'01 Rodeo shock swap... special tools?

I need to swap the shocks on my 01 Rodeo. I have the Bilsteins in hand, but wonder if there will be some fancy-schmancy tools required. Please post if you have any exprience with swapping late model Rodeo shocks out.

Thanks in advance.

No Special Tools

I need to swap the shocks on my 01 Rodeo. I have the Bilsteins in hand, but wonder if there will be some fancy-schmancy tools required. Please post if you have any exprience with swapping late model Rodeo shocks out.

Thanks in advance.

I had a bitch of a time replacing my 2000 factory shocks(80 000 Kms) with Monroe sensa tracs. I started with the rear. The drivers side came off not bad. This side has a little room to work with. The passenger side is pretty tough. The exhaust pipe gets in the way when trying to unscrew the upper old shock nut. I ended up ruining the flat section at the top of the thread. So I went and bought a nut splitter to destroy the nut. The only problem is that the factory shock has a nut with a flange. so I destroyed the nut but the flange held it together enough to keep the shock on. So I go to find my little hacksaw blade holder to cut the rest of the nut and bolt off. Can't find it. So I grab the hacksaw blade by hand and for the next 45 minutes proceed to blindly cut the nut and bolt off. It cuts the nut and bolt but since the washer the nut is sitting on, is cupped upward, the nut was still not completely cut off. Always too late, I remember the rotary tool I have in the garage. Knowing that I do not have a cut off wheel. I pray and convince myself that I may have one in the case. Nope, but I have two grinding wheels left and proceed to blow both of them apart. I then take a hammer and long cold chisel to the washer just under the pesky nut and after 3 hits it falls off. Between going to the store twice taking lunch and searching for tools it took me 5 hrs on a Saturday to take the back shocks off and replace. (You had to be there)

So I go to the front and losen the top nut easily and then take the ratchet wrench to the bottom bolt when it starts spinning. I don't have the right wrench to put on the opposite side of the bolt. Forget it. I call it quits. I will take care of it tommorrow. The next day I replaced the front driverside shock in 15 mins like it should take. I now move over to the passenger side when I find that the shock sleeve on the bottom bolt is seized to the bottom bolt. I take the bottom nut off and proceed to pound the bottom bolt with a 3 lbs hammer and a 1 inch dia steel round stock. After about 50 hits the bracket that hold the bolt and shock starts to bend. I have already smothered the bolt with penetrating oil. To hell with it. I refasten the nut to the bolt, but only lightly. I proceed to go for a ride and aim for every pot hole on both sides of the street.......

Two weeks latter I'm writing this letter looking forward to getting up tommorrow and buying a new bolt and cutting that #!@#@!$$%@$%@ old bolt off

I'm enjoying every minute of it. I will succeed.

Tools needed

14 mm boxed end ratchet wrench

something to hold the flat of the upper end of shock thread (normal vise grips will destroy the flat

17 mm socket and rachet wrench, with extension

17 mm cresent wrench (to hold the bolt head while you use the ratchet wrench to unscrew the nut)

If needed -2 ft pipe to to use for leverage with ratchet wrench when removing bottom shock nuts.

If I was to do it all over again I would make sure all the bottom parts of the shock could be loosened and removed and then just cut off the nuts on the top part of the shock with a rotary tool and cut off wheel.

John

Next Poly sway bar bushings. Then sparkplugs.

Hmmm
I want to do that too to my 2000 rodeo. It has about 30k on it and Ive been meaning to get a nicer/smoother ride.

How did the pot holes work out? I wonder if new shocks will affect the Intelligent Suspension Control system or if my warranty will be nulified with this mod. Questions, questions.

Dimitry

Hmmm
I want to do that too to my 2000 rodeo. It has about 30k on it and Ive been meaning to get a nicer/smoother ride.

How did the pot holes work out? I wonder if new shocks will affect the Intelligent Suspension Control system or if my warranty will be nulified with this mod. Questions, questions.

Dimitry


What happens is that the new shocks keep the tires on the ground when hitting bumps and potholes. So on smooth roads it is a more comfortable ride, but on rough roads you still get a bumpy ride. You just don't have the car losing contact with the pavement. I have hit train track crossings at 70 km/h and had the whole car leave the ground with the old shocks. If the wheels had been turned I would have rolled the Rodeo.

The biggest advantage is in cornering. I would have to lean and slow down when going into corners. Now I'm going into corners and feeling a lot more safer.

Breaking is dramatically improved. Most likely due to my old shocks having nearly 80 000 kms on them and you could play them like an accordian when I removed them.

If your old shocks are shot and your intelligent Suspension control system is not affected, I don't think new shocks will ruin anythng.

I finally got the passenger side shock off and replaced today. I cut off the bolt with a rotary tool and cutoff wheel. After doing it I would not recommend this procedure due to the two cv boots in close proximity. I use tools for a living and have good hand eye cordination. I was very cautious not to lose control of the rotary tool. I would recommend center punching the bolt head and drilling a 1/8 inch pilot hole. Then use a 7/16 drill bit until the bolt head falls off. This way you have greater control and you don't shoot abrasive dust all over the immediate area. Also you don't grind the bracket that holds the bolt and shock. You also take risks in breaking the weld on the bracket because you have to bend the bracket in order to remove the cut bolt and shock.The old bolt was rusted and totally seized onto the shock.

John

One more note. To put on the new shocks you have to compress them. You can muscle the Monroe sensa tracs. But if you are buying a stiffer shock you are going to have to find a mechanical way to compress the shock. I install my shocks without removing the tires or jacking up the car.

Thanks for the heads up and the comediac commentary. Too funny! Your weekend sounded like most of the car projects I've done the past - work hard, scratch head, scream obscenities and wish you had more money, time, space and tools.

One last dumb questions. My wife's Rodeo (pos) is a 2001 v6 4xr4. How would I know if I had the intelligent suspension?

One last dumb questions. My wife's Rodeo (pos) is a 2001 v6 4xr4. How would I know if I had the intelligent suspension?

Not a dumb one at all. I thought it was something automatic for a long time until I really looked in to it.

The intelligent suspension was an option you could get. Not all rodeos came with it. If your Rodeo is equipped you will have a button on your dash that has two settings like comfort and sport or something to that effect.
:smile:

.... How would I know if I had the intelligent suspension?

It was only available on the top of the line (SE ??) option pkg later rodeos. You will have a sport/normal mode switch in place of the coin holder in the center/floor console.
G/luck
Joel

Well, Interlligent suspension control comes optional with LS and standard on all LSE.

Check if on the back, taildoor you have a sticker that says Intelligent Suspension control

This is from mine:
http://images.cardomain.com/member_images/2/web/302000-302999/302449_16_full.jpg

http://www.cardomain.com/id/dimitry1
Dimitry

Was that new in 2001 or something? Ive got a 2000 LSE and no ISC.

I found this when I was looking in to it.

http://auto.consumerguide.com/auto/used/reviews/full/index.cfm/id/2308

2000 Isuzu Rodeo: Adjustable shock absorbers were new this year and 16-inch tires replaced all 15-inchers, as Isuzu redesigned the front and rear fascias of this midsize SUV. Standard on the LSE and optional on LS, the new Intelligent Suspension Control featured a dashboard button to adjust shock damping between Sport and Normal settings. Honda Passports did not get the adjustable-shock system. A new Ironman package debuted for the LS, marking Isuzu's sponsorship of the Ironman triathlon competition. The package included white or black paint over grey lower body panels, crossbars for the roof rack, and special graphics. Cruise control now was standard on V6 Rodeos, and an automatic transmission became standard on the LSE edition.

Hm weird. I have Intelligent Suspension Control but no dashboard button.

Im seriously confused now. Gonna read the manual today after work.

Dober89: No I have 2000 LSE and I have it.

Thats wierd cuz I dont have any buttons besides the power and winter modes, but when I turn my key forward there is a shock light that goes off after I start it up. Now im confused.

I replaced stock shocks on my 2000 LSE isc last week with Monroe Sensa Tracs. I had (52 000) mi on them and all 4 were leaking. The front right would compress but not decompress unless I pulled on it. They are super cheapies. Probably a 10.00 shock with the isc electrical harness attached to them. You can only get them from isuzu and you will PAY big time for a worthless set of shocks from the dealership. The Isc is only intelligent for isuzu. They sell us this pricey little add on witch has been useless as far as I’m concerned. Ever since my wife drove this Rodeo home from the dealership, I have had concerns about its handling and rough ride. Cornering has always been scary to me, because it seems like it wants to roll over. After waiting at sears for an hour ( to buy 4 shocks with a free install) the tech came and said that they would not install them because of the isc. I asked if he would just bypass it, but he said no you have to go to isuzu for the isc shocks. So I bought them and did it myself. I recommend that you do get a ratchet wrench. I got a set of them for 8 bucks at Harbour Fright and they paid for themselves on this job alone. Spray WD 40 on the top nuts and wratchet away. Those bottom nuts are on tight so a pipe will help a lot with leverage. I completely bypassed the isc by disconnecting the wire harness that was connected to the old shocks. The new ones are 110% better in ride and cornering.They feel much safer. When it comes time to do it again I will go with a better shock than the sensa tracks, maybe tokicos . The sensa tracs appear to be a stock replacement shock wich is 100% better than your going to get from isuzu I also have the 120 000 mi warrenty and will deal with them when the time comes. I don’t see how it could void the powertrain but the suspension might be a battle. But I don’t feel like I had any to begin with.

Just finished replacing my shocks. The first one was a b1tch (had to use a cutting wheel to get the bastard out), but the remaining shocks were a breeze - the Liquid Wrench had a chance to soak in. Thanks for the heads up all. The job went much better than past shock installs. I went the Bilstein route and it has a nice firm ride. I'd better because I had a hell of a time compressing them. Anyone else considering this work SHOULD invest in a 14mm wratchet wrench,otherwise you'll spend the better part of an hour moving your wrench 1/8 turn of a turn each time.

Did you have to do anything tricky to install the monroe's on the truck with ISC. The part numbers I have are 37159 (front) and 37160 (rear). Folks on this forum reported problems installing monroe's on trucks with ISC claiming that they were too short. Did you run into anything like that?

You cant install aftermarket shocks on a truck with ISC. Believe me I tried, had to buy new brand new electronic shocks for the rear from isuzu because the guy who did it for me was a moron and didnt check to see the parts fit before he cut the rear shocks out.

I have a 97 Rodeo v6 with 110K on it. I replaced the stock shocks at about 100K with Bilsteins and noticed a huge improvement in cornering. I have been incredibly happy with the Bilsteins.