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Isuzu Modifications/Aftermarket/Accessories

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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I've had the cheapos and I've had the Hellas and IPFs. You pay for the reflector and lens technology. The cheapos are usually not worth the $40 or $50 for highspeed driving. The cheapos are ok for flood-light like situations where you just want more light for loading and unloading the car or crawling. But I found the $300 for the Hella 4000s to be well worth it over the $50 ones I got from JC Whitney.

    -mike
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    tr0sstr0ss Member Posts: 14
    Has anyone ever tried to have a flip down tv installed in your trooper? I'm considering having this done and would like some opinions if there are any out there.

    Thanks
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    image
    Every Thursday, 7:00-8:00pmPT/10:00-11:00pm ET

    Your Community Leaders are paisan and arktrooper1


    -mike

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    sdc2sdc2 Member Posts: 780
    Is it really necessary to post the chat notice on every board?
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    We actually had a decent group there last night. Some people don't read all of them and I wanted to make sure to get everyone's attention! :)

    -mike
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    keepontroopinkeepontroopin Member Posts: 297
    Wow what a difference. I put a set of BF Goodrich All-Terrain 265/75/16 tires on Thursday and I cannot believe the difference. I gained easily 1.5" - 2" in height. Look out woods here I come!!!!!!!
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    wolfgang6wolfgang6 Member Posts: 7
    I own a 2001 Trooper S. We recently relocated to an area with longer highway commutes and I must remedy the boat ride. The ONLY complaint that I have with the Trooper is the sway and dive. After reading through the posts, many have gone with Rancho 9000's, OME's Nitrochargers, but no mention of Bilstein's. Any thoughts or experiences with the Bilstein products for mainly highway use? Thanks.
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Wolfgang, I'd check out http://isuzu-suvs.com in the how-to section. You may want to add stiffer OME springs and Sway away torsion bars to the front as well as the $20 Polyurethane bushings for the sway bars. Bilstiens are excellent but pricy shocks, without adjustability. That's why I went with the Ranchos so I could adjust them to be as stiff as I want them to be.


    -mike

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    sdc2sdc2 Member Posts: 780
    Bilsteins are OUTSTANDING highway shocks. I put a set on my previous vehicle (97 Blazer). Due to their high pressure design they are a little harsh on bumpy city streets, but on the highway I loved them, they soaked up dips and humps, were extremely compliant while damping vehicle movement nicely.

    Unfortunately they were about 50% more for a Trooper ($75 each) than for a Blazer ($50 each), so I went with the OME shocks instead...which BTW I also like very much.
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    There is a new how-to at http://isuzu-suvs.com it explains how to setup a woofer system under the rear seats of the trooper.


    -mike

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    wolfgang6wolfgang6 Member Posts: 7
    Mike- You have a wealth of info and really reafirm my purchase of the Trooper over many other SUV's. In your opinion- for mainly on-road use...will better shocks like Rancho's, OME's, Bilsteins be worth the $300++?? The other mods must wait for my Trooper at this point.

    Steve- Any advise on a web-dealer for OME shocks? Would you rate them as good as your Bilsteins setting price aside? I need to get this right as I am in the dog house over new shocks on a 11 month old vehicle.
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Try http://independent4x.com tell matt I sent you. He deals in Rancho and OME, maybe Bilstien too.


    The shocks will be a very big improvement for you. Well worth the $300. Also I'd do the Poly Bushings on the sway bars ($20 from JC Whiteny and about 1hr of time under your truck) Those 2 items will increase the handling by a lot.


    -mike

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    bgabrielbgabriel Member Posts: 7
    Hi - I asked about shocks over on the Rodeo board a couple of weeks ago and decided on the Bilsteins, but now I'm confused. I'm a girl and not mechanically inclined so "I don't know nuthin' 'bout no shocks" and will be taking my 2000 Rodeo LSE to the shop to have the shocks replaced. I'm getting ready to order the Bilsteins and am wondering if there is anything else I need. I'm just trying to firm up the squishy ride and don't do any offroading. It's got 17,000 miles. Do I need to worry about bushings (whatever those are) or anything like that?
    Also, the best price and shipping I've found on the web is at central4wd.com - 69.95 + 8.95 shipping. Anyone know of a better deal?
    Thanks
    Barbara
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    That should be it, just order the shocks bring em to a local place and have them installed. Do you have the Adjustable suspension on your rodeo in the rear? If so they may need to disconnect some wires from the current shocks but a good shop should be able to do that.

    -mike
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    sdc2sdc2 Member Posts: 780
    I think that Bilsteins and OMEs are both outstanding shocks, and if I was in the market right now they are what I would be choosing between.

    For road use I would give a slight edge to Bilstein. For more all-around and off-road use I would give a slight edge to OME. The monotube design of Bilstein is more vulnerable to impact damage off-road. The OMEs are extremely beefy and ruggedly built, and offer nearly as good a highway ride as the Bilsteins. The Bilsteins might last longer, if their literature can be believed.

    I don't think you could go wrong with either one, though.
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    sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    I have OME's and am very satisfied with them. They are great off-road and definitely reduce body roll and nose dive (I also have an ARB bumper which makes the front heavier). $260 for the shocks, $100 or so for the install was well worth the money.
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Shouldn't be effected by the shocks, or so I've been told. Basically the spring rates and sway bars is what will effect your body roll. Just what i've been told. To me it feels like less body roll with my Ranchos as well.

    -mike
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    sdc2sdc2 Member Posts: 780
    Though shocks don't affect the AMOUNT of body roll, they do affect how QUICKLY the roll takes place, which makes the roll seem less severe.
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    sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    and the amonut of roll on the rebound. I don't have as much sway in the opposite direction after making 2 consectutive turns. This makes it "feel" safer, the center of gravity is still high, but it doesn't lean as much in switchbacks. Handling improvement definitely, safer? well, it isn't a sports car, and I am prudent about (not) cutting the wheel over 40.
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    troop2shostroop2shos Member Posts: 235
    Shocks can affect body roll. I believe that Bilstein shocks, as an example, still maintains 100 lbs. of nitrogen pre-load that, in effect, raises the spring rates. It takes a jack to compress them to facilitate the install. At least it did on my '75 Saab 99 EMS. The Bilstein's did more than just control jounce & rebound.
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    mkayemkaye Member Posts: 184
    You may look at this month's issue of Peterson's Four Wheeler, they have a large comparison of shocks and shock technology. They seem to prefer the Rancho RS 9000's. Those are what I put on my Trooper and I think they are pretty good. The adjustment feature is great. My friend put Bilstein's on his. While providing a good road ride, off road, especially washboard roads they are almost unbearable.
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    emiuraemiura Member Posts: 59
    FYI: I got following 2 emails from owner of the shop I take my Trooper for service.

    ...Eiji...

    (To administrator of this board: I am not associated with this shop. If this is considered to be an advertisement and is not appropriate for this section, please remove the post.)

    -----

    I hope you and your vehicle are well. Eiji, if you are interested, I am now selling a Supercharger Kit that directly bolts to your engine and produces an additional 65 HP at the rear wheels, quite impressive. They sell for $2750.00 and installation runs around $750.00. Shoot me an e-mail with your thoughts.

    Best regards and have a nice year end.

    Keith Andreasen
    Andreasen's Japanese Car and SUV Center

    -----

    The Supercharger kits are for 9/97 on 3.2 and 3.5 engines. The kit requires very little modifications and replaces the existing intake manifold assembly. Torque is increased 20% and horsepower at the rear wheels is increased 65 hp. boost is approximately 5.1 psi. Cost is $2850.00 + shipping.

    Best regards,

    Keith Andreasen
    Chief Engineer
    Land Motor
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    mkayemkaye Member Posts: 184
    I know a few have used sizes of tire up to 265/75-16 on stock rims and w/o lift. I believe the tire dimension is about 31.7". Has anyone had trouble with rubbing? Secondly, has anyone tried, or know of, going up one size to 17's. I was thinking of dropping to 70 series but a 17" diameter. The only problem, less choice in tire types. Pirelli Scorpion does not come in 17's, I don't believe.

    MK
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Um there are no AT tire in 17" to my knowledge. If you want to go to 17" you should go to 18" and get Pirelli Scorpion P-Zeros. They are going to be your only choice in 17" and 18". 17" you might get some other "street" tire or High Performance SUV tire. I am running 275-70-16s on my stock rims w/o a problem. If I could have found 285-70s I'd have gone with them.

    -mike
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    gprodickgprodick Member Posts: 36
    I've had 265/75-16 Scorpions A/T's on my '99 Trooper for about 6000 miles now. No lift and No rubbing during normal driving. I did, however, zip the left front fender well when I hit a particularly deep hole one time. Of course, I was off road when this happened. It was a light rub and not of any consequence. Never had a problem otherwise.

    They certainly look good! They just make the truck look a whole lot beefier. They fit the wheel wells without sticking out and give about an 1" of lift. Quite an appearance transformation!

    On the road, they seem to handle at least as well as the original Bridgestones, probably better. They make a little more noise, not a big deal at this point. They ride slightly rougher, not a big deal and barely noticeable. The speedometer is off by about 7%, but, so what. You just sort of adjust for it, without really thinking a lot about it.

    I definitely noticed a reduction in acceleration. It just doesn't get off the line quite as quickly as with the smaller tires (not that it was ever a rocket ship). Now that they've been on a while, it's not an issue, as I've gotten used to it. Oddly, it seems more comfortable climbing high speed highway grades. I can put it in 3rd gear, which is now higher. It seems to make 3rd perfect for many mountain roads.

    As for the spare tire, I traded my stock unused 245/70 for a good used 265/75 spare(hopefully won't have to use it). No charge. I don't use the spare tire cover(it won't fit) and think it looks just fine without it(more rugged than with that foo-foo plastic thing).

    In retrospect, would I make the switch to the 265/75's again? Yes. When you need new rubber, go for it. You'll like it.
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    mkayemkaye Member Posts: 184
    Paisan, if you mean there are no Pirelli Scorpion AT's in a 17, I think you're right. I'd have to choose another tire. As in autos, the larger dimension (off road) tires are coming in more and more for the SUV market.
    For the 2002 models for example:
    the Durango RT uses 275/60R17 Goodyear Wrangler HP's,
    the Envoy uses 245/65R17 Michelin Cross-Terrain's,
    the Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited uses 235/65R17 Michelin LTX A/S,
    the LandRover Freelander uses 225/55R17 Pirelli Scorpion's (don't know the specific tire, if it's the AT or not),
    and the Mercedes ML500 uses 275/55R17 Continental 4X4 Contact's.
    I think the Axiom also uses a 17, but more of a street or all-season type tire.
    So, we'll see over the next year what's out there.

    MK
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    There are a # of offroad tires now that I look @ tire-rack in 17". Personally a waste of $ if you are looking for off-road tires since more rim = bad for offroad. Most off-roaders I know go with 15" steelies. And if you notice all the cars above that come with 17" tires are non-offroad vehicles. The only one above that is at all remotely off-road capable is the JGC and the Axiom, possibly the ML too but the others are not meant for off-road use. Also a quick look at Tire-rack yields most of those 17" AT tires in the $150+ range. :)

    -mike
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    mkayemkaye Member Posts: 184
    Sidewall height is certainly a big concern, especially when one would want to lower tire pressure off-road or heavy snow.
    The 265/75-16 Scorpion AT's should have about:
    Sidewall (section) height: 7 3/4".
    Overall height: 31 1/2".
    Rev's per mile: 658.

    Going with 265/70-17's provides:
    Sidewall (section) height: 7 1/3".
    Overall height: 31 1/2".
    Rev's per mile: 658.

    Stock 245/70-16's:
    Sidewall (section) height: 6 3/4".
    Overall height: 29 1/2".
    Rev's per mile: 704.

    Going to the 17 does limit the choice and add a lot of $$ since new rims are in order, so I will probably stick to 16's on the stock rim.
    Looking at 265/70-16's gets me closer to stock (losing some lift from the 265/75's), but I'll still pick up about 1/2 inch. Maybe looking at 265/70-16's. There are the Scorpion ST's and the Michelin LTX in that size. That gives me with 265/70-16's:
    Sidewall (section) height: 7 1/3".
    Overall height: 30 1/2".
    Rev's per mile: 680.

    I don't think that the 265's should be a problem on the stock 7" rim, as I'm sure you'd all attest to. The Scorpion AT's you guy's are running look and perform great, I'm sure. I have to look closer at the ST vs AT and see the differences in construction (passenger vs LT) and tread design. That would determine the 70 vs 75 aspect ratio decision.

    Thanks Paisan and gprodick for the info. and advice. The Isuzu forum is probably one of the most active on the Edmund's site. Generally I work on Thursday evening, but when I can, I'll participate in the chat.

    MK
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Might want to try 275-70-16 i like mine alot. It gives me about 3/4 of the way from 245-70-16 to 265-75-16 and puts a nice wide patch of rubber in contact with the ground to reduce roll-over. Also check out http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html to compare speedo changes etc.


    -mike

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    wolfgang6wolfgang6 Member Posts: 7
    Replaced the 'stock' shocks on my '01 Trooper S with 11,000 miles on it this past week. As advised they certainly made all of the difference in every aspect of my 50 minute commute to/from work each day. Went with the Heavy Duty Bilstiens. Isuzu will get a letter from me since the 'old' shocks had zero compression and no one will return my calls on the customer hotline. The Trooper is an otherwise fantastic vehicle and Isuzu should not skimp on such important suspension components.
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Only in the US model troopers do we get non-gas charged shocks. I believe it was to soften up the ride for americans who traditionally like a nice soft ride. Outside the US they come with Gas-charged shocks. I replaced mine at 10K with Rancho 9000s and love them as well.

    -mike
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    emiuraemiura Member Posts: 59
    Just changed the stock springs and shocks with OME. I should have done it long time ago; I really like the ride.

    I also did alignment, and "Toe" had to be adjusted. Is it due to lifting 1.5" or so? Someone mentioned here that alignment isn't necessary after the OME mod. Could that be off before the modificaiton?

    Lifting the front end required to almost max out the torsion bar, and the front end got about 1-1/4" lift (measuring at the frame). The rear end got 1-1/2" lift. For those of you did the mod before, were you able to level by just turning the torsion bar alone?

    ...Eiji...
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    You shouldn't be anywhere near maxing out the front T-bars. I think they turned mine about 4 complete turns which left my front down slightly, but by the time the rear springs settled and I put on a trailer it levels off nicely. I believ you can turn the front T-bars about 20+ rotations giving more than 2-3" of lift.

    -mike
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    emiuraemiura Member Posts: 59
    Maybe it's not maxed out as we thought. Turned 5-1/4 turns and gained 1-1/4". Probably the rear will settle down in time. Did you get alignment done after the mod?

    ...Eiji...
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Didn't get an alignment and it *seemed* to be ok. Although now I do need an alignment after I got the new tires cause it is pulling pretty bad. I figure the old tires must have been giving and that's why it wasn't pulling.

    -mike
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    bgabrielbgabriel Member Posts: 7
    I ordered the Bilstein for the front of my 2000 Rodeo LSE and took them to the shop to be installed. However, they couldn't because the front has an "automatic computer leveling system (ISC?)" and the Bilstein shocks do not have a place to plug this in. The stock number on the shock is definitely the same as indicated on the website and the guy I talked to said they showed only one shock for the 2000 Rodeo and no differentiation between the models and nothing about ISC. Bilstein is closed until after the new year so I can't call them. Has anyone replaced the shocks on their Rodeo with the intelligent suspension???

    Thanks - Barbara
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    troop2shostroop2shos Member Posts: 235
    If your Trooper wasn't pulling before w/ the old tires, it shouldn't be pulling now w/ the new shoes - unless, the tire bead is not seated properly on the rim & / or, one or more of the tires has some radial set in the carcass, etc. I would have your shop spin the front tires on their balancing machine or off the ground to verify, or swap the fronts w/ the rears to see if there is an improvement - before the alignment. Also, some tires are more sensitive to road camber changes but they would not necessarily cause an extreme constant pulling effect.
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    The ISC is only in the rear. What you will do is eliminate the ISC from the equation by putting in the bilstiens. Basically you can only use the stock shocks if you want to retain the rear ISC on the Rodeo. There is no ISC in the front of any Isuzu. The Bilstiens will likely be better shocks than the ISC ones so I wouldn't worry about eliminating it, just have them tape up or otherwise keep out of the way the wiring for the ISC.

    -mike
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Well it pulled a bit, just not as severely. My trucks always seem to be out of alignment no matter how many times or which places I bring them to to get the alignment done. I do need to re-balance the fronts so I'll probably get the alingment done then as well.

    -mike
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    troop2shostroop2shos Member Posts: 235
    Is your "Intelligent Suspension Control" for leveling &/or ride / stability control?
    I'm not sure how your "ISC" shocks / sensors are tied to your PCM but I'm assuming that having the system disabled by running non-ISC shocks would not have any affect on the rest of your electronic system other than throwing a code. However, you may have to install the new Bilsteins at all 4 corners to avoid the rear shocks (IF sensor equipped) trying to default to a full hard firm setting if it senses a "system failure" w/ the fronts "unplugged". A lot of these systems can be disabled by pulling the appropriate fuse & then you may be able to tell what your ISC shocks actually do.
    Other list members will probably be able to provide more specific info related to your application.
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    ISC is not in the fronts of the vehicle.

    ISC basically is an electrically controlled re-valving of the rear shocks based on user input. There is a switch on the dash that is "normal or sport" and in sport mode it stiffens the shocks. The wires you see are to activate the servos in the rear shocks to change the valving. That is how it was explained by my friend who is an Isuzu dealer. So basically by disconnecting them you shouldn't throw off any electronics, nor should there be an error code, basically it will be like flipping a light switch w/o a bulb in the socket.

    -mike
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    bgabrielbgabriel Member Posts: 7
    I have no "normal or sport" switch on my dash (this is a regular Rodeo LSE) and nothing in the owners manual mentions one. I do have an indicator light if something is out of whack with the ISC.
    If I understand you correctly, the fronts DO NOT have ISC but there is a sensor that connects to the back which DO have ISC. If I replace THE FRONTS ONLY with Bilstein, will that disable the ISC in the rear leaving me with crappy shocks back there as well? I really can't afford to replace both right now. If I replace only the front, do I have to remove the sensors from the back as well? There isn't a separate fuse for the ISC so does this mean the light on the dash will stay on?
    Also, the Bilstein shock have a different shaped shaft on them. The stock shocks and all the hardware that secures the shock to the truck is round with a flat side and place on the end to connect the sensor. The Bilsteins are round with no connection. The guys at the shop didn't think it would provide a tight fit if the shapes were different.
    I also called the dealer who said the shocks shouldn't wear out after only 18000 miles and should be covered under warranty, but the only thing they could put on were the stock shocks and they didn't know of any gas shocks that worked with the ISC.
    AAARRRGGGG!
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    paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Ok, I'm thinking of the ISC in the Axiom and/or the later rodeos.

    My best suggestion would be to put all 4 in at one time. I'm pretty sure the ISC only works in the rear but I'm placing a call to my buddy to get more details. I'll report back ASAP on that.

    -mike
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    bgabrielbgabriel Member Posts: 7
    Can you also ask your buddy about the different shaft on the Bilstein?
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    radman6radman6 Member Posts: 81
    Finally got my snow tires on this weekend. After lots of research I ended up buying the Cooper Discoverer Mud and Snow in the stock size 245-70-16. Here's what I like about them - blocky tread, lots of deep siping, tread compound that stays soft when cold, studdable, and built for an SUV (versus lighter duty passenger car tires). If you go to a 245-75-16 you can get these in a 6 ply or even a ten ply with an LT rating vs P-metric. Here's a link with a picture and specs:

    http://www.coopertires.com/tire_cooper/ltsuv.asp?id=206


    Another tire that was a finalist for me was the Bridgestone Winter Dueler. They're worth checking out. They cost more than the Coopers and aren't studdable - but should work fine where studs aren't allowed. Similar to the Blizzak but designed from the ground up for the SUV market.

                                  

      I've had good experiences with Cooper snow tires (this is my 5th set on various vehicles) and expect this set to do as well or better than previous models. It's a brand new design for Cooper and they've been selling very well in our market. There's been a large void in the SUV / Light Truck snow tire market and Cooper and Bridgestone should do very well here with their offerings.

     

      Now if it would just snow - I'm ready!

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    sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    Has anyone seen the recent adds on speedvision for the airflow add on that causes the air to form a vortex, and supposedly increases gas mileage and HP? I know it is TV, and too good to be true, but it makes sense, and seems like it could work? Unless the air is already flowing in a vortex?
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    bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    I seem to remember this tire doing very well in a recent Consumer Reports comparison test. Chances are we'll never spring for an extra set of wheels and snow tires for our 98 Trooper, but the Cooper would be near the top of my shopping list.
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    dielectric7bbdielectric7bb Member Posts: 324
    The designer of the engine usually has thought about the air intake system and designed it appropriately. It is true that changes in ones air intake system can benefit power and or economy, but typically they are snake oils. If it doesn't allow for more air to flow into the engine it typically doesn't do much at all. These devices which claim to create vortex's to improve your vehicles performance usually don't do a thing. People do see increased fuel economy when they use them, but that's because they drive slower. In my opinion, as a mechanical engineer, these vortex devices aren't worth a thing. The only way you would get me to put one on my rig is to pay me.
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    vivayovivayo Member Posts: 32
    This discussion of Cooper tires reminded me that in the latest issue of Time magazine (I got it in the mail yesterday) there is a page giving details about settlement on a class action lawsuit that involves Cooper tires. Something to do with tread separation and Cooper replacing tires. Since Cooper makes tires that are sold under various names, the page gives the 4 or 5 DOT codes that identify the mfgr (Cooper) of the affected tires. It's the magazine with a picture of the new iMac on the cover.
    Charlie
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    drmpdrmp Member Posts: 187
    I pretty sure the ISC is present in front and rear of the Rodeo and Axiom. I looked at the shocks themselves many times and there is a wire connection to the top portions of all the shocks.

    I've been through three shocks already (including OEM)on my '99 Passport. The Bilstein had superior handling but transmitted all the bits and pebbles on the road, very annoying and tiring on long drives.

    The Monroe matic is more comfortable but after 20K miles, it is not very good in controlling wheel oscillation and can bottom at times.

    I am thinking of buying Tokico trekmaster shocks ($200 for set of 4). It is a bit less expensive than Bilstein but the force-velocity curve promises a more car-like ride and the low drag design means that it can ignore minor undulations (the one that cause road noise and annoyance on long drives). It also has a dual compression blow-off valves which can take sharp bumps without much jolting to the car.
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