Isuzu Modifications/Aftermarket/Accessories

sdc2 · April 2003

Which wires did you hook to? My Troop had 3 wires to the turn signal: green/red, green/black, and black. The black looks to be the ground, and based on the way the other bulbs in the assembly are wired I deduced that the green/black was the turn signal, while the green/red was the parking light.

So, the proper wiring (as ARB intended anyway) would be to the green/black and black wires. This setup has worked correctly for me in any case...

sbcooke · April 2003

I don't remember. But I probably did green/black and green/red. I like the way it works for me. They turn on as parking lights with the lights on, and also function as turn signals. I noticed that the odometer blinks with the signals, and it never bothered me much. However I didn't think of the impact until it started effecting my radio display.

If I have to try to fix it, I am going to have to remove about an entire roll of electrical tape that I used when I wired it up.

paisan · April 2003

That blinking ODO and what not is basically indicating there is a short in the wiring. Which is what you are doing by hooking the GROUND wire up to the positive

-mike

sdc2 · April 2003

I think he technically has two hot wires hooked together, so the ground has to find its own way back...probably not the best situation.

sbcooke · April 2003

I know I do. As per my previous posts, I wired the ARB signals to both the blinker and parking light by mistake a few years ago. I didn't test with the headlights on during the install, so I never caught it until it was too late.

Now it is causing an issue with the display on my new receiver. Not a major problem, but annoying enough.

However, I do like the way the ARB signals/lights work. They blink when headlights are off. They turn on as parking/driving lights and blink when the headlights are on.

There is the rub, if I fix the lights, I lose the function I like. The amount of electrical tape I used on the wiring to keep water and what not out is a daunting prospect to remove and fix. I am going to first try to resolve the issue from the radio side of things, since the only effect seems to be the odometer flashing, and the rest of lights/dash seem to work fine.

paisan · April 2003

Would be to put in a dual filament bulb, I think that's the "technical" way to fix it. But i'm all for alternate methods

-mike

sbcooke · April 2003

Another one day turnaround for Crutchfield and my stereo upgrade project. I bought my speakers directly from Crutchfield, because their prices are very competitive for speakers...for head units they are a little high.

I swtiched the JVC unit to have the illumination set to off, so it doesn't take input on the headlight/dashboard circuit. No more blinking. So for now I am going to leave it as is.

sbcooke · April 2003

I did the install for the front Polk 365s tonight, tomorrow I will get the rears done. They fit fine. The install was a little tricky, since the stock screws were a little big and sort of pushed the rubber surrounds out of whack. I just drilled new holes and used the screws that came with the set.

I also had an issue because I didn't get them exactly centered. So once the screws were tight, I noticed a little gap on one side under the rim. I just drilled a few more holes and added more screws to put it tight against the cutout. The metal rim got very slightly crooked, but it didn't seem to effect the shape of the woofer cone.

The sound is very good, at least from my first 10 minutes of listening. At normal levels it is hard to distinguish much difference, but as soon as you crank it up you can really hear how much better they are.

The crutchfield cables again fit easily. However the wire fell back into the door when I was adjusting it. I first tried to take the door panel off to retrieve it, I didn't realize the door has plastic sealing the entire inside compartment? I had to come up with another plan. A coat hanger did the trick.

sbcooke · April 2003

Has anyone been able to significantly improve the headlight performance of the Trooper? I have put in Sylvania XV bulbs, which is an improvement, but the performance is still sub-optimal.

sbcooke · April 2003

I tried adding the Polk EX352s in the rear slots and they didn't fit the cutout. I am OK with drilling and chopping, etc, however the cutout isn't just plastic, it is lined with metal. Another option would be to use something like 3/8" spacers and then the covers that came with the speakers?

The Polk EX350s are 5", slightly smaller, but have a cutout requirement of 7/8" of an inch less. This seems like a better choice than trying to cut through the metal back there. I called up crutchfield and it is no problem, they will swap out and still offer me the buy one get one at 1/2 price deal on the second set and hopefully this will be resolved this week.

I also picked up a set of Sylvania SilverStar headlight bulbs. They are definitely much whiter and brighter than the stock yellow or even the Sylvania Extra Visions I was using. It seems better from the drivers seat, however I don't know if level at which the light burns i.e. 4000K vs. 3200K (white vs yellow) actually translates into more lumens or candlepower?

saty · April 2003

Has anyone try replacing the stock headlights with some of the high performance light bulbs out there?

paisan · April 2003

And it generally doesn't work well. I've tried several different bulbs some are better than others, but a set of auxiliary lights will be far more useful to you.

-mike

sbcooke · April 2003

I got my replacement speakers today and popped them in. They fit and screwed right into the factory holes. Polk EX350s. They seem more than 1/4" smaller (5 vs. 5.25) than the EX352s that didn't fit?

Well its done. I think overall it was a decent upgrade, the stereo is awesome. MP3 functionality works well. The speakers are good, definitely better than stock. However, I would have liked to put slightly larger speakers in the rear, but the work involved in cutting holes in the metal in back was more than I really wanted to do.

Overall- JVC SX990, $175 delivered, Polk EX365s/EX350s $140 delivered. Crutchfield was great with the speakers. The return was no problem and my replacements were in the mail back the same day they were returned. I shipped the replacements Tuesday and got the replacements Thursday. Their price on speakers was much more competitive than their electronics.

saty · April 2003

Has anyone try or know anything about the new Sylvania Silverstar high performance halogen light bulbs? It cost about $25 each. The company claimed it equivalent or very close to HID quality.

sbcooke · April 2003

look back 4 posts. I put up information regarding the very same immediately prior to your first question regarding.

$19.99 each at Autozone. Better than stock and whiter, but I am not sure if they are any better than the Sylvania XV bulbs which are 1/2 the price. They are whiter than the XV, but the distance at which I can see hasn't changed much since the change from XV.

ostaz · April 2003

I am planning on adding aux lights to my 99 S truck. I would like something that will fit in the factory cut-outs. How about adding factory lights for that matter?

Any advice.

Thanks
Sam

sdc2 · April 2003

Installed a hood channel mount for CB antenna over the weekend. I took off the clutch plate on the firewall for a pass-through, as many people suggested. Just wondering what you have done to "plug" the hole after your wiring is installed. I though about drilling a smaller hole in the cover plate, but decided not to do that.

For right now I cut a piece of foam pipe insulation and curled it up tight, with the coax in the middle, to stuff the big hole, but this is a temporary fix.

paisan · April 2003

Dunno, my antenna is on the wing in the back. I'm suprised you didn't put it on the CB mount on your ARB!

-mike

paisan · April 2003

OME 919 Springs
Fog-lights in the ARB
Synthetic TOD and ATF Fluids
Electric Brake Controller
Semi-permenantly mounted AC Inverter with outlets in the center concole.
Rear lights for loading trailer at night.
OME or Replacement Rancho Shocks
Fix the Door that got smacked

-mike

sbcooke · April 2003

When I had my OME lights installed, they drilled a hole in the rubber bushing around the wiring harness that passes through the firewall...I know that is a different pass through...but they used an epoxy to seal it up.

If you drill a hole through I can think of a few ways to seal it...one is just with some kind of caulking/epoxy that sticks to metal and rubber, the second is by gluing some rubber circles? washers? plumbing item? or something with a smaller diameter than the cable on either side of the pass through, then you could just run your cable through and remove it and still have a tight fit.

sbcooke · April 2003

I am interested in adding driving/fog lights, preferably driving lights on that circuit. Paisan let keep us updated what you are looking at.

paisan · April 2003

Down in uwharrie one guy had some cheapo $19 driving lights from Pep-boys/Autozone. He mounted them in the lower portion of the ARB. I'm thinking of getting some Hella Freeform lights to put in there and connect up to my fog-light wires/switch. My buddy is trying to figure out how to override the "only on when you have the low-beams" problem.

I'll keep you updated as I start to get more of a plan in mind.

-mike

leedavidyoung · April 2003

Hey Mike

What is wrong with your current OME set up? Are the 919's better for towing?

paisan · April 2003

I have the 912s in there now, which are 1.5-2" lift over stock with a progressive rate spring. The 919s are HD which means that I won't get as much sag as I get with the 912s. Generally I run with a full compliment of tools and what not in the back, along with a trailer often, so the 912s are basically bringing me back to near stock height when fully loaded. The 919s would retain the lift even when loaded. I only wish they had been out when I bought my 912s.

-mike

sdc2 · April 2003

"I'm suprised you didn't put it on the CB mount on your ARB!

"

Well I called Sams about the antenna mount for the ARB, they said they haven't been available for months, and no prospects for getting any...

Guess I could always just drill a hole in the top of the bumper if I wanted to.

I like having the antenna closer to the center of the vehicle anyway.

paisan · April 2003

Hmm mine has 2 tabs right on the bar for it, doesn't yours?

-mike

sbcooke · April 2003

Some king of plumbing pipe fitting could work also. I have thought about putting it on the bar. Right now I use a $20 radio shack magnet mount through the back. I use it so infrequently that I haven't bothered. Although the bar attachment would be a lot easier for car washes.

sdc2 · April 2003

The tabs on the bumper are for lights, I think. I guess you could put an antenna there, if you didn't mind it being right in your field of vision.

paisan · April 2003

I was under the impression that they were for antennas, and the lower ones for lights.

-mike

sdc2 · April 2003

I know ARB sells an accessory item for the bullbar for mounting an antenna...I know nothing about how/where it mounts on the bullbar, though, never even seen a picture of it.

sbcooke · April 2003

http://www.4by4connection.com/cbaccessories.html

sdc2 · April 2003

Looks like it straps to the horizontal portion of the upper bar. Actually, now having seen it I think one of the upper light tabs like Mike was talking about would be just as good or better, unless you already have lights there.

saty · April 2003

Any advice or recommendation on monroe sensatracs for those who have them install on their trooper? Local Sears store can put them in for $216 for a set of four shocks. I have thought about those new Rancho 9000x but price for all 4 are way too much for me right now.

boxtrooper · April 2003

If you look online for shocks proces you may be able to increase your selection of shocks without adding much to the price. I found a few sites with OME shocks that I have and am very happy with. I bought mine from OverLander.com, but their site seems not to be working today.
..
http://www.arbusa.com/OME_Nitrocharger_Shock_Absorbers.htm
http://www.rocky-road.com/trooper.html,
..
4 * ($65/each) = $260 for great shocks. You could probably find a lower price if you search harder than me.

boxtrooper · April 2003

http://www.rancho.com.au/webpages/shock_absorbers.htm
http://performancelifts.com/cgi-bin/cart/RS9000X.html

sbcooke · April 2003

$65 per is pretty accurate. Rocky-road.com is another store which offers them.

I think it is worth an extra few hundred over the monroe's in the long run.

sdc2 · July 2003

I did the sway bar bushing replacement, following the write-up on isuzu-suvs.com, over the weekend. My expectations weren't very high, but I must say I am digging the way the ride has "tightened" up. Just seems to be less lurching around, more controlled. I definitely got more than I expected.

So I highly recommend this mod, it is low risk at only about $25, and is easily reversed if desired.

One note: I bought 1/4" x 1" fender washers for the install, but they did not fit over the studs. Regular 5/16" washers did the trick and were cheaper to boot. I definitely recommend stainless steel washers for this purpose, they were only $0.16 each at my local hardware store.

fermat88 · July 2003

Any advice for installing a roof rack on a 2000 Trooper? I have read old posts referring to Overlander brackets, but they are now out of business. Does anyone know of any alternatives? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

raydahs · July 2003

http://www.zetaproducts.net/trooper.html

raydahs · July 2003

Mike, you posted this link a couple of years ago, which I obviously made a copy of. Maybe you could put it on your site for future reference, if it's not already there.

http://www.gm.com/automotive/gmpowertrain/transmissions/hydra/app- s/4l30.htm

breakor · July 2003

I noticed that these show up on Ebay from time to time. In fact there are some there now. They LOOK fairly good in that they install to the frame in the seat. The disadvantage being that you have take the seat covering off to do the install.

Anybody here have a pair? If so any feedback would be appreciated, especially about the installation.

duktrooper · August 2003

I was desperately wanting armrests for my '99 S model Trooper and the cheapest I could find was an upholstery shop who wanted $350 for the pair installed.

I did some web surfing and found a salvage yard in my area with front seats w/ armrests AND lumbar and seat controls, for only $75 each, installed. The seats came off a 2001 Trooper and were in great condition...they also have better cushioning. Good Luck.

paisan · August 2003

They also might have power and heat too?

-mike

sbcooke · August 2003

This technical link is from another 4x4 web group...however it is interesting to see that "howstuffworks" picked up and utilized something a fellow isuzu guy published.

Link

paisan · August 2003

I happen to know! Chris Perosi is no-questions asked the #1 Isuzu Expert in the country. Took me on my first trip to the Pine Barrens of NJ. Great guy who I've called at 3am while stuck in the barrens to give me directions and/or advice on towing out stuck vehicles etc.

-mike

sbcooke · August 2003

I noticed a drop or two around the drain plug in the pan the other day. I wiped it down and 3 days later it is starting to get a little wet again. Not a big deal, but I am a little concerned that I took it out for a huge road trip/family vacation a few weeks ago. I can't imagine too much leaked out since I was flushed and filled prior to vacation.

I thought to check because I noticed the 2-3 upshift seemed to be getting delayed again while cold, slightly longer than after the flush. No other shifting issues so I am not in a huge rush, but will get it done in the next couple of weeks.

Oh well, another trip to the shop. I need an oil change so I will just get it done then.

breakor · August 2003

Sbcooke, like you noted I doubt you lost much fluid but it is a very good idea to get it checked just to be sure. FYI the drain and fill plugs take a washer that has a rubber insert. When a plug is removed the rubber is easily damaged. Consequently, the washers should be replaced each time the plugs are removed.
If you get your work done at an independent shop they will likely not take the time/spend the money to get these dealer only washers. The point being you should take the washers to the shop whenever the plugs are to be removed.
If a dealer did the flush they should have used new washers and prevented the leak.

sbcooke · August 2003

Thanks...It is an ex-dealer. I hope they will have a rubber washer to use to fix the problem.

I meant to post this in the maintenance section. It was before I had my daily dose of coffee.

boxtrooper · August 2003

you might want to call ahead to give them time to make sure they have the washers on site.

df2000 · August 2003

I use cooper hi-temp RTV on original washer and it no leak, but my original washer is all metal no rubber at all, it has teef inside.
If you put original washer without RTV it will leak, if you put just regular washer it will leak
also, AT pan has a curve around these plugs and
washer doesn't sit right.
I still not get it how it was no leak in the first place.

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