Sarasota to Connecticut in 22 hours (stopped for gas, dinner, and a half hour snooze on the Jersey Tpke.). Three issues arose during the trip:
1) A roof rack mount broke as soon as we hit GA. As soon as we hit any bumps on the highway, it let go. Same as our trip up here 3 years ago, when the rack gave up at 4 am in SC. Merlin at St. Charles already has one on the way to CT for $20 something (as well as gaskets/seals for the tranny at the range selector and accumulator piston cover).
2) Probably time to change to the Monroe Sensatracs from the original shocks to eliminate the bouncing off the bumpstops with every frost heave.
3) And there is definitely a little first gear shudder from a stop when the engine and tranny are warm. I checked the fluid level and condition when I got here, and all was good. I forgot to check the level with the engine running and in neutral, so I had to pump a little over a quart back in.
Gas price - $2.87 or so most of the way. Connecticut is $3.15 or more. Ridiculous.
Mileage - 18-20 mpg the whole way. No stopping in traffic as we did the entire Northeast corridor, from DC to CT, from midnight to 7 am or so.
Cross Bronx Expressway - Can't they repave this??? Much better to drive it at 5 am, though!

The weather has been stellar and we hope the Rodeo gets us to Mount Washington and back without any issues!

sounds like a heck of a road trip!

If you were closer I would give you my sensa tracs. Decided they were still too bouncy for me, though much much better then the worn out OEMs that were on it. I just replaced them with rancho 9000x. With them set on 3 the difference in the ride is amazing. Unlike gas charged shocks they actually dampen in both directions instead of just compression.

I bent the mount post on one of the rears. Guess using extenders wasnt such a good idea.

I'd honestly have to say that shudder you're feeling in 1st gear sounds VERY similar to what I've been getting since I put the 2" lift on.

My transmission is fine; however, my carrier bearing DOES in fact have some play in it - check your carrier bearing out.

So, your accumilator piston on your tranny sprung a leak?

Both places on the tranny have leaked enough fluid to moisten the bottom of the pan but not drip on the ground for several months now. I had no idea where it was leaking from near the gear selector until I saw you changed yours awhile back, Ramblin'.

I'd love it if the carrier bearing were the culprit. That's lot cheaper fix than the tranny, but at 164K+, I'm wondering...

Saw NYC yesterday (took the train instead of fighting Monday traffic) and took it easy by a lake in the woods in CT today. Mount Washington this weekend, but the Rodeo won't see the summitt. Gonna hike it!

I'd love to hear any other suggestions for shocks. I'll consider the Ranchos.

Don't jinx that 164k you have; as I'm 10k up above you.

You have yourself a good trip!

Thanks!

As far as shocks I've seen posts from ppl that like Pro Comp ES3000 and OME shocks. Most dont like KYB, aka 'kill your back'.

Do NOT get the KYB's or the Tokico - they are both horrid!!

Surfer - the Gabriel sport shocks are fantastic on the '97 Rodeo's; not too soft and not harsh either, they're great!

Thanks for the feedback. Gotta get a license plate bulb tomorrow, too.

To get slightly off topic..

Ramblin, have you decided yet if you are going to try shimming your carrier bearing?

I rembered the other day that I read a long time ago about why cv joint drive shafts are better then u-joint style. Said with u-joints the shaft speeds up and slows down on each revolution (cvs dont, hence constant velocity). The effect gets worse at steeper angles so that could be a bit of what you are feeling. Shimming it will reduce the angle and might help.

Bump for Ramblin' to see the previous post and update...

The Rodeo has been to the White Mountains and down to southern NH. We hiked the summitt of Mt. Washington (4 1/2 hours up, 3 hours down) while the Rodeo rested at the campground. We've also been to Boston twice (Fenway Park and Faneuil Hall). The Rodeo is dripping some ATF. Not sure if it's from the vent due to overfill or the 2 seals I'll be replacing when I get home. I'll post a couple of pictures when I get back to FL this weekend.

Any pointers on how to get the seal by the gear selector would be greatly appreciated!

Gizzy - I never saw that post, sorry. Help me out here, I've never done a lift on a vehicle before, honestly - what do you mean by shimming?? I know someone on the planet mentioned he was gonna try shimming his '96 Rodeo first prior to replacing the bearing/shaft. But, I'm not sure what's all involved, personally.

Can you help me out here, describing what I'd need to do and the parts that go with it?

Surfer - Make SURE you are either manually downshifting that tranny to 3rd OR using the power mode on steep inclines, BEFORE you start the incline, or you will overheat that transmission - I don't care what anyone has said in the past, this tranny WILL downshift on it's own, BUT, doing it sooner and assisting it to do so, is a lot easier on it. I think!

Here's to hoping you are having a WONDERFUL trip - Surfer!

I must be doing something right, in this regard, otherwise, I don't see how this GM tranny could've lasted this long otherwise, we do a LOT of steep mountain driving with it. There's no sign of it letting up anytime soon - knocking HARD on wood!

I love this truck - it's *different* then 95% of everyday cars, you don't see too many odd-ball vehicles, they're all either Exploders, Cherokees, blazers, etc.

I'm with you on using the POWER mode, both in the mountains AND in the city. The truck can't seem to get out of its own way without it. In FL I only use it for highway merges, but I recall many posts about using it in higher elevations, especially when towing, and it's been helpful. And the trip's been great! Thanks!

You can either shim the axle to rotate the pinion angle up some which most do. Matt sells 4 degree shims (http://www.independent4x.com/item.jhtml?UCIDs=839915%7C1109486&PRID=1139988) for that purpose. Or you might be able to shim the carrier bearing so it sits a bit lower and angles a bit to decrease the angle of the rear half of the shaft. Not sure if that would work but could be worth a shot. Would just need a spacer with a bit of an angle to it to tilt the bearing a bit. I've read of differing opinions on that, some say just use some washers to lower the carrier bearing, others say to angle it a bit. Do a google search for "carrier bearing pinion angle" and you should find lots of info. I think lowering the carrier bearing is the best and easiest way.

surferfletch Glad you're having a good time.

Gizzy - I'm not sure yet what we're gonna do, honestly. Still irritated, cause I personally don't see why we should have to do ANYTHING with the driveshaft for only a 1.5-2" lift.

If I was going to lift it 3 or more inches, I could see it, but, after talking with other Isuzu owners, most believe the 1.5" lift is so minimal that any damage would be almost non-exist.

Still contemplating on just doing *nothing*, except the front-end alignment. No one has told me that there is/can be significant damage by just leaving it well enough alone. If I thought/heard that it would do damage to the auto tranny, U-joints, etc, then I would definitely, most likely go back to stock height asap.

I'm thinking at this point, the carrier bearing's probably shot due to age more then anything - I think what we'll do, is wait til it gets worse...it's not too bad right now, I've wiggled it around, doesn't move but maybe 1/4-1/2".

Maybe in a year, or whenever it gets worse, I'll just replace the carrier bearing itself, if I still feel a wobble at take-off, I'll probably just go back to stock height.

I just don't feel right by messing around with a driveshaft that's nearly 11yrs old & 200k miles, I could be setting myself up for expenses I wouldn't otherwise have. And, I've replaced U-joints before, (not on this truck) believe me, I do not have the funds to fort those this year!

Surfer - I'm actually amazed that you're having to use the power mode just to merge on the highways in Florida.

I live at 9k feet, and I *only* use the powermode when traveling through/up the I-70 cooridor/Rocky Mountains, 10-12k feet, and/or taking off while pulling the boat/trailer 3-4,000 lbs.

I've never used the powermode while merging on an in town/flat land highway, even with the 32" tires, it gets to 65mph fairly efficiently without concern.

Can I ask what octane of gas you're using - seriously, this made a BIG difference in my Rodeo's power, irregardless what others have said. Mine has no power, and runs like crap on 85 octane, and even some gas-stations 87 octane.

I use 87 only. Runs well, but I do like a little later shift point when getting up to highway speed. Other than that, I don't use power mode at home.

Ramblin, the little bit of increased angle shouldnt hurt anything. Your rear u-joint and the carrier bearing will wear a little faster but not enough to worry about. Personally I would still stack some washers to drop the carrier bearing down a bit and see if that gets rid of the vibration. Cheap and easy to do. If it doesnt work you havent wasted much time or money. Either way there should be no effect on the trans or rear axle.

The reason most go to 1 peice shafts is because the bearing costs around $200 and you can get the shaft retubed to 1 peice for about the same price. Then dont have to worry about the bearing anymore.

Thanks for the info Gizmo, I'll look into it.

Couple of photos from the White Mountains for you. Probably not too impressive for those of you in the Rockies, but it sure is beautiful! The first two were taken along the Kangamangus Highway and the third at Jigger Johnson Campground near Conway, NH.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v380/surferfletch/DSC_0472.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v380/surferfletch/DSC_0469.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v380/surferfletch/DSC_0473.jpg

Actually, Surfer, those are very pretty pictures. Believe it or not, but the trees are different in those pics, I mean well most of them are the same types of trees, but the *greenness* is different. It looks like that part of the country gets a lot of moisture??

We are so dry right now it's not even funny; we went up to Rollins pass last weekend, it is SO dry some of our trees are dying off terribly. Colorado has a lot of trees, but not that tight-nit with one another, I mean, there'll be hundreds/thousands of them, and then bare spots here/there, or a good couple rows of dying off trees.

Problem here is, we get a lot of snow in the highcountry that breaks off the growing trees, and then the summers are mostly dry, dehydrating them terribly.

You have a beautiful Rodeo; your chrome package is identical to the package I had on the '91 Rodeo, with the exception of the fact that I had the snow flake rims - otherwise known as the treasured rims in the Isuzu world.....Only I didn't know it then.

Pine beetles are wiping out huge stands of trees here.. damn chinese lol.

They have lots of different types of trees there then we have here. Mostly all our trees are in the mountains and its all pines or aspen, very little else. Wish we had the same trees as the north east, beautiful specially in fall. Thats one reason I love Ontario so much, all the trees!

Finally back in FL! Drove all but 2 1/2 hours of the trip from Derry, NH to SWFL. All told - 26 hours with a couple of short meal breaks. Thanks for the comments. The hike up Mt. Washington and back down was cool as you saw how the vegetation changes. Tall pines, birch, maple, and oak at the bottom, but as you go further up, the trees become shorter and shorter, and soon you are above treeline with only some scrub amongst the rocks. Thirty degree temp change from the base to the summitt, too. It was essentially winter up there with a 35 degree temp and a windchill of 18 with wind gusts in the 60 mph range. Incredible! There was still some snow in Tuckerman's Ravine and 4 guys were making some steep, short runs down to the rocks. The snow actually appeared suspended as a stream ran below it. A fall here can be devastating.

As far as the Rodeo goes, I guess I hadn't bled all the air out of the system prior to my trip. When I got out of the truck to fill the gas tank earlier today, I could hear some gurgling under the hood. It was pretty hot under there (I still don't have a working temp guage), but the reservoir wasn't bubbling. I let it cool down and I was able to get about a pint of coolant in the radiator. Hopefully that'll take care of it. I also put a new rad cap on it and I have a new t-stat coming this week. Gotta get some sleep!

Ok Surfer, I have to ask, who's the beagle??

Glad you made it back ok. Did ya see anything weird in Derry? Thats where all the odd stuff takes place in Steven King books. The trip up the "mountain" gave you an idea of what its like here, snow in summer and much cooler temps. Always nice to go up and excape the 100 deg heat in town.

That's Sally O'Malley. She's a very sedentary suburban beagle who really came to life in the mountains: tracking woodchucks, fording very shallow water crossings (needing rescue only once - it's amazing how little water it takes to float a vehicle or very fat beagle!), and climbing the rocks. It's only ATF on the ground today, so I'm hoping the leak is at the range selector or accumulator piston cover. Added nearly a qt.

The odd stuff happened in Conway the morning we left the campground. There was a triple murder the morning we left town. It happened at 9:40am and we left the campground at 10 am, headed for Derry. We saw a ton of state trooopers racing north on I-93. Later my sister told us about the murder and we fed her info from then on from the internet until they caught the guy. Check unionleader.com if you're interested. The town of Conway was in lock down mode for awhile. By the way, I sat next to Stephen King at Fenway back in the late 80s. He doesn't sign autographs.

Here's just one more picture. This is Cathedral Ledge. I was shaking in my boots, but my brother-in-law scaled its 500ft. face a few days earlier. A couple of years ago, a guy fell 300 ft. to his death. Spectacular view from up here of the mountains and the small towns in the valley below.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v380/surferfletch/Cathedral.jpg

You should have taken the seasonal auto road up Mt. Washington! At the top is a gift shop open in summer that sells bumper stickers that say ' This car climbed Mt. Washington'. Nice photo ops too. Now that would be a test of your transmission.
I can see the moutain from here in Maine on clear days. I think the last of the snow melted didn't it?
Did you fill up the Rodeo with mosquitos and haul them back south?? I hope so! :grinyes:

Since we hiked to the top via the Tuckerman's Ravine Trail from Pinkham notch (4 and 1/2 hrs up), I had to get the black oval hiking sticker that says, "This body climbed Mt. Washington." It's going on the Jeep. There were 4 guys skiing the last of the snow in Tuckerman's. They were basically able to make 3 or 4 turns to control their speed before stopping at the end of the snow. If they kept going they would have dropped 4 or 5 feet down to the boulders. You could actually walk a ways up under the snow because water was flowing beneath. This was on June 30th!

We also decided to walk back down. It took only 3 hours (Auto Rd for 2 miles to Nelson Crag Trail to Old Jackson Trail back to Pinkham Notch visitor's center). I want to do it again!

Since we hiked to the top via the Tuckerman's Ravine Trail from Pinkham notch (4 and 1/2 hrs up), I had to get the black oval hiking sticker that says, "This body climbed Mt. Washington." It's going on the Jeep.


I suppose that's good too! Hiking is better than driving up for both the body and the car.
I had a friend back in the 80's who 'borrowed' a car - we took it up the mountain, put a sticker on the back, left the tank nearly empty, and returned the car where we found it full of beer cans, Dorito bags, and other evidence of a good time. The owner - she was not happy. :p That steep mountain drive beats the snot out of any vehicle.

Rental car if I do the Auto Road!

Here's the farthest my Rodeo has been offroad. My brother-in-law just e-mailed me these pics taken in his backyard in CT.
Down...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v380/surferfletch/downhill.jpg
Up...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v380/surferfletch/ctoffroad.jpg
4X2 on Duelers made it without trouble!

Dueler's are nice tires.

If you look at my Pikes Peak pics, I have the dueler A/T's on, loved them til I wore them out.

You'd be amazed what your 4x2 Rodeo could do Surf - that's why I've kept mine all this time. It's amazing how many people we go touring/camping with don't even realize my Rodeo's a 4x2.