Trucks and Off-Roading for Dummies...

[Zaphod]

Okay. I'll admit it. I'm clueless. Completely lost. Utterly befuddled.

Did I mention I'm clueless? I did? Good.

I'm completely new to this whole off-road thing. Hell, I'm completely new to the whole TRUCK thing. I can change the oil...... barely....... and last time I did I almost took off the wrong damned screw and drained the transmission (at least, I THINK it was the transmission...).

So forgive me for starting a "Trucks and Off-Roading for Dummies" thread. I need one, and at least here people log in to answer questions.

To begin with, I own a 2000 Isuzu Trooper LS. Love the damned thing. I use it as my DD and I want to trick it out for moderate off-roading (I would estimate a 4 rating MAXIMUM, with 2-3 being the norm). Thing is, a clueless guy like me can REALLY get lost in the maze of tire sizes, lift sizes, accessories, and so forth, especially when basic things like "what's a manual hub?" come rolling out of my brain with little warning.

I'm mechanically skilled. In other words, I know which end of the hammer to hit the nail with (which end of the nail goes toward the wall is still a bit of a mystery). Well, maybe I'm not that bad.

So, with all that said (Forgive me father, for I have sinned...), I'll get to the questions.

1) What is a manual hub, and how is this different from an air locker?

2) What is a Differential Drop Bracket Kit, and why would I want one?

3) If I install an ARB winch bull bar with a winch, should I consider replacing the torsion bars with Sway-a-Ways?

4) Are Deep-Cell batteries worth the money? I'm looking at it from the standpoint of having plenty of juice to run camp accessories and still be able to crank the rig up in the morning. I know lights are power hogs, but the plan is to have two on the bumper, four on the roof rack, and one on the rear, and no, I have no intention of running them all off batteries.

5) Can anyone provide me with recommendations for a good roof rack for my rig? I've heard the Sarcos are OK, but that steel is preferred. Anyone know a good custom guy?

6) Just how do-it-yourself (and I DO mean BY MYSELF) is the installation of a lift kit, new shocks, new torsion bars, torsion bar crank, and ball joint flip? I live in an apartment with no garage, and I can't afford to leave my rig up on blocks for days, nor to rent a car.

7) Does anyone have a pic of this DOR bumper? While on the subject, anyone know where I can get an ARB bull bar in white?

Well, that's it for now. LOTS more to follow. Thanks!

Edited to add #7.

 

[flyingwil]

Answers!

Okay. ....So, with all that said (Forgive me father, for I have sinned...), I'll get to the questions.

1) What is a manual hub, and how is this different from an air locker?

2) What is a Differential Drop Bracket Kit, and why would I want one?

3) If I install an ARB winch bull bar with a winch, should I consider replacing the torsion bars with Sway-a-Ways?

4) Are Deep-Cell batteries worth the money? I'm looking at it from the standpoint of having plenty of juice to run camp accessories and still be able to crank the rig up in the morning. I know lights are power hogs, but the plan is to have two on the bumper, four on the roof rack, and one on the rear, and no, I have no intention of running them all off batteries.

5) Can anyone provide me with recommendations for a good roof rack for my rig? I've heard the Sarcos are OK, but that steel is preferred. Anyone know a good custom guy?

6) Just how do-it-yourself (and I DO mean BY MYSELF) is the installation of a lift kit, new shocks, new torsion bars, torsion bar crank, and ball joint flip? I live in an apartment with no garage, and I can't afford to leave my rig up on blocks for days, nor to rent a car.

7) Does anyone have a pic of this DOR bumper? While on the subject, anyone know where I can get an ARB bull bar in white?

Well, that's it for now. LOTS more to follow. Thanks!

Edited to add #7.

1.) Manual hubs, are hubs that you manually lock the hubs to engage 4WD, they have nuberous befits, and are opposed to ADD locking 4x4's.

2.) A dif drop bracket lowers the Dif, thus decreasing the angle of the CV's and therefore extending the life of the CV's in theory.

3.) installing a winch and bumper will increase the front end weight of the vehicle and therefore the syspension is what needs to be redone to handle to the new wieght of the bumper and winch with out affecting performance.

4.)Deep Cell Batteries are worth the money. They have great benefits, such as a lower heat when uner load, and can handle the abuses off offroad driving, the also can be mounted upside down or on its side.

5.) I have no clue on the rack... try and stay away from them if you can to keep your CG lower.

6.) YOu may want to get some one with experience on the lift you are installing or have a great write up with detailed instructions

7.) You will have to paint the ARB Bull bar to match.

 

[datrupr]

I'm completely new to this whole off-road thing. Hell, I'm completely new to the whole TRUCK thing.

I too am new to this, so you are not alone. Paying attention to this forum and these guys helps give you a lot of insight.

So forgive me for starting a "Trucks and Off-Roading for Dummies" thread. I need one, and at least here people log in to answer questions.

Good idea. I think this is a great thread.

So, with all that said (Forgive me father, for I have sinned...), I'll get to the questions.

No sins seen here.

1) What is a manual hub, and how is this different from an air locker?

There is a huge difference. Your Trooper has auto locking hubs which automatically engages your 4wd system. The Isuzu system is very strong and very good, but it is a bit on the heavy side and also causes the front workings to continuously turn while the vehicle is in motion. There is a post in the Trooper section explaining it better than I can. An air locker locks your differentials so your wheels will spin at the same speed, instead of one wheel up in the air spinning and the one on the ground doing nothing. Not always a necessary mod, but can come in handy at times. Look under the hood of your Trooper and there should be a little black plaque on the right side fire wall. If on there you see G80, then you have a limited slip rear diff which should be sufficient for most off roading.

2) What is a Differential Drop Bracket Kit, and why would I want one?

Not sure, but I know someone here knows.

3) If I install an ARB winch bull bar with a winch, should I consider replacing the torsion bars with Sway-a-Ways?

I am also not sure about this one, but I do know the bull bars are very heavy and the suspension should be upgraded first.

4) Are Deep-Cell batteries worth the money? I'm looking at it from the standpoint of having plenty of juice to run camp accessories and still be able to crank the rig up in the morning. I know lights are power hogs, but the plan is to have two on the bumper, four on the roof rack, and one on the rear, and no, I have no intention of running them all off batteries.

Deep cycle batteries are very worth the money. On the list when I have to replace next summer. If you are going to run lights and electronics I would also reccmmend a second battery set up.

5) Can anyone provide me with recommendations for a good roof rack for my rig? I've heard the Sarcos are OK, but that steel is preferred. Anyone know a good custom guy?

I know of a couple of sites, I will post them later. Make sure they are removable, they really kill your gas mileage, and they tend to make your rig a bit more top heavy.... Especially when loaded with gear.

6) Just how do-it-yourself (and I DO mean BY MYSELF) is the installation of a lift kit, new shocks, new torsion bars, torsion bar crank, and ball joint flip? I live in an apartment with no garage, and I can't afford to leave my rig up on blocks for days, nor to rent a car.

IMO, doable, but you will need a buddy and a good set of tools, etc.

7) Does anyone have a pic of this DOR bumper? While on the subject, anyone know where I can get an ARB bull bar in white?

I am sure you can most of them custom painted to match. Arb makes one for the Trooper that matches the goldish/silvery color of my bumpers and flares.

I hope some of this helps, and that I am correct on any of it. I am sure there will be more detailed postings to follow.

 

[Nullifier]

well I'll take a crack at the rack stuff since that is something that I deal with @ work every day. If your rig had no factory rack them I would start by adding a Thule or Yakima rack. I recommend Thule now since they are stregth certified and have a lifetime warranty. Once you have the base rack there are countless options to add to it. cargo baskets, cargo boxes, bike racks, kayaks, canoes, lights, ski's, snowboards, jacks, etc. If you have a factory rack you can upgrade it and oratach to the factory unit depending on what you are putting up there.

Just know that putting heavy loads up high makes you more tippy on side hills and off camber spots. I traditionally carry a highlift and shovel/axe on my basket. I also have some hella lights up thereand ocasionally a canoe or kayak. I did try my spare up there but it was to much wieght. I could feel it just driving around town!

Give me some more feed back on what you want to do with a rack and I can give you more info in the mean time check out these sites.Thule
yakima


A quick check on your truck leads me to believe you have no factory rack in which case you will need an Aero foot kit bars and adaptor #191. I would run Thule accesories all the way unless you want a basket. I think that the Yakima Mega warrior is the best one for you between the 2 companies. These will be a no drill rack system that is easy to remove when not in use.

 

[Zaphod]

Concerning racks, my desire is to have one where I can carry camping gear and a couple of Jerry cans of fuel. Additionally, the lights would be mounted there, and quite possibly a CB antenna.

In short, I'm looking for something just like this:

I specifically do NOT want any rack that extends further along the roof than the one above does. (It's a Surco, BTW, slightly modified for additional strength).

My only concern with the removal of it is how that would affect the lights, since I'd have to do some kind of quick-disconnect for them. Same for the CB. I had hoped to leave it on permanently. Just how bad does it kill mileage?

 

[Zaphod]

There is a huge difference. Your Trooper has auto locking hubs which automatically engages your 4wd system. The Isuzu system is very strong and very good, but it is a bit on the heavy side and also causes the front workings to continuously turn while the vehicle is in motion.

Oh, man..... I'm lost.

There is a post in the Trooper section explaining it better than I can.

What Trooper section?

An air locker locks your differentials so your wheels will spin at the same speed, instead of one wheel up in the air spinning and the one on the ground doing nothing. Not always a necessary mod, but can come in handy at times. Look under the hood of your Trooper and there should be a little black plaque on the right side fire wall. If on there you see G80, then you have a limited slip rear diff which should be sufficient for most off roading.

I'll look, but if you can explain what a limited-slip differential is, I'd appreciate it.



Not sure, but I know someone here knows.



I am also not sure about this one, but I do know the bull bars are very heavy and the suspension should be upgraded first.



Deep cycle batteries are very worth the money. On the list when I have to replace next summer. If you are going to run lights and electronics I would also reccmmend a second battery set up.



I know of a couple of sites, I will post them later. Make sure they are removable, they really kill your gas mileage, and they tend to make your rig a bit more top heavy.... Especially when loaded with gear.



IMO, doable, but you will need a buddy and a good set of tools, etc.



I am sure you can most of them custom painted to match. Arb makes one for the Trooper that matches the goldish/silvery color of my bumpers and flares.

I hope some of this helps, and that I am correct on any of it. I am sure there will be more detailed postings to follow.[/QUOTE]

 

[datrupr]

What Trooper section?

Well, ther was one, it must have gone to forum never never land. Scott, can you help with this?

I'll look, but if you can explain what a limited-slip differential is, I'd appreciate it.

A limited slip differential is almost the same as having lockers, but instead of both wheels spinnig at the same speed, it just limits the amount of slip to the wheel with no traction, still giving the wheel with traction a bit of power. Makes it much easier to drive on a daily basis than a fully locked diff.
You will still get some slippage, but not as much as a completely open diff.

 

[datrupr]

What Trooper section?

Here it is, I found it

 

[Zaphod]

Duh! I had my view options set to show only threads from the last month. :smilies27

Thanks!

 

[Scott Brady]

Everyone is doing a great job helping Zaphod out. Thanks.

I am not going to touch on your questions completely, but just give some advice. Things I wish someone told me when I first started (with a 2wd Amigo)

1. Suspension travel is more important than suspension height: None of my vehicles have more than 2" of lift, but they flex like crazy. This keeps wheels on the ground, the center of gravity low and the body level in uneven terrain. With body protection, you can still drive the technical trails.

2. Locking differentials are more important that really big tires: People buy and install big tires because of how they look (most of the time). With locking differentials, a vehicle will go much farther and safer than with big tires. A Trooper with a 32" tires and lockers would GREATLY outperform one with 35" tires in most terrain (deep mud excluded). Big tires also break drivetrain components. I have driven the Rubicon and many of the big trails in Moab with just 33" tires and 2" of lift on my Jeep.

3. Proper axle and transercase gearing is more important than horsepower: Think of it in terms of a lever principle. It would take a very strong man (HP) to move 100 lbs. with a one foot lever, but even a very small man can move that 100 lbs. with a six foot lever.

It is mechanical advantage that is required off-road, not HP. There are little 22R motors (86 hp) in Toyota's that with proper gearing can drive any technical trail in the country.

HP is a product of RPM, while torque is a product of rotating mass (mostly). high HP is only generated at high RPM's. Who drives at 4,000 rpm on the trail? HP is only good on the sand dunes and the drag strip...

4. Focus on the important stuff first:
a. Recovery points front and rear
b. Recovery gear (tow strap, shovel, small battery pack, compressor, etc.)
c. Proper spares (full size spare tire, engine belts and hoses, basic tools)
d. Communications (CB or whatever the group you drive with uses)
e. Good tires. (LT265/75 R16 in a good all terrain tread for your vehicle)
f. Rock sliders.
g. Locking differential

 

[Zaphod]

Everyone is doing a great job helping Zaphod out. Thanks.

Ditto! I sincerely appreciate the time and patience!

1. Suspension travel is more important than suspension height:

Roger that. I know for a fact that the rear axle on a Trooper flexes like the devil. In your opinion, how good is the IFS flex? I'm only going to lift 2" max, so I'm curious if I should still do the ball joint flip in order to get some travel back.

With body protection, you can still drive the technical trails.

I'll ask about this below.

2. Locking differentials are more important that really big tires:

Roger that. I'm going to go with your recommendation of 265/75/16, and get the manual lockers above, although I'm still sketchy on how those work.

3. Proper axle and transercase gearing is more important than horsepower:

It seems that you want higher torque at a lower RPM for off-roading. Correct?

4. Focus on the important stuff first:
a. Recovery points front and rear[/quote]

Currently I've got the factory tow hook up front and my tow hitch back aft. Is the tow hitch enough for the rear (I certainly hope so)? Up front, I'm considering an ARB bumper...

b. Recovery gear (tow strap, shovel, small battery pack, compressor, etc.)
c. Proper spares (full size spare tire, engine belts and hoses, basic tools)

No problem there. I'm a bit of a survivalist. I carry that around town, along with enough food, water, clothes, etc. to last me about three days. Only reason I'm not packing a rifle is because I work in Mexico, and only the bad guys and the government are allowed to have those here.

"Small battery pack". What's that? To run what?

Any recommendations on good compressors (as opposed to those mangy little POS's you find at Wally World)?

What rating on the strap?

d. Communications (CB or whatever the group you drive with uses)

That's a whole different thread!

EE to me is BFM. Black ******ing Magic.

e. Good tires. (LT265/75 R16 in a good all terrain tread for your vehicle)
f. Rock sliders.
g. Locking differential

All check. Shrockbars on the wishlist. BFG AT KO's for the tires (including the spare). Lockers as recommended above.

Thanks!

 

[Zaphod]

Concerning "body protection": You mean protection for the rocker panels (ShrockBars, etc.), correct?

What function does a bull bar like the ARB perform, other than merely looking good? Forget the winch part, as for now I'll most likely hold off on that.

What does it protect against, other than the occaisional errant rock?

 

[Scott Brady]

Concerning "body protection": You mean protection for the rocker panels (ShrockBars, etc.), correct?

What function does a bull bar like the ARB perform, other than merely looking good? Forget the winch part, as for now I'll most likely hold off on that.

What does it protect against, other than the occaisional errant rock?

Yes, rocker protection for the side of the truck. Makes for a great jacking point and allows you to be a bit more aggressive and run trails .5-1 higher on the technical scale without damage.

The ARB provides two key functions
1. Animal strikes
2. Winch mounting

There are other solutions that are better for trail protection, with better clearance etc.

I am fond of the ARB because it protects the entire front of the vehicle from damage from trees, animals, other vehicles, etc.

 

[Zaphod]

Animal strikes, eh?

Well, to be perfectly honest, I'm looking at it not only for off-road, but as ARMOR here in Nuevo Laredo. If some yahoo decides to try and block me in because I look like a tempting target, I need something like the ARB to convince him otherwise and get me out of there.

"Battering Ram", as well as more "standard" protection.

Cool. ARB stays. Just gotta see if it can be gotten in white. Gotta keep up apprearances!

 

[datrupr]

I know for a fact that the rear axle on a Trooper flexes like the devil. In your opinion, how good is the IFS flex? I'm only going to lift 2" max, so I'm curious if I should still do the ball joint flip in order to get some travel back.

The IFS flex is IFS flex. When you do your lift do your ball joint flip at the same time. You will have to have an alignment done, so better to only do it once.

Roger that. I'm going to go with your recommendation of 265/75/16, and get the manual lockers above, although I'm still sketchy on how those work.

Remember, the manual hubs are not lockers. Your diff will still be open until you get either e lockers or air lockers.

Currently I've got the factory tow hook up front and my tow hitch back aft. Is the tow hitch enough for the rear (I certainly hope so)?

Your rear tow hitch is strng enough, but you need to put a recovery device of some kind in there when on the trail. Something like this or another view of it on post #9. They are around $40 and can be picked up at most off road centers.









[/QUOTE]