Isuzu Modifications/Aftermarket/Accessories

1568101140

Comments

  • gpm5gpm5 Member Posts: 785
    Has anyone simply replaced their horn on the trooper with a better horn. I think it is on the back firewall (passenger side). Can anyone confirm that, that is the horn. It looks different from ones I'm used to seeing. Are there adapter plugs for horn replacements? Thanks.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    There are 2 horns, on in front of the radiator and one behind the firewall. I hooked mine in parrallel with the stock horns cause I didn't want to mess with the stock wiring.

    -mike
  • danmardanmar Member Posts: 7
    Thanks for your posting re your new tires, I have been waiting for firthand comment on 265/75/16s upgrades. I have a 98trooper w/ 50k miles on my orig tire and about ready to replace it.Im glad that there is no clearance problem w/ those bigger tires. I have not use my spare tire at all anticipating that when i switch to 265s i wont be able to fit a spare on the tire carrier w/ cover
  • gpm5gpm5 Member Posts: 785
    mike,

    Does the circuit handle the extra load okay. What did you do, splice the wires? What is the relay that is sold with these horns?

    When you say behind the firewall, do you mean mounted on the firewall in the engine compartment-passenger side. That is where I see a round tin looking device with two wires that is probably a horn. Also, there are extra holes on a bracket there that look like they could be used for mounting and additional horn.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Well, if you look on http://isuzu-suvs.com on my page I have pics of my hella air-horns. The wiring I did was simple:


    air-horn compressor connected to the hella relay the trigger wire of the hella relay (low amperage) went to the horn relay under the hood on the pass side, the power side of the hella relay went to the battery and the ground got grounded to the body. This system blows both the stock horns and the air-horns when I hit my horn buttons. Also I can have it un-installed in about 1/2hr. or less if in the future I get some kind of electrical problem and it needs to visit a dealer.


    -mike

  • gpm5gpm5 Member Posts: 785
    mike,

    I see what you did in terms of going into the box (what is that connection--the horn relay?) and hooking up to the + battery. The images on the net are hard for me to see. I see a red line running along the firewall. Is that hooked up to something on the back of the firewall or does that come up to the box and the terminal. Sorry for being dense on that.

    I guess I would rather do a simple swap of horns if that were possible, but I could use your method also.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Yeah the red line is actually 2 wires 1 is the hot lead from the battery to the Hella horn relay (which is mounted by the PS fluid resivoir) and the other is the +12v trigger lead that is going to the stock horn relay. There were nice clips under the hood along the firewall to route the wire. :)

    I should write this up with some better pics for the website...

    -mike
  • nighter50nighter50 Member Posts: 127
    I posted a while back that i had upgraded to BFG AT KOs that are 265/75/16. They fit great and make the truck look very "capable", "beefy", "cool". Oh ya, they ride real well and work great in snow! I would say go for it!
  • joel52joel52 Member Posts: 5
    Saw a trooper the other day without the spare tire cover. It looked pretty sharp and was considering just removing mine. The trooper was cream colored, so maybe the look is dependent upon color of vehicle. Also seemed to have spare mounted on chrome wheel similar to what was on vehicle. Has anyone removed cover as a preference for that look?
  • ilikeikeilikeike Member Posts: 19
    Joel,
    Funny that you mention that you like the "coverless" look. To my eye, the spare tire cover is a little flashy. Also, I noticed shortly after delivery that my tire cover is ripped about 2" beyond the flexible cutout. I'm not looking forward to debating the dealer over this (and the longer I put it off, the harder it will be to convince the dealer that the cover was delivered ripped).

    A neighbor, a few blocks away, has the same color Trooper. When I saw that their tire cover was gone and they had the spare mounted on an oem wheel, I figured they had the same idea and I thought it looked pretty good. Turned out that they merely had a flat and the spare was returned to normal after a day or two.

    I'd like to find a solid insert for the tire like on the Range Rovers.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Yeah up til mid '99 all isuzus came with 5 matchin rims. After that they changed over to a steel spare rim. Probably to save $. I know on my '97 Rodeo it was nice to have the 5th alloy wheel.

    -mike
  • pat_pendingpat_pending Member Posts: 36
    I took the hard cover off my '99 on day one, and have not had it back on since.

    Partial to the 5-spoke wheel, I traded my mesh wheels for a set of 5-spokes. I think the exposed 5-spoke wheel gives a great look, kind of like the Land Rover. (At least I think it's the Land Rover. Could be one of the other ones.) Of course, if you don't have a matching 5th wheel, I would leave the cover on or purchase a 5th wheel.

    I had the cover for sale for best offer, but then I realized that it would cost over $350 to replace it, including the letters and painting. So it now my mica red cover sits in the corner of the basement, waiting for the day that I sell the Trooper, if ever.

    -Ken
  • joel52joel52 Member Posts: 5
    pat.
    My trooper is also mica red. How does it look without the cover? Considering purchasing a 5th wheel for the spare. Does anyone know if that web site mentioned for other parts would be a good source for the wheel?
  • islander21islander21 Member Posts: 43
    Funny, I too have a Mica Red 2K Trooper. Today, in less than one hour, I upgraded all four rubber swaybar bushings to polyurethane ones. A simple $26.00 upgrade that only required a 3/8" ratchet with a 12mm socket, a 6" extension to take care of the rear bolts and eight 1/4" washers (25 cents per dozen and NOT included in the bushing kits). The JC Whitney kit part numbers are posted on Paisan's website FAQ and I can confirm that the front swaybar bushings are 1" and the rears 3/4" for the 2000 S. Now there's less lean to my machine! This is my last upgrade for a while on the Trooper. Next may be the nudge bar or the sidesteps - sometime early next year.

    Islander
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Anytime you guys want anything from ECB in Australia, let me know, I have a pretty good line of communications with Tony from ECB on importing stuff from him. Side note, the ECB Nudge bars should be in their owner's hands within 2-2.5 weeks.

    -mike
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    I am interested in anything that improves the handling/safety of our 98 Trooper, especially since my wife drives it during the work week.

    Is this swaybar bushing job something that somebody with minimal basic mechanical understanding can handle? I'm trying to learn more about my Trooper so I can do more of the maintenance stuff myself, but so far all I've done is change the oil (10 times), change the TOD fluid (twice), and install Isuzu black side steps.

    Also, is the swaybar bushing upgrade worthwhile even if I'm not planning to upgrade from the crap OEM shocks? I'd rather not spend even $200 on new shocks because a) it's 200 bucks and b) I feel the Trooper rides and handles just fine as it is. Mine's a 98 with 42,900 miles.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I'm thinking of doing them also, but like Blue, I'm mechanically un-inclined. Maybe islander can shoot out some quick instructions to me and I can get em up on the site.

    -mike
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    I've driven our 98 Trooper without the hard cover for a few weeks at a time. I like the look without cover as well as with cover.

    patpending, if I was you I would sell your hard cover for a couple hundred bucks now and not worry about it. You might never sell your Trooper, and even if you do it won't be the end of the world if you don't have one to include with the vehicle. Maybe the buyer won't even like it.
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    Our 98 Trooper is Red Rock Mica. This is the dark red, almost burgundy color. Ours is the Performance Package (equivalent to current LS), which means it has the monotone paint scheme, body-colored side mirrors, etc. The color has grown on me and my wife, even though we weren't thrilled with it at first.

    I think this Red Rock Mica is the predecessor of the current Mica Red.
  • randers3randers3 Member Posts: 19
    I have a 2K Trooper S and I am thinking about going to 265-75R16 tires. The question that I have is, if I go to a larger size is it going to effect my gear ratio, and if so will it be in a negative or positive manner. Will I need to change my computer chip to offset the different tire circumference? Finally, will there be any effect on my warranty?
  • sdc2sdc2 Member Posts: 780
    ...will make your speedo read 7.3% low, and will affect your final drive ratio by the same amount. No mod to the computer is needed, BUT all 5 tires (including the spare) must be the same size for TOD and LSD operation.
  • sdc2sdc2 Member Posts: 780
    I got one from St. Charles Isuzu for $269 a few months back. Not cheap, but still cheaper than replacing all five with a different design. Best Isuzu is worth a call, also.
  • centralcentral Member Posts: 51
    I too would lover to see a good write-up on this.

    I have read a previous post that included the JC Whitney part numbers. However those numbers were for a 95 Trooper which I think has different size sway bars. So, just finding the parts for a 1999 has proven a stumbling block for me.
  • raydahsraydahs Member Posts: 449
    Here's a site for used wheels, kinda spendy!

    http://www.800wheels.com/cart/Isuzu_Trooper_Aluminum_Alloy_Wheels_and_Rims.htm

    Hey Paisan, can your buddy get one of those Holden Jackaroo hoods w/scoop? I've inquired through American Isuzu and St.Charles, both said they don't have access to overseas inventory.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I'll check on that, he builds the bars himself, but may be able to get other parts.

    -mike
  • fourwd1fourwd1 Member Posts: 11
    I removed my hard cover and replaced it w/a black vinyl cover from JCW for 18.00. Looks better to me.
  • fourwd1fourwd1 Member Posts: 11
    Bushing replacement is easy if you can work a wrench. For a real improvement replace the bar w/a heavier one.
  • pat_pendingpat_pending Member Posts: 36
    Joel52- I think it looks great without the cover, which is why I left it that way. I don't think it is color-specific; I think most colors of Troopers would look good w/o the cover. Just my humble opinion.


    Bluedevils- The offer for the cover was only $100, which I was entertaining until I found how expensive a replacement would be. I would probably sell it for $200 or so, but at that price most people who would require having it shipped (i.e., anyone not near northern VA) would find it cost prohibitive.


    Speaking of spare auto parts, I found a source from a fellow gearhead in the office:


    http://copartfinder.com/


    Type in your area, the make year and model of your vehicle, and it will give a listing of junkyards that have such a vehicle. Pictures too.


    -Ken

  • pat_pendingpat_pending Member Posts: 36
    An office mate who races his Corvette told me that a reason that a lot of people in his club do not prefere poly bushings is a very annoying inherent SQUEEK that develops once the poly lubricant is gone. Has anyone here experienced that yet?

    -PP
  • ppounceyppouncey Member Posts: 19
    >An office mate who races his Corvette told me
    >that a reason that a lot of people in his club
    >do not prefere poly bushings is a very annoying
    >inherent SQUEEK that develops once the poly
    >lubricant is gone. Has anyone here experienced
    >that yet?

    Not yet, but I've only had mine on for about 3 months. I lubricated them heavily with the provided lube, and kept a little in case they needed re-doing. Right after I got the Trooper 2 years ago, the stock bushings began to squeak every time I hit a bump right after my first round of off-road driving. A good cleaning and some lube helped a lot, but the squeak kept coming back after the bushing got dirty & dry again. Maybe Corvettes are more prone to the squeak due to their very tight suspension? I hope so, but I guess I haven't had mine long enough to really know yet.
    Pat.
  • centralcentral Member Posts: 51
    I too had heard that most urethane bushings squeak as the lube leaks out over time.


    On their website http://www.suspension.com/tips.htm? Energy Suspension claims their new bushings don't have that problem. They also detail a fix for the older style bushings.


    FYI they only list Trooper applications for 7/87 - 93.


    Also, thanks pat pending for the great used car parts site.

  • islander21islander21 Member Posts: 43
    It's so easy a lobotomized pregnant baboon can do it with one arm tied behind her back. OK, well, maybe not a pregnant one. Here are the parts and tools you'll need:

    There are several sources out there but I got my parts from JC Whitney's on-line catalog (BTW, these bushings DO fit my 2000 S):

    1- Bushings For 1" Diam. Sway Bars (front)
    Sku #: 88ZX7546P with small A type brackets
    Unit Price: $9.95 + shiping

    2- Bushings For 3/4" Diam. Sway Bars (rear)
    Sku #: 88ZX7540T with small A type brackets
    Unit Price: $9.95 + shipping

    3- Eight 1/4" fairly thick washers. Do NOT use the stock metal brackets. They won't fit, use the new ones in the kit. Since they are universal in size, the washers will give you a better seat for the lockwashers and nuts/bolts.

    Tools:

    1- 3/8" ratchet
    2- 12mm socket
    3- 6" extension to use on the rear bushings, they are up there!
    4- Flat tip screw driver, to pry the busings from the bolts in the front.
    5- A rag, that darn grease is a pain to get off your hands.

    FRONT BUSHINGS

    1- Get under the truck and locate the front sway bar bushings. From under the front you get the best angle unless you are a practicing contortionist. The only thing attaching them to the sway bar are two nuts. Remove them using the 12mm socket/ratchet.
    2- Once the nuts are off, CAREFULLY pry the metal bracket from the two bolts taking care not to foul the stock rubber bushings. Once the bracket is off (it simply slides off the bushing) slip the bushing off the sway bar by spreading it just enought to get it off the bar. Take note which way the split on the bushing is facing. Save ALL your hardware.
    3- Open the grease tube that came with the kit and generously lube the inside of the new poly bushing and lightly coat the outside. Now's the time to use that rag. Clean your hands then use the rag to clean the part of the bar that will come in contact with the bushing. Now slip the bushing onto the sway bar (with the split facing the way the old bushing's did) onto the same spot the old bushing sat on.
    4- Slide the new bracket over the bushing and slip the new washers and the stock lockwashers over the bolts and thread the nuts a couple of turns onto each bolt.
    5-Center the bracket on the bolts and tighten the nuts down alternating about every 5 turns, this prevents you from pinching the bushing and promotes better, more evenly distributed seating. Don't overtighten the nuts or you'll find yourself in a heap of trouble if you break the bolts. Repeat on the other side and you're done. If you are slow it should take you 15 minutes per bushing.

    REAR BUSHINGS

    1- Get at them from the rear, you have to slide your body past the axle to get to these guys. They can be found way up there right next to the top of your Rancho 9000s or OME shocks. These guys are held on by bolts instead of nuts. Use the 6" extension on your ratchet to get to them. Once you undo the bolts follow the same prep and replacement procedure as with the front bushings. There is no need to use the screw driver here. These should take the baboon about ten minutes per to change. Remember to keep the old bushings and brackets in a safe place, you never know. Now go out and enjoy less lean!

    Islander
  • dbreauxdbreaux Member Posts: 23
    I read about the check engine light coming on somewhere on here but anyone have a recent run in with it. I removed the fuel cap and restarted it but did not go off, seems like that was one of the responses. Maybe it will go off after I drive it for a bit. I drove about 5 minutes, stopped, then left about 15 minutes later at which time the light came on. Any ideas would be appreciated. I hate going to the dealer even though it is a good one.
  • randers3randers3 Member Posts: 19
    Energy Suspensions offer urethane bushings with grease cirques on them to eliminate any squeaking.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    If you start the car without tightening the cap, you can have the CE light trigger. When you get just below a 1/2 a tank of gas, the CE light will re-check the vaccum on the tank and so long as it's sealed at that point, the CE light will go off. The other option is to disconnect your battery overnight, and then re-connect in the morning, this will re-set the computer. If there is a problem with the car, after re-setting the computer, the CE light will pop back on, at that point I'd go see the dealer. If the CE light is blinking though it indicates a major problem, in that case I'd see the dealer ASAP.

    -mike
  • islander21islander21 Member Posts: 43
    I read stuff somewhere (dang, did not bookmark it) that some 1998-2001 Troopers have a 1-1/8" diameter front swaybar, others a 1" thick sway bar. Could this be because of 4WD vs. 2WD? I measured the swaybar on my 2000 S and it's a 1". The rears apparently are all 3/4" in diameter. Any clues?

    Islander
  • gpm5gpm5 Member Posts: 785
    What's the deal with these flags?
  • centralcentral Member Posts: 51
    I noticed today that our local Circuit Citys have a buy one pair get the second pair (of equal or lesser value) at 50% off sale. This deal is good on most Polk speakers through 4/30/01. Possibly this is a chain wide sale.

    I have a question for those of you who installed the Polk 4" speakers in the rear. How much trouble do you think it would be to install the Polk 502, 5" inch speakers back there? Any feedback will be appreciated.
  • gpm5gpm5 Member Posts: 785
    I thought that the back was designed for the 5 1/2" speaker. I think that's shows up on the speaker search at the JBL web site.
  • islander21islander21 Member Posts: 43
    Flags: they are put there automatically based on the address in your profile. No address, no flag.

    Polks: The hole for the rear speakers in my Trooper S (don't know about the LS or Limited) is made for 4" speakers. The Polk 402s were a perfect fit. At the very least you would need to drill new holes, maybe snip some sheetmetal to slip the 5" speakers in there. So I ask you: do you feel lucky, punk? . Depth of the speaker should be no problem, though.

    Islander
  • centralcentral Member Posts: 51
    The sale prices are also in effect at Crutchfields. Seemingly this is a factory sponsored sale.
  • twnisbetttwnisbett Member Posts: 11
    Ok, here's a crazy question - I can't get my tire cover to fit over my tire. It's the flexible type, on a 1992 Trooper LS. The spare tire is a 245 70R16. Is that a larger-than-original tire size?
  • sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    Crutchfield.com seems like a great place to pickup electronics. I have priced stuff at best buy vs. crutchfield, and they are very competitive.
  • dbreauxdbreaux Member Posts: 23
    Thankyou for your help paison. When I drove this morning to work the light went off after a mile or so. My new task is to get the rear doors from rattling on larger bumps. ANY one been succesfull at that.
    ALso updating the ranch 9000s are wonderful after about 1000 miles. My next task is the poly bushings.
    This has been a very helpful site.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    The rear door rattle was address by someone on here. They had to adjust the hinges IIRC. I'll try to dig up the post and get it on my site. It may actually be on my site check the FAQ. http://isuzu-suvs.com


    -mike

  • cmunizcmuniz Member Posts: 604
    On my 96 Trooper, the rear door latch on the body (not the one on the door itself) had worked loose and slid backwards a little. This made the back door rattle since it didn't close tight. All it took was a large screwdriver to loosen the screws further and then reposition the latch a little further to the front of the car and the door closed tightly and no more rattle. Hope this helps.
  • nato1nato1 Member Posts: 102
    Has anyone found driving or fog lights that fit into the holes in the front bumper for the 2000+ rodeos? I remember a few links for lamps for the 1999's and earlier, but they were rounder right?
  • centralcentral Member Posts: 51
    I just installed one on my 1999 Trooper.


    It took me about 30 minutes to do as a one-man job. Fortunately I had a good LONG breaker bar to free the 4 existing bolts which have to be removed and reinstalled with the guard in place.


    I like the looks of the unit. It seems a quality item to me. Whether it will keep my Trooper from being a major money pit in a rear-end collision I hope I never find out.


    My only complaint was that it took much longer than promised for delivery. After talking to both the vendor and the manufacturer I am convinced that such delay will likely not happen to future

    customers.


    The link below also has an excellent picture.


    For what it is worth, when I accessed the vendor's site directly I got a $199.95 price whereas the link below through Yahoo yields a $119.95 price. I paid the later price and $11 for shipping (with no hassle about the higher price) using their 888 number.


    http://store.yahoo.com/autoaccessory/trooperrearfl.html


    Actually the above is a copy of the post I made on another board before I found this one. I am still very happy with this purchase and I thought I would repost my experiences here.

  • sahara111sahara111 Member Posts: 51
    Just put 3040 miles on our new Old Man Emu shocks (OKC - Orlando - OKC) and they are totally AWESOME!

    Personally, I would not mess with the Rancho 9000s. These OMEs (combined with the Sway-A-Way torsion bars and OME coil springs) were unbelievably nice and my vehicle was TOTALLY under complete control at any speed over any road surface - this setup really eats up the bad roads. This vehicle/suspension combination now rates as the 2nd best matched setup I've owned - only my Euro-spec '86 BMW M-5 was better.

    I had approximately 700 lbs of passengers and cargo in the vehicle for this road trip. It was so interesting to watch other vehicles just ahead or besides me going over the road and bouncing around, and/or completely ill-suited for the load they were carrying - back ends sagging, etc. Most of my traveling was at 80-85 mph, occasionally 90, except when my wife was driving (then about 70). I'm going to say it one more time: the OMEs are THE way to go.

    Oil: some of you might be happy to know that I used about 3/4 of a liter bottle in those 3040 miles. I believe this is reasonable, and not much different from what I experience with my '92 Landcruiser. I use Mobil 1 10w-30; I had about 2000 miles on the oil when I left and had just put in a new, clean filter for the trip. Please note this trip was during normal 50-60 degree temps most the way; summer time usage may be a bit higher. My '99 Trooper now has 32185 miles on it.

    Thanks again to everyone for all the useful and interesting info on this forum! Later.
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    I bought the EX502 and tried to install it in the factory rear location. I was unable to get the speakers mounted using the factory holes, so I just gave up and installed the smaller EX402 instead. As islander21 noted, the EX502 would probably fit but it would require drilling new holes in the metal behind the plastic factory speaker grilles/covers. This would likely be a very minor procedure, but I didn't feel like doing it so I just went with the EX402 which is a perfect fit and very easy install.
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