St Charles online Parts Catalog is dead :(

[blacksambo]

We have some JDM owners in the Pacific rim on this site perhaps they could help?

[PK]

Cannot help from Australia, even though Isuzu are building up their presence here.
The VX is a "grey import" here, and they won't get parts even if you go in with the part numbers.
If it fits some other Isuzu, no problems.

I think we need a direct contact in Japan - perhaps a friendly English speaking Parts Manager at one of the Isuzu dealerships.

PK

[blacksambo]

Cannot help from Australia, even though Isuzu are building up their presence here.
The VX is a "grey import" here, and they won't get parts even if you go in with the part numbers.
If it fits some other Isuzu, no problems.

I think we need a direct contact in Japan - perhaps a friendly English speaking Parts Manager at one of the Isuzu dealerships.

PK

Thanks PK. I like your thinking and advice. So......is there someone from Japan watching out there who would volunteer to help us? We are very polite, nice folks just looking to keep our VX's running/ looking OEM- beautiful style.

[evillecutter]

Wata****achi ga dete kuruma no buhin o mitsukeru no ni yakudatsu kanōsei ga soko ni Nihon kigyō ga vehicross no fan ga sonzai suru baai, wareware wa hijō ni anata ga wata****achi o ataeru koto ga dekiru nin'i no herupu o onegai mōshiagemasu!!

[evillecutter]

that was suypposed to be an s.o.s. in japanese ^

apparently the slang work for feces is a big part of the japanese language that vx.info does not recognize

[Mile High VX]

So I ordered a few small parts from isuzuparts.com earlier in the week. Mostly weatherstripping that just needs to be replaced.

Got a note today that they were back ordered with no eta and it could be 4-6 months for them to arrive.

Guess you just need to have a crystal ball and plan ahead...

[blacksambo]

I think what you ordered is coming from Japan.

[Dare2Dream]

Any update on where to order OEM parts these days? Even things like OEM brake pads. i checked isuzuparts.com and brake pads are showing up as $200 which sounds quite high.

[Thelgord]

I just replaced all of my brake pads. The front was $25 for all four, the rear was around the same price, but I had to buy the clips separate for another $6 or so. Advanced Autoparts and O'Rilleys both carry them. For the most part, especially for mechanical stuff, big box autoparts stores will have 99% of what you need. I did go through isuzupartscenter.com for new weather strip and clips. Yes, the prices are high ($75 for the strip and $40 for the clips after shipping) and it takes around 3-6 weeks for delivery, but they really can get anything. If you ever need a front, inner, wheel bearing, NAPA autoparts is the only source that I have found to be reliable, but it must be pressed in by a shop.

tl;dr Just about anything mechanical can be found online or in large chain parts stores, anything cosmetic you can check for used parts here or on FB, or pay the price from isuzu.

[Dare2Dream]

Thanks for the reply! Which brand did you get and how long have you had it? Have you used the same brand before on the VX?

You're right that most replacement parts can be bought aftermarket from large stores. For brake pads, I did want to stick with the oem brake pads as those are pretty highly rated and recommended:

http://www.vehicross.info/showthread...kes-and-Rotors

They used to cost less than a $100 for OEM fronts so wondering if anyone has found OEMs recently for a decent price. Searching on this forum, I have not seen any aftermarket pads getting good reviews. Would have been nice if there was a replacement with good reviews.

[Thelgord]

I have the VX for a bit more than a month now, still getting it road worthy. It was in terrible shape when I got it, but for $1800 I am not complaining. The rotors are still in great shape, I have had to unstick two calipers that are now functioning normally, and I replaced all of the brake pads with "semi-metallic". Don't remember the brand name, but on the screen of the computer at the parts counter, they were the first one's listed that were not ceramic. When it comes to brake pads I am not so picky. They are cheap at $25 for each end of the VX and take less than 20 minutes to change. They stop the truck when I press the pedal. What more can you really ask for? I am not going on a track day with them where seconds count. If I am offroad and they start getting soft, I can always pull over and let them cool down if it comes to that. I won't be doing any five star trails, or serious rock crawling with the VX. If you are really concerned about it though, you should look at a "big brake kit" that comes with drilled and slotted rotors and uses ceramic pads.

[Dare2Dream]

Did you take the wheel off to unstick the caliper? How did you go about it?

[Thelgord]

Yes, took the wheel off, and the calipers, all of them. I didn't disconnect the brake lines, but I pulled them from their mounts. Checked and re-greased the pistons and guide bolts. On two calipers, the guide bolts had seized and the caliper wasn't moving. I had to hammer out the offending bolts. New bolts, new grease, all is good now. Advanced Autoparts carries the replacements for everything I needed.

[Dare2Dream]

Thanks, that is nice! I'm pretty sure i have a stuck rear caliper. Would have been nice if there was a 'how to' for brake install. I've done it on a different car but its nice to have a reference to follow.

[Thelgord]

Do you have access to the shop manual? I can email you the PDF if you want. It's actually a lot easier than you think. Two bolt for the front, 4 for the rear, after the tires is removed of course. The pads literally drop in.

On the brake pads, the inner one, ther is a metal clip that acts as a wear bar. It makes a grinding noise against the rotor to let you know they are old. The one on the rear passenger side was fed through the mounting clip, so that pad wasn't moving at all. So as a tip, don't do that! LOL!