Finally - a mod thread of my own!

[datrupr]

Looking Good! I can't tell from the picture but it looks like the roof rack is attached directly to the factory rail slot, that is a much cleaner look than what I have found before. Most of the rack systems I have looked at have a metal clip that extends into the door opening, and the doors weather striping closes against it. I was considering building a rack for my Trooper but could not find a way to atach it to the rail slots. Perhaps I could buy just the feet through the dealer. It is good to see some other Troopers here, keep us posted.

Kevin, if you pull up the trim along the roof, there are six holes on each side of the roof that are there for the non NA spec Troopers that got rack mounts automatically. The Thule and Yakima racks from the dealer are a bit spendy, so be ready for it. I found a guy selling his 99 Trooper and he had the Isuzu Yakima towers, so I bought them off of him. As soon as they come in I can mount my basket and lights. Also, be carefull pulling off the strip from the roof, try not to break the plastic clips, and after the towers are on, the strip will go back down over the mounts.

[bootzilla]

I've been savin' - now it is finally time to spend a little

Starting out small - picked up a shorty shovel and an air compressor, since I will be driving on the beach next week - just a heads-up if you are looking for a cheap, good quality air compressor - Pep Boys has the Superflow MV-50 (packaged as the Masterflow MF-1050) on sale - $10 off, then you can mail in a $10 rebate on top of that for $20 total savings through Aug 26th.

Tomorrow the Yokohama Geolanders A/T II's go on. Price and availability forced me to go 265/70, but they will give me an extra 1/2 inch lift over stock, and will look and perform a lot better than my worn out Bridgestone's. Pics to come when it is done tomorrow afternoon!

I think Pro Comps are on deck next

[flyingwil]

Tomorrow the Yokohama Geolanders A/T II's go on. Price and availability forced me to go 265/70, but they will give me an extra 1/2 inch lift over stock, and will look and perform a lot better than my worn out Bridgestone's. Pics to come when it is done tomorrow afternoon!

I think Pro Comps are on deck next

Pro Comp what? They make a lot of things... Looking forward to the Pics!

[bootzilla]

Heh heh - good point there. I forget that Pro Comp makes lots of cool stuff...just not for Troopers. They do make shocks that fit, though - and I was thinking of a set of Pro Comp ES9000's to replace the overly-bouncy stock shocks.

I wanted to do OME 912 springs at the same time, to get a little touch of extra lift - but I had to get the Troop aligned when I put had the tires put on, so I will wait a little bit - seems like a waste to get it aligned twice in a row after cranking the t-bars.

The Geolanders look great - I'll snap a pic tomorrow. I am not a big fan of them yet on the road - they are rougher and a tad louder than the Bridgestone Duelers, and they feel much heavier on the road - I addded a few pounds of air and they felt somewhat better, so I am sure once I play with the pressures a little bit, I can get them where I like them.

I am headin' to the outer banks this weekend, so we'll give 'em a better test out on the beach.

[bigreen505]

I'm guessing the ProComps will be a good fit given the weight of the Trooper. I have them on the Pathfinder and hate them untill the truck is fully loaded, then they start to feel good. On the Trooper my Rancho 9000x shocks are dialed all the way stiff and even on an empty truck I wish they were a bit stiffer, even running OME 919 springs.

[bootzilla]

Here we go!

Yokohama Geolander A/T Plus II, in an only slightly beefier 265/70 16



Chillin' out beside North Carolina Highway 12...not exactly the smoothest road in the state, but certainly the most fun!



The Superflow/MasterFlow MV-50 air pump that I got at Pep Boys for $50 was impressive - I inflated all four Geolanders from 20lbs to 35 lbs in no time at all - I didn't time it, but it couldn't have been more than 15 minutes total. My cheapie $10 Target pump would have still been working on the first tire.

It does tend to run a little hot, so you have to give it cool-down time, and you have to attach the power leads directly to the battery, but it is worth it in time savings, and comes with a compressor-style output and quick-connect hose.

Rear Shocks are definitely way too weak in the knees - I found a website (can't remember the name, have it bookmarked at work) that is doing buy 3 get one free on ProComp shocks, so I think a set to ES9000's is next, then I am due for new brake pads, so a set of Indy4x Stainless Steel Brake Lines may be in order to firm up the feel and get a smidge more braking power for the bigger tires.

And the storage issue will get contemplated some, too...likely after a few cold ones...

[flyingwil]

Looks good Todd! Love the beach pictures. What are you thinking for storage?

[bootzilla]

I was originally thinking a few drawers off to one side, to allow room for the dog, but now BigGreen's storage discussion has got me thinking of a platform with slim drawers underneath - that way I can bolt in an anchor for a doggie seatbelt, and I could probably mount my air compressor back there, too.

I have to get in the back and do some measuring to figure out dimensions. I'd love to take out the rear seats, but I am not sure how that would go over with my other half...it is not like we use them alot...

[bootzilla]

Greased the slip-yoke fitting on the axle yesterday - no more "clunk" - woohoo!

Tip for the Trooper guys wanting to do the same - if you can find a grease gun with a flexible nozzle - get it. Either that, or a small right-angle gun. I had a heck of a time with a full-size gun with a 45-degree nozzle - I ended up having to put the car up on ramps, and then bent the nozzle a little further with a hammer to get it to fit up in there. The front U-joint is a little easier, and the rear u-joint is a breeze.

Still waiting for my ES9000's. With the new bigger tires, I feel a vibe now and then up front - I want to get those shocks on so I can figure out if it is just a worn out shock, or if the tire wasn't balanced right...

[bigreen505]

Exactly what clunk are you referring to?