Modifications Made to the RedTrooper

I purchased/rescued the "Old Troop" in August 2005.  

Over the next year, I caught up on much of the "deferred" maintenance and turned the RedTrooper into a rig that I could depend on.  I had the frame repaired and undercoated; replaced the fuel tank and much of the electronics (e.g., alternator, starter, fuel pump and radio); tuned the engine; cleaned the EGR system; adjusted the valves; installed new vacuum tubing, filters, brake pads and shocks, etc.  

The RedTrooper's first "mod" was in July 2006 and was the simple swap of the stock auto hubs for a set of WARN manual locking hubs.  After this mod, I began to take the Troop off road.  

In Dec. 2006, I lifted the Troop 1.5" by going to longer shackles in the rear and cranking the torsion bars in the front. At the same time, I also replaced the stock tie rods with heavy duty tie rods from Indy4x so that I could complete both mods with one alignment. 

Later in Dec. 2006, after I flooded my ECU at Wharton, I relocated the replacement ECU from under the console to the glove box.  Then, I gave myself an early Christmas present and had Indy4x install an Aussie locker in the front differential.  While the front end was disassembled, I also had Indy4x install new ball joints and wheel bearings. 

In May 2007, I finally got around to replacing the 235/75-15 tires that came stock on the Troop. I thought that I was getting a good deal on a set of used 33x12.5x16 M/Ts, so I purchased a set of used 16" Tundra wheels to mount them on.  However, the deal on the MTs fell through, so I ended up with with a set of Continental 265/70-16 LT/SUV street tires that came on the wheels.  Later, I managed to pick up a pair of used Goodyear Wrangler RT/S tires for one axle.  Although still rated as H/T (highway tires), the Wranglers have a more aggressive tread and better side wall protection  than the Continentals.

In June 2007, the dent and battered stock front bumper of Trooper was replaced with a tube bumper off of a Jeep.  In July 2007, I added a pair of custom rock rails (2" schedule 40 steel pipe, bent at each end and welded to the frame with two 3/16" steel plates providing additional support in the middle).

Two of the Continentals died.  One developed a leak after getting a slice in the sidewall during the July Paragon run.  The other had the tread separate while I was driving on the highway a month later.  So in August 2007, I picked up a pair of Goodyear Wranglers Silent Armor (Kevlar lining and an aggressive tread similar to the BFG ATs) tires for the rear to go with the Goodyear Wrangler RT/S up front.  Also installed a used tube bumper (Matt at Indy4x was cleaning out some inventory) to replace the bent one in the rear and to match the one in front.

It was time for another Christmas present, so in Dec 2007, I picked up a second pair of Goodyear Wranglers Silent Armor tires so that I had 4 matching tires.  I also placed my order with Indy4x for an Aussie locker to go in the rear differential.

February 2008, the 12 both Aussie lockers finally arrived and I had Matt install one in the rear differential of the Trooper.  At Matt's suggestion, I also rerouted the rear dif breather tube from the stock position on the cross member to a higher position inside of the Trooper.

The clutch died on a trip to Uwharrie in April 2008.  During the process of cleaning the truck in preparation of installing a replacement, JoeD discovered that the frame had a significant section of riot and that it was rotting out from the inside.  At his suggestion, I purchased a replacement rig and swapped out the good parts from the RedTrooper.  

The remains of the RedTrooper went to the crusher in July 2008.  RIP!

I want to give special thanks to the members of the PlanetIsuzoo Forum, for all of their help with the Old Troop.  As you can see, many of the mods that I did to the RedTrooper were right from the articles posted on the PlanetIsuzoo site.

-- Mario

Link to some of the RedTrooper's more memorable trail runs