Isuzu Trooper

cwmoser

I had neglected to rotate my tires on a regular basis and now my tires make a roaring noise.

Yesterday I had the tires cross rotated and the tire shop recommended a front end alignment - all this at a cost of $49.00 -- not bad I thought.

Now the tire noise has moved to the rear but a little less than a time before when I had the bad tires on the rear.

BUT, one thing I did notice after this is that my Trooper's steering is much less "wormy" and much more enjoyable to drive. I've read others talk about the "wormy" steering and thought you would like this observation.

konghh

http://www.suspension.com/s.b.bushings.htm

Energy Sway bar Greasable bushing.

Part Number 9-5157 13/16" = 20.63mm

Part Number 9-5163 28mm

I have ordered them and still waiting. My main question is: Should I get the metal bracket with bolt size P# 9-5125(Min 2-1/6" Max 2-7/8") or P#5-5157 (Min 2-9/16" Max 3-5/8") for the rear sway bar? Any comment appreciated.

konghh

And Paisan, just to let you know. Some '97 OEM Trooper here cames with 31x10.5x15 tires. Now, you can also get OEM 275/70R16 tires. Eat your heart out

ryanendres

sounds like a problem that has happen to a few of the folks with Amigos Read on:

I am appealing for help with a problem that has just popped up and it appears to be electrical. The engine ignition (or that's my best guess so far) cuts out while driving momentarily (sometimes as long as a second or two, but usually just a hickup) and the temperature gauge twitches towards high and the u/s light twitches between normal illumination and quite bright. It sounds to me as though this could be related to an electrical recall having to do with the PCM ground which apparently did not cover my VIN. Has anyone else had similar problems?

OK, Here's the update on the electrical issue. First let me mention that the starter was also involved. At the time I wrote the first post I had just replaced the starter and hadn't fully comprehended the fact that it was all related until the car wouldn't start again two days later. It was not the starter. It turns out that my guess in the last post was exactly correct. The Ground (P10) was loose and is known to cause all manner of electrical chaos including computer glitches (fuel cutoff while driving), instrumentation glitches and starter failure. There was a recall on very early VIN's (I bought my truck within weeks of the '98 hitting the showroom floor and my VIN was too late to be included in the recall) and the factory "fixed" the problem, which apparently means that it takes much longer to show up now than it did before. This problem is also detailed in a TSB (sorry, don't know which one) which was released last august (2000) and covers all Amigos 1998-2000 (and I would guess this problem will continue into more model years) and may also affect ground P6. If you experience these problems (the first indication is that of a failed starter, which I have been told virtually NEVER actually happens to an Isuzu) Ask your mechanic to check these two grounds FIRST before doing anything else. You'd be surprised at the difference in the repair bill between tightening a bolt and spending 10-12 hours tracking a problem because the service staff doesn't ever actully read the TSB's Isuzu sends them.

That is my best guess ... good luck!
-Ryan

bluedevils

I've heard several good things about Wet Okoles (www.wetokoles.com). Not cheap, but high-quality custom-fit seats. Never seen 'em in person, though.

bluedevils

I bought my black Isuzu side steps from St. Charles. With the 15% discount (I'm an ITOG member, or you can mention the St. Charles web site), I think mine were around $275-280 w/free shipping.

I haven't heard too many aftermarket companies much lower than that. I feel good having the "Isuzu" brand unit, even though others may be of higher quality.

carscarscars

Montanabill2,

I had to make a couple of trips to Home Depot. 1st I bought 1/4" (hole diameter) steel washers to go in front of the stock locking washers. They didn't fit. So I went back and got the 5/16" diameter, flat, steel washers and they worked beautifully. They came 5/pkg (brown & clear plastic bag).
As for the brackets, use the ones that come with the kit.
Hope this helps... and you will DEFINITELY notice a difference!

montanabill2

Hey carscarscars - Thanks for the input on the bushings - hopefully they will be here in time for the three day weekend for me to install. I'm also going to look at relocating that external air temperature sensor - the high end drift during stops is too much. I love this vehicle. The messages on this board are priceless.

bluedevils

Someone asked a while back about where to find out which features were standard/optional/not available on various trim levels? Carpoint.com has a lot of this information, and it is presented very nicely.

I haven't found any single web site with the definitive information, but carpoint is very good.

paisan

I have no problems on my 2000 Trooper, but the 2001s have an additional electric fan in front of the radiator, so this may help the 2001s do a better job of cooling? Just a thought.

-mike

montanabill2

I have checked that auxillary fan on my 2001 LS on the hottest days (95 F) here and I have yet to see it kick in. The only thing it does so far is slowly (when parked) go round and round due to the main fan causing a sucking airflow across the auxillary fan blades. It is connected electrically -so - it must take a pretty high temp guage reading to activate the fan.

paisan

When you have the AC compressor engaged? A lot of aux fans will only operate when the A/C Compressor is activated, or if the "max" or "recirc" position is engaged, or perhaps it's malfunctioning? At least you have one. It's on my short list of items to add to my 2000.

-mike

PS: Motor Trend thinks the next Trooper will be an Isuzu product, all hope isn't lost yet! http://www.motortrend.com/future/2002.html

bsmart1

pertaining to electrical problems. That may just explain a problem I'm having with the electrical system on my 97' Trooper. I see the buss voltage take a 2 volt dive when accelerating quickly, or tapping the accelerator quickly. It won't do it though if the lights are turned on. Sounds pretty crazy but its true. I've done a number of things to try to isolate the problem. It is definitely tied to the light switch being "off". Where do I find these (P10) and (P6) grounds? I want to check every susceptable ground possible. And yes, as someone mentioned, the posts on this website are very valuable. Happy Trooping!! ;-)

gpm5

That sounds like a faulty voltage regulator. I drove a car once about 500 miles with lights, blower fans, and stereo on just to keep the voltage regulated and to get back home.

zutrooper

Hey guys: Does anyone know best price for a new &/or used 2001 Trooper S w/ auto & 4wd? Best advertised prce in Nashville is $19500 used w/ 11k miles or $22500 new. Anyone seen better? I plan to make a purchase this weekend. Thanks, Mark P

sbcooke

I just posted in the future section regarding the next Trooper. Then I saw your post, I had to run out to my car and grab the magazine to double check. I found the exact opposite information in the September issue of MT. They say that the next Trooper will be based on the GMT 370 platform, the same as the trailblazer. Time will tell.

basketballkid

Is the next generation trooper going to be a 2002 or a 2003? or is that up for grabs too?

I go to a car show at the Boston expo center each year in Nov. They've always had the next year's trooper there.

gpm5

Those are good prices. With a used you get half the drivetrain warranty (60k/5yr) though unless the dealer is backing it in some way. Also, look carefully at the interest rates for the new. If you get low interest the payment could be close to the same as the used.

beer47

If the new Trooper has the Trailblazer platform; would it be so bad? As long as it has the Isuzu engine/tranny combo it might be OK. When they say platform, I'm not sure how much of the mechanicals are included in that phrase. That size frame/body with an Isuzu small 8 or peppy 6 cly. could be pretty snappy. What say the rest of ye!

paisan

Generally the platform means that they use the same suspension, tranny, diffy, drivetrain, and engine combinations. The problem with that platform is that it has bad angles of approach and departure, and it's assembled by GM, not Isuzu. The good thing about Isuzu assembly is that they screw the whole thing together properly, whereas GM generally gets it right about 50% of the time. Also go sit in the Envoy/trailblazer and see if it makes you feel like giving up your trooper. I did that the other day and it felt very cramped inside, with curves and low-roofline. Also the moonroof is tiny.

-mike

zutrooper

After shopping today, I found that you can get a trooper s w/ 4wd and auto
for less. Iwas quoated $20600 fora demo or $21200 new. I ended up buying a
used 2001 S w/ 4wd and auto for $18400. It was an Alamo rental w/ 10000
miles. Mark P

bluedevils

Good shopping! $18,400 is not much money for a LOT of truck.

bluedevils

Don't know if this one's been asked, but I just bought a CD-RW drive for my PC and I'm wondering/hoping that the Trooper plays CD-Rs. Anybody with any experience in this area?

paisan

I have never and will never buy any CDs, so in a word, yes they do work on the trooper 6-cd changer.

-mike

bluedevils

That's what I wanted to hear.

montanabill2

Over the weekend I installed the poly bushings (J.C. Whitney) on the front and rear sway bars. It realy does make a difference - just taking turns around the streets in the neighborhood is nicer -much flatter. Even noticed going over speed bumps in the shopping center parking lot that the trooper doesn't bottom out like it did. Took about an hour and half to do - did use 5/16 " st.steel washers and lock washers from home depot. The rear lockwashers were re-used - they were't coming off the bolts without some work. For those who haven't done this it is a worth while project. Thanks to the boards input. Now - just need to get the gas shocks.

keepontroopin

Does anyone have instructions on how to replace the bushing with the ones mentioned above. Are they on Paisan's website?

erinsquared

If the Trooper becomes just another re-badged GM corporate SUV, there will be a loss of uniqueness and further brand dilution which contributes to the General's declining market share. Now I agree that the Trooper has grown long in tooth, but for a brand whose major overhaul was in '92 (with drivetrain upgrade in '98), it still has a lot of feature content for the money. Compare this to almost every other SUV manufacturer who have ground-up redesigns that are mostly less than a few years old. If the Isuzu engineers were given the OK to execute an independent redesign except for a few choice corporate components, Isuzu would have a real contender. Inter-corporate competition would benefit all the devisions instead of allowing them to be marginalized into oblivion (Oldsmobile). Maybe GM executive compensation should be tied into the long term performance of the company instead of quaterly profits to penalize this pattern of decision making which is slowly destroying the company. Decisions today affecting retirement tomorrow - might shake things up a bit. Let me step down from this soap box...

bsmart1

Yep, the instructions are out there on paisans website.

Made a trip and have a little update on my differential "whine". Trip went great, Troop drove out great. I really like the feel of this vehicle on the open road. Anyway, I pushed it a bit this time feeling out how that rear end is acting.
It is a LSD limited slip diffy, and it is obviously got a different feel and sound than a non-LSD. The thing I noticed this trip is the sound increases from about 55 mph to about 72 or so, then it turns into a slight vibration at about 75 and a significant vibration at 85 mph. Somewhere between 85 and 100 it seems to smooth back out. It's like you drive through trouble area somehow. Only trouble is you can't afford to drive those speeds very long, to many State Troopers out there to nail you! It would have to be most noisy and vibrant at about 70-80 mph. Darn the luck! O well, I think I will be talking to the dealer maintenance shop this week about seeing what is wrong. It will be under warranty a bit longer, so best to get it checked out. Anybody seen any post on ITOG having this kind of symptom?? Any help appreciated.
That poly bushing is going on my list of upgrades. Sounds like a good improvement for a minumum expense.
By the way, I talked with a owner of a Grand Cherokee, I think a 1999 or 2000, and he's very dis-satisified with it. It gets about 10-11 mpg and it has the 6 cylinder not the small V-8.
Happy Trooping!! ;-)

bsmart1

I forgot to mention that I checked out the tire sizes as mentioned by pasian earlier. He said odd sizing can cause the "whine". He cited finding one tire 1/4" shorter diameter than the other. I did find one tire to be a bit less inflated than the other one but the measured circumfrence was the same. The overall height I measured was the same as well. I pumped them up to the same pressure to ensure equality. Pretty much same symptoms afterward as described in my previous post. Happy Trooping!!

sbcooke

I agree. What I read said that the Trooper may have a V8 to distinguish it, but that the V8 would only have a few more HP than the new 270HP 6 that GM is putting out? I hope to have my 1999 for several years, maybe they will bring back an original (i.e. non-GM, world production vehicle) back by the time I am ready to upgrade.

I think if Isuzu put together an SUV with that met the new aggressive safety standards that are out today, with a wider stance to completely, once and for all, debunk the rollover issues, they would seriously challenge some of the other SUV's in terms of sales figures. What I love about my truck, isn't what most buyers are looking for, Land Rover/Land Cruiser off-road abilities, at half the price. Most people want a Volvo Station Wagon, that sits higher than cars.

montanabill2

If the next trooper is based on the GM trailblazer platform then I would guess it would be made in the US - not too likely to ship hardware to Japan for assembly and then back again. If made in the US I would think we would hear about a new plant being prepared - that's about a two year plus effort. So I would think the new trooper will be similar to the GBX version that was shown in a recent Car and Driver and made in Japan. There spending money on a prototype for something and it wasn't wearing a bowtie. Time will tell.

montanabill2

I have not tried to play CD-R's in my 6 disc changer, but at delivery the salesman specifically warned me about playing CD-R's in this unit - apparently they have had some problems - anyone tried it?

99trooper

Hi all..I jave a 99 Trooper Ltd, with the LSD. The weird thing is that is fiarly easy to get the right rear wheel to spin out (while not in TOD) when going around a slippery turn etc. I thought that the LSD would transfer torque to the left wheel to prevent this? The reason I'm asking is that I also recently bought a 2001 Montero Ltd, and its LSD does seem to transfer to the other wheel around slippery turns..its much harder to spin the Monty..I remember Paisan mentioned something about using the emergency brake?? How does that actually help engage the LSD?..thanks!

keepontroopin

I think CD-Rs are about all I play in my factory CD player. It is more rare that an original CD goes into the player. And I have never had a problem!

paisan

About the cds.

The LSD on my Trooper is very lose... Meaning that it will not engage unless I crank up on the E-braketo get it to engage. I may bring it to a dealer andhave em check it out though cause it should engage sooner than that.

-mike

sbcooke

I have found that in 2wd, in the snow and in the sand, the rear end switches power back and forth as the wheels spin and keep me going. We should check it out while in the Pine Barrens coming up. There are a lot of sand pits, let's see if we can get one wheel to spin without the truck moving? I don't think we should be able to, and I hope not. But if the differential is road biased, it may not swing back and forth without a lot of revolutions?

paisan

I don't think it's supposed to swing back and forth. The idea behind an LSD is that if a wheel loses tracktion in the rear, both rear wheels will spin at the same or nearly same rate to un-stuck you. If it switchesbackand forth that's an open diffy IIRC.

-mike

erinsquared

Limited slip differentials usually have some sort of clutch mechanism/coupling which allows torque to be split between two wheels. Like a manual transmission's clutch, some slippage is desirable to provide better road manners when making turns. The slip allows the wheels to rotate at different speeds to accommodate varying turn radius's (inside turn wheel travels less distance than outside wheel). A locker differential essentially locks the wheel shafts together to balance torque split evenly 50/50 between the two. On the street, this would cause poor turning behavior as the gears strain and the tires scrub. If you have TOD and engage 4-Lo, you will notice that it becomes more difficult to turn because of the the locking of the transfer case and this is why the owner's manual states not to do this on asphalt. An open differential transfers all of the torque to the wheel that has the least resistance and thus if one wheel is on ice and the other on a grippy surface, the ice wheel will spin and spin. Trooper 4wd models have lsd rear differentials and open front differentials. Many new AWD vehicles use open differentials exclusively and use an ingenious method of managing torque by varying the brake application at all four wheels under computer control. This has shown to be an effective AWD system for occasional loss of traction during rain & snow conditions, but still provides slightly less traction for serious off-roading than a conventional locking differential. Also can't be too good on your brake pads & rotors if you are doing a lot of spinning like in the mud bog or sand . These systems already use mechanical components available for ABS which is almost standard on all cars, so there must be manufacturing savings here. These systems are sure to improve as the technology continues to mature.

boxtrooper

I read that MT article this way: A long time ago there was a rumor that GM would let Isuzu design the replacement for its older Jimmy and Chevy S10 SUV. Perhaps, Isuzu designed the chassis on which the Envoy and TrailBlazer are riding. Then, the next Trooper will be on a Trooper chassis. Lets just hope that they have replaced the body with a nice boxy practical one similar to the Troopers sort of crossed with the GBX to make it look newer. Maybe there will someday be a diesel version so we can get 30mpg in out SUVs. Maybe the word diesel will go away and they will slip it past the EPA by calling it "Compression Ignition Engine".

sdc2

I had a friend who had a muscle car with a LSD. Sometimes in the snow the rear tires would "cycle" back and forth as described above, due to the tires hunting for traction and digging down to the pavement. So it can happen in some circumstances...

montanabill2

Thought you might be interested in this article. The article also mentioned that design of the 2003 Trooper as well as the Rodeo is under wraps. The Vehicross is also dropped from production. The article also mentioned that in the future there will be some comonality of parts with GM vehicles.

Trooper
Exhibiting a traditional square profile, the Trooper — Isuzu’s
biggest SUV — gets a few minor changes for 2002. Privacy
glass and solar green UV-cut glass are now standard for the S
version, while a power moonroof has been added to the LS.
Also new in the LS is a digital clock with outside-temperature
display, a stopwatch, average-speed indication and a service
reminder. The Trooper Limited now offers Nakamichi premium
audio. The Trooper’s 215-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 engine teams with
either a rear-drive or four-wheel-drive transmission.

cdanschwartz

Hi Everyone,

I now have about 2500 miles on my 2001 S. I mostly like the truck. I've taken it off-road up in the Catskills, and it was great. I also took it on the beach, and I noticed that I needed to use 4 wheel low rather than TOD if I wanted to go anywhere.

I do have a question about handling. I have yet to experience any loss of control whatsoever, even in the rain. What I am scared about and need to know is, will the Trooper give me any feedback before the rear end swings out or it tips?

In other words, I like to drive cars that tell me when they are about to do something nasty. I grew up with rear wheel drive and I like being about to slide the rear end every once in a while. So far, I'm driving the Trooper way too conservatively to do anything like that. I'm sure when winter comes, I can go to an empty parking lot and find out for myself. But I would like to hear what you experienced Trooper drivers think.

paisan

Yeah just minor changes. The vehicross ceramic molds are finished after the 01 model year, that's why it's being dropped. The Limited looks like it will get the "Anniversary Edition" stereo package. 2003MY will tell the tail though.

-mike

paisan

Well I haven't rolled it yet so I can't say I've gotten much tipping feedback. As for skids, the key with AWD vehicles is to gas out of a skid, don't brake and don't just try to steer out of it. If you gas it in a skid, the front wheels will grip and pull you out of it.

-mike

bsmart1

erinsquared, good description of the rear diffy and LSD operation. Very helpful information. It makes sense for what I felt and heard as I went up NEBO mountain recently. It's about 1800 ft. elevation change in about 1.5 miles. On a good amount of it, you're making switchbacks about every hundred feet and taking an incline of about 30 degrees. Quite a steep approach for a 180 degree turnaround. Trouble is, it's all asphalt and it works a rearend over pretty good. Also puts a good stress on the engine and cooling system as you go up. While I was making the switch backs, I could hear the clutching taking place, as the wheel on the short side of the turn made its cut into the turn. This is my first vehicle with a LSD, so I found the sound and feel of it, a bit surprising. It's not loud by any means, but you can definitely hear it doing its job at these low speeds. Since I'm hearing a "whine" at high speeds and getting some vibration just above that, I have questions about the integrity of the clutch. I plan to get the dealer involved soon. Keep those technical posts coming..... Happy Trooping!! ;->

paisan

bsmart, your LSD could be too tight. I have the opposite on my truck. My LSD never locks up, yours seems to be locking up too often. Just a guess though.

-mike

gpm5

Its not a big deal. In the rain if it spins or even in dry (and you should have it in TOD if hopping on it like that) just give it the gas as Paisan says. It will pull right out of it. If its really slick like ice or is ice, you'll get a pretty good jerk as the rear swings out. In those cases I've let off on the gas, no problem. If its several inches of snow, you can power your way through skids.

montanabill2

Well today, while at idle, the auxiallary cooling fan in my 01 LS did kick on - with and without the air conditioner on - outside air temp is 90+. Temperature guage was still below the halfway mark - where it always is - thought you'd like to know.

boxtrooper

I talked to the sales guy and he says they test these bushings at very low and very high temperatures and they hold up better than their competition. These are graphite impregnated and havea grease fitting.

Copied from Kong's message:

#2003 of 2051 Polybush 28mm & 20mm by konghh Aug 30, 2001 (05:33 pm)

http://www.suspension.com/s.b.bushings.htm

Energy Sway bar Greasable bushing.

Part Number 9-5157 13/16" = 20.63mm

 Part Number 9-5163 28mm

 I have ordered them and still waiting. My main question is: Should I get the metal bracket with bolt size P# 9-5125(Min 2-1/6" Max 2-7/8") or P#5-5157 (Min 2-9/16" Max 3-5/8") for the rear sway bar? Any comment appreciated.