new member, trooper owner...

[Incusus]

Hello!
It's fantastic to find a forum where people have practical and creative answers/solutions to questions/problems with the more unusual 4x4's, specificly the 98-01 Trooper. Decent information on this truck seems as rare as the 2G trooper itself in my area I'm very impressed with what I've seen here so far!

I purchased my '99 in Febuary of this year with the intention of having both a daily commuter as well as something that can finally haul all my gear (kayaks, bicycles, etc) to the more remote trailheads, as well as toy around with off road a bit. My stomping grounds are southern Ohio, Kentucky, and W. Virginia.
I've drained and filled everything (oil, front diff, rear diff, dropped the pan on the AT, TOD unit, transfer case) with nice fresh synthetic oils and new AT fluids, seafoamed the he11 out of it, did a nice pour-in motor flush, changed the plugs, cleaned and applied dielectric grease to all the ignition wiring, did the usual tune-up, etc. I assume thats good for a start on a used vehicle.
I'm looking in the short term (<6 months) to pull and clean the intake manifold & change the gaskets, clean up the TB, drop on manual locking hubs, put street-specific tires in the correct size on the stock wheels (currently bald, junk brand tires a bit tall) to improve mileage, and acquire a set of steel wheels with a bit of ofset and put a set of 285/75 Geolanders on them for the weekend trips and Ohio winters.
Also planned in the near future are a set of OME heavy duty springs to replace the worn stock ones and give me a bit of lift, as well as a balljoint flip and new shocks. The current suspension setup (as I acquired it) leaves a bit to be desired, despite the very nice rear articulation. (flex is good! Bottoming out is bad!)

I'm anxious to learn what I can do to improve my truck as an effective weekend tripper/gear hauler from you guys. I'm not at all interested in crawling, I want to go somewhere, and I want to make this a solid and efficient truck for its purpose and maybe expand my own abilities in the process.

Cheers!!

 

[bigreen505]

Welcome to Expo! :jumping:

You might reconsider the tires, 285/75 is a lot of rubber for the truck to turn and IMO way too wide for adequate traction in snow. A 265/75 that measures a full 32" diameter might be better, but IMO is still wider than I would like, though I am considering them. Dunlop makes the RVXT in a 255/85 that measures 32.8" diameter a 7.5" tread width. Seem to be about the perfect size, but I personally would like to see more reviews of their off road capability.

You can probably forget the Yokos. The Geolander AT+II has been discontinued and I have yet to see any real reports on the AT-S. Supposedly the point of the AT-S was smaller tread blocks to reduce the cupping common on the AT+II, but what effect that has on traction has not really been discussed.

One thing you might want to address is some sort of storage system for the rear.

 

[AZTrooper]

Welcome man!!!!

I too have a '99 trooper and I love the hell out of it!!! So far it has been the most practical, capable, functional, and all around fantastic 4x4. I've had mine for over a year now and haven't had any problems at all. The only thing annoying right now is, for some reason when I turn the blower control knob, the blower doesn't come on. I took the blower out and hooked it directly up to the battery, it works. I checked all my fuses, none blown. I pulled the blower/ac relay and replaced it with a new one, still won't come on. I'm guessing it could only be one thing, the switch itself. Oh well... at least it's starting to get warm up here.

As for tires, I currently have 265/75/R16 Yokahama Geolanders ATIIs. I like them!! They have been great tires for me. I have had a little trouble with cupping though. I guess it would help if I rotated them more. I went 8000 miles without rotating them.(lesson learned) Actually, this week I'm buying 255/85/R16 BFG MT for more under body clearance and aggressiveness. But I on the other hand am looking for efficiency in rock crawling as well. I'm building my trooper to be my primary off-road vehicle.

As for the OME springs... I got the 912 springs I beleive, the heavy rated springs. AMAZING difference in the ride. I used to bottom out my suspension in the rear even when I went over a tiny speed bump, it was freakin' annoying. I also replaced the stock shocks with Rancho RS5000s, but now I wisjed I had gone with the 9000s. None the less, a super duper improvement over the stock set up. As for the torsion bars, I cranked 'em up, but I waited too long to get it realigned and now the outside of my front tires are worn about 1/2 centimeter more than on the inside.(part of the reason I convinced my wife to let me buy new tires) I plan on eventually buying the upgraded torsion bars from Calmini as I will be adding a bumper and a winch in the near future.

Anyways, that's enough for now. I have done other things as well, but most of them are tailored for off-road application. A really good site to check out aftermarket gear for troopers is http://www.independent4x.com/. They have lots of gear that I plan on buying, i.e. TeraLow 3.01:1 transfer case gears(our stock is 2.0:1), and the 5.38 ring and pinion gears too to make up for the rubber I'm about to add.

Hey man, again welcome!!!

 

[bootzilla]

Trooper looks great! Actually - it looks a lot like my dad's (Troopers kinda run in the family).

I've got the Yoko's in 265/70, and they are fine for daily driving and the rough stuff - they are a little soft, and if you let them sit for over a day they will get flat spots that take about 10 minutes to roll out. Can't believe they aren't making the AT+II's anymore - The AT-S never looked agressive enough to me...

Sounds like you've done a bunch of good stuff already. Biggest thing I'd say off the bat is to keep an eye on the oil level - they like to burn oil, although based on the seafoam and the motor flush, looks like you've already been tipped off to that. I'm using Shell Rotella right now, which probably is helping some, but my EGR is bad, so I am still burning.

Oh, and AZTrooper - if you find a source for gears - let us know (after you've snagged yourself some, of course). 5.38's are so tough to find. 4.77's are supposed to be a little easier because they used them on some 2-doors from the factory, but I haven't seen too many for sale...even 4.77's would be nice for 32's or 33's:truck:

Oh - and pics!! Show off your new Trooper! And the P'up, too (is it 4wd?)...heck - show off the Beetle, too - I dig the 'dubs!

 

[tdesanto]

Welcome!

Welcome to Expedition Portal. Sounds like you'll fit right in here. Great truck; you should have a lot of fun with it.

Check out the trip planning threads for anything in your area that fits your schedule. It's the best way to meet some of the great folks from this site.

Best of luck.

TD

 

[Incusus]

Thanks all for the warm welcome!

You might reconsider the tires (snip)

True, I suppose they are a bit tall. I allways assumed you wanted more float on snow, but I've heard the arguments ago either way on tire width. Too bad about the Yokohamas, I really like the brand and never had a problem with the Avid H4's on my car. Thanks for the tip on the Dunlops!
Storage system currently consists of milk crates... ok for now, but yes I'll have to work up something more secure.

AZTrooper- Thanks for the tip on independent4x! Site looks great, I'll have to give them a call. Living in Ohio, theres not much locally as far as parts.

Bootzilla- ya, the one bit of information that jumped out at me once I started researching the 3.5 was the oil issue. I'm not terribly concerned with as I actually check my oil between changes (couple of guys I talked to never looked then couldn't figure out why the engine went!!)
I've been experimenting with different oils (currently have Royal Purple in there) and it seems the best standard synthetic so far seems to be Casteroil. In the 3k miles it was in the engine, I think I added less than half a qt. Then again that was right after the flush... I have yet to try the rotella, but I hear its good stuff.

 

[Incusus]

Oh - and pics!! Show off your new Trooper! And the P'up, too (is it 4wd?)...heck - show off the Beetle, too - I dig the 'dubs!

The only pics of the truck I have at the moment are here:
http://pics.livejournal.com/kuro_usagi/gallery/00001xkf

The rack now has another rail in the back to suppost a long a canoe, and I now have a proper fitting fairing on the front. Other than that, she looks about the same now. (for what its worth, the lights on the rack are actually perimeter lighting, not driving/off road lights, so I can load/unload equipment in the dark.)

The Pu'p is a 2wd unfortunately, she's the designated "mulch hauler" for those 2-3 times a year you actually -need- a pickup. Looks like crap, but I'll snap a few pics anyway. You'll love the engine compartment. It looks like someone threw up a junkyard in there. She's got 381k miles on her, so no wonder.

Don't have any pics of the VW yet as its stripped down to its body at the moment. I'll send you a few if your interested as the project progresses

To make up for the lack of Pu'p & VW pics, heres a shot of my Mitsu on life support:
http://pics.livejournal.com/kuro_usagi/pic/0000kgcf/g3
... and one of the tranny when it came out:
http://pics.livejournal.com/kuro_usagi/pic/0000f002

 

[bigreen505]

For oil I'm running Castrol 0w-30 synthetic and I am very happy with it and lose very little.

 

[AZTrooper]

Just like you guys... I have oil cunsumption issues as well. Right now I have Penzoil 10W-30 and I've been running that oil since I bought it. Only lately have I gotten more into strenuous off-roading, so I usually burn about a half quart in an afternoon of wheeling. That seems very excessive to me and makes me want to give synthetic oil instead of the dino oil. Since I'm not famliar with all the different kinds of oil, could you guys explain to me the benefit of using synthetic? I have 142,000 on the chassis but the previous owner put in a used motor due to blowing the first one cuz he didn't keep up on the oil issue. Anyways, any info would be great. Thanks!!!

 

[AZTrooper]

Ok guys, I need to clarify some info about gearing '98-newer troopers. '98-newer have the corporate 12 bolt rear axles which happen to have the larger ring gear in it. Thus there are no known gearing options for them. As far as the '97-older, they have the smaller ring gear which can be interchangeable with other gears. The 5.38s will fit into those axles. Also I was looking into swapping out the transfer case gears with the gears from TearLow, but again, '98-newer troops have a Borg-Warner designed case, and with TOD, the 3.0:1 transfer case gears won't fit into it. The best thing to do is either buy a '97-older for hard core off-roading, or buy a wrecked one and using it as a parts donor.

I just wanted to clarify that. I was under the impression that we couls swap gears, but apparently that's not the case.

 

[ntxtrooper]

Me too..

I too, just purchased a 1999 Trooper a few weeks ago.

I love the vehicle so far. It was well taken care of and runs excellent. I am looking to make it my Expedition vehicle.

 

[Incusus]

I too, just purchased a 1999 Trooper a few weeks ago.

I love the vehicle so far. It was well taken care of and runs excellent. I am looking to make it my Expedition vehicle.

Hey Welcome! :arabia:

The Trooper is a great truck, although personally I think Isuzu softened them up during the 98-02 model years to meet US consumer demand for road-going luxo-barges. That said, I'm finding out theres still great potential off road, and even more once you have a look at a few possible issues. I'm not sure how familiar you are with the Troopers so if this is all old news to you, feel free to ignore me

OIL BURNING/LOSS:
First thing, Constantly monitor your oil usage between oil changes, and get it changed every 3k miles. The 98-00' 3.5L motor has serious oil burning issues, especially once it gets up in mileage thanks to the tiny return holes in the piston rings getting clogged with carbon. Many of us have found Seafoam works well helping with this. I'd recomend flushing the engine using the following method:

get a can of seafoam, add it to the crankcase now while your waiting for the weekend. Add as much as you can without overfilling the crankcase. It will loosen up fome of the funk over the next few days before the flush.

Get 2 cans of engine flush (I use Gunk brand, but I think any will do)
Get 5 qts cheap 10w30 and a cheap filter
get 6 qts synthetic 10w30 (I've tried many brands, the casteroil seems to work best)
get a better oil filter (currently usinf a heavy duty Fram).

Flush the engine using the instructions on the can.
Drain the engine of oil & flush stuff. It will probably look like black gasoline.
Swap the oil filter with the cheap one, replace the drain plug and fill with the cheap oil.
Take it for a drive, maybe 20 min/half hour. Dont abuse it
put it back in the garage and flush again with the next can.
Drain completely (I let mine set for 20 min with the plug out)
Replace the cheap filter with the better one.
Replace drain plug and fill with synthetic. Put the extra qt of oil in the back of the truck and check the oil level every few days over the next month, topping off as needed.

I've nearly eliminated my oil burning issues this way.

POOR MILEAGE (or system bank lean CEL codes):
Change the plugs, change the air filter, change the gas filter. If your mileage is below 15mpg combines city/hwy, consider replacing the intake manifold gasket. These were prone to leaking, causing mileage issues. Clean the EGR valve, and EGR return (mine was almost completely clogged!) If its realy bad, consider replacing *both* O2 sensors infront of the catalytic converters (not the ones downstream of them tho)

I just recently pulled both the upper and lower halves of my manifold, completely cleaned them (they had 1/8" of nasty black tar-like buildup on them!), scrubbed out my EGR return with a piece of wire, and replaced all of the gaskets (TB, common chamber, EGR, left and right manifold). Got the gaskets from St. Charles Isuzu for about $75, free shipping. I can safely say I've gained what seems like 1/3rd more power and about 4mpg!

CAPACITY/OFF ROAD CAPIBILITY:
Lose the shocks and the springs. I suspect that Isuzu put softer springs in the rear for that American-SUV ride (blech!) and after 8 years, its time to toss the stock shocks. I blew mine last month, and currently replacing them with ARB's Old Man Emu line (stiff shocks, 919/heavy springs). I think this is going to be the single biggest improvement to this truck I can make after talking to other ARB/OME users. While your there, flip the ball joints, put lower bumper snubbers on up front to regain some of the downtravel

POSSIBLE AUTO TRANS ISSUES
I've not had a problem yet, but I'll mention this because of what seems like a large number of other owners have done this: At the first sign of trouble with the tranny, they take it to a shop and have it flushed/pumped. If you dont know the history of your tranny and how it was maintained, I'd strongly suggest NOT doing this, as it apparently frees up a large amount of crap which then clogs the small galleries and valves in the tranny causing it to fail. I'd recomend dropping the pan and changing the filter instead.

Thats it! Those are the only 3 problems I have had with this truck, and after talking to other 2G trooper owners, they seem to be pretty common. Once you address those, the rest is gravy

 

[AZTrooper]

NTXTROOPER!!! Welcome to the trooper club and congrats on your trooper!!! Ha ha ha... we are few. We have one of the greatest 4x4 SUVs out there. Originally built to be the cheap competitor to the Land Rover. Totally overbuilt and last forever. I second everything Incusus said. I LOVE MY '99 TROOPER!!!!!!!! Wouldn't trade it for the world. The only issue(if you can even really call it an issue), is the oil consumption. To some it's detrimental, to me, it's nothing. Just means my troop is hungry for 4wheelin and she needs to be fed!! I mean... we eat right?!?!? The only thing I would do away with though, is the TOD. I don't care for it at all. It's a nifty idea, but pretty useless for me.



So... I was driving downtown today when all my electrical went out. The troop still ran, but it was in limp mode. So I pulled out my alternator and battery and took them down to Autozone for them to test them. The battery is fine(it should be, it's a red top), but my alternator es no bueno. Unfortunately, no parts store has one in stock right now. Napa can't even get one at all!! Isn't Napa supposed to have everything?!?! I think they claim they do. Oh well. So I have to order another alternator. And what's with all the remanufactured crap?!?!? I want a new one, but nobody can get one. They are all remanned. And what happened to decent priced alternators?!?!?! The lowest price I've been quoted thus far is $180.33!!! Damn!!! Oh well again!!!!

 

[ntxtrooper]

Issues

I have heard about most of the issues. I am still evaluating the Trooper and not doing any rough stuff yet.

I have plans to take it a dealership about 50 miles from here and have a some diagnostics run.

The only issues so far is:

1. Tranny shifts hard during hard accelerating but fine during normal takeoff.
2. Bought it without remotes and having problems programming replacement remote.
3. Gas mileage not bad but should be better. Changed air filter and plan on replacing plugs, gas filter, etc.
4. just had oil changed but will monitor.
5. Plan on replacing shocks also

Thanks all..

 

[AZTrooper]

My $.02,

Keyless remote- I installed CrimeStopper remote start and keyless entry. Not only did I get keyless entry back, but I also got a stand alone security system with remote start for winter time. Oh yeah, no more jumping into a sub-zero trooper anymore.

Shocks/springs- I did Old Man Emu #912 heavy springs on mine and Rancho 5000 shocks. The only thing I would change would be to get Rancho 9000 shocks. Major improvement!!!