Need your opinoins in vehicle choice

[WickedZJ]

So I got called back to work from layoff effective the first of June. Now my 94 grand cherokee is rusting out bad and having some running problems as well. The wife wants it gone so I have been looking at some vehicles for the family and to turn into my expedition rig.

So far it looks like it is gonna come down between a 1998 GMC Suburan K1500 4X4 with 151,500 mi. three rows of seats, barn doors and V8.

Or

A 1999 Chevy Tahoe 4X4 with 73,300 mi. barndoors and a V8.

My wife and I want three rows which the tahoe doesn't have but I should be able to add a third row no problem from what i've read. We plan on making atleast a few trips to Colorado, maybe some other places out west, and exploring Illinois and Iowa. I am not looking at doing anything major offroad but I will do some trails and things to get off the asphalt and explore.

Which of the two sounds like it would be the best platform to start with? Is there anything I should watch out for with these?

Thanks for the Help

 

[bftank]

i would lean toward a 3/4 ton for the suspension and heavier rear axle. and the diesel. but i like to tinker to. if you don't then go for the one with the lowest miles. look for silver in the tranny fluid or a burnt smell. make sure it shifts smoothly without feeling like it free revs. look under the dash for added wiring mess, (bad sign in my book). check undercarriage for excessive oil leaks and rust. check tires to see what they are rated to carry. the 1/2 tons don't do well with a c range tire.

good vehicle, if maintained and tuned it gets around 12-13 mpg empty. lots of space and a good aftermarket for improvements.

 

[KLAKEBRONCO]

I REALLY am not one to praise the 3rd row seats. Unless you have more than three children.

That 3rd seat REALLY cuts into your cargo space. I guess a roof rack could be added for extra capacity but that will cut down on already average or worse MPG.

If you HAVE to have a 3rd row, I would go for the Suburban.
The Tahoe will have VERY little room with a 3rd seat added.

 

[Binksman]

I'd go with the Sub. My in-laws 97 Tahoe has as much room in the back (w/o the 3rd row) as our ZJ has. My Dad's govt issue Suburban has almost as much cargo room as as our ZJ AND it has the 3rd row. The 3rd row comes out pretty easily too for when you need to haul more.

 

[jp0863]

Suburban all the way, but then i'm kinda partial. The tahoe you would have to remove the 3rd row to have as much room as the suburban with the 3rd row. Mileage is about the same either way. That particular suburban has quite a few more miles on it though. They're good for about 200k before major components start to fail, depending on how it was driven of course.

 

[Scott39]

My buddy use to own an Suburban and an Excursion. I would take the Excursion with the power stroke Diesel. The Excursion was way easier to get into the 3rd row seat, the Diesel got better mileage, and more power for towing a trailer or if you add a cargo box on the rear bumper.

 

[WickedZJ]

well it looks like i'm going with a suburban. Went to the dealer today and they had a white 1998 with 103k and is in great shape. Body looks great interior is perfect. There is one or two small issues that they said they would take care of. Right now we have it to do an extended test drive for a few hours but looks like if they fix those issues ill have a new to me burb today.

 

[jp0863]

Nice, post up some pics so we can all enjoy

 

[WickedZJ]

Well no pics yet. All the papers are getting signed on monday so looks like I get a new toy. I also happened to notice while checking it out that it has the factory 2nd battery location installed. Now I just need to get a plan together for it.

 

[WickedZJ]

Ok so I am starting to get a plan for the burb together but am not familiar with them. I have heard with the 1500's it's best to try and find a 14 bolt semi float out of a 2500 for the rear. Now as far after market parts and tips any help would be great. I am thinking maybe a leveling kit and 33's. Does that sound like it would be good enough for exploring trails and backroads? I am not planning on any rock crawling but camping and some trail running. All those with the mid 90's burbs please chime in.

 

[KLAKEBRONCO]

I would take the oppurtunity to try out the Treadwright tires.

"leveling" kits on those trucks just involve cranking the heck out of the torsion bars. The torsion keys will just let you crank the bars more than stock keys....

I'm not sure if they are available or not but I would look for a 2.5-3" lift that drops the diff and control arm mounts. 285's will be a tight fit on a 1500 even with cranked torsion bars.

 

[WickedZJ]

I have thought about going with a 4in lift like tuff country or something. I have read that a 6in would cost only like 200 more so I may have to think about that. Other wise there is always a body lift but I have no idea if those are worth it or not.

As for tires I will have to look into treadwrights. I was thinking either Goodyear wrangler with silent armor or maxxis bighorns.

 

[bftank]

older is cheaper and easier to work on. better offroad with larger aftermarket support. mpg is about the same. if your truck is going to get a workout in 4wd go solid axle if you prefer malls and country roads go ifs. :sombrero:

the goodyear and maxxis aren't the quietest tire in the world but they work good

 

[WickedZJ]

so the sales manager is now trying to get out of fixing the issues that it has so it doesn't look like this is gonna happen. There are a few 99 Tahoes around all with about 150k and there is a 2000 Tahoe that looks great but has 175k. I hate car dealers lol that's what i get for giving this company a second chance!

As for the older being better. I would love to have a 90 or 91 burb but the wife wants something newer that is in good shape. Around here its very hard to find a good body on anything from the late 80's to early 90's since the cities love to use a crap ton of salt in the winter. So it seems that I am stuck with the ifs models. I have heard that you can do a SAS on them but it is very expensive. If this was an option in the future how would it effect the ride? My wife is wanting to make going to denver to see my bro almost a yearly trip now so my kids get to see him, 13 hour drive from here so.

 

[bftank]

your ride will be equivalent to the depth of the pocket book, usually they will ride better and be more controlled if done correctly. if doing a sas you're looking at a 35" tire at least.

i would not waste money on an ifs lift.

if coming to denver every year, can you wait to look for a truck out here? craigslist is full of them.