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Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!
-mike
I want to mount a spare tire rack on my 94 trooper leaving the spare tire cover in place. With the bolts that hold the spare on its impossible. I couldnt line up the rack bracket(that fits behind the spare tire), tire cover bolt holes and wheel holes to get the bolts to thread in.
God forbid i should would EVER have to take get the spare off the back of the truck.
But.....I routinely tow a 2500 lbs, 18' boat, up hill, in the California heat, A/C on at 70 mph. The Trooper has 2 adults and two kids and perhaps 200 lbs of gear. The 2500 lbs boat has about another 200 lbs of gear. No sweat!
I had 24K miles on it and it was in excellent condition. (LUX pkg - Cream White w/silver lowers)
The price on the Excursion was too good to let go, so after negotiating a little, I settled for their offer. I just got a 28 foot Travel Trailer (Dry Weight 4850LBS) and the Trooper is only rated for 5000lbs. My previous trailer was 24 foot (dry weight 3900lbs) and the Trooper handled it just fine on flat roads. On hills it seemed to strain a little but always made it. Only got 8 MPG when towing.
One thing if you are going to tow with the Trooper is to use a weight distribution hitch AND anti-sway control. The short wheelbase on the Trooper could give you some trouble if the trailer starts to sway.
The rims from the VX will work on a trooper, but good luck finding a pair. They are only on 2000 and 2001 VXs (98-99 had 16") You can also probably find a 6 cd-changer by posting over in the owner's area if anyone is upgrading, they'll likely sell you the old one relatively cheap.
-mike
spokesperson of Edmunds Town Hall Isuzu Owner's Club
Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket and Accessories message boards
So now the question... final price on the '01 LS I/roof was 27.3K Did we get a good deal?
Again, MANY, MANY, THANKS!!!!!!
-mike
they sell used wheels. You would be better off
going aftermarket though...alot cheaper.
If you decide to go aftermarket, keep this in mind
your stockers are a 16x7 w/-9mm offset, I put 16x8 w/+38mm offset which brings the rim flush with the fender flare, you don't want to go any farther than that.
Try http://www.800wheels.com/cart/Isuzu_Vehicross_Aluminum_Alloy_Wheels_and_Rims.htm
My '99 Trooper, currently equiped with OME rear (progressive) springs and IAS Performer shocks all around, just had a rear IAS shock break - literally come apart - while I was driving to work last week. I noticed a terrible noise after I left the freeway and while driving slowly thru parking lots and secondary streets, and on to work.
This is my 2nd mishap - failure - with Edelbrock IAS Performer shocks. I'm done with 'em.
Went over to the dealer, and inspection revealed that the IAS rear shock for the Trooper is threaded only about 1/3" (at most!!!) at the bottom of the piston rod which screws into the top of the bottom mounting point. The piston is NOT safety welded!!! Apparently, the IAS for the Trooper is NOT designed for ANY type of lifted situation - even the measley 1-1/2" that the OME results in. Looking closely, the threads didn't appear to be stripped; instead, we think the top of the mounting bracket, over time, began to dis-form enough such that the threaded end of the piston was able to pull out. We unbolted the bottom bracket, screwed the thing back together and remounted the shock. For now it is holding - with very slow driving - my wife is driving to and from the daughters school only. When I remove it for good (in 7-10 days) I will report again with more details of this malfunction.
This vehicle has NEVER been taken off-road, never driven over drop-offs, never abused, never had the brakes hard locked, or anything - just normal city/freeway/go to work/get groceries type driving.
RECOMMENDATION: DO NOT USE THE IAS PERFORMER SHOCK ON ANY LIFTED TROOPER (E.G., THE OME REAR SPRING); IT APPARENTLY CANNOT HANDLE ANY EXTENDED TRAVEL SITUATION BEYOND STOCK HEIGHT.
I am replacing these "shocks" with OME Nitrochargers (firm variety based on several recommendations) - which is what I should have done in the beginning. Unfortunately, I was taken in by Edelbrocks "slick" marketing campaign. Never again. Please keep in mind that I earlier (last year) had both of the right side (front and rear) IAS shocks develop leaks after going over a moderate bump on the pavement 3 miles from my house. Those were replaced under warranty; bottom line is I don't recommend use of the IAS shock - it doesn't appear to be a truly robust piece of equipment - certainly not one I would trust knowing what I know now.
Haven't had it offroad yet, but everything works as advertised. I did this same thing to my Toyota pickup with ADD (Automatic Disconnecting Differential) several years ago, using Warn hubs. I expect to pick up a little bit of fuel economy (maybe 1 mpg), but the main reason for doing it is to reduce wear and tear on the front drivetrain components - CVs, boots, etc. Who needs to spin all that metal all the time, esp. on the pavement?
When it was up on jacks I did notice one thing, as expected. Before the hub install, when I spun a front wheel it stopped in about 1/2 rotation. When the hubs were installed, the wheel spun several full rotations before stopping. This is proof that the hubs reduce friction of the overall system.
I also noted a slightly lighter feel to the steering, perhaps just a tad better acceleration, and ever-so-slightly reduced interior noise at freeway speeds.
It's great that Isuzu still makes a 4wd that can accept locking hubs. Many brands will not accept hubs.
The cost was $115 ($125 after tax) and well worth the expense and a few hours of labor. I highly recommend it.
Just do it!!!
I miss many of the features that I had on my Trooper, like the heated seats, electric folding outside mirrors and the gigantic sun roof.
The Excursion surpasses anything I've ever owned for towing. It is awesome. With the 6.8L V10 with 310 HP and 425lbs of torque (3.73 rear), it hardly knows the travel trailer is behind it. Had it out for the weekend and got 11.2 miles per gallon while towing. ( I only get 11.5 - 12 driving around town without the trailer).
-mike
My '99 has TOD, and when the hubs are engaged (or "locked"), the TOD and 4WD Low works exactly the same as before. When they are disengaged (or "free"), the vehicle is in 2WD only and CANNOT be used either in the TOD mode or 4WD Low mode until the hubs are manually locked.
A true "locker" differential joins the wheels together for a sort of ultra "limited slip". In other words, both wheels are delivering power to the ground, unlike an "open" differential which only really delivers power to one wheel at a time. There are drawbacks to a "locker", and in my experience it is only needed in extreme offroading situations - steep rock crawling, etc. The late model Troopers already have "limited slip" in the rear differential, which is a good compromise for most applications.
Hope this helps.
Thanks for the post on locking hubs. I really like the TOD feature for winter driving but I've also been wondering what it costs it terms of gas mileage and wear and tear on the drive train. All but one of my previous 4 wheelers had locking hubs. After you've had the chance to run a few tanks through it I'd be curious to hear if the change made any difference in mileage for you.
It would seem to me that if you now have to get out of the vehicle to lock the hubs, you'll be less likely to do so and then won't have the convenience of the flipping the dash switch to TOD when the weather gets rough.
I think the gain in wear and tear and MPG's will be minimal at best.
Is it really worth it?
I am considering a Trooper for my wife and have really enjoyed all the great information everyone has posted, thanks! I think for the money, the Trooper is one of the best SUV bargains, can't wait to get one.
-mike
As I posted previously, I don't expect a huge gain in mpg - maybe 1 mpg or so. Out of curiosity, let's do the math. If overall mileage increases from 15 mpg to 16 mpg, and the lifespan (my ownership) of the vehicle is 100,000 miles, I'll save 417 gallons. At $1.75/gallon, that's $730. Wow! Even 1/2 mpg gain easily pays for the hubs and my labor, with enough left over to pay for some good offroadin'!
BUT, the main advantage is dramatically reduced maintenance. When you are having the front end of your Trooper serviced and need new rubber CV boots, and maybe even new CV joints (ouch$$$$!), I'll be laughing all the way to the bank. Wear-n-tear on the entire front end drive train - bearings, gears, differential oil changes, etc. etc. is reduced - this is beyond argument. The minor expense of the hubs ($125) will be paid for at the first major front end maintenance. The gas I save may also pay for the hubs over the life of the vehicle (about 5x over), but again, mpg is not the main issue.
Also, the slightly reduced steering effort and interior noise are also minor, but noticeable, pluses.
When I go offroad, it's no big deal to jump out and lock the hubs - it takes a whopping 20-30 seconds. I've had locking hubs on all my 4WDs, and they are a great addition. I'm glad I could do it on the Trooper, & I'll never go back.
-mike
Just curious, what do you suppose the average life span of the CV joints, boots, etc? I have had numerous front wheel drive cars and usually the boots would go about 80-100K, the joints shortly thereafter, but those are the primary drive wheels. On a truck, most of the time your using the rear wheels and only the front when in 4WD. I realize they are spinning all of the time, but I would think the lack of load most of the time would prolong the life span, maybe well past 100K? Also, the boots don't spin and are there all the time wearing out whether or not the hubs are locked.
-mike
Second, the CVs and boots do spin all the time if the vehicle is not equipped with hubs. When the vehicle is not in 4wd, it is true the amount of wear on the CVs is reduced. However, there is some wear because they have to flex over bumps and during turns. Also, the wear on the boots is the same regardless because they don't carry any load - they just spin. Also, I have seen many boots that looked good from a casual glance, but on close inspection they had all kinds of holes in them and the grease was completely gone. This is bad for CVs. I want mine to last as long as possible and to be there when I need them.
I just don't see any disadvantages of hubs, and many advantages. For those who live in places where the weather is icy in the winter, it's no problem to just leave the hubs locked all the time so that, indeed, all that is required to have TOD is to hit the dash switch. The other 9 months of the year you can unlock the hubs for less wear, better motoring, and more long term reliability of your excellent machine.
I guess it's just a basic philosophic difference, tisteve.
regards,
offroader
-mike
I am also curious about the $115, was that for both hubs, or each? That's a pretty inexpensive re-do either way. I would have thought they would cost more.
If you want to make your CV boots last longer - clean them every once in a while (while washing your vehicle) and spray them down with silicone spray. It only takes a couple minutes and can add years to your CV boots. Silicone prevents them from drying out and cracking - the major cause of failure.
Here's another tip - if the boot fails and starts leaking grease - get it replaced immediately before the lube is gone and the joint runs dry. If you run it too long you'll have to replace the whole NV joint assembly which is much more expensive.
Good tip about cleaning the boots. Yes, I think it might help to clean the road gunk off once in a while, just like any other rubber part. And yes, absolutely have the boots replaced when they do crack in order to conserve the CV, which is by far more expensive to replace. With a little care, and a little luck, now I may never have to replace the boots as long as I own it.
The price of $115 plus tax is for the pair of hubs. They are not tremendously complex, hence the reasonable price.
TOD is still available when you need it. The only thing you need to remember is to lock the hubs before you start driving. It's not that hard to do, either. If it looks like slippery weather, you lock 'em; otherwise you leave them unlocked.
Check the FAQ page on http://isuzu-suvs.com
I think one issue is the isuzu bug guard smacking the fenders @ speeds over 60mph, and another is the fuel line hitting the firewall in cold weather.
-mike
Steve
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
Also found out something strange; I can turn my Isuzu stock stereo ON by pushing the AM/FM button just to the right on the volume knob! Kinda fun:)
-mike
I also just finished ordering my Superwinch hubs for $97 including postage from http://www.hotrod-offroad.com. I am hoping they will provide a good service at this seemingly very good price.
I found an article which seems to cover the installation at http://www.outdoorwire.com/4x4/isuzu/. I would appreciate any tips that you may have learned from your installation as this will be a new item for me to tackle.
Again, thanks for the heads up.
It had the same system that the trooper has on it. auto-locking hubs. That is what the Trooper and all other SUVs have on them. Let's not get carried away here on the hubs issue. No cars sold in the past 10 or so years have manual hubs, they are almost all auto-locking hubs, which never fully disengage.
-mike
I do not claim to be a hub expert. My limited understanding is that this is the type of system originally used on most all auto hubs (i.e. fully disconnecting). The current shift on the fly systems use a hub drive flange which is bolted to the axle resulting in the front CV's always turning (but only driven when in 4WD).
-mike
Tom
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 this: 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 as they apparently are 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 seem 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.