1997 Chevrolet Suburban K1500 Budget Overland Build

[Burb One]

Good looking truck! I really like that liner you put on the flooring, very sharp.

Buddy has these guy's torsion re locators. I think they have free shipping on their ebay store and they're pretty cheap (<$100).
http://realiftsusp.com/

 

[Treybiz]

Well, Like everyone I wished I had gone a little higher. It's set at about 4" right now and will go to 6". The CV's are nearly flat. I'd like to crank it to 6"and see how the CV's look, but honestly I don't need it. But other than that it has been great. I took it out a couple of weeks ago and beat it pretty hard with no issues. The ground clearance is good other than the Torsion Bars but I'm sure it will be good for Overlanding with no problems. I got the Bilstien shocks and they ride great. I was amazed how smooth it rode after the lift. The new front end parts really helped. I'd like to find some Real Lift Torsion Bar Relocators but they are out of business. I have a 14Bolt Semi floater I'm prepping to go in and planning on using a shackle flip and new springs to mount it. I'm thinking that combo may come closer to 6" then I can crank the front to match. I really don't want to stress the CV angles too much and not interested in a a SAS in front. Last March I took it up in Michigan on a buddies property with about 18" - 20" of snow and it walked through it with no problem. The ground clearance and BFG's made light work of it. I didn't want the wider track that you get with a Knuckle lift. Would have liked to own Rancho's lift for GMT400's but it is out of production. You will be happy with the lift.

Good deal, in all likelihood it's going to end up on the 98 Excab which only gets driven 3-4k a year and is something of a time capsule. Oddly enough my 2011 silverado is in way worse shape cosmetically so it serves as DD and exploring rig.

 

[davkenrem]

Good looking truck! I really like that liner you put on the flooring, very sharp.

Buddy has these guy's torsion re locators. I think they have free shipping on their ebay store and they're pretty cheap (<$100).
http://realiftsusp.com/

Do you have a link, These guys have been out of business for at least a year. When did your buddy get them?

 

[Burb One]

Do you have a link, These guys have been out of business for at least a year. When did your buddy get them?

You're right they do seem to be out of business. It's been a a few years. Shame, they do work! Hope something turns out!

 

[Texans Outdoors]

I've a 99' just like her. I like what you've done so far. Unfortunately for me I had to replace everything before I could do the lift. I'm about $13K in her now: New crate engine, tran rebuild, new front end, new A/C evaporator condensers front and back , I redid the front seats.

 

[davkenrem]

I've a 99' just like her. I like what you've done so far. Unfortunately for me I had to replace everything before I could do the lift. I'm about $13K in her now: New crate engine, tran rebuild, new front end, new A/C evaporator condensers front and back , I redid the front seats.

View attachment 373206View attachment 373207

She's a beauty! Totally worth spending the money on. Wish mine was that nice.

 

[davkenrem]

Good deal, in all likelihood it's going to end up on the 98 Excab which only gets driven 3-4k a year and is something of a time capsule. Oddly enough my 2011 silverado is in way worse shape cosmetically so it serves as DD and exploring rig.

Would love to see pics of the 98.

 

[Treybiz]

Would love to see pics of the 98.

246k on the ODO. Probably 100k or so on the motor, Orig Trans and T-Case. Buddy's mom drove it since about 2000/2001 and I told her I wanted first right of refusal if she ever sold. She made good last winter and I've had it since. She kept seat covers on it since new and the interior is impressive to say the least.

 

[davkenrem]

Good lookin family there, several generations represented.

 

[chilliwak]

Some cool looking pics of Chevy porn! Ya got to love it! Cheers, Chilli..

 

[davkenrem]

Some cool looking pics of Chevy porn! Ya got to love it! Cheers, Chilli..

Thanks Chilli!

 

[chilliwak]

Thanks Chilli!

No problem mate. Keep the Chevy porn coming....:wings:

 

[davkenrem]

Hidden Winch install pt1

Last Feburary I bought a Smittybilt 15500lb XRC winch for my truck. I would have loved to install a nice winch bumper on the truck but they start around $1500 and go up from there,I couldn't justify it.

On another site I saw a Tahoe same vintage as mine with a hidden winch installed behind the bumper. After looking at every post and video I could find and measuring my truck and comparing winch spec sheets for measurements, I figured I could do one myself.

In actuality I began to prep the truck for the winch in October. I purchased a winch plate at Harbor Freight (HF) on impulse. I had been scouring the web, looking at hidden winch installs and when I saw the plate at HF I knew it was the same plate everyone else was selling for significantly more money, and I had a 20% off coupon!!

I began my project early on a Saturday Morning. Removed the bumper, measured the frame horns, found the center of the plate and the insides of my frame and laid
them out on the plate.

I proceeded to cut off the portion of the plate that would lay on top of the frame and began to test fit.

After clearancing for the power steering gear this is what I had left.

I had to make a bracket for the air bag sensor since the plate was now where the sensor was bolted.

After cleaning off the frame I had the plate welded to the frame using some 1/4" angle iron

After some paint the truck was ready for the winch. It would be February before I saved enough money to buy it.

 

[davkenrem]

Hidden Winch install pt2

After comparing winch prices and reading reviews I had settled on an Engo 12000lb winch with synthetic line. Problem was the day I was going to order it, nobody in the country had it in stock. So then I looked at the Engo 16000lb and I could find that but they wanted $100.00 to ship it. I started looking for local retailers who would have something in stock so I could shave on the shipping. Closest was Cleveland but they only had warn and Smittybilt in stock. So I did a quick search for reviews on the Smittybilts and found folks were generally pleased wit them. I ended up getting the 15500lb XRC from 4wheelParts.com in Cleveland OH.

Now the 155k XRC was allot bigger than I realized. It appears 8000-12000lb winchs are all pretty close in case size, but when you go above 12000lbs they get allot bigger.

I realized this on the morning I went to mount the winch. It was the longer and wider, too wide for the plate I installed. So I ended up cutting the fairlead flange off the front and notching the back of the plate to get it to fit.

Here is video of the ordeal. Forgive the video editing, still learning.


[video]https://youtu.be/y4ulNeaXmcw[/video]

 

[davkenrem]

Remote Mount Winch Solenoid and In Cab Control

I decided to remote mount the Winch Solenoid. The factory installed solenoid wires were too short and too small for my liking so I reworked them with heavier gauge wire.

I remote mounted the solenoid to the fan shroud. The wires are tye-wrapped to the shroud and down to the winch. I can open the hood and access the hand controller remote jack very easily and lightly close the hood and operate the winch.

For In-Cab control, I mounted some Carlon switches in a custom Switch Pod I made from ABS Plastic. It was mounted under the dash. The first switch (on the left) arms the winch switch (second from left) so it can't be bumped. The third switch powers the 32" Auxbeam Curved LED Lightbar and the rest are spares for now.

Two weeks ago I mounted a Jottodesk Police car console in the truck to house the switch panel, my radios and my ammo can console and tablet mount.

The top radio is the remote head of my TM-V71A 2m/70cm Amateur Radio. Second is a Uniden RH96 remote head for the Uniden BC996t Scanner.
The tablet is a Xplore RangerX Andriod tablet in an Xplore dock and Ram Mounts Arm. The tablet provides GPS, Mapping, Music, Backup Camera, Internet and many other functions. 4GLTE is provided by a Cradlepoint IBR600 Verizon modem/wifi router.

The radios are mounted under the passenger rear seat. Antenna cable, power and Amplified External speakers are yet to be mounted.

In the roof of the backseat I have a BigSky Racks AR15 mount with hidden remote switch to safely carry my AR.

Joschy Vom Germelhaus

Thats it for now, more to follow...