2000 Suburban K1500 budget low lift with 37"s

[CrazyDrei]

Finally got the 35" spare donut mounted!!!

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One of my ongoing projects over the last year has been what to do with the spare tire. I know I want to have a single spare for day trips and two spares for longer trips. I made a hitch mounted spare tire holder for a friend and will probably be making one for myself later this summer. I had a lot of space under the truck between the rear axle and the hitch that was not utilized and I could not decide if an auxiliary 20 gallon fuel tank or a spare tire would utilize that space most efficiently.

I was getting ready to pull the trigger on a fuel tank however with 250mi+ range in 4x4 low or 400mi+ range on the highway none of my friends can come anywhere close to that and I would be carrying the extra gas to fill up their Jeeps and 4Runners. A spare tire would utilize that space most efficiently and would also keep the weight down and keep the center of gravity low.

After many plans and drawings I started chopping.

This is what the 35" spare looks like in a factory location with a factory hitch.

Factory hitch height.

I replaced the 1500 hitch with a lower profile 3 piece hitch designed for a 2500 GMC.

Gained 2" clearance which is what I was expecting. the 3-piece hitch gives me an option to make new side brackets and raise the hitch two more inches if need be.

I took the factory mount, flipped it upside down, cut a hole for the winch mechanism, and welded it on.

Check out that sexy weld, reminds me of learning to finger pain in kindergarten.

Bolted up the cross bar with the winch mechanism directly to the body, cut the bolts so that the bolts do not puncture the tire. I cut the plastic tire winch guide tube to fit the new location.

Tire is all winched up and securely sits out of the way using factory cross bar, winch and 4 bolts I had laying around.

Tire came up nearly 6" and with the hitch raised 2" from the factory location my departure angle increased and the spare tire is not dragging or catching on any rocks or obstacles.

This was an extensively long project that took way too long however was the best use of space and much lower budget than putting a spare fuel tank in the same area. I am very pleased with the results and now onto the trails to troubleshoot any weak areas I did not think of.

Stay tuned for more shenanigans!

 

[chilliwak]

Looks like you got that spare up there higher than your hitch. Looks good to go. Congrats on the good install crazy. Cheers, Chilli...

 

[CrazyDrei]

Rear sway bar disconnect.

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I see many trucks that either have a sway bar quick disconnect or have disconnected and remove the sway bar all together. Several trips ago my front sway bar connecting link decided to come undone, however I was lucky enough to have backtracked and found most of the pieces and re-connected it. This time around, not sure when but probably in Gold Butte while I was navigating a trail even side by sides gave up on my truck decided to self disconnect the rear sway bar and gently tuck the connecting link out of the way.

I must have put a 1,000 miles on the truck before I realized that the bounce was a little more than usual and I should identify the source.

Another angle of the sway bar connecting link.

Got my big hammers out and started hammering away. I was really expecting the link to break with all the hammering, unbending and straightening it out, especially since the truck has over 250k miles on it, but no, it held up great, and I was able to get it back into a more or less straight shape, hammer it back into the ball and hook up the the sway bar. So far so good.

Stay tuned for more shenanigans!

 

[chilliwak]

Nice little quick fix there Crazy! Unreal that you could drive for so long before you saw the problem. Well at least its fixed now. Happy travels. Cheers, Chilli.....

 

[rayra]

There are aftermarket links - and also extended links - which have grease fittings. Seeing the rust on the connecting ball it would seem that would be a good idea for you.
Nice to see that something as large as a 37" can fit up in the stock storage space. You better either trim down those bolts (after double-nutting them) or otherwise wrap them in fuel line or something, as they will likely chew up the inner face of the rim or worse knock wheel weights off.

 

[CrazyDrei]

Nice little quick fix there Crazy! Unreal that you could drive for so long before you saw the problem. Well at least its fixed now. Happy travels. Cheers, Chilli.....

Chilli,

I can't believe that I drove that long before I realized why the truck wasn't driving right either, only saw the damage when I finally got the spare tire mounted higher.

 

[CrazyDrei]

There are aftermarket links - and also extended links - which have grease fittings. Seeing the rust on the connecting ball it would seem that would be a good idea for you.
Nice to see that something as large as a 37" can fit up in the stock storage space. You better either trim down those bolts (after double-nutting them) or otherwise wrap them in fuel line or something, as they will likely chew up the inner face of the rim or worse knock wheel weights off.

Raya,

I looked into the aftermarket regular and extended links, however there was some reason I decided against them, probably because they would change the suspension configuration too much and I will be loosing coils and or spacers with them, needed that tightness in the rear end with the 37s.

The rust is deceiving, it's actually dirt that collected on the grease of the stainless ball, I wiped it clean, re-greased it and hammered it back into the connecting link. Three trips and approximately 1,500 miles of Death Valley and Gold Butte trails and the truck still drives like it should. I am gong to order a spare set to replace when these finally go out.

As far as the bolts, it just looks close, I have 1" offset rims and 1.25" rear spacers, I have plenty of tire and rim clearance. When I first put the 37s on the tire and wheel actually touched the bolts, I freaked out, glad I didn't drive like that.

Spare is a 35" and barely fits, no room for a 37" down there.

Got several more fun adventures coming up, including a write up about a busted coilover.

Stay tuned for more shenanigans!

 

[CrazyDrei]

Very cool. I've seen the Puma out there but hadn't found a good price and then got a show price on the 450C. I'm curious to see the final setup, I was thinking about something similar since it takes so long to do one at a time.

Very cool, I look forward to seeing your setup!

AlexCold and yoggie,

Here is the latest progress with the Puma.

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I did not like popping the hood open and running jumper cables to the battery so I hard wired an anderson SB50 quick connector to the truck and to the Puma.

Anderson connector attached to the Puma.

Anderson connector on the truck, which I can also use to plug in jumper cables to jump vehicle safely without opening the hood.

This is how it looks all hooked up. As before I run a set of hoses to the front and then same set to the back tires to have equal pressures.

Next step will be to divorce the two and mount the Puma where the subwoofer goes which has never worked in the first place. I will have access to the compressor through the factory hatch in the rear. From there I want a manifold with a pressure activated switch, and two sets of hoses, one going to the drivers side quick connect, other going to passenger side quick connect. I will also have a switch on the dash as well as a relay to run power when ignition is on so I don't drain the battery. Not sure what I want to do with the tank yet.

Stay tuned for more shenanigans!

 

[CrazyDrei]

Nutter Twists Rd adventure!

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I have done several trails in Grand Canyon-Prarashant National Monument, however one has captured my imagination more than any others: Nutter Twists Rd. There is very little information on this trail and lots of misguided information. No idea how the trail gets it's name however it's a favorite among the enduro/motorcycle adventure rider community. If you look for it on Google maps it highlights BLM1003 however names the cut off BLM1003 to Grand Gulch Mine as the trail which is incorrect.

We started our day in Bunkerville, filled up with gas, aired down the tires and headed south on SR242.

First section of the drive was up Limekiln Pass topping out around 4,800ft. Super fun twisty mountain road that has a surprising vista around every corner.

On the way down from the pass we took a quick side trail to Red Pocket.

View from the other side of the pond.

Lush vegetation.

Boys throwing sticks and rocks into the pond.

This is the only advantage a lift-gate has over barn doors: instant shade. It would have been real fun to set up a roof rack mounted awning in 35mph winds with gusts upto 55mph.

Apres lunch rock climbing.

Little one is confused as to which truck to get into after lunch, even though its a great looking Jeep.

Whats left of a wind powered water well.

Water tank and corral.

Sun is so hot here in the summer that even the red rock gets burnt and has a lava rock black color to it.

Did a couple miles on the legendary Honeymoon Trail before turning off to Nutter Twists!

We are really in the middle of nowhere in the Arizona Strip region.

The real adventure is about to begin as we enter Hidden Canyon via Nutter Twists Rd.

Nutter Twists Rd also known as BLM1003

Finished the technical section and taking a break at the cut off to Grand Gulch Mine.

Somewhere near the middle of the trail.

Middle portion of the trail consisted of numerous wash crossings, most shallow and mellow, however I did misjudge one and accidentally dropped of a 4ft ledge, no pictures but I was shooting a video and will get that up as soon as I can.

The rest of the trail was an easy cruise passing numerous cattle corrals and several gated cattle guards. We did continue all the way to the town of Mt Trumbull and explored the school house in part 2.

Continued in part 2.

 

[CrazyDrei]

Nutter Twists Rd adventure part 2, continued from previous post!

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We finished Nutter Twists Rd and came out onto SR103. My original plan was to head north on SR103 back to St. George and back home however my buddy remembered the sign from Poverty Mountain and a cute little school house in the town of Mt Trumbull that him and I went to nearly a decade ago, so we headed deeper into the wilderness to find that school house.

Many twists and turns later along the beatiful BLM1018 we made it out onto the pastures. homesteads and ranches of the Bundy family, the same ones that are related to Cliven Bundy who shut down I15 and had a stand off with the federal marshals a few years back.

Bundys are everywhere.

Many great destinations originate from this crossing, some of which I will revisit later this summer.

We finally rolled into Mt Trumbull.

Mt Trumbull school house.

School house was burned down recently and rebuilt through the labor and material contributions of the many families that went to this school over the last 70 years and have had family homesteads in the Arizona Strip region.

Rope that once was attached to the bell is torn and lays coiled on the porch from the hot summer sun and constant use by the tourists.

Inside the school house.

There used to be an actual school chair desk combo inside at one point, but now it's gone and has been replaced with a map that has the locations homesteads in the region.

Toys and educational animals.

Yes that's how books used to be checked out back in the day.

Playground outside the school.

My adventure would not be complete without an old rust bucket for everyone to identify.

Another angle of the old farm truck.

Amazing that the belt is still on and seems to be in one piece.

As we leave Mt Trumbull I climb up onto the sign despite 35-50mph winds to recreate the picture I first took when I first explored this area nearly ten years ago.

This turned out to be a great trip exploring Nutter Twists Rd and re-visiting Mt Trumbull school house. I found new trails to explore and faster routes in and out of the region. I am working on the timelapse video and will get that uploaded soon.

Stay tuned for more shenanigans!

 

[CrazyDrei]

Nutter Twists Rd Video!

Timelapse of the entire Nutter Twists or Hidden Canyon Rd.

First 6 minutes are the technical section, then come the wash crossings, at one of which I accidentally misjudged and went over a 4 foot high bank, oops.


01:50 Start of red rock climbing
02:34 Steep ledge requiring 4x4 low
04:44 Jump Canyon turn off
06:40 First cattle guard gate
08:20 Turn off to Grand Gulch Mine
10:46 Accidentally went off a 4ft ledge oops...
11:44 Cut off to Last Chance Canyon
11:14 Anther gated cattle guard
13:38 Cut off to BLM1034 and St George Canyon
15:21 Cut off to Rattlesnake Canyon
16:32 Mama cow hiding in the shade under the tree

Stay tuned for more shenanigans!

 

[CrazyDrei]

Death Valley: Eureka Dunes, Dedeckera Canyon, Marble Bath and Warm Springs!

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There are four epic adventures in Death Valley, Lippincott Pass, Mengel Pass, Echo Canyon and Dedeckera Canyon. All four of these adventures require most to spend at least one night in the park, experienced driver and spotter, capable high clearance 4x4 and the knowledge and tools to survive in this unhospitable climate in case of an emergency or break down. I have ventured on many Death Valley Trails and have taken my Sub on all but Dedeckera Canyon/Steele Pass. With the warmer weather rolling in, this time it was now or next year. Here is our adventure.

I left Vegas earlier then usual and headed for Beatty, got gas, and let the kids run wild in the Death Valley Nut and Candy Company. We headed into Death Valley via Daylight Pass and then headed north towards Ubehebe Crater/Scottys Castle, which is still closed.

Before reaching Ubehebe Crater we turned north onto Death Valley Rd and headed for Crankshaft Crossing.

After 45 minutes of cruising we reached Eureka Dunes.

I met up with a good friend who came down from Tahoe and we continued onto Dedeckera Canyon.

Absolutely no issues in the first two tight sections of Dedeckera in the Sub, waiting to spot the Tacoma up the tight squeeze.

Tacoma is getting ready to navigate the obstacles.

Kids are playing around while the big boys are playing with the big toys.

I'm about to go up the last ledge of Dedeckera Canyon.

I actually had the use 4x4 low, what a bummer.

Great view while still heading up to Steel Pass.

Super duper secret parking area for the Marble Bath.

Picking out the ducks.

I originally ordered the ducks to put into the teakettles in Teakettle Junction a few trips ago, but they arrived one day too late so I figure that this would be the best use for them to decorate the Marble Bath.

After a short hike emerges a mirage.

I am glad that the camera is able to capture exactly how vibrant the colors are with the naked eye.

Kids had a great time sitting in the marble bath and playing with the ducks, we ended up leaving at least 10.

Growing up in Soviet Russia and only recently becoming a citizen I had to leave the US flag and a Bald Eagle ducks in the tub.

Mandatory in tub picture.

We all rotated through the tub for a photo op.

Last but not least in the tub.

Off road buddies.

Continued in part 2.

 

[CrazyDrei]

Death Valley: Continued from the previous post.

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After spending some time enjoying the Marble Bath we continued down from Steel Pass onto Saline Valley Warm Springs for lunch and my friend's camp for the night.

There are two areas: lower and upper, we stopped at a less developed upper.

Pool that feeds the two upper springs.

Another pool that has piping to the springs.

One of the soaking tubs.

Overflow drain from the soaking tub.

Following the overflow river through the palm trees.

Following the stream further to the mini bridge.

We set up a tarp between the two trucks for shade and started making lunch/dinner.

Initially my friend planned on making quesadillas but I thought that surf and turn would be more enjoyable.

Rib-eyes fresh from the butcher less then 24hrs ago.

One each for the adults.

And one for the kids to split.

Yum, yum, flame charred, flat top seared rib-eyes.

Surf and turf is not complete with out a couple lobster tails.

This is a perfect car-camping meal in the middle of nowhere Death Valley.

As my friend was setting up camp for the night the boys and I headed back home, ran into a couple visitors on the way out.

Famous Warm Springs bat sign.

Still haven't hooked up the snorkel to the airbox but it sure looks cool. Ironically I ran into a 80 series Land Cruiser with the same snorkel but without the words LANDCRUISER on it, which is the one I originally wanted.

The drive back home was smooth down the well traveled Saline Valley Rd. It was a great trip to complete my collection of the big four trails of Death Valley, all without any trail building or spotters. The Sub setup is exactly what I expected and wanted to build. I can comfortably run trails faster and smoother than just about any other vehicle out there and can turn multi-day overlanding trips such as Dedeckera Canyon into a day trip with plenty of down time to explore.

I am working on the timelapse of the drive.

Stay tuned for more shenanigans!

 

[bigred805]

So now that you have had a couple months since doing the coilover swap how have you liked it? What are the main advantages to the coil over versus the previous set up you had? Sorry im sure these answers are obvious to most of you but im pretty new to all of this!

I had been looking around the web for anyone who had done something like this since I have a 2003 tahoe that I have been wanting to do the same type of trips as you are with probably even less pushing the limits. It seems all I read was that it can't and shouldn't be done because everything will explode and catch fire without serious upgrading so this is extremely refreshing to see! Im inspired to make my Hoe a MORE capable trail crawler and get out there and see what the world has to offer.

 

[chilliwak]

Crazy you make me want to get down to your area and go wheeling. I want steak and lobster too!