Does anyone own an EV as a business vehicle or fleet?
How much are you guys saving per 12k mi relative to Corolla or elaborate, etc?
Are deduction same as ice? (mileage ded)
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Does anyone own an EV as a business vehicle or fleet?
How much are you guys saving per 12k mi relative to Corolla or elaborate, etc?
Are deduction same as ice? (mileage ded)
Just got back from the Trooper's first Moab trip. Drove it there and it drove me home. I broke the driver's CV messing around on this option obstacle on Metal Masher. I bit off a bit more than I could chew here. I didn't break the axle under wheel speed or hopping like I would have expected. I was trying to turn the front wheels and things were very tight. I think I bound it up and it just broke under pressure. We couldn't pull me up over the top, so you can see the chain at the back we had to dig out the hitch and pull me off backward. I was 3 miles into the trail when I broke, but not even to a named obstacle yet when I broke. I continued to do the trail in 3wd and being pulled up stuff it wouldn't climb for the next two miles until we got to the top. From there I was able to do another mile in 2wd as it was all downhill. Fortunately there was a cut off road halfway through Metal Masher so we didn't have to try and limp through another 6 miles of trail!
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw...-no?authuser=0
Very clean break on the CV. We zip tied it to the sway bar linkage and continued up the trail. Of course the zip tie broke right off and it bounced around a bit and made some gouges in the lower control arm. Nothing serious though.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw...-no?authuser=0
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw...-no?authuser=0
On the last day we were just messing around on the flat parts of Kane Creek and I drove through a line that flexed the rear enough to snap the sway bar and dump a coil completely out of the truck. It was trapped in the suspension and when I touched it, it fell out onto the ground and rolled away. I wasn't messing around or trying to be cool or anything. In fact, I didn't even know it happened. I had stopped to wait for our friends in a Subaru Legacy (that's another, more fun story), and they actually heard the spring noise and alerted me.
This is what I had driven through to break the sway bar. The position in the photo is where I backed it up to get enough flex out of the suspension so I could pop the spring back in. There is zero spring retention on the Trooper, so it just slid right in. I tied the spring to the top and bottom perch with para cord just to get me off the trail. I drove home the 300+ miles without a sway bar. I'm probably going to park the Trooper for a while and deal with it later.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw...-no?authuser=0
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw...-no?authuser=0
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw...-no?authuser=0
Overall, the road trip alone was over 700 miles so glad I was able to drive the entire way. I've got video footage, but it will take a while before I get any of it up.
Did the CV snap due to angle, or not having a skid plate under it? Looks like you need to step up to the next size or 2 suspension, since stock isn't cutting it.
It isn't really stock, but the only option from here is a solid axle swap, which I'm not sure I'd do on this truck. It wasn't the angle per say because the suspension wasn't really drooped out. I think that neither wheel could really spin much, so it was pretty tight, then I was trying to turn the steering wheel and everything bound up on me.
I take that back, the suspension is basically stock, it's just about 1.5-2" taller with larger wheels and tires. Can't really put a skid plate around the CV, nor is it necessary because nothing can get to it except maybe a stick or something.
Impressive.
I used to wheel my BroncoII like that (and jump it a bit) but thankfully never broke anything.
What year is your Trooper Stu? I just got rid of the Xterra in favor of a more gas friendly vehicle as a DD (Honda Accord), but the plan is to replace the Xterra with an older rig that I don't have to worry about beating up. I like the looks of the Trooper.
Mine is a '99. I like it, but I can't really recommend one unless you want to be off the map all the time for mods and support. There is one forum that I know of, and it gets slower every year. Also, the auto trannies are the garbage GM 4L30E. The vast majority of the Troopers in my model year ('98-'02) are autos. Also, they usually burn oil, usually a quart every 3k miles.
The '92-'97 Troopers in manual can be found more easily. You lose push button 4wd, which some people like, but the transfer case is integrated into the tranny housing. The rear axle isn't quite as strong, but has more gearing options, but like 2 or 3, compared to the ZERO gears for my year rear end. All the front ends of the Isuzu trucks are the same across all models from '88-'04 as far as the diff and shocks. Some are wider than others.
If you want to fabricate, or do something mild (like what I've done) them I think they are fine, as long as you know what you're getting into. They can certainly be had for cheap compared to the Toyotas. The Trooper has a 63" width (same as Toyota FJ80), and a 109" wheel base (FJ80 is 112") for an idea of the size.
Good info, thank you! I like the older ones as well, and would prefer non push button. The trails out here are a lot different than what I'm accustomed to in CO, and pretty much anything with decent clearance and 4x4 will get you around just fine.Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving
'93-'97 are the same body as mine, but with the older front end and a 3" more narrow width measured at the WMS. Those are all 3.2 motors (both SOHC and DOHC available), where as mine is identical but DOHC 3.5. Both Date ranges are referred to as a 2nd gen, but mine is referred to as '98+.