[scubawhiz]

Hi everyone. I need your help please.

I am drafting my mod list and related sequence of events. I would appreciate any feedback - additional suggestions /concerns for combination of components etc., and for things I may have missed since I'm an office jockey, and although handy, not a mechanic (maybe 2 on a scale of 1 to 10) by any stretch of the imagination - So please be gentle with your responses.

First off, I have 2001 Rodeo LSE 3.2 V6 Auto 4WD (86K Kms - Canada-eh). It is my daily driver, I do not do massive off roading (not addicted yet) so I want to make the rig a little more powerful and versatile. Some things I will attempt to do, others I will leave for the professionals. After making some decisions here are the mods I am planning to undertake:

Suspension & Brakes

1. 3" Calmini Lift kit and track bar upgrade
2. 5 Pc Stainless brakeline set (from Independent4X)
3. I will retain stock rotors, but upgrade the pads (Wagner or Raybestos) and Dot 5.1 brake fluid (synthetic)

Power & Performance

1. Alpine Developments Supercharger
2. Jet chip programmed to work with supercharger
3. Drop in K&N air filter (unless someone can convince me on an effective way to use a cone and keep heat out of air sucked in)
4. Flowmaster Exhaust or something similar

Appearance
There are a number of these and I don't really have any questions for you yet.

Questions I have for you - AKA "the experts"

1. What are your best suggestions for wheel and rubber selections?(remember - daily driver) Putting the lift on means that I will need a new Wheel and tire combination - as explained on the Calmini website. I currently run 245/70R16 BFG AT T/A KO's on 16" stock rims.

2. Do I NEED to upgrade any part of the transmission to accomodate additional power from supercharger? (I don't know, but specifically does the clutch need to be replaced on an automatic? Newb question, I know - but I just don't know all the inner workings of these systems)

3. Is there any NEED for a "voltage regulator" upgrade. I was thinking that I would put a yellowtop battery in - are there any other "smart" electrical upgrades you would suggest?

4. With the lift, I think I will need to "fill the gap" in the wheel wells - what with and how?? (Specifically where can I get parts to do this if available?)

5. As far as the exhaust goes, do I have to change out the whole thing (pipes & muffler) or can I simply change the muffler to improve sound and performance?

I am sure that your responses will generate additional questions, but any feedback you can provide will be greatly appreciated from a guy who just wants to have a GREAT ride!

-Steve

 

[Starchild]

First off, a belated welcome to the Planet 8)

1. What are your best suggestions for wheel and rubber selections?

for a daily driver, the BFG A/T's are not a bad choice. I ran them for a while before I went with M/T's. If you're happy with their performance, you should be able to go with the metric equlivent of a 31-32" tire after the lift.

2. Do I NEED to upgrade any part of the transmission to accomodate additional power from supercharger?

I dont beleive so. To my knowledge, you don't replace suto clutches, and there's not much else to upgrade in the tranny.

4. With the lift, I think I will need to "fill the gap" in the wheel wells - what with and how??

I'm assuming yor're talking about the 3" suspension lift. That being the case, you will not have any gaps to worry about. The suspension lift simply raises the whole vehicle. A body lift, which separates the body and frame to gain clearance, is where you will get gaps.

5. As far as the exhaust goes, do I have to change out the whole thing (pipes & muffler) or can I simply change the muffler to improve sound and performance?

Many people replace the cat with a high flow model when they do the exhaust. For max performance, you will probably want to go with a cat back system. Meaning that everything from the catalytic converter back is replaced.

It sounds like you've done your research. Hopefully more people can chime in here with better advice or different opinions. But it's a start.

HIH
Andre

 

[bigpoppax2]

The only thing I'd have to add is to look at the different systems from different companies. I don't bash Calmini, but I do think their kit is overpriced.

Try looking at:

www.independent4x.com and www.darlington-offroad.com

Joe

 

[Tad]

For the transmission, you can get a Trans-interceptor from www.tonemonday.com - more info at: http://www.autotransinc.com/intercept.htm

I'm very happy with my power-vault muffler, which was tuned for a late model Isuzu engine. Do a google search for "powervault isuzu" for more info.

-Tad