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Isuzu Trooper
pocahontas
Member Posts: 802
in Isuzu
pocahontas
Member Posts: 802
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Comments
http://www.itog.com/vin.html
-mike
The range I have is small compared to my wife's Maxima. I can hit her car from 50 feet - no joke.
Thanks-
Andy
-mike
-mike
The crash test for the jackaroo was performed on a July 1998 vehicle, which is presumably identical to the '98 trooper. Both full frontal and offset crashes were performed. There is a pretty thorough description at
http://www.nrma.com.au/Page/Public?PageId=CTHoldenJackerooP
No mention of a gas line leak, although the offset crash did result in the wheel pushing in the floor space.
-mike
The disconcerting feeling you get while rounding corners in your Trooper is due to two related measurements: the TOTAL lean of the Trooper, which is how far it leans in a corner, and the RATE of lean of the Trooper, which is how FAST it leans over.
There are several things you can do to improve the feel of your Trooper.
The first thing is to throw your stock shock absorbers away, and replace them with some good after market shocks. I just installed (on my '99 Trooper) Rancho 9000 shocks, which are 5-way adjustable from very firm to almost as soft as stock. They will not change the total lean of your truck in a corner, but they will change the rate at which it leans, slowing down so that it will not feel quite as disconcerting. Cost: about $220 mail order, if you do it yourself; probably between $50-75 more to have a shop install them. At the lower settings, these shocks are almost as soft as stock, but with far more driving control, and a slower lean rate.
Some people have posted that changing the sway bar bushings results in less lean, although the difference proably is not too dramatic. (I have not tried this yet.) Cost: People have reported about $20 for the bushings, and very easy to install yourself.
The third option would be to replace the anti sway bars with thicker bars. www.calmini.com has a pair of thicker bars for about $280. I have not tried these, but they are on my "next year" list. They are the only way to reduce the TOTAL amount of lean in a corner, and should result in the most dramatic results. They would be a perfect match for the Rancho 9000 shocks.
Good luck.
Didnt scroll back to see who, but one of the newer "posters" on these subjects reported getting a leather steering wheel cover from wheelskins.com...very cool! I'm definately putting one on my xmas wish list! I realize if you have an LS or a Limited you dont need one but if you have an S....BTW, they come in two-tones as well.
Is the website for anyone interested.
Hey could you post the part#s for the Rancho 9000 shocks, because rancho claims they don't make one for 98-01 (probably never updated thier books after the body change) also how easy is it to change the settings manually?
Thanks in advance for the info.
As for a steel bumper... That would be cool. Check out http://www.ecb.com.au/ great guys and decent prices. Awsome materials and workmanship.
I still miss my big steel bumpers on my '74 old 98!
-mike
-mike
A year ago, I was driving my 96 Trooper (3.2L, automatic trans, shift-on-the-fly 4WD) at 50-55 mph. A 98 Cadillac STS ran a red light, heading from my left to my right. I was in the far left lane of 4 lanes of traffic. Once I realized the guy wasn't stopping, I slowed down and attempted to swerve left to cut in behind him-- i.e., let him squeak past me. It almost worked but not quite. I estimate he was driving about 40mph. At impact I was probably going 40 as well. This was not an 80mph collision, since we were driving perpendicular, not head-on. I "t-boned" the Caddy so hard that his car spun around and was hit on the other side by the Chevy Astro van next to me.
My right rear tire blew, both airbags deployed, and somehow my Trooper skidded to a controlled stop.
On impact, my Trooper hit the Caddy square. I guess this isn't an offset crash-- is that when a vehicle's corner hits another vehicle or an object? The bumper and frame on my Trooper were pushed back considerably into the engine compartment, but the passenger compartment was fully intact. The repair estimate was $12-13k, so my vehicle was totaled since its value was only $15-17k (I got a great settlement and great service from Allstate, by the way).
Looking back, I was glad I was driving a Trooper. I may have avoided the Caddy in a sportier car, but I'm not sure. The Trooper handled well, and I was not hesitant to swerve while braking at about 50mph. The guy in the Caddy was okay, but his car was mangled-- looked like a textbook Milachi crunch from Happy Days.
Looking back at the top of my post, I ended up giving a "long story" rather than a quick summary. What can I say-- I'm proud of the way my Trooper protected me in that accident. I had a stiff neck for about a week, but that was it. And no, I did not pursue damages-- I'm not that kind of guy.
It's my understanding that the 3.5L is based on the 3.2L, but I don't know how different it is. The info I have from the '99 Trooper brochure indicates the following about the 3.5L:
- aluminum alloy block and heads (as does the 3.2L, I think)
- Dual overhead camshafts (the 96/97 3.2L was SOHC, so this is a difference)
- sequential multi-port fuel injection (same as 3.2L)
- direct ignition with coil over plug (same as 3.2L)
One thing I heard somewhere that raised my eyebrows about the 3.5L is this: it has mechanical valve lifters, as opposed to the hydraulic lifters in the 3.2L. I don't know if this is true, and if so, what it really means (I'm no gearhead). Would this mean the 3.5L would require periodic valve adjustments
(like the 2.6L 4-cylinder did)?
***Technical response from Dennis (sinned@aol.com):
The 3.5L DOHC has been designed to be quieter,lighter and more powerful than the 3.2L SOHC engine. The rocker arms and shafts have been eliminated and there are no valve liters used in the 3.5L engine. The 3.5L cam lobes act directly on the valve stems through a cam follower(small bucket that houses a shim). Isuzu recommends checking the valve clearance every 60,000 miles and adjust only if necessary. Generally, if the engine is not making any ticking sounds, then this valve adjustment isn't really important. These improvements have given the 3.5L a boost in power and have eliminated an industry criticism about the overall noise in the 3.2L engine.
The 3.5L has the same bore(piston hole diameter)but has a longer piston stoke for more power. The intake manifold used on the 3.5L is now electronically controlled giving it another increase in power.
This engine was in development for five years and has now been in service for two years. It is performing very well (typical of Isuzu engine quality). With the increased power and complete elimination of the entire valve train, the
3.5L is definitely worthy of your consideration.
-mike
On the flip side, I think we will be seeing more long term engine problems in many vehicles these days. The Pathfinder for example, automakers are now pushing some motors to provide much more HP via advances in technology, are the manufacturers pushing engine blocks further than they can handle? Relying on a superclean camshaft and cylinders may not work with 150,000 miles and years of metal grinding against each other. When a motor gets that old seals don't fit, parts have worn, etc.. I guess we will see. The Isuzu motor has been around a while so I hope to get at least 150,000+ out of it.
I just installed the Rancho 9000s on my '99.
Wow- HUGE difference! I drive over 6 speed bumps getting into my housing community, and the difference going over the bumps is night and day. With the stock Tokicos, the word that came to mind was "sproingoingoingoing" as the rear rode up, then bottomed as I came off the bumps, and continued bouncing.
With the Ranchos, currently set on "3" all around, the Trooper just hops over the bumps like they weren't there. I actually prefer a soft ride, so I am going to switch to "2" all around to experiment after fully evaluating the "3" position. (This will become important when I install my Valley Spring Works progressive rate coil springs which are currently sitting in my living room.)
The part numbers are 9214 for the front, 9215 for the rear. I checked with Isuzu and verified that the shocks did not change between '97 and '00, so I ordered the Ranchos for the '97.
They installed very easily, although more easily on the passenger side rear than the driver side rear due to the muffler. The rears were a tight fit onto the bottom stud, and the shocks MUST be put onto the bottom stud and then pivoted into the top shackle. The trick on the driver's side is to put shock onto the bottom stud while the shock is mostly vertical; if you do not, you will not be able to swing it all the way to the top shackle because the muffler is in the way. (Yet another lesson learned the frustrating way.)
They adjust very easily, although you will need to put a knee down to turn the knob, and there will invariably be oil next to your parking spot when you want to do so.
-mike
Another question i had is I can't seem to see and front springs on this vehicle, am I not looking in the right spot?
-mike
I bought the Ranchos from Offroadconnection.com . I have to tell you that they took over 6 weeks of harassing them to get them to send the shocks. I believe that they are a kitchen table type of operation, in which they take the order, then have the supplier drop ship to the customer. I dealt with "Dorian", the owner, who seemed genuinely upset that I did not get my order for a while. You may be able to search for other suppliers on the net. Bear in mind that it might pay to wait, because Rancho does a "4 for the price of 3" special in the springtime. I did not get the special; I paid about $61 apiece.
You don't see springs on the front because you are looking for the wrong type of spring. The front suspension is a "torsion bar" suspension, which uses bars that are subject to a twisting motion. The twist in the bars supply the spring action to keep the front of the suspension at the right level. A bonus of this type of suspension is that it is only a matter of tightening the bars to raise the front suspension, although this method of suspension adjustment comes with an equivalent loss in suspension travel. You can find some posts about the torsion bars on the regular offroad Trooper boards.
Finally, the springs. I got the springs made not to raise the vehicle. In fact, they are supposed to be stock height. I got them because they will help firm up the rear suspension. I tow a 4,000 pound boat, and when I hook it up for the ride to the lake, the Trooper looks like a low rider in the rear, which is actually riding on the bump stops. The aftermarket springs are initially about 25% firmer than stock, but as they are compressed they become about 50% firmer than stock, thus the term 'progressive rate'. I currently feel the suspension bottom if I have more than two people in the truck and I go over a speed bump; I don't like this. I just need to find time to install the springs.
-Ken
Thanks for the info. That answered my question about the front springs
-mike
Do you have an Isuzu wind deflector/bug guard on the front of your truck? If so, the portion that wraps around the sides usually slaps against the fender causing a rattling sound. I snapped off the side of mine by accident and my noise went away, so i snapped off the other side to match.
-mike
Sorry I didn't reference the original post (you would of had no idea I was talking about the wind deflector). Paisan is right, the right side of the deflector was tapping on the side of the Trooper. It sounded as if it was coming from inside the dash. I placed a round piece of felt on the small plastic nub that touches the truck and it stopped the noise. I hope this helps.
The springs were about $215 including shipping. The OME springs, which would have raised the rear 1-1.5 inches, would have been about $50 less, but I did not want any lift (at that time,) because I had no intention of doing any serious off roading that would require larger wheels/tires, etc. I just want an extremely competent tow vehicle / people mover/ do-everything vehicle. The shocks changed the RATE of lean of the vehicle, so it doesn't reach 'full lean' so quickly, and it feels more secure. The springs should control the total amount of lean, to an extent, making the maximum lean angle less.
I also have the Hidden Hitch, which as you say was very easy to install.
So far, I have installed the Superwinch manual hubs, the hitch, the Ranchos, and I am waiting to install the springs. I will probably change the anti sway bar bushings to the poly bushings from JC Whitney. I also replaced the stock speakers with Polk ex602 up front and dx4 in the back, for dramatically clearer sound.
Is there a model number for the Hella horns you put in your Trooper, or are they just 'super tones?'
Is where I got em. They aren't the supertones, they are the 85100 Triple Trumpet Horns 240watts.
I wired em up http://www.iace.com/ia/trooper into the relay that came with them, and then into the stock relay under the hood, so that when I hit the horns, I get the triple trumpets & the stock horns. They are very loud, but they are quite effective.
-mike
-mike
-mike
Any tips on installing the Superwinch hubs? How much did they cost? How easy? How long did it take? Is the workmanship as good as Warn hubs? Are the hubs fully sealed using o-rings, etc?
Thanks in advance.
offroader
I read a posting somewhere about a guy in an Outback Sport who raced a mustang 5.0 and the mustang followed the OBS down a ramp that curved under the highway to make a U turn, well the mustang was upset that the OBS beat him and followed him full tilt through the turn... the mustang slid off the curve and down a wet grassy embankment... The subie guy was a nice guy so he turned around and went back to throw a tow rope down and pull the stang out, but the guy in the Mustang got out at the bottom of the embankment and was screaming up to the guy in the OBS and cursing. So the guy in the OBS got in his car and left.
-mike
-mike
-mike