them to add increased protection. I wouldn't worry about leaks at the fittings either, my fittings are all brass and the lines are a high quality rubber. The Airbags cost $70 from J.C. Whitney and the install was a breeze, I did it myself in less than an hour.
  • zutrooperzutrooper Member Posts: 66
    Mike: I've got OMES on my '95 Trooper. The springs help towing, but they do sag a bit when over loaded. You may be a little disappointed, but 5000 is a lot of weight. Mark P
  • zutrooperzutrooper Member Posts: 66
    DOes anyone know what next weeks deal will look like on a 2001 trooper. Current is $6000. I've heard rumors of $7500, but no confirmation. Does anyone have a clue? Mark P
  • sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    it sounds like there is too much tongue weight, not too much trailer weight.
  • toddswagnertoddswagner Member Posts: 33
    My boat is only 17.5 feet long and is not that big. I don't think it is too healthy to ride on the frame. I guess I can try the OME springs first. Is there a dealer or a website I can go to, to check it out. I saw the one from Australia.
  • bpb30bpb30 Member Posts: 10
    My dealer has a few 2000 Trooper 4wd S models on the lot for $17K. They all have under 15K miles and were program cars. What is the deal with these trucks? Were they rentals or corporate cars? Anyone bought a similiar one? I e-mailed the dealership and they said all warranties still apply, is that true? Is the 10yr/120Mile powertrain warranty still active? Thanks in Advance.
  • boxtrooperboxtrooper Member Posts: 843
    I tow a 4000# boat with a 1995.5 Trooper S manual, no problems. The suspension lowers about an inch from the tongue weight. I think I have 300# to 350# tongue wieght .
    ..
    If your boat is too far forward on the trailer it could cause way to much tingue weight.
    ..
    If your Trooper sags to the rubber stops with just 350# of tongue weight the Trooper has a big problem even when not towing.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I was about to go into the Tounge weights. My 17.5ft boat didn't sag the stock springs much. I think the boat and trailer weighted about 3K-3500lbs all told. But the tounge weight was only around 300lbs. This coming weekend I'll have a dual axle car trailer, not sure of the tounge weight on it, but when I towed a similar car-trailer with my rodeo it pushed it down about 2-3 inches, which wasn't bad IMHO for stock springs. We'll see how the Trooper does with it though.

    -mike
  • toddswagnertoddswagner Member Posts: 33
    The only reason I bought a new Trooper, is the only used ones were from rental agencies. They had burn marks in them and stains, yikes. The warranty for the 10/120,000 doesn't transfer as well. You can get a pretty sweet deal on most 2001 Troopers. I paid 20,700 for mine.

    As far as towing, I don't think the boat is too far forward, I just have it cranked up to where it needs to be. The Trooper is fine without the boat on there. I will try the spring thing and if that doesn't work, the air shock thing. My mechanic friend will install them for free.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Your axle is too far to the rear on your boat trailer. I've been towing boats for about 10-15years give or take, and I know that 2 of my boats that I tow have the wheels way too far back, and the result is the tounge weight is higher, and more sag. My current trailer was setup near perfect from the previous owner and i can easily do 80mph on the highway with it w/o any fishtailing, and not much sag even on the stock springs. You can test your tounge weight easily with a bathroom scale just place a stick or something under the tounge, and ontop of the bathroom scale, this will give you your tounge weight.

    -mike
  • toddswagnertoddswagner Member Posts: 33
    If that is the case, is it hard to move the axel forward? I guess my mechanic friend can fix that too. I wonder how far I would need to push it forward?
  • zutrooperzutrooper Member Posts: 66
    $17K is a great deal on a 2000 model. I'd say your dealer picked up a block of troopers at auction. Usually the consumer can get a good deal on such vehicles. I've purchased several vehicles that came out of rental disposal (pathfinder, mustang, maxima, etc). They did have a little more wear on interior, but mechanically they were great. I'd say go for it! Mark
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Yeah, it's real easy usually. On both my boat trailers, the axle is bolted to the frame of the trailer with 2 or 4 bolts on each side, and there are pre-drilled holes in the frame. Sometimes they use U-bolts to hold them on as well. Last time I re-painted my trailer, I upgraded the bolts and moved the axle to the rear, since it was too far forward. I'm sure your mechanic buddy can do it easily.

    -mike
  • toddswagnertoddswagner Member Posts: 33
    I think I would try to get a new one for 21k or so, then you have the full warranty on the transmission and you don't have to worry about who ragged it out. Needless to say, I would not want to buy a rental, especially after someone like myself has driven it. You know as well as I do that people really rag them out.
  • mother2mother2 Member Posts: 12
    I would like to get a darker tint for my windows. Since my antenna is embedded into the back window, would the darker tint affect it's receiver??
  • conman2000conman2000 Member Posts: 158
    Welcome Acura Owner. All one big happy family here. As far as I know, the normal black tint you can apply will not affect the radio ant in the window. I am not sure about the newer tint with colors and chrome finishes though. The Ant. is on the two rear side windows if that is what you are refering too. The rear door windows is only the defroster lines. Is that the windows you want to tint as the rear sides are already tinted on the SLX. I too wish the rear door windows had the same dark tint as the rear sides too.

    Cheers,
    Con
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    But how dark do you want int? I think the rear sides are good, its the rear doors that need darker tint IMHO. I'd think it wouldn't effect it, since they use tint on the rear with the heater coils.

    -mike
  • conman2000conman2000 Member Posts: 158
    Hi,
    I was looking too myself at 99-2k used before buying my 01 new trooper. The reason I got the 01 trooper because of the 0% fin. made it a good deal and only a few bucks more than a 2k model(at say $20k) after fin. charges(around $25k+ after the life of a loan which you can get a 2001 around 26K or so). If you pay cash a different story though.

    All of the Used 2k Troopers I found on the east coast were Rentals or Corp. Cars. Carfax.com was free through Good Morning America a few months back so that is where I got the info about being rentals. The prices for the 2k troopers ranged from $17-20k for the S Auto 4x4 models. I have bought off-rental cars in the past with no problems plus they do still have the bumper to bumper warr. so everthing will be covered anyway. To each its own on that subject. What I figure is that you will not find many "private" owners selling or trading in a 1-2 year old trooper as they love them too much! If you search on 98 models, more are poping up on dealer lots though so maybe 99 are not far behind as a lot of people do hold there cars for only 2-3 years. BTW, I looked at Acura SLX too used but they made very few of them and they command more money than the Trooper(amazing what a badge will do to resale!) also.

    Cheers,
    Con
  • raydahsraydahs Member Posts: 449
    I have the factory tint also (99 performance pkg.), which I'm told by several people is purely cosmetic. A year ago, I had the whole truck done for $175.00, (35%) front doors and (limo) the whole back end. The radio reception is fine and the defrosters are fine too. With the tint material (3M) used today you should never have to replace it. Most likely it won't turn Purple like in the past.
  • keepontroopinkeepontroopin Member Posts: 297
    Hey bpb 30. Ask the dealer where they got the Troopers. If they come with the full warranty then that means they were never titled so they could most likely not have been rental cars. If they only come with a partial warranty then they were titled before and could have been rental vehicles.

    Where are you located? If these are never titled vehicles and have less than 15k let me know who this dealer is because I want to go buy another one for my wife. Her Jetta is starting to fall apart and we battle over who gets to drive the Trooper. By the way I bought a 2000 Trooper from a dealer in OH who had bought a dozen or so they bought at auction which were all AVIS rental cars. I have put 15k on it so far and it had 5k on it when I bought it for 19K. No problems yet and I highly doubt there will be any in the future. If you have any questions e-mail me!
  • atltrooper1atltrooper1 Member Posts: 11
    Raydahs mentions tinting that purples and wrinkles... The key is to use a plastic window cleaner on the tinting. Any autoparts store has some stuff they'll recommend for plastic windows such as those on a Jeep soft-top. It's the ammonia in most glass cleaners that wrecks the film tinting. Regular glass cleaner is fine on the factory dark glass.
    Chris L.
  • bpb30bpb30 Member Posts: 10
    I asked the dealer for clarification and they said they have been titled and only come with the 5yr/60Month Powertrain Warranty. Still not bad. The dealer is in the Chicago area, www.evanstonisuzu.com. They seem to always have a few of these program cars in stock. The 2001's should be coming in the fall.

    We are still trying to decide between the Trooper and the Honda CR-V. Where we live space is at a premium and mileage is important. There would be little to no off roading. Thing is, the Trooper just seems like the better bargain but the CR-V is probably all we really need. I actually prefer the looks of the Trooper over almost all other SUV's.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Will last longer than the CRV, if you have poor roads at all (pot holes etc) then you are gonna want the trooper. The CRV is built on the suspension of a civic, which isn't exactly good for heavy duty potholes, frost heaves etc.

    -mike
  • keepontroopinkeepontroopin Member Posts: 297
    Its a no brainer.....go with the Trooper. I understand space is at a premium where you live, but I don't think it would be any different whether it is a Trooper or a CR-V. Mileage probably will differ. I would imagine if you can get the Trooper for 17K that the price is going to be less than that of a new CR-V. How much is the CR-V selling for that you are looking at?
  • zutrooperzutrooper Member Posts: 66
    Guys: I've been looking at a 2001 Trooper S w/ 4wd and auto. I've been quoted $22390 ($7.5k rebate). My '95.5 trooper will only bring $5000 in trade. Does trade value sound reasonable? Mark
  • conman2000conman2000 Member Posts: 158
    you can get more selling it yourself. I have seen a couple of 95's private sale for $5k-8k and dealers selling them for 8-9k depending on the models in NY area.

    Where can you get the $7.5k rebate? as edmunds does not state anything over 2k rebate w/o IMAC fin. A cash price of 22k is very good as carsdirect.com is listing cash price for 25k. My local dealer had a cash price for S 4x4 auto for $24.6k(with the 2k rebate).

    Cheers,
    Con
    01 Trooper LS
  • sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    There are a lot of places to buy OME/ARB products. You should check out ARB's main site, and email or call them for information. Most of the people there are helpful and take it seriously. As far as purchase? I have bought stuff from 4x4connection.com, very good experience, and have an order pending with Rocky-Road.com. 4x4connection was helpful and got me my stuff ASAP. So far Rocky-Road had better prices, but am waiting for equipment. I called ARB and know the shocks are backordered, but when I call them, they say they should be in any day? So the jury is out on them. Overlander.com has a lot of stuff for sale too, but they are pricey.

    ARB only sells products at "real stores" not internet shops, which limits choices. So there is a real market for aftermarket shops and web development :-).
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Also contact Matt at http://independent4x.com he now carries a full line of shocks, arb stuff, etc. Great guy and a true Isuzu Enthusiast.


    -mike

  • gpm5gpm5 Member Posts: 785
    I saw the 2001 new advertised in the Baltimore Sun at $19995--seems very low and is with rebate, Not sure what the catch is but seemed like they had more than one for sale. At 22k and 0% I would have bought mine new but there is a demand for them and short supply here in CT. I bought my '99 as a Program vehicle last summer and it has full warranty. The nice thing was I tested the vehicle out before the purchase--and with 16k miles on it I knew if there were any problems they should already be apparent. Plus my dealer has been excellent at servicing the vehicle--fixing a few minor items (the back door locking hinge, a rubber window strip that had some cut marks along the door) that I had requested under warranty. In that regard buying it local is important to me.
  • pat_pendingpat_pending Member Posts: 36
    Alas, it has come to pass that my commute will stretch to 40 miles again, and will terminate daily with an undersized parking spot in a garage in Washington, DC.

    Ergo, my Trooper is in need of a new home.

    '99 Trooper, Performance + Luxury (Now called "LTD"), 1 owner, 34k miles, gray leather, 6 CD indash player, giant moonroof, the works. Never smoked in, excellent condition. I added Rancho 9000 shocks to steady the ride. There are not a lot of the Perf+Lux Troopers for sale, so a price is hard to set, and it is difficult to compare a 2001 "S" model with this loaded model. Sticker was over 34,000; I paid 28,000 two years ago. I would entertain any offers.

    (By "entertain", I mean I can juggle and/or hum tunes.)

    I also have a set of Hella Supertone horns, and a set of Valley Spring Works progressive rate springs, uninstalled. These I would sell together or separately. Make offer.

    Direct your questions, comments or interest to ken_salen@hotmail.com .

    Thanks.

    Regretfully,
    Ken ("Pat_Pending")
    Northern Virginia
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Sorry to see you leaving the fold :( I'm sure someone on here will find it a good home though.

    -mike
  • keepontroopinkeepontroopin Member Posts: 297
    Just to give you an idea.....I bought a 2000 S in December and the dealer wouldn't even take my '94 Trooper for trade. They said too many miles. Thank God they wouldn't take it. I sold it the first week I listed it in the Pittsburgh auto trader for $6k. It was a '94 S model 4x4 automatic with 152,000+ miles on it. If i were you I would try to sell it outright before even entertaining the trade in deal!
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    I've been trying hard to convince my dad to buy a Trooper. Yours would be a great choice. I hope you are able to sell it for a fair price and to someone who truly appreciates what the Trooper is all about. The former will be easier to achieve than the latter.
  • sdc2sdc2 Member Posts: 780
    That's silly. If the price of gas goes up, believe me the "gas guzzlers" will fall out of favor quickly, just like they did in the '70s...but it would have to go up a LOT before that happens, certainly over $2/gallon. I filled up yesterday for $1.349/gallon, so unless they put on a tax of a dollar per gallon or more, they won't accomplish anything.

    This kind of thing is always dealt with most efficiently by the marketplace.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    there is already nearly $.80-.90 worth of tax on every gallon of gas already.

    -mike
  • pat_pendingpat_pending Member Posts: 36
    Thanks for the words of encouragement in reference to selling my '99 LTD.

    It's funny: I have owned probably 25 vehicles in the past 20 years, and I have never had as strong positive feelings about a vehicle before this Trooper. I would never have entertained the idea of selling a vehicle to a friend or family member before, until now.

    The Trooper is a very solid and solid-performing truck, and has consistently impressed me, in spite of its many quirks. (Like that entirely useless "multi-meter". Please!) It deserves an owner that appreciates it.

    -Ken
  • conman2000conman2000 Member Posts: 158
    Sorry to hear this but good luck with your new car(hopefully better MPG too).

    Cheers,
    Con
  • jahnoth1jahnoth1 Member Posts: 5
    I am considering a Trooper 2001 LS but the Trailblazer has caught me eye. It seems that GM has put together a vehicle with good horsepower and decent gas mileage (slightly better than the Trooper). It's also a bit bigger and can tow more.

    Any opinions.
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