4.56 gears stock, efi stock, 4 wheel disc brakes stock. Go ahead and do those things to an older stock solid axle rig and you have exceeded the cost of merely changing out the front suspension on a first gen Trooper. Oh yeah one other thing, you get to support business' like Matt and Joe's in the process. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

There was a Professor at Virginia Tech, years ago, who would always throw his students a curve-ball on the Mid-Term Examà

The last question was simply one wordà ôWhy?ö


Many a young and frazzled mind wrestled greatly with that oneà usually starting their line of back-filled bunk with a word like æbecauseÆà and typically, each would spend a great deal of time constructing their masterpiece of dookie, hoping and praying that they would somehow accidentally stumble upon the ideal replyà


However, one particular student, in 1962, scribbled a very quick reply, stood up, and turned-in his paper far sooner than any of his fellow classmatesà

His two-word reply got him an A+à ôWhy not?ö



Whether itÆs a matter of serious philosophical calisthenics, or merely the pondering of off-road vehicular enhancementà If the question is æWhy?Æ - the answer is almost always æWhy Not?Æ --- All the more so if the vehicle in question is an Isuzu! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />


Cheers! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />
Smiley

The other thing to think about, Other then a Jeep, what truck can you get with a solid axle, that isn't 20 years old? Short of a full size truck you can't really get anything with a sold front axle(short of the Landcruiser) Most companies started putting IFS into most trucks in the mid 80's.

So, I guess the main question would be why do the other way? If you want a Jeep, well you have plenty of aftermarket, but you will look just like the cheerleader in the next lane. If you buy an old truck with a solid axle. A lot of the time the engine has had it and you need to replace that(or at least upgrade it)

Another big thing, like has been said is components. Just because a truck has a solid axle doesn't mean it is any good. There a lot with drum brakes, bad knuckles, etc. Just because it has a solid axle doesn't mean it is strong(Dana 30)

So, like everyone said, if you are looking to build a truck to rockcrawl or mudbog(which is hardest on the components) then hey, finding an old truck with a good solid axle may be the way to go. If you are looking for something to do a little offroading(some hard, but mostly moderate) there is nothing wrong with an IFS truck. Figure out what you want/need, then look at what you like. Make it adapt to the later if you can't get it in the former.

My $.02
Steve

This preceeds my line of thinking on the topic. Most people do not simply SAS their Isuzu... they do it when the level of wheeling they want to do presents a need for it. And, once you get to that level, you are talking about some serious modification regardless of what you started with. Really, what is the difference between doing a SAS and completely redesigning the front suspension of a truck that came SFA from the factory?

And, as Smiley stated, why not? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

That is an oft-overlooked issue with "Why didn't I just get a Jeep to begin with?" syndrome, which I will totally admit I suffer from now and then.

Take a 93-ish YJ. Wheezy 4.0L straight six which is plenty good for 35's or so. But the axles are teh sux0r. Can you just swap D44's under there with little to no effort? No - all the same issues of angles and driveshafts and springs all come into play. The only difference being that about 10,000 people have done it before you. You can go the route that everyone else took and follow recipes for upgrades, or you can try to figure it out on your own.

To a certain degree, anyone that does an SAS on an Isuzu is doing the same here: taking little tidbits of other people's projects and incorporating them into their own.

But as the guys on the Harleys that passed me yesterday with the thumbs up can attest to, a beefy, SAS'd Isuzu definitely stands out a little. Probably speaks more to my personality than to my offroad needs.

HTH,

Some people don't know to buy solid axle to start off with, nor do they know how much offroading they will be doing. As Sean says, they often evolve their level of off roading to where more mods are necessary. I am in this category, yet my rig will double as a DD for a couple more years. Hence, I don't want to buy another vehicle simply for 4-5 rides a year. SAS is fine with me.

<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" /> (two thumbs-up!)

YES, exactly! --- I believe Mike just hit the nail square on the head!


Pretty much ANYONE can go out and buy themselves a more traditional 4x4 and modify it to suit their needs. --- In many cases, they can even find one where much (if not all) of the work has already been done by a previous owner... But honestly, where is the individuality or æUnusual FactorÆ in that?


Perhaps one of the most truly unifying things about this community is that NONE OF US is the Cookie-Cutter Typeà Each, perhaps for our own different reasons, has willingly chosen to 4-wheel a lesser-known, lesser-appreciated vehicleà and has an absolute blast doing it û even in mostly stock form û but especially on those occasions when someone in a more traditionally accepted rig becomes an unwitting witness to what our beloved brand is actually capable of doing. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />


My own story is basically no different from mostà I found a 4-wheel-drive that suited my day-to-day transportation needs - and soon after, I took it out for a little off-road fun and got bitten by the Modification Bug. --- Little by little, it has transformed into a rather impressively capable trail rigà However, the IFS is undeniably a bit of a limitation, sooooooooooà In time, when all of the stars align just right, and the necessary funds are available, I will most likely go SAS with it.


I suppose you could call it the æDance with the One that Brung YouÆ Syndrome if you likeà but I would much rather modify my Rodeo a wee-bit more, and make it even more capable than it already is, than completely start all over with another vehicle.

And yes, the æUnusual FactorÆ IS a part of ità
(Not that IÆm really personally at risk of ever having a shortage in THAT department! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> )


Cheers! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />
Smiley

This is another very valid point. I bought the Amigo nearly 8 years ago as a DD. Over the years Tera Lows, an ARB in the rear, rock sliders, rear bumper, BL, susp. lift, etc have been added as I deemed necessary and time/money allowed. I have every intention of SASing it one day... to the extent that I do not regear it or add a front locker/LSD because it is just tossing money at components that I have every intention of cutting off with a torch in a couple of years anyway. I have already put a lot of time/money/hard work into this truck... and its well-seasoned with trail rash... why would I sell it and start from scratch just to get something with a front drivetrain that I will have to mod anyway <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

You know, given the time and money, I'd SAS my 4ZE1 Troop. One thing stops me, though:

1. I don't want to swap motors unless what I put in doesn't have spark plugs. Keeping the 4ZE1 limits what tires I can put on my truck, so it also further limits the axles available to me.

Oh, well. Still cooler than a Jeep... even with IFS... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Not trying to sound rude or anything like that BUT..
If you have to ask then you should go get a jeep.


I have been working on mine for awhile now and I have already top 4 grand and still haven't even got started good. I have spent countless number of hours out in the shop on this rig. Is it worth it? To me it is. I have learned alot and contine to learn evreyday. Not to mention the great feeling you get when you do somethng like this knowing that you have a one an only rig that you made yourself. I hope to see you out on the trail someday no mater what you decide to drive...


Later,
Daniel