2000 Suburban K1500 budget low lift with 37"s

[ChevyPit]

Congratulations on your build, but more important, on getting out there and enjoying!!!
I've been following your build, and I think there are a lot of us with the same idea, trying to get out to explore and enjoy nature, but that don't have or want to spend thousands and thousands on builds.
I have a 97 K1500 suburban which I've been using to go out with my family. Nothing big on upgrades: a little lift (1.5"), 16X8 wheels, and 285/75r16 tires (first I had AT's and now MT's). It has the gm 10 bolt with 3.73 and LSD, and it has taken us everywhere we wanted to go. I want to upgrade to 35" tires, and have been wondering the best value/benefit option, and you have given me some great ideas.
I also have a 2000 Yukon XL K2500, that has the gm 14 bolt with 4.10, also with 285/75r16, but no lift. I think this one might be a better option for the 35's. But the bigger axle also has less ground clearance, so I'm not yet convinced on which one to upgrade.
Either way, thanks for sharing your build and adventures, and keeping it updated.

 

[CrazyDrei]

Congratulations on your build, but more important, on getting out there and enjoying!!!
I've been following your build, and I think there are a lot of us with the same idea, trying to get out to explore and enjoy nature, but that don't have or want to spend thousands and thousands on builds.
I have a 97 K1500 suburban which I've been using to go out with my family. Nothing big on upgrades: a little lift (1.5"), 16X8 wheels, and 285/75r16 tires (first I had AT's and now MT's). It has the gm 10 bolt with 3.73 and LSD, and it has taken us everywhere we wanted to go. I want to upgrade to 35" tires, and have been wondering the best value/benefit option, and you have given me some great ideas.
I also have a 2000 Yukon XL K2500, that has the gm 14 bolt with 4.10, also with 285/75r16, but no lift. I think this one might be a better option for the 35's. But the bigger axle also has less ground clearance, so I'm not yet convinced on which one to upgrade.
Either way, thanks for sharing your build and adventures, and keeping it updated.

ChevyPit,

Thank you. Now to address your dilemma. I used to have a 98 GMC Suburban 5.7 with 3.73s, LSD, 6" suspension (differential drop) lift and 35s. That truck was a beast and took me way farther than I could have ever have imagined and only got stuck once in 4 feet of silt in the middle of the Colorado River. I rocked solid 18.5mpg on the highway in that Sub with 6 people and over 1,000lbs of gear on every highway trip but never towed anything with it. It was the best truck I have ever owned.

To put 35s in your '97 run factory wheels and 35x12.5s, do not get 13.5" wide tires, they will rub on the frame. Do not get front spacers, they will increase the scrub radius and will make the tires rub. Do not get crazy offset rims, they too will increase the scrub radius and rub. You will need at least a 1.5" rear spacer in the rear to clear the rear suspension components. My spare tire is a 35x12.5 on a factory Tahoe 17" rim and does not rub in the front. If you get Ford torsion bar keys For $18 and 3" rear leaf spring blocks for $30 you will be able to fit 35s with minor rubbing under full suspension articulation only. You will also need new 3" longer rear shocks. Fronts can stay factory length.

I would not put 35s on the 2500 because it would cost too much for lift it 6" to get the 35s under it and you will still have 2" less ground clearance than the 10bolt axle even if you trim it. K2500 consumes much more gas than the K1500, weights over 1,000lbs more and will destroy more parts much quicker than the K1500, so other than it being more rare it's less practical than a K1500 in just about every way.

Another advantage the K1500 has over the K2500 is the age, it's older so you will be able to take it was farther than you will ever take the newer truck.

So now it's up to you. What parts go you have readily available for cheap. If you have access to dirt cheap or free K2500 torsion bars then get the Ford keys and put them into the K2500 because you will be replacing them once or twice a year. If parts are scarce then upgrade the K1500. Also you can find a set of 8lug to 6lug 1.5" wheel spacers for under $150 on ebay and that would give you the option of slowly tinkering with the bigger tires on the K2500 without a full time commitment. Which ever route you choose please post pics and write up a build page so we can follow and learn from your accomplishments as well as failures.

PS once of my friends liked my build so much that he just ordered parts to lift his 2004 K1500 Denali with keys and coil spacers to fit 33s or 35s. Along with a whole bunch of useless bolt-on "Overland gear." I'll put up the before and after pictures in the next week or two.

Stay tuned for more shenanigans.

 

[JackE]

I have been reading your thread for a couple days now and finally realized around page 20 that you are from Vegas. I'm only a couple hours north of you in the high desert. I love the build ideas you have implemented and especially on the slim budget you have used. I'm in the same boat as you. I'm a cheap skate with big ideas and little extra cash! I have had several Suburban's in the past all with different levels of build on them before I chose a new target vehicle. My last Suburban build was a '97 1500. I put 35" ******** Cepek Crushers on it with a 3" stock lift block off of a '74 Dodge 250 that was in my back yard. I raised the front 1.5" with torsion bar adjustment. Solved the fender rub by removing the front bumper and had my son fab a bumper in high school shop class out of some scrap metal from a pile in the back yard. It didn't look too bad and really didn't do too bad running down the highway with the 3.73 gears. Finally traded that to my son for a Jeep WJ, but after a year missed the Burb so bad I sold the Jeep and now have a '99 2500 with the 7.4L. I'm slowly working it over into my overland rig. Plans include a Forestriver Rockwood ESP pop-up camper next spring so the wife can enjoy the trail as much as I do. This winter will be spent working the kinks out and making sure it's trail worthy for next summers adventures. I have been building on a budget for years and am glad to see someone else who's proud of their cheaply built trail worthy rig!

Have you ever run in the sand trails in the Logandale trail system? We go there every year late Jan, early Feb to get out of the cold up here and enjoy some sunshine and trail fun. Maybe down the road we can meet up on some of the local trails for a good ride.

 

[ChevyPit]

Thanks for your suggestions CrazyDrei.
The story behind my 97 is I had a 98 before, used it for 15 years and sold it to buy a 2004 (which is very nice, and my wife drives it every day, but I liked the truck feeling of the gmt400). 6 months later I was asking the buyer to sell it back to me, that didn't happen, so I was on search for another one. Some months later found the current 97 K1500 (with 99K miles) and some months later found a 98 K2500 (with 101K miles). Bought both. That was 4 years ago. Last year one of my best friends asked me to sell him one of the suburban, so the 98 K2500 was sold.
What I learned from having both at the same time: parts are pricier for the K2500, and if you don't tow (which I don't) you don't need the 7.4. The 7.4 is a monster torque engine. It burns a lot of gas, but the feeling of that torque is amazing. Better brakes on the K2500, of course for being a lot heavier.
Well, as people down here (I'm in Guatemala) know I like suburbans, I was offered last year a 6.0YukonXL and a 8.1YukonXL. I didn't need the big block torque, so I ended up buying the 6.0 with 90K miles. Sorry for the long story, just wanted to share.

So, I think I'll go with the 97 K1500 upgrades. I was thinking on going with 315/75R16 (34.6" tall, 12.4"width). I have some procomp 16X8 wheels. Or do you think is better some 35X12.5R17 on factory wheels??
For the keys: which ford keys did you use? from f150? I will have to bring them from the US. Also the spacers for the back wheels and the 3" longer shocks, but no problem with that, just a couple of weeks to get here and some extra shipping.

I'll try to upload some pictures later.

Thanks again for your ideas. Also, thanks JackE.

 

[rayra]

Mine aren't quite as beat, but I've had to unbend one with a 3-lb maul already. One of my next upgrades are the boxed arms from Spohn, $190 the pair -

https://www.spohn.net/shop/2000-200...Tahoe-Yukon-Avalanche-Escalade-Hummer-H2.html

I'd also suggest boxing in that forward mounting location with some welded-on plates. Sides supporting the bottom plate, all welded to the factory mount. Just go with a larger hole in the new sides, clear of the factory bolt, sized to pass the needed socket.

 

[CrazyDrei]

I have been reading your thread for a couple days now and finally realized around page 20 that you are from Vegas. I'm only a couple hours north of you in the high desert. I love the build ideas you have implemented and especially on the slim budget you have used. I'm in the same boat as you. I'm a cheap skate with big ideas and little extra cash! I have had several Suburban's in the past all with different levels of build on them before I chose a new target vehicle. My last Suburban build was a '97 1500. I put 35" ******** Cepek Crushers on it with a 3" stock lift block off of a '74 Dodge 250 that was in my back yard. I raised the front 1.5" with torsion bar adjustment. Solved the fender rub by removing the front bumper and had my son fab a bumper in high school shop class out of some scrap metal from a pile in the back yard. It didn't look too bad and really didn't do too bad running down the highway with the 3.73 gears. Finally traded that to my son for a Jeep WJ, but after a year missed the Burb so bad I sold the Jeep and now have a '99 2500 with the 7.4L. I'm slowly working it over into my overland rig. Plans include a Forestriver Rockwood ESP pop-up camper next spring so the wife can enjoy the trail as much as I do. This winter will be spent working the kinks out and making sure it's trail worthy for next summers adventures. I have been building on a budget for years and am glad to see someone else who's proud of their cheaply built trail worthy rig!

Have you ever run in the sand trails in the Logandale trail system? We go there every year late Jan, early Feb to get out of the cold up here and enjoy some sunshine and trail fun. Maybe down the road we can meet up on some of the local trails for a good ride.

JackE,

You mentioned sellers remorse after trading your Sub for the WJ, most Suburban owners feel that way shortly after getting out of the Sub because it's just a magical vehicle.

I have done some Logandale trails a few years back, play in the sand dunes at Apex just north of Vegas pretty often and have explored numerous trails all around Lake Mead. I am planning on driving to Toroweap or Point Sublime sometime in the next month or two, I'll PM you if you are up for an adventure.

Stay tuned for more shenanigans.

 

[CrazyDrei]

Mine aren't quite as beat, but I've had to unbend one with a 3-lb maul already. One of my next upgrades are the boxed arms from Spohn, $190 the pair -

https://www.spohn.net/shop/2000-200...Tahoe-Yukon-Avalanche-Escalade-Hummer-H2.html

I'd also suggest boxing in that forward mounting location with some welded-on plates. Sides supporting the bottom plate, all welded to the factory mount. Just go with a larger hole in the new sides, clear of the factory bolt, sized to pass the needed socket.

Rayra,

I looked into the Spohn arms but did not want to pay the $190. I am going to give the OEM arms a few thousand miles to see how they do and go fro there. I am planing on boxing in the brackets in the near future. I'll definitely put the pics of the progress up.

Stay tuned for more shenanigans.

 

[CrazyDrei]

Thanks for your suggestions CrazyDrei.
The story behind my 97 is I had a 98 before, used it for 15 years and sold it to buy a 2004 (which is very nice, and my wife drives it every day, but I liked the truck feeling of the gmt400). 6 months later I was asking the buyer to sell it back to me, that didn't happen, so I was on search for another one. Some months later found the current 97 K1500 (with 99K miles) and some months later found a 98 K2500 (with 101K miles). Bought both. That was 4 years ago. Last year one of my best friends asked me to sell him one of the suburban, so the 98 K2500 was sold.
What I learned from having both at the same time: parts are pricier for the K2500, and if you don't tow (which I don't) you don't need the 7.4. The 7.4 is a monster torque engine. It burns a lot of gas, but the feeling of that torque is amazing. Better brakes on the K2500, of course for being a lot heavier.
Well, as people down here (I'm in Guatemala) know I like suburbans, I was offered last year a 6.0YukonXL and a 8.1YukonXL. I didn't need the big block torque, so I ended up buying the 6.0 with 90K miles. Sorry for the long story, just wanted to share.

So, I think I'll go with the 97 K1500 upgrades. I was thinking on going with 315/75R16 (34.6" tall, 12.4"width). I have some procomp 16X8 wheels. Or do you think is better some 35X12.5R17 on factory wheels??
For the keys: which ford keys did you use? from f150? I will have to bring them from the US. Also the spacers for the back wheels and the 3" longer shocks, but no problem with that, just a couple of weeks to get here and some extra shipping.

I'll try to upload some pictures later.

Thanks again for your ideas. Also, thanks JackE.

ChevyPit,

I am not sure if there is a difference in Ford keys, I always though that GM and Fords are indexed differently and you put GM keys in a ford to lower it and Ford keys in a GM to raise it. Any 2" 5.5x6 wheel spacers will do, 3" rear wheel spacers are excessive and unnecassary. They are lugcentric so the hub lip found on more expensive spacers is unimportant. As far as the shocks go I originally went with Skyjacker H7017 which are oil for a smoother ride off road, but they only lasted 20k miles are are completely shot so I will be upgrading to Bilstein 5100 soon.

Leveling keys $19 they are exactly the same from 1988-2006
http://www.ebay.com/itm/For-99-06-G...ash=item3af4253771:g:TPgAAOSwA3dYdHFB&vxp=mtr

2" wheel spacers $36
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2X-Wheel-Sp...ash=item3f82252dc5:g:OSAAAOSwfR1ZbUXu&vxp=mtr

Bilstein 5100 nitrogen shocks $75
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bilstein-24...sh=item5d5cfd6059:g:WJoAAOSwEetV7z-c&vxp=mtr9

All the links are for the exact part numbers you will need for your '97 K1500 for a 3" level kit. I did not include the link for the rear blocks.

You can keep the front shocks if they are not worn out because the front travel does not change the keys just increase the "preload"

As far as the wheels go, both will be adequate, what look do you like better smaller rim or larger rim? Bubblier sidewall on a narrow rim or flatter more vertical sidewall on a wider rim.

Looking forward to the pictures.

Andrei

 

[chilliwak]

Hey Crazy, I am also a huge fan of Bilstein shocks. They work well for me. cheers, Chilli...

 

[CrazyDrei]

2.5" Lift and level using Bilstein 5100 shocks

This past week I finally had a couple free hours to help a friend lift/level his 03 Denali. He has heard about my adventures and wanted to join in but was not comfortable with the low factory ride height and all the skirting the Denali has.

We used the ford keys, 3" rear coil spacers and Bilstein 5100 shocks, factory ride height up front and 3" longer in the rear.

Finished product looks pretty good and after five days the ride quality is a substantial improvement from the non functioning autoride that the Denali was originally equipped with.

I did disable the autoride factory air suspension because all the shocks were torn and all air lines were corroded or rusted shut. The ride improvement is significant.

Initial top of fender in the front was 34.5" and rear fenders sat at 35.5", new fender height is 37.25" in the front and 38.5" in the rear. Effectively 2.75" raise in the front and a 3" raise in the rear.

Stay tuned for more shenanigans.

 

[JackE]

You should source the Denali air suspension components for your burb. There's ample space for the components and a small air tank. At the least it'll give you onboard air for one of those big trucker air horns!

 

[jeep-N-montero]

You should source the Denali air suspension components for your burb. There's ample space for the components and a small air tank. At the least it'll give you onboard air for one of those big trucker air horns!

How do I put this nicely, IT'S ALL JUNK AND WILL NOT FIT! Did you even read his thread?

 

[CrazyDrei]

You should source the Denali air suspension components for your burb. There's ample space for the components and a small air tank. At the least it'll give you onboard air for one of those big trucker air horns!

JackE,

Call me crazy but I must be the only one on this forum that thinks that on-board air with a permanently mounted compressor and a small tank is an absolute waste of space and money. 20+ years ago I found this trusty ole compressor in a dumpster and it has always performed flawlessly. It takes me the same 5 minutes to inflate my 37s with it from 20-30psi per tire as it does my friend with his SmittyBuilt 2781 air compressor and a 2gal tank from 15-30psi, he has 33s.

There are different ways of doing things and I like to try and stay low budget, that way I can spend more time on trips and adventures.

Stay tuned for more shenanigans.

 

[CrazyDrei]

How do I put this nicely, IT'S ALL JUNK AND WILL NOT FIT! Did you even read his thread?

Jeep-N-Montero,

I completely agree with you. Denali air compressor is an unreliable paperweight. Also on-board air is not practical for me, I never run the tires below 20psi and can run that on the highway all day every day. I never drop to 10 or 15psi because this is not a rock crawler and I do not have the gears to go that low.

Cheers!

 

[ChevyPit]

Thanks CrazyDrei for the links.
I found a lift kit that includes the Keys, rear blocks, and has shock extenders, my shocks (Monroe) are in good condition (1 year old - 10K miles). The kit goes for $108, and I don't have to buy the shocks right away. When the shocks go, I'll get the Bilsteins for shure, and remove the extenders.
The YukonXL has a problem of tie rods and ball joints, so I'll be doing the complete front suspension kit, and that takes this month's car expenses.
So the lift kit will have to wait until next month.
Here are some pictures as she sits right now

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and one from the YukonXL

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