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My 1993 Trooper LWB 3.1TD DUTY - a work in progress...

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CJ
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Joined: 28 Jan 2008
Posts: 213
Location: Bangor, Northern Ireland, UK

PostPosted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 0:51    Post subject: My 1993 Trooper LWB 3.1TD DUTY - a work in progress... Reply with quote

So I've had a SWB Frontera Sport, then a LWB Fronty Estate (Brutus) and now I've gone to a cousin or possibly ancestor, the mighty Isuzu Trooper.

My example is a 1993 Duty LWB in flat red.

It served for many years as a private ambulance at our Trials and Comp events, and was heavily modified for this job, both inside and out.

It needs some TLC and some surgery to get it back to road-going condition and then it'll be my first proper attempt at preparing an overland vehicle - the fronty's were just a warm up, this one might actually get out of Ireland...

The Spec:

3.1 Turbo Diesel Intercooled (Top Mounted) engine
5 Speed Manual
Part-Time 4WD via transfer box and auto locking front hubs
Rear Limited Slip Diff (chassis plate code G80 denotes this optional extra was fitted at the factory)
Coil springs at rear on a solid, or live axle
Torsion bars at front, independent
Disc brakes all round, non-ABS (I think)
Twin Battery setup from factory
Towbar
Electric windows and mirrors (electric folding too) and central locking - these may be an up-spec from the basic Duty model
Has some rock sliders fitted.  If I lift the body I'll beef them up with some new metal, and fit high-lift points there.


What it needs now, before I can MOT it:

Front chassis cross member needs a fair bit of repair - quite rotten, and I need to check the rear too - they are both prone to rot
CV boots needing done
Front shockers need replaced (I'll put +2" Pro-Comp ES-9000 in)
Wheels are steel and they are knackered.  I have a set of alloys which are sound bit scruffy - either blast and paint/coat them or price up a set of steel modulars
Tyres are scr**.  Still trying to decide which to go for.  I liked the Saharas, but might be tempted to try something more hard core, more like the special tracks.  They'll be 33" at least as I intend to raise the suspension for sure and probably the body too.
General service, timing belt kit (no records for last change) and I would like to get some good rust proofing under it.

Body work will be de-stickered and valeted as best I can.  Paint is for the most part very good.  Some damage with light rusting needs stopped and touched in before it gets out of hand.

Interior will need a bit of a tidy up.  Drivers seat is collapsed, so soon after MOT I'll replace it.  Some trim needs replaced from breakers.  Otherwise looks grand.


After MOT is passed I'll go ahead and raise the rear with Pro-Come +2" coils and shocks to match the front.  Might look at lengthening hoses too, and possibly some sort of dislocation cone affair at rear.

Diff/gearbox breathers will be extended.

New CB will be installed as my old one is a relic. (Still bloody works though...)

Either find a load cover in breakers or tint out rear glass for security

Get passenger door electrics from brasker and get them working again as currently a manual door is fitted.

Come up with a winch bumper solution for the front, and knock up a simple strong tube/box rear bumper.  Definitely getting a winch up front, one way or t'other.

High-lift mount mod beside spare wheel.  Look at ladder to go over spare wheel.

Jerry Can mount behind rear number plate mod.

Roof rack points need made (more on that later)

Snorkel to be fabricated, possibly by Dee's exhausts (yet to ask them, but I reckon they'd do it)

Like to put a de-cat large bore exhaust from Dee's on to improve power and mpg

EGR will be blanked off/removed for same reasons

Need to source from breakers/get made a bash plate and sump/gearbox guard plus look at protecting rear diff.

Body lift of 1.5" and possibly raise tank by same

Aux lighting inside and out.  Plus upgrades to existing lights where possible.

3rd battery potentially.  Looking at voltage sensitive relays to manage split charging.

Drop-pin towbar and twin electrics.

Some clever interior mods I have up my sleeve.

Get the fuel pump calibrated on a rolling road to match the car - apparently this makes a good difference.

Get a nice steering wheel and bin the rolly-rimmed one in it currently.

Alarm and immobilser upgrade.

Some extra gauges - oil pressure, turbo boost (Well, you gotta), Battery ones etc.

There's a lot of potential.  The ITOCUK forum has been a good source of inspiration.

This 3.1 lump is the pick of the MKII engines - apparently the 3.0 was prone to firing bits out the bonnet and needed a big recall.  Faith in that engine is shaken to say the least, but my 3.1 is very well thought of.

I cannot wait to have it on the road, and at an RTV, but it'll take a while.

As usual I'll try and log the project here as best I can.  

A few early bad pics:









Couldn't help myself - already been out with the autosol metal polish:



Start as I mean to go on.

Remember how sad Brutus looked at first?  I'll soon get the Troop back to proper order....probably.
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CJ
1993 Isuzu Trooper 3.1TD Duty 5 Door (Is that 6 doors?)
1994 Mercedes e220 Estate Auto 7 Seater
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 0:51    Post subject: Google Ads keep this community free to join!


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Philp
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 9:13    Post subject: Reply with quote

Expedition prep and prepping for a trial are two different sets of requirments.  For an expedition vehicle big suspension lifts are a bad idea as you have a lot of weight up top and a big lift makes it more likely to roll over, suspension requirments are different , for a trial you want articulation, for expedition work reliability and that means heavy duty shocks, springs etc.  Tyre choice is different too, most expedition vehicles tend to roll on all terrains as big chunky rubber makes for an uncomortable road mileage and wear out quickly, AT's give the best compromise between on and off road performance.  Obviously it does depend where you are heading, the jungles of Malaysia are one thing, the deserts and mountains of north africa another.
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Phil

96 or is it a 98 Isuzu Bighorn Lotus
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CJ
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Joined: 28 Jan 2008
Posts: 213
Location: Bangor, Northern Ireland, UK

PostPosted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 9:28    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fair points.

I'm thinking Europe and then North Africa for my overland trips.

I have a mate who lives in the Atlas mountains and I went out there (mumble mumble) years ago and swore I'd return in my own car.

I have no interest in dune bashing - dullo in my opinion, I just like mountains and rivers and rocks and mud and just driving through breathtaking scenery.

I'm not going to extreme lift - 1.5" in body and 2" in suspension.  The remould extreme M/T tyres I'll put on for RTV and general duties day to day will be 33" but if I do go overland I'll probably invest in a good set of new m/t - BFG or Cooper or similar.  They'll be more normal height probably thus reducing the raise to the CoG. I can live with the compromise of road behavior of M/Ts as I have run Colway M/Ts (LOUD) and IT Saharas on Frontys for years and loved them, never really worried about road holding.

If I find the centre of gravity is raised to the point of being noticable then I'll just SLOW DOWN and take more care.  That's why RTVs are good places to learn how the car handles rough stuff with a load on.

Lets not forget too that if I'm going overland 4-up (me, wife, 2 kids) and all our gear, probably an exp trailer too, then the load will drop the car a bit, so the lift will even out to a fairly normal height.  If you squint it makes perfect sense.  to me.

Very Happy
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CJ
1993 Isuzu Trooper 3.1TD Duty 5 Door (Is that 6 doors?)
1994 Mercedes e220 Estate Auto 7 Seater
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Philp
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Location: Shropshire

PostPosted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 10:03    Post subject: Reply with quote

This book is supposed to be the absolute bible for preparing an overland vehicle:  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vehicle-dependent-Expedition-Guide-Field-Manual/dp/0953232441/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1256115236&sr=8-1-fkmr0  pricey yes, but so's the life of your family!  Idid quite a lot of research into the subject as I was seriously considering modifying the Trooper for overland work but decided to put it on hold for a variety of reasons.  If I was going to do it seriously then I'd probably not choose a trooper, either a landrover or Toyota landcruiser as they are much easier to find someone to fix and get spares for when it breaks.  These days as well some of the jap pickups are also becoming much more common.  Troopers are just not easy to get parts for or find anyone with any real knowledge of them, hell, I had trouble just sourcing an alternator in France!
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Phil

96 or is it a 98 Isuzu Bighorn Lotus
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gary820
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 21:52    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sounds like you've got a lot of work to do there!
I have to agree with Phil about something like a landcruiser for an expedition vehicle, they don't use them a lot for no reason!
I found with a lot of stuff your better off making stuff, bumpers, armour etc
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CJ
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Joined: 28 Jan 2008
Posts: 213
Location: Bangor, Northern Ireland, UK

PostPosted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 23:21    Post subject: Reply with quote

Again, fair comments.

I'm hoping to use this as  a proper shake down car to refine my overland practice.

I'll probably only take it to Europe.

For Africa, it'll probably end up being a 110, a 130 or a Toyota LC.  Maybe a Nissan Patrol.

I just wanna have fun with this one, polish my skills and take th efamily round the alps.

Kids are a good few years away from being africa ready yet...
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CJ
1993 Isuzu Trooper 3.1TD Duty 5 Door (Is that 6 doors?)
1994 Mercedes e220 Estate Auto 7 Seater
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CJ
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Joined: 28 Jan 2008
Posts: 213
Location: Bangor, Northern Ireland, UK

PostPosted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 1:05    Post subject: Reply with quote

I replaced the front shocks - one was snapped clean off:



Pro-Comp ES9000 +2" shocks from BLRC as they are Bearmach's local agent and BM are Procomps UK distributor.

The old and new ones:



The lower receiver in the wishbone needed a little widening with a few love taps from a big hammer and I needed to replace the bottom bolts and nuts as the old ones were a tad short and one rung itself.

A quick burn afterwards showed that these new shocks feel great, the front end has no floatyness to it and the turning in is tight.  Excellent.

I had bought in rear shocks to match but as fitting them with standard springs would mean popping out the springs on articulation, or the MOT ramp, I have decided to leave the rear for the time being.  Eventually I'll fit +2" springs or fit spacers to the stock ones, plus dislocation cones.

1.5" Body lift done, looks great and was reasonably hassle free, save for discovering that the rock sliders were welded to both the body and the chassis, but mr. grinder fixed that in a jiffy.

Before:



After:



I have a lot of bits and bobs to do but I really need to wait for Andy to do the front cross member before I take it further.

The rot is substantial, and the front outriggers under the front seats might need a wee bit of patching.





One thing is for sure - once the car is done, I'm getting it steam cleaned and hitting it with a ton of waxoyl and stone guard.

The wheels are the ones a mate had wanted to put on his Pajero but the car he has had freakishly large brakes so I got them, 15"x8 or 8.5".  The Engrish is brilliant.





Tyres are a challenge.  I had wanted to go to 33"tall x 12.50"wide, and the body lift allows this, in fact now its lifted it needs it to fill the arches and not look daft.

Problem is I had been thinking remoulds like the IT Saharas I had on the Fronty.  They were well under £300 when I bought them (31"x10.50"x15").  Seemingly they ar now about £300 and to go to 33"x12.5" I cannot find any remoulds that size, so I need to look at new tyres.

The best bargin I can find is Kumho KL71s (Like Curtis's) in that 33"x12.5" size, but they are more expensive than I had budgeted for so I need to hang fire and divert some of my beer funds to get them.  No panic, as the car is way off MOT ready, but that's definitely the way I'm thinking for when I do buy tyres.

To give some idea, here is a fellow trooper on the 33" Kumho (hope Cozz doesn't mind...):





The rear number plate lights (2 of them) were rotted out completely - no metal remained.  So I got a pair of LED strip lights (white) from halfords and wired them in.  They are exterior so should be ok.  I sealed the grommet with sillycone and wired the LED strips seperately so if one gives oout I can rely on the other one - one is plenty to light the plate.  Happy with this tidy job:





Powerwahed the rear seats, here they are drying in our bathroom....happy wife?  Not so much...


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CJ
1993 Isuzu Trooper 3.1TD Duty 5 Door (Is that 6 doors?)
1994 Mercedes e220 Estate Auto 7 Seater
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CJ
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Joined: 28 Jan 2008
Posts: 213
Location: Bangor, Northern Ireland, UK

PostPosted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 12:51    Post subject: Reply with quote

So a few updates on this rather sluggish project.



Car was taken to Andy's for welding around christmas time.  No rush was his brief - take your time and do it when you have a spare moment.

Called over last week and he has the new x-member in:







Looks well beefy.  Next up, he is fabricating a bolt on set of dumb irons, which will bolt on to this new cross member and have a all-new steel bumper welded to them.  This bumper will have drop-pin mounts to recieve a winch as and when I need to use one.  (and once I own one)

should have it back with me soon, then all I have to do is patch up the outriggers, rust proof and paint everything underneath, get under body protection made, get tyres, get the timing belt done, plus a service, plus overhaul the brakes, plus get the lights all working plus cv boots plus ball joints plus sort out electrics for the passenger door plus tint the windows plus upgrade the stereo and security systems and I'll be done.
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Cheers

CJ
1993 Isuzu Trooper 3.1TD Duty 5 Door (Is that 6 doors?)
1994 Mercedes e220 Estate Auto 7 Seater
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CJ
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Joined: 28 Jan 2008
Posts: 213
Location: Bangor, Northern Ireland, UK

PostPosted: Sun Mar 21, 2010 11:22    Post subject: Reply with quote

I was over looking at the progress again yesterday, when I arrived he had rested a new 35" tyre against it:



Now, I'm not going to be poutting on 35" tyres as they would stress the drivetrain and foul on the car, but the 33" I AM getting will only look slightly smaller.  TONKA!

Then I saw the dumb irons he has fabricated: Awesome job:





All he has left to do is to make the steel bumper, then I get the car back to continue the prep.

Starting to get excited.
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CJ
1993 Isuzu Trooper 3.1TD Duty 5 Door (Is that 6 doors?)
1994 Mercedes e220 Estate Auto 7 Seater
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CJ
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Joined: 28 Jan 2008
Posts: 213
Location: Bangor, Northern Ireland, UK

PostPosted: Sun Mar 21, 2010 13:43    Post subject: Reply with quote

Trooper raised 3" (1.5 for my body lift and 1.5 mild suspension tweak to come soon) on a close match for my 15" alloys shod in 33" tall M/Ts.

This is pretty much how it'll look then!


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CJ
1993 Isuzu Trooper 3.1TD Duty 5 Door (Is that 6 doors?)
1994 Mercedes e220 Estate Auto 7 Seater
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:::Matski:::
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 22, 2010 0:30    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looking good, keep it up! Very Happy

Re the 35's Paul from the muddys is swinging 35s on trooper axles with no problems, the 12bolt is as tough as them come, so long as you drop the front diff if you put a good lift on the front you should be fine with CVs too.

Those dumb irons, are they going to be tied back at the top? Quite a bit of leverage with the recovery points high up like that Confused
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CJ
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Joined: 28 Jan 2008
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Location: Bangor, Northern Ireland, UK

PostPosted: Mon Mar 22, 2010 0:46    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nowhere to tie them to.

They are amazingly strong and heavy duty for this reason.

They are more winch mounts than solo recovery points - I'd only recover off them both with a bridle.
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CJ
1993 Isuzu Trooper 3.1TD Duty 5 Door (Is that 6 doors?)
1994 Mercedes e220 Estate Auto 7 Seater
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markymoan
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 22, 2010 2:53    Post subject: Reply with quote

No offence but they will bend and/or snap.
Snatch recovery involves forces of maybe 10 tonnes or more and you dont want that flying at you  Shocked
There has to be a way of tying the top back to the chassis  Question
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CJ
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Joined: 28 Jan 2008
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Location: Bangor, Northern Ireland, UK

PostPosted: Mon Mar 22, 2010 11:06    Post subject: Reply with quote

There is no way of fixing the top of them to the chassis as there is too much of a gap - they top out a foot or so above the chassis, nothing up there to weld to!

We discussed this issue at length, and the solution we came up with is heavy box (much heavier than the chassis) seam welded and braced against the chassis and thee the steel bumper across the top bit will brace against torsional stress for sideways pulls.  Again, I'd only use both points never one alone.

The main idea for these points is based on an old LR aftermarket southdown drop-in winch mounting whereby the winch is bolted into a carryable cradle and these pins will receive it and lock it to the car as and when needed.  

My guy has been making and using these mounts for 15+years, and lots of my friends have ones he made and use them regularly for all manner of recovery and winching with no problems, and has often raised them even on LRs which have a higher chassis than troopers to start with, to give better approach angles as once the winch is on it does stick out a fair bit.

Tried, tested, true.

Looks weird, works a treat.

If I ever have a winch I know I can use it, or a mates - that's the beauty of the system.  The ideal is to have a matching set of mounts on the back, with anderson jack points for power at both ends, just like my mates wagons.  Means one winch can work on lots of cars - and when its time to go home, the winch can be taken off and kept warm and dry in the garage.  Extends the life of the winch and the rope.

If I ever need to recover off my front end I will use the bridle to spread the load across both, and frankly they have got to be stronger than the dopey wee loops on my old fronty bullbars, and they never gave any bother.

Remember that I don't really go for heroic off roading.  I have often recovered off the towing eye on my old fronty even - no worries.  

If its well stuck, we dig then winch if a simple strap or bungy pull doesn't shift it easily.

I'm never going to exert silly forces as I don't drive to get stuck - I drive to drive.  The worst time I have got stuck was a bog and it took a winch to get me out only because there was no grip to get a good pull.

I hear what's being said, but I hav eno fears at all.  It'll do what I need just fine.
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CJ
1993 Isuzu Trooper 3.1TD Duty 5 Door (Is that 6 doors?)
1994 Mercedes e220 Estate Auto 7 Seater
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:::Matski:::
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 22, 2010 13:51    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm no expert it just looked odd thats all, I would probably have put a corner fillet in to the hight of the recovery point.
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Front Aussie Locker - Rear LSD - Petrol Diffs
2" Lift - 1" Body lift - +2" shocks - 32" KL71s
2.5" free flow stainless system - TMIC - 20psi Boost
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