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Isuzu Trooper

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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Yes it's only an issue when TOD is engaged. So if you get a flat put the spare on the front and don't use TOD. Even if you used it that way for a few 100 miles it wouldn't break anything, same goes for the LSD in the rear, you can get away with it for a few 100 miles but you wouldn't want to do it on a permenant basis.

    -mike
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Last winter I was @ my place upstate NY and had a nice icey/snowy parking lot, so we were able to check out all kinds of TOD and LSD results.

    -mike
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    sdc2sdc2 Member Posts: 780
    This talk about the spare not being worn and thereby being larger than the tires on the vehicle is another very good reason for a five-tire rotation. Of course, this means you gotta spring for another alloy wheel...
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    zutrooperzutrooper Member Posts: 66
    At Uhwarrie, I pulled off the trail to let a few 4 wheelers by. I pulled down into a downhill water break. When trying to back oout, I tried to engage TOD, but did not get front lights to show torque. I put in low and trooper crawled back up onto the hill. This experience led me to believe that TOD did not work in reverse. When I got home, I floored acellerator while TOC was engaged. TOD lights flashed in both foraward and reverse. Mark
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    hopkinsb4hopkinsb4 Member Posts: 2
    Hey everyone! Do you have any model year suggestions for a cheap off-road trooper to be used for play purposes only. Are there any big things to look out for when purchasing a used trooper?

    Thanks,
    Brian
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    ckmiecckmiec Member Posts: 7
    I'm about to replace tires on my '97 Trooper, and would like to know what is the maximum size the I can put on? I would like to get the new Michelins, and was thinking about 265s, but I'm afraid that in an off-road situation that might start hiting the trim.

    Thanks for any help!
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    boxtrooperboxtrooper Member Posts: 843
    Paison, please use your Isuzu contacts to have them save the GBX from their sinking ship. I think Subaru could to a good job making the GBX, and they need a larger SUV that can tow. I think the proportions height width length and hood length are similar to Hummer and people are saying the proportions are what make Hummers so popular. Hummer GBX could be the Hummer bargain model at only 30K base to 40K loaded.
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    kdub58kdub58 Member Posts: 2
    Howdy all!,
    I'll try to make this short...My wife and I traded in our 2001 Grand Caravan for a 2002 Black LS trooper. The van served us well although the Tranny was already having issues. We've wanted a Trooper for sometime but the van was cheaper in 2001. So..here we are happy as can be wishin'we could have done this earlier!!! We got a 2WD LS Black with all the goodies except leather. The dealer was Leith Isuzu in Fayettewille N.C. Our Sales guy was Rick McKee...Let me tell ya...these guys were ABSOLUTLEY great!!! No pressure, no hassle, and $7000 OFF MSRP! They took care of most of our negetive equity! I've been following this board for two years and am now darn excited to be part of it!!!!
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    teacherjimteacherjim Member Posts: 52
    I have a 2001 Trooper and I am looking for an extra set of wheels to put my snow tires on. About all I ever see for sale are 16 inch Rodeo wheels, will they fit on my 2001 4wd LS Trooper?, if they do, what year rims work? Thanks---- Jim
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    bsmart1bsmart1 Member Posts: 377
    I'm sure you'll be happy with your decision. I've had 4 Troopers now and have never regretted owning any of them. I too have a black LTD. Aren't they pretty when they're clean!!
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    kdub58kdub58 Member Posts: 2
    Now that mt wife and I have had a week to go through the Trooper we know know just how amazing this SUV is. Even though we don't have the 4x4 or the TOD the truck is great. We Actually do go off the beaten path here in N.C. and the wifes home in Wyoming. Everything that we have asked of our vehicles in the past or all manifested in the Trooper. Not a stone was left unturned it seems. Even with the kids on board.Everything has a quality feel and function to it. Just amazing. I'll be installing running boards, bug guard, and driver and passenger wind deflectors soon. Any advice on that would be great!
    Kdub
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    breakorbreakor Member Posts: 398
    I would think any standard 6 bolt pattern 16x7" rim with the right backspacing would work. When in doubt, a tire store should be able to tell you if a tire from vehicle x would fit your Trooper. Presumably since you are going to throw some new tire and/or mounting work their way they would be happy to look this up for you. As for rims, try Ebay. In fact there is a set of cheap steel wheels for sell there now off a 1994 Trooper.
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    bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    Our previous Trooper, a 96 had the Isuzu running boards. They worked well. Our 98 has the Isuzu black side steps, which I installed myself. Easy install and decent price (15% off list) from St. Charles Isuzu - 800.727.8066. Free shipping.

    Personally I prefer the look of the side steps. To me, they're less bulky than running boards and they feel sturdier too.

    You could buy something heavier duty than the Isuzu brand stuff, probably at similar cost. paisan and others will surely give you some advice on those choices.
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    wildbucwildbuc Member Posts: 88
    I'm confused guys about using my spare tire. I placed my spare tire on the rear after remounting it, and bought another new tire to go on the opposite rear. Neither of these new tires show any sign of wear and both have the same numbers. Only difference is whereas the regular tires have a smooth wall, the spare has a ribbed wall. The $64. question is, can the spare tire be used permanently with the other tires?
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    breakorbreakor Member Posts: 398
    The only "temporary" tires I am familar with are the ones that come with passenger cars. They are clearly marked for emergency use only. Presumably the tire you are concerned about has no such marking. If nothing else the shop that mounted it would have tried to sell you a second tire if they had any question as to its condition/service life.

    My guess is that your one tire with the sidewall ribs is simply from a different production run with either the "old" or the "new and improved" styling.

    Ideally all your tires should have the same diameter for the TOD to work properly. In your case your front tires have equal diameters. Your rears also have equal diameters. However the rears being newer are slightly larger than the fronts. No doubt this is not ideal but much better than having different diameter tires on the same driveline. My guess is that you will be ok but keep an ear out for unusual noises.

    FWIW I would have put the newer tires on the front as the fronts tend to wear faster what with the extra wear involved in turning and stresses from alignment irregularities. That way the front to rear differential in diameters would shrink with time rather than grow.

    Just my $.02 and I am no tire expert so YMMV.
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I go for 4 new tires when I need to replace them if I were using TOD on a regular basis. The left-right same size is very important on the rear with the LSD.

    265s will fit on or offroad w/o a problem. I know guys running 275-70s on stock suspensions.

    Rodeo rims 16" will fit fine and have the proper offset for the Trooper.

    -mike
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    cwmosercwmoser Member Posts: 227
    On the subject of tires, when looking for replacement tires just go with the Bridgestone 684's. The main reason is this is to match the spare in the hard cover, and cost of the 684's should be an advantage too.

    BTW, what does a set of 684's go for?
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    cwmosercwmoser Member Posts: 227
    Like you, I traded in a Dodge Caravan for my Trooper. My Caravan was a 1991 model and like your 2001, it had transmission issues too.

    Hasn't Chrysler figured out what is wrong with their transmissions yet?
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Don't be suprised if the 684s you purchase here in the US are a different diameter than the Japan produced 684s you have as OEM/spare. I did the same thing on my Rodeo and found out they were about 1/4 different diameter and the treads were slightly different.

    -mike
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    boxtrooperboxtrooper Member Posts: 843
    The Michelin 225/70/16 XGT-H4 (fits minivan and Subaru) tires are almost the same size as the 235/70/16 in the same tire. They are noticeably larger than the original tires with the same size on them. The original minivan tires had some warrantee issues with only nineteen miles on them so we had them replaced free and then traded the newly replaced tires in on a new set of Michelins.

    You can get comparison numbers on TireRack.com.
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    boxtrooperboxtrooper Member Posts: 843
    What do you think of siping tires? The web site makes a lot of claims. My corner tire store does this for $7.50 a tire on special. I like the idea for snow traction.

    Please tell me the disadvantages.
    Thank You
    BoxTrooper
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Over at the wire my buddy Damon siped his MTRs and loves em. He bought a tool and it took about 2hrs to do his whole truck.

    -mike
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    tkevinblanctkevinblanc Member Posts: 356
    See title.
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    tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Here's a description. Basically, it's putting extra biting edges onto a tire.

    tidester, host

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    bstone3bstone3 Member Posts: 97
    From consumer reviews I have read over at the Tire Rack site the Bridgestone 984's ($76) that are stock on the Trooper suck. For a about a dollar difference ($75) the Yokohama Geolanders received pretty high ratings from consumers - I've always upgraded to Michelins when replacing stock tires on my 4X4's and have always been rather shocked by the improvement - especially tread life and cornering performance. Does the rear tire cover fit on 265 or 270 series tires? Did you buy a spare also when making this change - I know my tire place here will take the unused spare and credit it towards another tire.

    And to Kdub58 - would recommend you spring for some gas shocks - the improvement is well worth the money - and for for very few dollars get the front/rear polyurethane bushing from JC Whitney and stick them on - easy to do yourself. Enjoy a fine vehicle.
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Make sure to take those with a grain of salt. I've found "highly rated" tires on there to suck and visa versa. It's user feedback and you get the people who love em and hate em replying most of the time.

    -mike
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    sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    I was satisfied with the 684's. They did all season/terrain work decently. The tread wear was a little fast, other than that they were decent tires.

    Try adding your own rating...they are swayed easily, something rated 7.2 can be moved to a 9 by someone adding there own numbers a few times in a row.
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I too was pretty happy with them. On my '97 rodeo I swapped em out with 684s @ 60K miles cause I felt they were that good.

    -mike
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    gtroopgtroop Member Posts: 85
    Does anyone know how to get a CD unjammed from the 6 disk in dash changer? My wife lets our 2 year old sit in the Trooper and act like she is driving. She plays with every switch and button in there and some how got a CD to eject without the keys in the ignition then pushed it back in.
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    tkevinblanctkevinblanc Member Posts: 356
    1. Send wife to dealer...
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    texasappraisertexasappraiser Member Posts: 16
    Remove and replace corresponding fuse. This should eject the CD. Should take 2 minutes. Lance
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    eschatfischeeschatfische Member Posts: 9
    Turn on the vehicle. Hit eject. You'll hear the changer strain to eject the disc.

    While it's trying to eject, take *another* CD and insert it, trying to get it "over" (or, depending on how the disc is jammed, "under") the jammed CD. Only insert the CD about an inch or inch and a half. Pull the CD out, trying to use enough friction that the disc jammed "on the bottom" will start to move with the CD you inserted. One of two things should happen: it'll get popped out by the ejection mechanism, or it should appear "far enough" out to pull the jammed disc out with your fingers.

    I think the fuse trick will only work for the single-disc, texas, not the changer. I've had a few discs with particularly "slippery" labels jam in the changer, the trick above will always get them out.
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    uniconunicon Member Posts: 18
    My warranty expires today and Isuzu said "No Go!" as they have to sign you up 30 days in advance or 1000 miles before it runs out. Sheet!

    Anyone using other external providers for extended warranties?

    Generally I shy away from these packages, but it might not be a bad idea worth considering.

    I own a '99...yea I should have waited to buy the '2000....

    -Uni
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    pugger1pugger1 Member Posts: 42
    Unicon, I bought the extended "Bumper to Bumper" from Millinium Warranty service. The coverage is $100.00 deduct and goes to 100,000 miles. The price was $900.00 after I worked the finance man over for about 30 minutes. They really want to sell those things. He started at $1200. On my prior vehicle I had a warranty from Wynn the oil people. That was a very good experience and I would recommend them to any one.


    I do not have any idea of your situation but I would if I could take a look at trading or better yet find a Trooper at a dealership that understood the need to sell it and buy outright. The 2002 Trooper is a really great vehicle. I was able to purchase my new Limited for $12,500 back of list. The dealers that still have Troopers should be more than ready to deal. Something to think about.


    If that is out of the question check http://www.wynnsusa.com for Wynn Warranty.

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    tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    I am not familiar with those particular CD players but I think some of them have an "emergency" eject in the form of a tiny hole on the front panel about the width of a mechanical pencil lead. If you have one, a thin paper clip could be used to eject the CD.

    tidester, host
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    cwp2cwp2 Member Posts: 19
    I need help. I recently bought a 2000 Trooper LS and am wanting to check out the spare tire. The hard cover seems to get jammed behind the black back cover when pulling it off and I don't to scratch or crack it. What is the secret? It can't be that tough to remove.
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    96_i30_5sp96_i30_5sp Member Posts: 127
    Have you looked at the bottom of the tire cover? You'll see a latch. The rest should be easy. :-)
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    bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    jqatexas, I assume you're talking about the Isuzu Trooper Owners Guild, www.itog.com. The site has lost steam in the last year or two but is still running. If you're interested in contacting the guy who runs the site, start at itog.com and look for a link to email the webmaster. Dan Nathan is a nice guy but maintaining that site is not his full-time job so he doesn't always have time to treat it as such.
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    breakorbreakor Member Posts: 398
    cwp2 dont feel too bad about having some trouble with the spare tire cover. Lots of people in the past have had such an issue.
    As noted above, first unlatch the clasp. Grab at about the 4 and 8 o'clock positions. Gently pull towards you and up at the same time. The motion you are going for is more like prying off an old fashioned bottle cap one edge at a time. Do not try to pull directly towards you and snap off the cover all at once. You won't have to force anything, the cover will easily slide off.
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    sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    It is not that easy...you need to twist/turn it while taking it off. It is a good idea to practice getting it on and off. It is a lot easier than trying to figure it in your driveway than on the side of the road.
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    cracoviancracovian Member Posts: 337
    I'm sort of glad the cover is difficult to take off... I won't mess with it until I really need to (hopefully, never). That way, a potential thief will have a hard time stealing it. Those things sell like hotcakes on eBay :-)
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I usually spread teh bottom pieces and it comes off pretty easy. Also after you do it a few times it's easier to do.

    -mike
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    jrr2kjrr2k Member Posts: 35
    Hey All - I'm now the proud owner of a 2002 Trooper! Oh yeah baby! Local dealers are giving them away. 8k off MSRP, plus they gave me side steps and a ski rack!
    I am loving this vehicle. Great ride , power, and it looks nothing like the new assender minivan.
    I wonder about the future of Isuzu. The good deals on the trooper were no doubt the result of weak sales for 2002, poor JD Power quality survey scores, and consumer reports safty tests.
    Personally I think CR is retarded. All SUVs have rollover potential - they should downgrade acura integra for poor off road handling !?!
    Weak sales are another thing. Anyone see this company turning around? The assender can't help.
    All in all I think this rig is tops - I'm sure you agree.
    -JRR
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Check out http://isuzu-suvs.com for tons of info I've collected! We are a nice group here lots of good info passed along too.


    -mike

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    bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    "poor JD Power quality survey scores" ?! Did you see this information somewhere, or are you just guessing? The newer (92+) Troopers are generally regarded as being well-made and reliable. I'm hoping you haven't heard otherwise from JD Power.
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    sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    There is always a lot of talk of these reviews. I have never been able to negotiate any site with that information and come up with anything useful or really even specific to what I am looking for. Does anyone have a good link to review that information?
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    steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I think they want you to buy the good stuff :-)

    Best I've ever done is through the press release links.

    Steve, Host
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    jrr2kjrr2k Member Posts: 35
    Hey bluedevils - JD Powers & Assoc. ranked Isuzu #33 out of 36 nameplates and the Trooper #220 out of 224 vehicles surveyed. Note this was the 2003 Initial Quality Survey. Initial quality must differ from overall quality greatly. People surveyed may have included problems with the dealer into their review. Overall my research showed strong owner loyalty to the Isuzu brand and most owners happy with the Trooper model.
    I used the JD Powers surveys as leverage when buying my vehicle.
    Other model rankings that are interesting:
    Ford explorer #193
    Isuzu Axiom #219
    GMC Envoy #202
    The worst vehicle ranking Daewoo Lanos at #224
    Worst nameplate Kia #36 of 36
    I don't give this survey much credence...Subaru ranked #30 of 36...I have a subaru with 220k orig. miles on it. (Rocky MT miles) THATS QUALITY!
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    JD Power & Associates names Trooper #2 behind the 4-runner in reliability for 2003. I like that a lot!

    -mike
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    boxtrooperboxtrooper Member Posts: 843
    If included as part of the "initial quality" of the 2003 Trooper may very well have caused ratings to drop a lot. My local dealer reluctantly took on selling Isuzu when they bought the GMC/Pontiac brand from another dealer that went out of business. They went from Caddilac/Olds to Caddilac/GMC/Pontiac/Isuzu overnight literally. But Isuzu is the red haired step child, the cinderella, unwanted and neglected. Many dealers watching Isuzu sales go away are no longer pushing the brand and so Isuzu new buyers might have had a poor experience.
    ..
    If "initial quality" includes the dealer rating, then with all the Chrysler commercials about being first in "initial quality" it must be that Chrysler has great dealers, since the quality does not seem to be there in many of the vehicles. They are feature rich though, I don't mean to knock Chrysler, just the notion of "initial quality" including dealer ratings.
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