2008 Joyner T2 Trooper--Our experiences pro and con

Ernie · May 20, 2009

HI all! We love our Trooper T-2 (2008, one of the first 5000 but with the reinforced rear diff bracket)...We have snorkled the air and oil breather, moved the radiator up on the rear cage , added a top with storage rack, widened the fenders, a plexiglass windshield, nut and bolted the entire buggy, reinforced all electrical connections and anywhere a wire might rub, installed a muffler and waterproofed the underseat compartments. Also have a second set of "street" tires for when the knobbies aren't appropriate. We keep up on all the fluids and recommended maintenance and keep it garaged. Our next project is to raise the height and seal the fuse and ecm boxes and coat everything with die electric grease.

Our machine has performed well on the dunes of Glamis, the back country of the White Mountains of AZ (on the mtn. trails and the high desert scrub). We've even taken it thru the Little Colo. river wash near Holbrook a couple times (that was a blast!). We've gotten it really wet trying to dodge giant "puddles" during the monsoon season (which prompted the fender widening and the snorkeling). It has all the power and abilities to perform what ever we ask of it. (we've even raced it in some 1/8 mile drags.) It outruns/out performs the other more expensive UTV's our friends have, especially in hill climbing and endurance categories. We don't dare jump it....wouldn't want to break any suspension components, not alone the diffs or an axle.

Besides the fuel pump falling off (the first week we owned it), the end of the muffler blowing up/off (towards the end of a 150 mile hard ride), a bit of an overheating problem (solved by raising the radiator), all the boots deteriorating/cracking, the front end steering gear being really sloppy, the lights konking out on a night ride on the dunes, several quirks in the electrical system (even before getting wet), we still enjoy our Trooper. But, We never leave home without a well stocked tool box sitting in the back as one never knows what's going to happen next.

Our dilema right now is getting the front axle off to change the boot......supposedly they just "slide right off".....not so, we even made a custom axle puller and to no avail, it won't budge. (can't even see the circlip mentioned in the manual) We've spoken with the Joyner mechanics and their instructions don't work either. So we're going to give up on that and try the 12 buck split CV boot kit (Thanks for the tip Rocmoc!). That should solve that problem just fine! Unless ya'll might have a suggestion as to fixing this thing!

Paiute3 · May 20, 2009

Hi Ernie Welcome to UTVBOARD.

Cinda

Ernie · May 20, 2009

Thanks!

brostar · May 20, 2009

Welcome Ernie & I enjoyed reading your 1st post. The first Trooper's certainty needed more refining like most other new products, there is only so much in-house testing a company can do. Artic Cat is going through the same process as Joyner with their new Prowler & will be a good test for them to see if they will handle it as good as T.J USA did.The real test comes from you, the consumer in the real world. It's only fair that you, as a buyer of a new design receives full support from that manufacture. Hopefully you got that. Those circlips sure do work well at what they were designed for but they are a pain to get off.

It's mud season over here for me and the #1 next upgrade for me is extended fenders. I'm in two minds whether to go with rubber like yours or get a fibreglass fab. done. Have you got any other pics of your fender extenders?

Cheers Mike.

Ernie · May 21, 2009

Hi Mike!

Will post the fender extender pics in a couple days. We used that roll plastic you can get from www.speeedwaymotors.com or other race car supply stores like www.performancebodies.com it is about 1/8"or so thick, sturdy and flexible. You can score and snap it. Heat and form it. The edges file nicely. We had the black laying around, many colors available and it is paintable..... We took measurements so they extended a couple inches past the tires and as far under the plastic fenders as they'd go, and again for the length we wanted and cut 'em out and used a heat gun to help shape them into place. Riveted or bolted them on and wa-la! they were good to go.

Have you had to remove a front axel yet? Maybe you have a tip for getting that dang thing off you'd like to share? I've searched hi and low for some kind of advanced troubleshooting instructions, All I can find are the directions for removal with no complications.

Thanks!

Ernie

brostar · May 21, 2009

Not yet had that pleasure. I was referring to the circlip that holds the front of the rear driveline. flatbed had no worries but I couldn't move it with two pry bars so got my mechanic to do the deed. He made a slide hammer that worked well. I like the sound of that roll plastic you mentioned. I'll check it out, thanks.

Cheers Mike.

Paiute3 · May 21, 2009

Ernie,

Could you please post about the quirks in the electrical system?

Thank-you,

Cinda

Ernie · May 21, 2009

Brostar,

We made a monster of a slide bar and still couldn't budge the dang thing. It's stuck in there good!

Ernie · May 21, 2009

Hi Cinda,

The quirks in the electrical system are many. We haven't blown fuses, but things like the gauges and lights react as if fuses have blown. We also had to tighten and tape the gauge and fuel connections....that helped. They kept coming loose.

The electrical system just needs to be traced to find what is causing the problem at the time...either the connection, the bulb or a broken wire inside the insulation.

4x4x454 · May 21, 2009

We don't dare jump it....wouldn't want to break any suspension components, not alone the diffs or an axle.

Ernie I have jumped mine many times I jump the ditches up here in ND all the time. I will hit the approaches at about 40 mph and it will fly about 20-25' and go about 3' over the approach with about 3'-4' approche total air is about 6'-7'. It lands quit soft have not broken or bent any thing yet. Last fall I promised video of it but got snow before I had chance. I still plan on getting the video eventually.

Ernie · May 21, 2009

4X4X454

The key word is "YET" Usually, I do my jumping on my Yamaha WR250R and leave the Trooper driving to mama! Mostly we're careful about jumping 'cause we're usually way too far away from camp or home to walk back should we break it. Riverbanks and ditches around here ain't a problem, mama handles them nicely!

Looking forward to the upcoming video!

BTW: We got the dang axle off! The clips were hidin' in there, get them out and the axel just slips right off easy.

snowbird · January 22, 2010

Brostar,
We made a monster of a slide bar and still couldn't budge the dang thing. It's stuck in there good!

I had the same problem with the rear drive shaft. We could not get it off the transmission. Joyner uses a large slid hammer with an adapter that fits over the yoke. We had to zip cut the yoke off just where the end of the transmission shaft ends. This was hard to do in place. We had to use a 4 inch grinder with no guard on it. Then we had to grind some small nails down and tap them under the clip. After a half a dozen hours we finally got it off. The grooves are either too deep or the groove has too square off an edge. snowbird

rocmoc · January 22, 2010

I put a bolt thu the yoke and thu the end of a piece of chain. I used a compound cable ratchet and hooked one end to the chain and the other end to the trailer ball of my truck. I then put a 4X4 beam/board between the end of the trailer hitch and the rear X-member on the Trooper. AND started ratcheting. Soaked the end of the yoke with penetrating oil and tapped the Yolk on the side with a hammer. The thing came flying out. Took about 1 hour.

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

snowbird · January 23, 2010

We tried snapping a chain and that didn't work so we hooked up a 1 1/2 ton come along in the same manner as you did and could not move it. After about 4 hours we called Joyner and they told us they use a slide hammer. Not having any material at my Arizona home to make a slide hammer, is when we decided to try the 4 inch. grinder. After reading this forum I see we all are having the same kind of problems and are coming up with different fixes. This is what is so great about the forum. snowbird

rocmoc · January 23, 2010

I was having a Senior moment when I wrote my post, my ratchet was a come along. After I had a great amount of pressure on the come along & driveline, I believe it was the penetrating oil that was the final trick. I soaked/sprayed it and let it sit for a couple of hours before the final hammer tap.

I agree, great source of info and many ways to solve the same problem. When I ran my Engineering & Planning teams, I use to tell them the same thing. Don't come to me for the answer as there are many, come up with your own & then we will review/talk about it.

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico