Isuzu Modifications/Aftermarket/Accessories

gpm5

I'm not sure how well the sound would get out of there. Also, the back and front sides of the woofer needs to be isolated (i.e. it needs to be in a box) to get proper response. What were you planning on connecting the woofer to. I would say two boxes in the rear would be the best way to go.

crunchy

I was thinking about building (well, having a professional build for me) a box to either go in or replace the cubby. I know they put subs under seats in other vehicles (Tundra, Jeep, e.g.), but I haven't discussed it with my installer yet. I want something that won't look inviting to thieves; I had the sub stolen out of my S-10 a year ago.

mick17

I'm shopping around for a new Rodeo...the LS is tempting but I really want leather seats. The dealership offered to install leather for about $1000 on the truck that I have selected. I'm a little hesitant about having things changed like that...has anyone had it done? Any feedback? Would it look like the LSE model that has the leather option?

Thanks.

emiura

Mike,

Just want to say thank you for providing us with your Isuzu page with good informaiton. Your link to Japan's Isuzu Owner's Club had another link to a company who sells rear bumper protector called "Rear Tube Guard".

From the Japan's Isuzu Owner's Club page, click:
RV Square & Factory ZIG
Parts
Bighorn (Trooper) - EXTERIOR
Then, click the second film icon from the top.

It's hard to see how it's mounted to the vehicle, but at 32,000 yen (about $260?), very expensive option.

...Eiji...

paisan

Most of the info is a compilation of information submitted by the people here on Edmunds, 4x4wire, and plante Isuzoo.

-mike

gpm5

Paisan--now that the bar is on your truck, do you have a feel for what type of wack it might take and not collapse into the bumper? Obviously, with a major accident in the rear one might induce bends in the hitch (hopefully not the frame) and that's okay. But could the bar take a 5 mph on center hit without collapsing? Could the bar take a 3 mph off center hit without buckling into the bumper? Your thoughts on this would be useful.

paisan

Well I had 5 200+lb guys stand on the end, without a hint of flex. Maybe I should try to push my subaru with it and see what happens? Just off the top of my head I'd say the 5mph dead center hit would be fine. and 3mph off center would probably be good too. Matt and I both figure that the weld is going to crack before the bar or frame or hitch. The weak point would definitely be the welds of the T. It doesn't rattle around which is real nice and matt has em on sale $129 right now, i'm not sure how long the intro rate will apply. http://independent4x.com

-mike

gpm5

The hitch takes some pretty good jolts when there is a weighted trailer pushing on it when you hit the brakes hard, and I'd suspect that dead on, a 5 mph hit wouldn't phase it.

I had someone forget to put their van in park and ram me when stopped in front of a school when I was in our Windstar van. No real effect but I worry about something like that with the trooper. I think the bar would stop any damage in that case.

paisan

Good point GPM, the hitch itself takes 5Klbs of rolling trailerweight on it if you have the full trailer on there. The steel used on the bar is thicker than most tounges that slide into the hitch, so the steel iteself is strong enough.

-mike

catmandu

Any idea what the shipping would be on the rear bar? Also , best price for a hidden hitch and where? Try as I can, I,ve never been able to access your site. Thanks

paisan

Try hiddenhitch.com I think JC Whitney has decent prices on the hiddenhitch. As for the bar, I'd say shipping might be $20ish for ground. Maybe less. I'm not sure what kind of deal Matt @ independent has worked out for shipping his stuff which is all pretty heavy. Try contacting him at http://independent4x.com

Can you ping isuzu-suvs.com? That is weird that you can't reach it.

-mike

http://isuzu-suvs.com

radman6

Anyone out there have a Yakima rack on their Trooper? I'm looking at roof racks for my 2000 S. This Summer I'll be hauling a kayak, a canoe, possibly a rocket box - etc. I stopped at REI on the way home and checked out the Yakimas. The full setup is $209.00 and includes 58 inch crossbars, Q-towers, and clips. Add another $20.00 or so for locks. Will probably get a set of gunwale brackets for the canoe. In May they go on sale at REI for 20% off.

I really like Yakima racks. I have one on my pickup that's seen lots of use. They have a solid line of accessories to haul anything you want. I'm not crazy about the Q-tower setup though. The towers sit on the roof surface and are fastened down by brackets (clips) that slide into the space between the top of the door and the door frame. It looks like there may be other mounting options (bolt down, track, etc.)in the catalog.

Has anyone installed a Yakima rack on their Trooper, and if so, what mounting method did you use, and how is it working out?

ppouncey

I have a 95 Trooper that I purchased a Yakima rack for about 2 years ago. It mounts over the front and rear doors with Yakima's Q-towers, probably just what you've been looking at. I decided on that setup mainly because it was removable (with 265/75 tires and OME 1.5" lift springs, I can barely get the truck in the garage!) and because I needed one of the bars fairly far forward in order to support a large canoe. The rack is very stable and I am satisfied with it's utility. The only drawback is it makes a low howling sound at interstate speeds when nothing is loaded on it, but I rarely drive around with it unloaded, I just take it off. I bought it at www.rackwarehouse.com, a good outfit that delivered it to my door in a few days - right now they have Thule stuff at 10% off, and the Yakima setup you mentioned is going for $205 plus shipping, without locks or gunwale brackets.
All that said, there is another option for more permanent mounting: under the rubber strips on the roof, there are 3 locations on each side with threaded holes for receiving bolts. www.overlander.com is one vendor that sells mounts for racks onto these holes. I researched it a little, but as I said, I was looking for a removable rack.
HTH,
Pat.

ppouncey

I received my 76mm nudge bar from ECB in Australia this week - Thank you Mike, for organizing that group buy; you saved me a few bucks I can put toward lights.
Was anyone else disappointed? I am not disappointed much with the bar itself except that it seems too light to survive actually "nudging" anything. I received mine with no mounting instructions, and incomplete and IMO inadequate mounting hardware. Maybe it can be chalked up to differences(?) in the 95 Trooper vs. Jackeroo, but there were no nuts supplied for the wimpy soft-steel 8mm bolts, and in general what was supplied did not fit - the bolts and washers were too small and of inadequate strength to hold the bar on well. Guess I'll make a trip to the hardware store to get some grade 8 bolts, washers and yes, nuts, of the appropriate size to hold the bar on solidly. About instructions, I figured out where the bar mounts and can put it on, I just feel like when you buy a DIY product, there should be some install instructions if only to confirm that you're doin' it right.
All-in-all a good product, just frustrated with the install process and thought the bar would be heavier.
Honestly,
Pat.

redtrooper

Lurked for a long time. Thanks all, especially Paisan, bought a 2001 Limited back in November. Information from this group really helped with decision. Very happy with the truck. I've added ECB Nudge Bar (thanks Paisan), Weathertech floor mats and cargoliner, hidden hitch, Thule roof rack, changed to plain black rear tire cover, switching in Polk 602s and 502s as soon as they arrive. I haven't done any 4WD yet other than snow. But I do plan to use it for light offroading, camping, biking trips, etc.

Questions:
1. K&N AirFilter. Improves HP and mileage? Really worth it?

2. Shocks. Any value in just changing the shocks alone? Not doing springs/torsion bars, etc? After reading posts here, if I change them, I'll go with Rancho 9000 or OME. Not looking for lift, just better handling.

3. Factory Stereo. Mine w/ 6 cd changer works(lucky, I know) and I like the way it looks. I am upgrading to Polk speakers however. And wish the system had a little more clarity. Anyone added an amp instead of changing head unit?

Thanks again!

duktrooper

I would check out Thule rack system as alternate to Yakima. I think their towers mount differently and they use square bars instead of rounded. One other option, though a little more expensive, is to get a permanent rack and then the additional adaptors and cross bars sold by Yak. or Thule.

Pat, I love my ECB and was very immpressed with its weight and thickness. I lucked out and had the guys at local 4 Wheel Parts put it on for a mere $30. They used their own hardware, not ECB's and the bar is on rock solid. We can compare in a few weeks when I see you at the trail ride. But you're absolutely right about the instructions.. a major disappointment and totally vague. It wouldn't cost them much for a graphic artist to create some line art drawings.

paisan

I'll work on some more graphic instructions for at least the current generation of Trooper. I know the pre-'98 bars had to be re-fabricated since they don't stock em, so maybe Tony neglected to do the instructions? I appolagize for that. I just installed a chrome one on my buddy's '00 Trooper and it seems to be on more solidly than the one on mine, so I plan to hit the homie depot and re-do mine. I think I may have over-tightened the nuts into the lock washers on my own bar which I did before the other one. If you guys have any pics of the install please send em to me so I can get em up. I'd be curious to see the pre-'98 bars and how they look. I've nudged a few cars in Manhattan with mine, so I know it's on there pretty good...

-mike

ppouncey

No apology necessary, Mike - I was just venting a little in-the-heat-of-the-install frustration. The brackets on the frame where the bar was to mount had VERY large holes; large enough for the supplied washers to pass right through. I can only imagine that the same year Jackaroo was a bit different than my Trooper, maybe more like your newer Troopers where you had to chisel off welded nuts to mount the bar. Mine had nothing but big holes(made that way) in the place where the bar's bolts were to pass through. I know I'm not being very clear, you sort of have to see it.
Anyhow, after locating some extra big & thick washers and 8mm nuts, the bar is on. I'm still going to replace all the mounting hardware with larger grade 8 stuff to be sure the thing stays on.
Even though I have some concerns, I would still recommend the product to anyone, though with the following caveat: Pre-98 Trooper owners beware - you'll probably have to get your own mounting hardware and figure out how to mount the bar on your own.
Pat.

catmandu

Just picked up the Yakima racks for my 01 S last week in Colorado Springs and headed back to Arkansas. Will mount them soon and let you know how they work. We have a very big Pakasport cargo hauler to mount on top. We decided on the Yakimas due to the strength of the round bars and their reputation. Plus, you can add just about anything you want to haul later with their adaptors. Paisan, finally got through to your web site, it will take a while to absorb all the neat stuff there. Thanks

guill

REDTROOPER:

I recommend the K&N air filter. At only $45 at Performanceparts it's not very expensive and will pay for itself over time as you just clean it and reinstall instead of buying a new one. As far as horsepower gain, I think it's very minimal.

I think shocks alone will make a difference. I own a 2000 Trooper S and personally I like the factory ride, but a bit stiffer shock wouldn't hurt. I've switched from factory shocks to Bilstens on my last Jeep and it was a huge difference. I'd check out a shock like the Monroe or Gabriel as they make a lot of the off-road shocks themselves. Many times an off-road shock is nothing more than your regular shock with a fancy sticker and name on it, oh and of course a hefty increase in price.

Let me know how the speakers work out. Where are you buying them, Crutchfield? I have the same setup as you and it's by far the best sounding factory unit I've ever owned. I'm curious if the speakers will really make that much of a difference, I've read mixed reviews.

RADMAN:

I like Thule racks myself. Owned one for some time on my Jeeps and it held up great. I can't decide whether to go with a Thule on my Trooper or a permanent rack like what Duktrooper has, I really like his.

teacherjim

I have a 2001 Trooper and I put on new Rancho 9000adjustable shocks and feel that it made a lot of difference. I put them on position 3. The ride feels much more controlled. I have done no other mods and feel that there is no reason for me to change or add anything else to change the ride.

cd1000

I have been researching the racks and it appears that the thule runs about $40 cheaper than the yak. Yakima has a great looking basket called a load warrior that will attach to any rack --it is like a safari basket. You can attach bikes, ski's, kayak's, etc to the load warrior. Does anyone know if a bike can be attached to the basket they sell at Highlander or to the Surco basket? The disadvantage to the yakima basket is that you have to first buy a rack therefore adding $150 to $200 to the cost. Chris

sdc2

I mounted my nudge bar yesterday!

I think the "very large" hole you are referring to is the tie-down point that all cars have for transporting from the factory. For my 99, the kit came with a large alloy "washer plate" designed to cover that hole for mounting the bolt...sounds like your kit could have used it too.

I don't have much basis for comparison, but the tube seems pretty heavy-duty to me...must be around one-eighth inch thick on the tube wall.

paisan

I think they may have forgotten or got lost in shipping, or could be still in the packaging...

There should have been wrapped up tightly looking like packing material, the Bolts, Nuts, Washers, Instructions, and 2 Aluminum/SS plates to cover those holes when attaching. When I did my buddy's last week, it was in a separate pouch, so that I'd bet is the problem. I shook his good today, and that thing isn't going anywhere, at least not until the tubing gives way!

-mike

guill

I've read over several posts that detail upgrading the factory Trooper speakers. Most impressions seem positive, however some people indicate that the upgrade produced nominal results. So I'm taking a survey:
1. What speakers did you upgrade to?
2. Improvement or not?
3. Any other stereo mods suggested e.g. adding an amp?
TIA!

vivayo

I bought an '01 Trooper LS the first week of December. We don't drive it very much - two drivers and three vehicles - so it only has 1,500 miles on it. I'm certainly not an audiophile, but I have noticed the "mushy" sound from the stereo that others have mentioned. Well, we were out doing some shopping last Saturday and I used the retractable cargo cover for the first time. What a difference that made in the sound! I could actually hear the rear speakers, and the clarity had a noticeable improvement too. It made sense, after I thought about it. I still may upgrade the speakers (if I ever get around to it), but for the meantime, I'll just leave the cargo cover unrolled;-)

Dunno what folder this belongs in, but I received a JD Power satisfaction survey the other day. Since they included a nice, new, crisp $1 bill in it, I filled it out and mailed it back. Bunch of questions about vehicle, dealer, etc. Most of 'em wanted a rating from 1 (lousy) to 10 (excellent). I gave the vehicle a 10, dealer a 3, and delivery prep a 2. I also checked "definitely" about whether or not I'd buy the vehicle again. The letter said the survey results will be out in August. If I can find it, and remember, I'll post the URL of the survey when it's available. Oh yeah, my dealer was Pohanka Olds-Isuzu in Marlow Heights, Maryland. They make the stereotypical used car salesman look good!
Charlie
P.S. I'm the one with the TOD decal on the rear window of a 2-wheel drive. I crawled under it the other day and see some strange hardware that doesn't look like it belongs. No transfer case and front drive axles, tho. Anyone else (more knowledgeable about these things) ever looked under their truck?
C

paisan

Interesting about the extra hardware under your truck. Maybe if we convince you to come to NC with us we could take a look at it.

-mike

crunchy

I still have all the stock speakers, but have added a couple little things to make them sound better.

First, a Pioneer Premier 730 head unit, which has a built in crossover. The front speakers actually sound pretty good once you remove the low frequencies. Next, a Rockford Fosgate bd1000 amp mounted under the driver's seat. Finally, 3 JL Audio 10w3s in a sealed, floor-firing box that sits right behind the back seat. The system now ROCKS! The next thing to do is to add an amp to the front speakers, but that'll have to wait until next month . I'll probably never do anything with the rear speakers because they're so little and so far away.

Check out http://63.105.28.12/trooper/ for a hastily-constructed bandwith-hogging set of pics.

Sue

paisan

Mind if I take some of those pics for http://isuzu-suvs.com ?

-mike

crunchy

Be my guest, Mike ... too bad I can't send you a sound byte that would do it justice!

-Sue

gpm5

Maybe the hardware includes the skid plate for the TOD unit. I was under there removing some gravel that was in there when I went over a pile yesterday. Not sure if the plate comes on the 2WD models.

gpm5

I went with an Alpine headunit replacing the Isuzu cassette headunit. That is a tremendous improvement in sound quality. I have a pretty good ear for sound and found immediately that the sound was improved. Very little output from the rear speakers and improving them would definitely help. I hesitate to change out the front door speakers because I have the sense that they may be made for the lows in combination with the highs from the top tweeters. I feel that going with 2-ways in the front doors may give too much in the way of highs (at least to my liking and without an equalizer to achieve a better balance). The tweeters are already cranking a lot with the Alpine set on flat on the treble balance. The lows are pretty good from the stock door speakers considering they're only a 6.5 inch speaker.--I mean they are not booming the truck but the lows are decent.

gpm5

I've also noted some differences in the sound quality from different CDs. Some of the redubbed ones (or songs on some of them from a greatest hits album) are not as good. This further indicates to me that the stock speakers are doing a pretty decent job.

duktrooper

I too upgraded to an Alpine CD player(model 7854) and 6 CD Changer, before upgrading speakers. Sound and volume were noticeably better even with stock speakers. About 2 months later, I then upgraded to Clarion 2 ways(6.5" front, 4" in rear) and sound quality was considerably better again. There's no comparison IMHO in tonal quality between stock and aftermarket.

About a month ago, I decided to put larger speakers in rear and went with Alpine 5.25". They fit in snugly(yes, I had to drill holes) and the improvement sitting in the rear seat was mostly in the way of extra volume. The 4" speakers, I don't care what brand, just can't fill up the large cavernous area of a Trooper. I don't think you can go wrong with Alpine, Polk, Infinity, or Clarion....all reputable brands and popular with Hifi auto shops.

ppouncey

Thanks for the info, duk, Mike and sdc...after going back through all the packing(didn't find anything new), here's what I have: 4 8mm bolts, 4 8mm lock-washers, 4 thin aluminum plates(I call 'em fender washers) that pass right through the "holes" in my brackets, not big enough to cover them. There were no nuts or instructions anywhere. If you guys can shed any more light on this, I'd appreciate it. Is it possible to scan the instructions and email them to me? Or maybe duktrooper can bring them to our Alabama Trail ride so I can look? I guess my other alternative is to email ECB for a resolution. Maybe someone can tell me what hadware will work...
Thanks for all the help, guys.
Pat.

duktrooper

Pat--I can't find my instructions. I think the 4 Wheel Parts guys pitched them when they did the install.

Mike, sounds like this is and might continue to be a problem for ECB buyers who want to DIY. Do you think there's any chance the mates at ECB could provide more graphic/photo info.

paisan

I'm gonna scan em in tonight and post em up on http://isuzu-suvs.com

-mike

paisan

Next ECB group buy will be closing on May 13th. Check it out at http://isuzu-suvs.com

-mike

ppouncey

Thanks again.
Mike, I reviewed the install pics you have on your site and the mounting tabs on your bar are way different than mine. Your install looks as though the tabs extend straight out from the bar; my tabs are L-shaped and bolt flush against a bracket mounted on the end of the frame. I am sure your scanned instructions will still help, even if only for seeing what hardware was provided.
Even after all this, I think I can spend maybe $5 on some 3/8" or 1/2" grade 8 nuts, bolts, and some mojo washers, and crank up the drill; I think that'll do the trick. :-)
Pat.

paisan

Instructions are up on http://isuzu-suvs.com specifically at http://isuzu-suvs.com/ecb/index.html and http://isuzu-suvs.com/ecb/76mm-directions.html

I also e-mailed Tony over at ECB and asked him to put some more in-depth instructions together possibly with pics for future deliveries. I am planning on replacing the lock washers on my installation in the next few weeks, when I do I'll take step by step instructions on how to do the install.

-mike

gpm5

It seems odd to me to have the nudge bar bracket attached together with the sway bar bracket. If you nudge something hard, will that induce any bend into the sway bar assembly? Do all these bars attach at that same position?

paisan

It's called the sway bar bracket, but It isn't where the bracket attaches to the frame. Also if you nudge somthing that hard, you are gonna bend the tube before the steel brackets. It's hard to see unless you are under the truck, but it really attches to the frame, not really the sway bar bracket. Of course if you nudge a Mack Truck, you are gonna probably mess up a few things haaa

-mike

bsmart1

bsmart1

A lot of posts here about stereo quality/clarity of the stock sound system. Like most other audiophiles, I had doubts about the sound quality of the stock system in the Trooper as well. The fronts sounded pretty good, decent low end "punch", crisp hi-end from the tweeters. But, with doubts in mind one has to act and see if improvement can be attained. I acted, bought Polk speakers for front and rear. I got 602a for front and 402a for rear. To validate my actions, I only changed one speaker in the front and one speaker in the rear for a while. SURPRISE, surprise!! Those stock speakers sounded pretty good! As others have said, the rear speakers are about worthless. I don't understand why ISUZU went with such a small unit back there. Theres plenty room for 5 1/4" speakers back there, but only after a slight mounting adjustment. Anyway, I doubt I would invest the money again in new speakers unless I was going with a higher powered head unit. The stock speakers are rated at 15W each and could be a problem with 40W head unit, but the clairity and sound quality of the stock speakers stood toe to toe with the equivalent size Polks I bought. Honest ya'll. You might notice a difference if you hooked up a 40W or greater head unit,(more power will usually produce a cleaner, more accurate sound, otherwise I suggest you save your money. Anyone interested in a set of stock speakers??
By the way, anyone know the output power rating on the stock head unit??

guill

On my 2000 Trooper S with the factory headunit/ with cassete and factory 6 disk changer the stereo is rated at 80 watts.

nighter50

just had biceps surgery so cant type well. I have yakima rack with DoubleCross mounts (mount to factory rack). I really like em and use them w/ ski rack and bike rack with no problems (except added wind noise). For canoe rack and some of the other racks, i don't know if mounts will be far enough to the front of truck. i have the BIG beautiful moonroof so i wanted rack farther back. Good luck!

paisan

Nighter, have a speedy recovery buddy!

MMM big moonroof, biggest of any SUV!

-mike

keepontroopin

I have a Yak Rack with Q-towers for my 2000 Trooper and like it very much. In previous post the noise factor was mentioned. It is true!!! The rack does create a low hum sound that can be rather loud at times. I bought a Yak faring and that eliminated the noise. The one complaint I have is that the Q-towers WILL scratch the inside of the door jambs where it clamps to the car. I have found that placing a small piece of rubber from a bicycle inner tube on the clamp will eliminate the scratching, but it leaves black marks from the rubber. the good thing though is that the black marks wipe off with a little elbow grease.

As far as good prices for the racks and component it would be well worth your time and effort to check out Ebay and Yahoo auctions as long as you don't mind the equipment being a little used.

ctnewton

How many horns does a Trooper have?

I am using a 1999 as a reference.

The answer is 3!!! Yes three. There is one in the firewall which is sounded for the alarm only and there are 2 more behind the bumper. You would think that with that many horns, it would be alittle more impressive.

Pete

http://www.suvtech.com/isuzu_trooper.htm

gpm5

Is the one you say is in the firewall attached to the firewall on the right side under the hood?

How do you see the ones behind the bumper. I've looked on my '99 trooper and haven't found any accept the one on the right side of the firewall.