Questions regarding a 1994 Trooper...

[Scott Brady]

WOW DBS311, your 62 is incredible. What a classy machine.

My 60 fit 31x10.5's with no issue and did well on the trail. I was just always paranoid about bashing the rear end, being such a clean truck. The Cruisers will always be cool and have great style.

 

[DBS311]

Thanks Scott. Just to clarify, my 62 is the red one. The white one belongs to a guy on ih8mud (Gary C.).

That is another drawback with the 60/62, the long hind quarters loves to ********** terra firma. Then again, throw on a steel bumper and no more worries.

I gotta admit, my interest with Troopers all started from bumping into your website and checking out all the pics/vids/build up of yours. I never noticed them before and now I just have to get one! I am torn between the late model Trooper and the '05+ Tacoma. Recommendations for light duty expedition travel??? I am thinking about possible cross country trips hitting trails along the way......possibly up to Alaska or across Canada. The only thing that worries me about the Trooper is aftermarket support. Are there really no options for throwing in different gears? Can an ARB be put in the rear?? Thanks for answering my noob questions.

 

[bootzilla]

You can re-gear a late model Trooper, but the options are limited. If you can find them, some late 1st generation Troopers came with 4.77 gears that can be swapped in, which will help you out a little, but not too much (I think stock is 4.60). For really big tires, even the 4.77's would probably be too high.

You can get Terra Low transfer case gears for 4-wheel low - those have great reviews, although there is a lot of labor involved to install them. Terra Low used to make diff gears for Troopers, but I think they stopped.

You can do ARB's front and rear, but in a Trooper with a rear Limited slip, you'd have to swap out the diff for an open one (ARB designed the locker for the open diff). There was supposed to be a Lockright diff being made for the rear, but I am not sure if that ever came about or not. You can always weld the rear end, too - but from what I have read and been told, a front ARB with the factory LSD in the read is pretty effective for most situations.

There are not lots of the fancy aftermarket stuff for Troopers, but most of the basic stuff is available - lift, lockers, HD suspension components. Scott can chime in with a lot more info, but you can check out www.independent4x.com to see some of the stuff available.

Oops - sorry to sound like an Isuzu commercial - I think Toyota's are great, too!

 

[AZ_Husker]

looper, hurray for the '94 Trooper:luxhello: . 1992-1994 are my favorite Troopers :wings:

I've been in love with my 1993 Trooper for almost 5 years now:sunflower
I recently bought a '95 Toyota LC but I do not have the heart to get rid of my zu-zu.
Too many good times together:truck: :smiley_drive: :1888fbbd: :friday:

As long as you're not in a hurry go get anywhere, it will serve you well.
Don't forget to visit the forums at www.planetisuzoo.com

 

[DBS311]

Bootzilla, thanks for the info. It sounds like all the necessary components for an expedition rig are available, so that is good news. If I got a Trooper, a mild lift, lockers, and some body protection are all I would need since they are already built so well from the factory.

Another question...........I was reading another thread about somebody breaking CV's on his Trooper and there was debate on whether or not it is something that can be changed out rather easily. Does the diff in fact have to be dropped down/out to pull the CV's, or is it relatively straight forward? Thanks for the help!

Karson

 

[datrupr]

Karson, that was me that broke my CV on my Trooper, and yes, the diff does have to be dropped to remove the CV's. Not an easy field repair. What I did learn though, is that if the inner joint is fine, then you can actually rebuild the inner joint with a new axle relatively easily. But, if you only lift it mildly, put manual hubs on it, and keep an eye on you boots you should not have a problem with the CV's. My failure was due to my lack of preventive maintenance. The outer boots were torn, and I knew it, but I did not replace them. Then, through water crossings, dusty roads, and a little mud thrown in for fun the DS outer CV finally gave out. But this was after a year of neglecting the boot issue and lots of off road travel.

As far as lockers, if you get one with the G-80 LSD you really do not need a locker in the rear. This is a great set up and will serve your needs well. ARB does make lockers for the front diff though if you want to go that route. I say get the Trooper. Mine has never let me down, and I have over 120K on the odo. And, I am still running the OEM brakes from the factory. Very solid truck, and very capable. I am running the original suspension, and a few weeks ago at Gunsight a couple of the guys behind me commented on the articulation of the rear suspension. They could not believe it was stock, and with 120K on it. And, Scott can confirm this. Though, the new Taco's are pretty sweet as well.

 

[ZooJunkie]

Taco smucko.

 

[DBS311]

Thanks for the info Aaron. It does make more sense that they failed from lack of maintenance. After lurking on various Isuzu forums I have never read or seen many threads on broken CV's. As I research more, I find myself leaning towards the Trooper. If I finally pull the plug and buy one, it won't be too long before I have my own build-up thread here.

 

[ZooJunkie]

They are indeed a great bargain. For the money, you get great value, great performance, usability, reliability, and ruggedness.

Can't beat that for the price you pay! Sadly the only thing missing from these great trucks is the aftermarket segment. Oh well. Nothing a MIG and some friends can't do.

 

[DBS311]

It does pay to know an excellent fabricator!