ImNoSaint's Tahoe Build

[Imnosaint]

View attachment 641872
I've moved on to my next and last project, a 2015 Chevy Tahoe.

This is no ordinary Chevy Tahoe; it’s a commercial edition built by GM’s service vehicle arm as a four-wheel drive police pursuit vehicle. It’s a traditional body-on-frame platform driven by a beefed-up 5.3 EcoTec3 V8 delivering 355 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque. Power goes through a Hydra-Matic six-speed automatic transmission with a PPV calibration for very short 0-60 trips.



Bringing this to a stop are heavy-duty four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and keeping it under control is a heavy-duty tuned suspension with a two-inch lift and a widened track. The PPV package uses a high-output alternator to create and distribute power to the standard mechanical system and a second house power system for lights, comms, and computers, which will be rewired for a Dometic fridge, auxiliary lighting and navigation.

I purchased this vehicle at 99,000 miles and baselined it on all fluids, belts, and brake pads. It's original tire/wheel combo were new Falken Wildpeak tires on 18″ Chevy aluminum rims. The seller added the basket and light bar for more appeal, both of which have since been deleted.

Topping the list is a wheel/tire upgrade to 33″ General Grabber X3s mounted on Black Rhino wheels. A Rhino-Rack Backbone Pioneer platform roof rack will provide storage on top. The spare will be relocated on a WilcoOffroad Hitchgate coming off the receiver making room for onboard water storage and pump system along with an onboard compressor. Another pair of auxiliary off-road lights will be located in the stock fog lamp positions.



This PPV-prepared Tahoe was designed to be modified for police gear and equipment, with a third-row delete and spartan cargo space. An insert is being designed to be constructed from 1″ extruded aluminum to accommodate a slide-out high-capacity Dometic fridge, and drawer system with a slide out stove/sink combo, along with a house-power 12v system.



The second row will be deleted to make room for a dog deck that houses a ramp system underneath. As in other builds, a Safari cargo net will separate the cargo area from the kennel.

 

[Imnosaint]

Tire/Wheel Upgrade

The Tahoe got its first upgrade, 285/70R17 General Grabber X3 M/Ts wrapped around Black Rhino Barstow 17X9.5 rims.

 

[tyler.armijo]

What is done to achieve the 2” lift height on the PPV Tahoes? How much wider is the track and how is that achieved as well? I do like the look of it so far and am interested to see your rear storage setup


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[phsycle]

Nice! Looks like a good platform to build on.

Is that picture taken in Bountiful?

 

[Explorerinil]

What is done to achieve the 2” lift height on the PPV Tahoes? How much wider is the track and how is that achieved as well? I do like the look of it so far and am interested to see your rear storage setup


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They are not lifted from GM, someone did that. I drive new Tahoe PPV’s and SSV’s at work, they do not sit up any higher, they sit lower. That could be a Tahoe SSV, which is basically a normal Tahoe with heavy duty shocks, bigger alternator and an ignition override switch. The police Tahoe’s also have a “city brake”, option (optional equipment) which is a larger rotor and pads. The police Tahoes are nothing special, I drive them as a police officer and buy them as part of my duty is bidding out new vehicle purchases.

 

[tyler.armijo]

They are not lifted from GM, someone did that. I drive new Tahoe PPV’s and SSV’s at work, they do not sit up any higher, they sit lower. That could be a Tahoe SSV, which is basically a normal Tahoe with heavy duty shocks, bigger alternator and an ignition override switch. The police Tahoe’s also have a “city brake”, option (optional equipment) which is a larger rotor and pads. The police Tahoes are nothing special, I drive them as a police officer and buy them as part of my duty is bidding out new vehicle purchases.

Thank you for the response, I thought based off the pictures it looked like some sort of aftermarket spacer kit and I know to change track width takes at least control arms and axles that’s why I was curious. So it’s just a stock Tahoe with a high output alternator and shocks valved for the extra weight you guys carry. I can dig it


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[phsycle]

They are not lifted from GM, someone did that. I drive new Tahoe PPV’s and SSV’s at work, they do not sit up any higher, they sit lower. That could be a Tahoe SSV, which is basically a normal Tahoe with heavy duty shocks, bigger alternator and an ignition override switch. The police Tahoe’s also have a “city brake”, option (optional equipment) which is a larger rotor and pads. The police Tahoes are nothing special, I drive them as a police officer and buy them as part of my duty is bidding out new vehicle purchases.

Is a 2-sp transfer case and rear locker options when you’re ordering these?

 

[Explorerinil]

Is a 2-sp transfer case and rear locker options when you’re ordering these?

A g80 locker is an option, I can’t recall on the transfer case. I can’t tell you a police service Tahoe is basically a stock run of the mill Tahoe with a really basic interior and some basic police spec options (Larger alternator, heavy duty shocks, steel or basic aluminum rims, rubber floors, etc) GM discontinued goverment fleet sales for 2021, I had an order placed for a SSV Tahoe and they cancelled it, unknown why, but they told me all goverment fleet sales are suspended for 2021. When I specked out the 21, it was basically a bare bones Tahoe with steel 18 inch rims, spot light and a rubber floor with vynal seats.

I can tell you that out of the big three police vehicles, the Tahoe has been by far the least problematic and easiest to outfit due to room and wireing layout.

 

[Explorerinil]

Thank you for the response, I thought based off the pictures it looked like some sort of aftermarket spacer kit and I know to change track width takes at least control arms and axles that’s why I was curious. So it’s just a stock Tahoe with a high output alternator and shocks valved for the extra weight you guys carry. I can dig it


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If you want a police SSV Tahoe or 3/4 suburban, check out Chicago motors, they have a ton of clean used goverment fleet vehicles, sometimes you will see a police raptor. There is a private donor (last name Buffett) that loves to buy large fleets of raptors and Tahoe’s and gives them to police agencies For free.

 

[Imnosaint]

Nice! Looks like a good platform to build on.

Is that picture taken in Bountiful?

Yes, not far from where I live.

 

[Martinjmpr]

I wondered how long it would be before we started seeing some K2XX (2015+) Tahoe/Suburban builds here.

Does yours have the 2 speed or the single speed T-case?

 

[Imnosaint]

I wondered how long it would be before we started seeing some K2XX (2015+) Tahoe/Suburban builds here.

Does yours have the 2 speed or the single speed T-case?

It's the 2-speed.

 

[jonathon]

Bold move with a used police vehicle. Hopefully it was someone’s assigned ride and not hot seated for 20 hours a day.

 

[Explorerinil]

Bold move with a used police vehicle. Hopefully it was someone’s assigned ride and not hot seated for 20 hours a day.

A 15 with 99,000, was probably someone’s take home car that didn’t patrol allot, or a really small towns police car. I know a local department that has very few police cars and they trade them in every year as they run 24/7. A one year old car from them is destroyed with almost 200k on it.

 

[Imnosaint]

The Dog Deck

Traveling with two Golden Retrievers has always prioritized an interior mod for the safe transport, ease of access and comfort of our traveling companions. I’ve installed one for each build so far, from the Gen 3 to the H3 to the Nomad.

Each has proved to be useful in managing travel, keeping things clean and creating alternative storage areas under the decks.

For the Tahoe, the mod was pretty straight forward with a removal of the second row, using existing hardware and seat mounts to bolt in the brackets I made.

A test fit of the 35X48″ platform required a modification of the two outside front stanchions, and with that the platform installed perfectly.

Next up for the interior is the extruded aluminum frame for the cargo area that will support the drawer system and fridge guide as well as a barrier at the rear of the dog deck.