1988 Isuzu Trooper Parts and Upgrades

cburgin

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Location
statesville/boone NC
Just picked up a Trooper with 86k miles on it and in great shape. 2.6L/5spd that runs like a top. I have been out of the scene of wheeling since I became a father and its been even longer since I have owned my last trooper. What replacement parts/hard to source parts should I be collecting for longevity of this vehicle to keep it on the road?

Also, I will like to beef it up a little with 33x9or10.50s on skinny steel Toyota??? wheels and a small lift. What route should I go? This will not be anything more than a week day pavement pounder that will be getting a roof top tent for future road trips and camping with my son.

Anyone selling a round headlight grill?

Thanks.
 
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Get a set of shackles and crank the torsion bars. I ran 33x12.50s stock on mine but it’s tight. The slight lift helps.
 
86k miles, score. That's barely broken in. Post up some pics!

You *might* need spacers with the skinny steelies to keep 33's off the frame at full lock. 33's are also going to cancel 5th gear for anything other than downhill, but it will get around fine.

I'm not familiar with the 2.6 enough to know what bits and pieces you should be hoarding, but in general, if your heater core goes you're pretty well SOL unless you can find one to pull at a yard. I don't know if you know Jerry Lemond out of Georgia, but he is the man as far as NOS stuff - if it exists, he probably has it or can get it. He gets a few new heater cores a year and they go for ~$400. Head gaskets and head cracking is common in the 2.6, and I'm not sure who is the current go-to company on reman heads. The fuel pumps seem to go bad much more often on the 4cyl models (higher pressure than the TBI GM v6's) so you may want to go ahead and have a spare ready. There are some videos/guides online on cutting through the floor to access the tank vs dropping the tank if that happens.

If ride comfort is a concern, I'd go with OME springs and bushings, upgrade the shocks, replace the sway bar bushings. Shackles will do the job though for a quick easy inch or so lift. Brakes from a 2nd gen (92+) are a common upgrade. If your AC works (or if it doesn't) I'd probably get the windows tinted if they aren't already. A couple years ago I DD'd a stocker with working AC and tinted the windows and it was still a bit of a greenhouse in the summer.

Adjust the valves, make sure the vacuum lines are in good shape, keep the fluids and filters fresh, and it should do you well for a long time.

There's an online version of the 1988 FSM somewhere, I'll see if I can find it.

I have a round headlight grill mounted currently, but if I could find a good square one without the headlights full of water, I might be persuaded to trade.
 
What is everyone doing for headlights on these things? My dad has an 88 and the headlights have gone to shit.
 
The headlights are hard to find these days. I had some laying around the shop at one time and had a round eye setup that got sold off. For suspension stuff I would recommend Matt at Indy4x4 up in Richmond, VA. Havent talked with him in a while but I used to get a bunch if Isuzu stuff from him. You can also go over to planetisuzoo.com for lots of how to's and such. Look up Jerry Lemond there he is the ultimate source of knowledge and parts. He has an actual Isuzu parts department in his barn. He used to work for Isuzu in their R&D department, the man can tell you every wire in a trooper and its color!
 
I believe Matt sold Independent4x a few years back. New owners still have some of the leftover Isuzu stuff, but it's not their focus.

Classic City Overland is a side hustle of a dude in GA and he can help you get dobinson suspension bits, lockers, etc. I think he does rear door ladders and stuff too.

awheelterd said:
What is everyone doing for headlights on these things? My dad has an 88 and the headlights have gone to shit.
Click to expand...

There's probably a way to heat and separate the lens and clean it out and reseal it, but most of the square headlights get fluid in one side or the other. The round headlights are much less prone to that.
 
My square grill is in great shape. I have one headlight that is wet (still works fine) but I have a replacement for it in the building. I would definitely trade it all for a round headlight set up. I will keep my eye out for a heater core. As of now, the current heater will run you out.
 
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