Work with what you Have or start fresh

[Reece04]

I need some advice, I am new to the 4wheel drive thing, I don't much care to beat my truck up doing rock crawling stuff, but the expedition type travel is very appealing.

I have a 1990 Suburban with a 4in lift and 33in tires. The truck only has 63K miles on the original motor and tranny. The truck is mint inside, and the outside has a dent in the passenger side rear where it was hit in a parkinglot. The big downside to this truck is the size. very tall with the lift and tires and pretty wide, here are a few pictures:

SO I guess my question is, do keep the Burb or do I pursue a 4runner or landcrusier size vehicle.

If I keep the Burb, the immedate plans are to regear the diffs from 3.73 to 4.11. I might put a locker in the rear. I am going to put new front and rear bumpers, and a swingaway for the spare tire to get it outside and open up more room.

any sugguestions or advice would be helpful

 

[Mobryan]

I'd keep it.

A: it's the devil you know.
B: I think it's cheaper to build what you have, then buy something else, THEN dump more $$$ into that.
C: A Burb is big, but if you get "serious" about it, I think a fullsize is just about perfect, large enough to carry the gear you need, small enough to still be handy.


I'd bail out on the 33x12.50 tires (guess??) and get something in the 255/85/16 range.
Upgrade the axles to 60/60, or 14b/60.

Depending on what else you have, other upgrades might make sense, but those are the 2 that stick out too me.


Matt

 

[adrenaline503]

Do you like driving it? How far and how long do you plan to go? Where do you want to go? The burb would be great for some things and not so great for others.

 

[offroadchef]

I would keep it. I have a 89 Ramcharger, the amout that I might put into it should only cover the cost of a replacement truck then to put even more $$$ into for me does not make sense. You only have 63k on the motor, thats great.

Keep it.

Markus

 

[1leglance]

You don't mention if you have a family or dog...
you could use your extra space for sleeping setup or camping gear.
like another said..do you like driving it?
How important is gas mileage? You are in a great part of the country with lots to see close by so it isn't like you need to drive 500miles on a trip.
I like your model burb and there are lots of factory options that are cool from aux tank to HD parts.
keep us posted on the project.
enjoy & welcome

 

[akphotobob]

Actually more information would be helpful. Do you have a family that will be going with you or will you be going alone? Will you be taking multi-week trips or just long weekends? How much of a budget do you have? Does your rig need to be the daily driver?

You are faced with the age-old question of comfort versus mobility. A larger vehicle can be much more comfortable allowing for a longer extended trip, but they can't be as manuverable as a smaller vehicle. So the key is for you to be really honest with yourself and decide which is more realistic. Will you do mostly weekend trips alone with true hard-core wheelin or do you want to do month long trips with your family and moderate wheelin. How much comfort does your family need (in my house, if mama isn't happy, no one is happy!) Can you afford to start over with a new rig?

If after honest appraisal you decide mobility is most important, change rigs. If comfort along the way for extended trips is most important, that Suburban is a great start. Expeditions are all about compromise, and a Suburban seems like a near perfect budget rig. Bob

 

[xcmountain80]

Do you know how many RTT's you can get on the roof of that thing!


Aaron

 

[ujoint]

From a cost perspective, keep the burb. I too would recommend going to one ton axles, which are almost a bolt in upgrade. They will supply allot of piece of mind when off road & that sucker is loaded with gear.

 

[Grim Reaper]

Man I been thinking about getting rid of my 4Runner and my 88 R20 454 2wd burb and getting a 4wd and doing this.

http://expeditionportal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=10271&d=1188433582

Thread
http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7703


Actually found a Burb thats near perfect. 90 V20 with barn doors. price is right and under 100K on the clock. Problem is I just sold my wife's beater Honda today so now she's in our 88 Burb. If that V20 is still around when I get my Tax return then I am jumping on it and then I can sell my R20.

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Reece04]

The Burb is extremely comfortable. I don't have a family that will be traveling with me, occasionally the dog will come and very occasionally my Nephew. I only bought the burb because I knew the owner very well and the price was a steal for what I was getting.

One ton axles are a route I have looked into and won't cost much more then regearing the rear end. This truck does provide a huge selection of upgrades. The truck is currently a daily driver, but I am looking for a smaller suv or fuel efficient sedan for a DD and the Burb will be for the weekends.

As far as length of trips go, I am probably be going to take long weekends with the occasional week long adventure, already have a trip planned to Yellowstone and Grand Teton in September, but we will be traveling in a friend truck.

MOBRYAN, I am curious as to why you would drop the tire size, I have been considering going with a narrower tire when they wear out but the thought of smaller diameter, I think it will look weird and I would gain 1 - 1.5 inch of clearance.


Thanks for all of the posts, any and all advice at this stage of the game is good advice, keep it coming.

-Hank

 

[hojhauler]

I have been having some of the same questions about my situation. I have a 2001 F-250, crew cab, shortbed 4x4, with the PSD in it. I just wonder how much the size will hinder me in the long run. Which brings up another question. you guys with the fully loaded down Suv's and Taco's and such, what kind of mileage are you getting when 'expeditioning'?

Sorry, not trying to hi-jack, just trying to add some information that I am sure you need as well as the mpg question has got to be on your mind with the 'burb'?

 

[Fireman78]

I'd keep it. I HAD a very built up Taco that I sold for a 2006 Dodge Power Wagon (my only vehicle now), At first I was very shocked by the MPG issues with a big truck, but after having it for about 8 months or so, and seeing ALL the things it can do, I'm keepin' it. I put A LOT of money into the Taco and there was no end in site. In the end it was pretty much as size thing. Ya, driving a jeep or smaller vehicle is fun, but having all that storage in a bigger truck sure is nice, not to mention the towing capacities. (Yes- I tried to convience the wife to let me get a Chaser Trailer back when I had the Tacoma...she wasn't havin' it.) I kind of basically said to myself, "Self, OK your not into sports watching, golf, or bars, or anything like that, so what if I spend a few extra bucks on gas to drive what I like driving?? Sound semi-resonable? :26_7_2:

Oh ya- to answer that last post- when off road travelling loaded with the Taco I was getting like..14-15. Highway about 17-18. Not great. With the Power Wagon it's more like 13-14 highway, 11-12 city and 9-10 off road. Not great either, but a much larger, more powerful, capable truck. I'm keepin' her.

 

[Mobryan]

255/85/16 isn't much of a drop height wise, the narrower tire width will help with front turn angles, and help with overall width. A Burb is just too damn heavy to try and float, so you may as well put narrow tires on and dig to the bottom

HTH,

Matt

 

[The Adam Blaster]

On the tire issue, i'd try to keep the 33's.
The 255 size really isn't that popular, whereas the 33x12.5R15, you can find that size pretty much anywhere. (In North America anyways.)

 

[7wt]

I would keep it and not think twice about it. Use the back as a sleeping platform with storage underneath. Pull the rear seats out and put a fridge and a laptop desk for topos and internet. Or possible a water tank with plumbing to the rear. I could think of a ton of things to do. That's a mighty fine burb you got!