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Comments
I noted when putting the Rancho 9000 on my '99 Trooper (non-lifted) that I had to squish the shocks down to the very low end of their travel to get them on, and that is where they ride. In other words, the shocks have quite a long way to go before they could possibly overextend, and a 1-2" lift should have a minimal effect on this. It appears that they would have no problem being used with the OME 1-1.5" lift.
As for the adjustment being a pain, note that once set, they don't HAVE to be adjusted, but they CAN be. I don't see the adjustment as a reason not to get them.
-Ken
-mike
I bought them from tennesseeoffroad.com, great people & service, excellent prices. For my 95 Trooper, the correct part numbers are N26F front (N65 & a bushing kit if you have bull bars) and N15 rear.
Pat.
It's true that you won't be adjusting them that often, but being able to fine-tune the ride of your truck is a very good feature. Well worth the extra bucks. My set of 9000's have over 40K on them and still ride like new.
Rgds, Marty
95 Trooper LS
If anyone has good, bad, or other feedback...I'd like to hear.
I installed Polk 602s in the front and 402s in the rear. Total work time was 35 minutes in all. They sound 100% better than stock, the 602s pump clear crisp sound and great base but the rears are too small (4" hole!) for the sound to make it to the front of the vehicle with any oomph in bass. Anyone sitting in the rear seats will get great sound, though. I did fade the CD player with bias toward the rear speakers just a bit.
The CD unit looks fine in my Trooper, would look even better in one with the gray interiors (I've got tan). Truly I can't complain, the player puts out great sound and has great bass range and the speakers don't crakle or fade. I can hear John Lennon sniffling on "Come Together", what more can you ask of your car stereo system? I'm set and happy. I just got the windows tinted and my Rancho 9K shocks arrive Friday, that's the next project. I love this car.
-mike
I've heard nothing but good things about the scorpion ATs. Plan on replacing the stock ones on my trooper with them when the time comes.
-mike
Those extra "grilles" are for the flow of air through the vehicle-- part of the ventilation system or something. As I type this, it sounds pretty stupid so I'm thinking maybe I dreamed it.
I've never removed these grilles so I don't know what it looks like behind them, or how much room there is.
I bought an Alpine CD head unit tonight (CDE7853) 40 watts x 4. I listened to it the other week and it sounded great, even compared to the Sony XPLOD at 50 watts x 4. I got the Alpine at Tweeter. It looks great. All black with the toned down green display and green on the volume controls (bass, treble, loudness). I think it will match in nice with the green displays on the trooper (e.g. the clock above, the TOD display, the odometer).
Front
1- Pry the plastic grill off with a skinny flat tip screwdriver, from below works best for me.
2- Unscrew the three screws securing the speaker and pull the speaker out but do not disconnect it yet.
3- Look at the speaker from the rear and identify the (-) and (+) wires. The signs will be marked right above the connectors on the little white cardboard base. Additionally the (+) will be marked with a green dot. Write down the color of the wires attached to the (-) and (+) for future reference.
4- Disconnect the speaker from the wires by pulling on the plastic plug attached to the wires.
5- We now need to remove the plastic plug/cap from the wires hanging out the speaker opening, there should be no need to cut those. Using a very small, flat-tip screwdriver, insert the blade in the plastic plug, between the blade connector and the little plastic 'bump' securing the blade to the plug. If you look inside the plastic plug right down the wire to the blades you'll see it. Push the screwdriver's blade in as far as it will go and now gently tug on the wire. It should come out without much trouble and you should end up with wires ready to plug into your new speakers. I'll post a picture in the Photo gallery.
6- Leave the wires dangling and check for the new speaker's fit in the opening and for screw hole alignment. The Polk 602s I installed were a bit deeper than the stock speakers, but using the thick rubber gasket they came with as a spacer (between the plastic speaker opening and the rear of the speaker) I got them to fit without having to cut the black plastic strips in the back of the speaker opening. You can see these strips in the picture also.
7- The Polks, as do many speakers, identify their polarity by the width of the connector blades: the fat blade is (+), the skinny blade is the (-). Connect the appropriate wires to the connectors now.
8- If you are using the Polk rubber spacer ring, the stock screws will be too short, use the longer ones that came with the new speakers, they fit just fine in my case. Align the holes you marked out in step 6 and screw the speaker in without overtightening.
9- Pop the grill back in and check for a good, tight fit. If you have it, you're done! Enjoy the music.
Rear
1- Pry the plastic grill off with a skinny flat tip screwdriver, from above works best for me.
2- Unscrew the four screws securing the speaker and pull the speaker out but do not disconnect it yet.
3- Follow steps 3, 4 and 5 above.
4- Leave the wires dangling and check for the new speaker's fit in the opening and screw hole alignment. The Polk 402s I installed were a direct fit, you should have no problems with deeper speakers here.
5- Connect the wires to the corresponding connectors on the speaker.
6- Align the holes you marked out in the previous step and screw the speaker in without overtightening.
7- Pop the grill back in and check for a good, tight fit. If you have it, you're done!
Great choice on the Alpine. IMO, better quality than a more mass-market name like Sony. And I prefer the toned-down, minimalist look of Alpine/Blaupunkt/etc. vs. the JVC/Pioneer/Kenwood/Sony etc. approach.
If you still need help with the head unit install, I have the Crutchfield Master Sheet instructions for newer Troopers, as well as the generic "The Crutchfield Guide: Car Stereo Installation". It's really a simple procedure, though. A couple years ago I installed a Blaupunkt CD head unit in my 96 Trooper. It was from Crutchfield, and therefore came with a factory wiring harness. Things get a bit trickier if you don't have a harness; you might consider locating one to make things easier.
If you'd like me to fax or mail you a copy of the Crutchfield stuff, let me know.
Jason
white_shoes_white@yahoo.com
I did consider the the Alpine that runs the CD changer (the salesman noted that) but decided I won't be going with a changer. I plan to make copies of my CDs, so I have a set for the trooper, and store them in slips right under the head unit in that empty space. That way I can pretty much load what I want, when I want pretty conveniently.
Rick
The typical price is $100 a pair for the EX602 and $80 a pair for the EX402. I've bought a set from Crutchfield before (www.crutchfield.com) and a set from Circuit City before. Crutchfield's shipping and handling is less than 10 bucks, but if you mail-order or web order you're not paying sales tax so that makes up for it. Buying from Crutchfield will get you some nice color diagrams of how to install the speakers. This isn't really necessary because a monkey could install these speakers. You also get a wiring harness that plugs right into the existing wiring harness, which is easier than crimping or soldering wires. Circuit City and other stores will sell you the harness but it's usually 5 bucks per pair or so.
I just posted a how-to install guide for these guys, check post 321. There is no need for harnesses or cutting or splicing wires.
Rancho 9000s - I just got them in yesterday from the fine folks at Hotrod-Offroad for $244. Kudos to Dan Brock for his help and good customer service - a rarity these days. They took me two hours to install but had I had a 19mm open end wrench handy I would have cut the install time for the rear ones from 1hr 15 mins to about 20 minutes. I finally broke down and bought the darn $3 wrench. I set the front to 2 and the rear to 3, gave it a test ride and went "AHHHHHHHH!!!!!", I don't feel like I'm in rough seas any more when I turn. Next come the poly bushings sometime this month. I love this car, er, sorry - truck.
Islander
Do you mind Islander if I snag that writeup to put on my FAQ page? And GPM, can you e-mail me yours too? mike@iace.com
thanks.
-mike
Looks and sounds great. Even with the stock speakers. An amazing improvement, and improved FM as well. BTW, the Isuzu unit is made by DELCO (stamped on it).
I plan to pick up a couple sets and install them myself this week.
I didn't buy the adapter harnesses - just took the existing plugs apart and used the slide on connecters. Didn't have to cut a single wire.
Another note, when putting the front speakers in, the existing cutouts in the rubber spacer ring didn't match up with the mounting holes on the speaker or the Trooper. It's easy though to figure out where the screw goes - then press the rubber spacer tightly to the back of the speaker and just push the screw through the rubber spacer from the front. Do this before you try to mount the speaker and it works a lot better.
The Polk audios are a very nice upgrade to the factory 6 cd player. The midrange and bass response is much stronger. They seem to be more efficient - lots more volume at the same settings. I experimented with the fader, bass, and treble settings a little to get the sound I was looking for. I ended up at Bass +2, treble +2, and faded to the rear 2. Small adjustments make a big difference. If you don't fade to the rear you can't hear the rear speakers at all. The fronts are larger and drown them out. If you fade to the back you get better imaging.
All in all a very nice upgrade. The price was right, and it took less than an hour. Next upgrade will be the Lund Interceptor bug gaurd I ordered today. Will be here Monday. Also heard today that Ranch RS-9000's will go on another buy three get one free sale this Spring ($200.00 for a set of 4)at Central 4Wheel Drive.
First off, these shocks are just outstanding - better than I anticipated. I had been advised by 2 different sources (including ARB USA) to go with the N15/N65 version which is described as "firm" - vs. the other version described as softer, etc. Let me say: the N15/N65 is DEFINITELY the way to go - these are in no way harsh, hard, unforgiving or anything like that. It is obvious this is a very compliant, robust, professional and well built product.
I have now experienced 4 different combos on my '99 automatic Trooper:
- stock original suspension (dangerous in my opinion...);
- Edelbrock IAS shocks w/stock springs and torsion bars (better, less roll, less nose dive, more high speed control, but still not able to avoid bottoming out); 2 of the Edelbrock IAS developed leaks...
- Edelbrock IAS with Sway-A-Way torsion bars and OME progressive coils (better yet, but unloaded front was slightly harsh and rear slightly bouncy, loaded it road and cornered quite well); 1 of the rear Edelbrocks broke - apparently not able to handle a mediocre lift of 1.5";
- OME Nitrochargers with the OME coils and Sway-A-Way torsion bars: this is THE way to go! I should have bought the OME shocks from the get go. It must be their 9-stage valving or something, but these things seems to "know" how to ride perfect in every situation and on every surface. They are great - sharp, hard cornering (LESS roll than even the Edelbrock!!), solid braking and no nose dive yet VERY SMOOTH, excellent at highway speeds as they seem to eat up any kind of bumps, imperfections, etc, better over railroad tracks, and so on and so forth. And these things are really BUILT compared to the Edelbrock - in fact, it's not really a fair comparison - except the OMEs are cheaper!!
If you want a wonderful, secure, extremely controlled yet compliant ride - then don't screw around - just get the OMEs right away.
Finally, I'd like to publicly thank the 4 Wheel Parts people - they actually gave me credit back for the Edelbrocks and only charged me for the installation and shop fees! This is great service and the way to treat return customers such as myself. They also had the best price on the OMEs that I could find, and they delivered the product on time as they said they would. Great service.
Thanks, and sorry for the "wordiness" of this.
Your post has got me anxiously awaiting my OME's shocks...which I thought I'd have by now. Like you, I've been disappointed with my Edelbrocks although I haven't had any problems to speak of in the 5 months I've had them. ..Questions- is the N65 part # you mentioned for the front anything like the N26F that I ordered? Also, can you tell me more about the Sway a Way bar upgrade and its benefits? Lastly, did you buy your IAS's from the same dealer and how much of a credit did he give, if you don't mind?
PS- For anyone looking to upgrade speakers and can't find Polk locally, try out the 2 ways from Clarion. They're nearly indentical in specs and they are a HUGE improvement at around $140 also for front and rear. They can handle anything my Alpine throws at em and then some. A lot of auto hifi shops recommend them.
-mike
HTH,
Pat.
I purchased the N15/N65 set which is referred to as the firmer set; I was told by a salesman at Overlander.com not to get the N15c (rear) / N26f (front) set as they are oriented to a more soft ride. I then spoke with ARB people, and basically, they said the same thing; I believe he told me that they import many times more N15/N65 sets than the other and that most people prefer them. The price was virtually the same for either set. There is nothing special required for installation; no special bushing kit - you just mount them like any shock. Yes, the N65 (firm version) would be way more suitable to a heavy bumper, but it's great in any case and is NOT too firm or harsh or bad riding.
Sway-A-Way Torsion Bar:
These people are located in Chatsworth, CA at 818-700-9712. I believe I spoke with them and confirmed which part number I needed. It's part number SWA1549 - which gives you 2 bars, one marked left and the other for the right side. These replace your stock torsion bars and are made from a higher quality steel and are thicker - resulting in a higher (firmer) spring rate. The ride improves greatly in terms of taking bumps, carrying weight, hard cornering, and more control at highway speeds. I believe I actually ordered the bars from 4 Wheel Parts Performance Center (national chain) since Sway-A-Way normally only deals with either racers or retail dealers and wouldn't sell to me. Maybe you can get a club/group deal??? They also make many anti-sway bars and race-oriented products - including race oriented (super heavy duty) torsion bars for the Trooper - which you do NOT want. The 1549 part was actually listed against the Holden Jackeroo as a stock replacement and that's what I ordered.
The general instruction sheet with the torsion bar states "...bars are 20 - 30% stiffer than stock bars. Higher spring rates help reduce bottoming both on and off-road and also reduce body roll when cornering. Off road trucks can be lifted about 1 1/4" using these torsion bars. More lift may be obtained, but you may not be able to get factory wheel alignment. We recommend that the wheel alignment be checked if the ride height is changed more than 1/2"." (end quote).
Those are general instructions; I have never had the Trooper's alignment checked, everything steers and stops straight, feels fine, there is no pulling on ice or snow, and there is no abnormal tire wear at all. Everything is perfect for me.
Now I just need more $$$ for a set of OMEs for my '92 Landcruiser!!!
Good luck to everyone on your shock decisons. I would like to be able to compare the OME to the Rancho 9000s, but with the OME springs and shocks mated up together I've got a fantastic ride now. I won't change it.
http://www.swayaway.com/PowerBarz%20frameset.htm
then click "Mini Truck Torsion Bars".
But notice you will NOT see '98 and newer Trooper listed!!! - only older models. You have to call them and ask (confirm) the part # for the Holden Jackeroo - they ship this part number to the Aussies on a regular basis. That is how I found the item.
Good luck.
Many thanks for the detailed info. Looks like I'm gonna have to reconsider getting the N65's instead of the softer shocks I ordered for the front. I did have a thought yesterday about putting 9000's on the front and the OME N15's on the back....seems like it could be an interesting combo for the person who can't decide. It also shows that I'm splitting hairs at this point and just need to make a decision and be done with it.
If anyone knows of someone having mixed 9000's and OME's, let me know. And if others think we can muster up enough orders on the Sway A Way or get a 10-15% discount, pls advise.
From: Buddy King
To: 'Pat Pouncey'
Date: 12/14/00 1:16PM
Subject: RE: OME shock part # confusion
hello there
front should be n26f if you do not have an arb winch bar and winch. n15
is correct for rear of the lwb model
regards
Buddy King
Sales Manager
Canada and Eastern Region
ARB Air Locker
20 South Spokane Street
Seattle, WA 98042
(206) 264 1669 Phone
(206) 264 1670 Fax
This was the same part number(N26F) on an ARB press release and the same as what Tennessee Offroad had in their catalog for a 95 Trooper. I got the info about the bushing kit for the N65 shock from a vendor's website, I don't recall which. I defer to the newer info on this, especially since I have N26F installed on my truck.
All that said, I am extremely happy with my choice for my needs, since I mostly commute, run errands, tow, travel with my family, and try to throw in some off-roading from time to time. Improvement over stock is huge, and perhaps I don't need the ultimate firmness available.
Pat.
N26F/N15 front/rear = 'normal' version
N65/N62G front/rear = 'firm' version;
N62G requires bush kit# OMEB41
Sway-A-Way
92+ Trooper part#1558 30mm dia
92+ Jackaroo part#1549 28mm dia
Most vendors will match reputable shop(s) prices. Some vendors are http://www.ok4wd.com , http://www.rocky-road.com, http://www.offroad-accessories.com
HTH
Here is part of an email from ARB...
If you're going with a more lightly loaded tail you can run the
N15c. A more heavily loaded tail would justify the N15. Up front I would
recommend the N65 because you have a bull bar.
All the best,
XXXXXXXXXXX
Western Sales Manager
ARB, USA
I believe "4wheelparts.com" will sell them for $60 each, otherwise I'm sure you can find another site that will sell for that.
N65/N62G (F/R firm) handle? and what does the bushing kit do for me? I might want to use them
w/the CalMini lift that provides 1-1.5" more lift
than the OME.
By the way, what tire pressure is everyone running for normal around town/some hwy driving on same tire size?
Anyway, these tires are some serious rubber meat. I love the lift and added ground clearance, but more importantly, the ride is noticeably enhanced. My Dukmobile feels a helluva lot more glued to the road, especially in cornering. Granted I've only had them a day, but they make you want to find an excuse to go drive somewhere....like even running an errand for the mrs. I had a set of the same tire in the 245 size(P)on my 97 Troop, and they were great on and off road, only they wore out pretty quick. I only wish now I knew then to "go farther" on the tire size. I give this upgrade a 5 star nod.
Eventually, I've got to figure out what to do on the spare issue since the startrek carrier won't accomodate this size. One word of caution...I'm sure that side tube bars will have to be considered once the mrs. and the kids start moaning about having to "climb" in or twist an ankle getting out.
The plug in the trooper will need a wire harness to avoid cutting wires. The one I bought was a Metrawire ABMW-124 (also numbered 70-7712 for the rodeo).
Details of the head unit plug in the dash of the '99 trooper S:
The plug on the trooper has the following wires feeding into it in two rows. The top of the plug has the locking clip. R=red, G=green, O=orange, B=black, Y=yellow, W=white, and S designating a stripe. I determined speaker wires by matching to the speaker wire colors at the speakers. I determined hot wires by voltage measurement against car frame ground. I determined the ground by a resistance measurement. The connections from left to right on the plug, looking at the open part of the plug have the following wires attached:
Row 1: [Y (+ left rear spkr); O (+ right rear spkr); R&G-S (undetermined); O&G-S (ignition 12V); clip section, clip section; blank; W (+ front right spkr); gray (+front right spkr)]
Row 2: [Y&blue-S (- left rear spkr); B&O-S (- right rear spkr); B&G-S (car frame ground); G&R-S (undetermined); brown&R-S (undetermined); blank; R&W-S (battery 12V); R&W-S (- front left spkr); G&W-S (- front right spkr)]
The three undetermined wires were not necessary for the Alpine install. At least one of the unknowns likely supplies voltage when the lights are on to illuminate additional display items at night on the stock unit and should match the line on the Metro harness, but it was not tested.
Wiring the metro harness:
I was not satisfied with taking for granted that the harness was properly configured for the trooper. Based on my determination above, the Metro harness is properly configured for the trooper.
Follow the instructions for the wires on the Alpine and the wires on the harness. Almost all of these colors match. I soldered each connection and put on wire caps. I also wire capped one unused wire on the harness for illumination. I taped the open side of the wire caps around the wire for each of the hot leads.
Physical installation process:
1. Remove the two top screws above the radio and the one near the lighter on the dash cover.
2. Remove the four screws on the shift console near the floor (two on each side).
3. Remove the 4WD HI/LO shift knob by unscrewing counterclockwise.
4. Lift upward on the console cover to provide room to remove the dash cover. The power and winter mode buttons are attached to the cover and have about 2-3"; of wire. There is a clip that pops free in the top/back part of the console behind the power/winter buttons.
5. To pull the dash cover off, you will need to put the trooper in D or L with the key in the ignition.
6. The dash cover has two clips on each side that will release, by pushing slightly inward on each edge, while pulling the cover off. The lighter has a couple inches of wire and the cover can be tilted forward onto the gearshift lever.
7. Two screws (one on each side of the head unit) hold the vinyl dash on and need to be removed to access the head unit screws. Remove the head unit screws and pull out the head unit. Unplug the wiring harness and the antenna. (Watch that while removing the screws that the screws do not drop behind the dash cover-hard to retrieve them.)
8. Note: when putting the screws back into the dash, the holes on the vinyl dash need to be realigned. The top right one is most difficult because there is also a tab that fits a hole there. Once the tab is popped out, that section of the dash needs to be pulled forward and to the left, so that the tab passes over a lip. Otherwise it will not pop back in the hole.
9. Take the brackets off the stock unit (2 screws on each) and put the brackets on the new Alpine.
10. On the Alpine head unit, take the two metal pieces on each side near the front face off. The screw on each side is very small, and I was lucky to get one out (used a little WD40 and tried later). These metal pieces are shown to be removed for Japanese vehicles and prevent the unit from fitting into the dash slot.
11. I shaved the corners of the dash cover cutout a little to make it squarer, because I was not sure that the Alpine head unit would come through enough. The fit is very snug. Aligning the unit, by a millimeter or so, in the cutout is time consuming and requires taking the head unit and dash screws out, taking off the brackets and tweaking them slightly, and putting everything back. Once it is square, the thin black faceplate on the Alpine snaps in place.
12. Put all the other screws back and enjoy the music.
Total install time: I would figure on at least 3 hours with the soldering.
Any suggestions????
Thanx,
acola
You should be able to get letter replacements at the dealer. I saw a new 2000 a few months back in the showroom that had some missing, so it must be common.