2000 Suburban K1500 budget low lift with 37"s

[CrazyDrei]

Detroit locker break in.

Locker went in just fine so the following day we headed out on a break in adventure: 400 miles from Vegas to Zion and a coupe scenic detours along the way. Technically since the ring and pinion have 7-8k miles on them I really don't need to break in the Detroit locker but we went on it's maiden voyage and let the boys splash around in Zion Narrows.

First impression: the ratcheting during turns and on downhills takes a little getting used to. When I drive normally there is no tire chirping and I do not notice it at all. In loose dirt the truck tracks straight as an arrow and goes 5-10mph faster than I could ever go before safely. Makes perfect sense why just about all trophy trucks run these for desert racing. Found some very deep and loose sand too, went through it without a hiccup, unlike the G80 which had to spin and lock up before gaining traction.

Also did three days of commuting to and from work, very uneventful. Hear the ratcheting sound, which is normal, during sharp slow turns and when slowing down on highway off-ramps, and a little bit of a tire screech when I pull into a parking spot way quicker than I should.

So far so good, but only time and torture on the trails will tell if this was a wise move.

Stay tuned for more shenanigans!

 

[chilliwak]

I am glad to hear things went well with the Detroit locker Mr Crazy. You also seem to be becoming a wizz at rebuilding those rear diffs. Nice to see you out there in your rig again. Cheers, Chilli...

 

[CrazyDrei]

VIDEO: Smithsonian Butte Rd

This is a fun little detour from the pavement in Zion area. From Rt9 turn off onto Bridge Rd in Rockville, which is one of the two car bridges that crosses the Virgin River and follow it until the pavement ends. At the T intersection if you go left it's Smithsonian Butte Rd which also leads to Gooseberry Mesa and if you turn right you will dead end in Grafton Ghost town which is an adventure in itself.


This was my break in trip for the Detroit locker and it did way better than expected in the deep sand. I have many more adventures planned for this summer.

Stay tuned for more shenanigans!

 

[CrazyDrei]

Hood vents.

Last July I replaced my radiator and while I was at it I also replaced the clutch fan with dual electric fans. Electric fans freed up horsepower, kept water temperature lower and AC much colder. Only downside was that I when it's really hot outside and I am parked the fans push so much air into the engine compartment that the wires and fuses overheat and melt. My short term solution was to pop the hood when the temperature is over 105F when parked. However I did find some Focus RS hood vents last fall and finally got around to installing them.

Ford Focus RS thermoplastic hood vents, highlighter shown for size comparison.

It was difficult to find affordable non decorative leuvered hood vents.

I think I paid $12 shipped for both of these from China, the leuvers are already cut out and ready to move air.

This is how I am expecting the finished product to look like.

Hood popped and insulation removed.

First hole marked and ready to be cut.

I used a 3" cut off tool to cut the hole.

Vent is in, perfect flush fit.

Repeat for the drivers side, and I suddenly realized that they are crooked, camera distorts the drivers side to be more tilted then it really is.

I used self tapping screws to secure them to the hood, next step is to drive and see how much of a difference they make.

Stay tuned for more shenanigans!

 

[frink84]

why did you choose the mounting position that you did? usually the best spot to vent for the radiator is immediately behind the radiator, since thats where the most heat comes from.

 

[chilliwak]

Although I can see the need for hood vents Mr Crazy, please be carefull about putting any FRUAD product on your great GM vehicle. Their could me a mutiny with your GM vehicle and the inferior FRUAD fomoco products....

 

[NevadaLover]

Although I can see the need for hood vents Mr Crazy, please be carefull about putting any FRUAD product on your great GM vehicle. Their could me a mutiny with your GM vehicle and the inferior FRUAD fomoco products....

Now now, don't be a hater!

 

[Jelorian]

Spent a day playing in the sand dunes.

My Jeep buddy did awesome with his TruTracks and ventured deeper into the dunes than I wanted to try. My 4runner buddy traded his truck in for a RAZR equipped with sand paddles and rocked the dunes. Meanwhile I did not make it as far in as the Jeep or as high as the Razr, I did manage to have a lot of fun, especially Highmarking the Sub on 80-100 ft high dune.

Say tuned for more shenanigans!

Been loving this thread. You definitely are getting your money's worth on your rig.

When I did my snorkel mod, I used a volant airbox and haven't had any issues. I bought a generic LC 80 series snorkel off ebay and the hard part was cutting through the maze/honeycomb of sheet metal.

When hitting the big dunes, are you in 4hi and you just gun it? Was at Glamis 2 years ago and was debating trying to hit one of the big dunes that everyone was tackling but didn't know how to do it.

There was Subaru WRX there that was basically surfing over the sand...hilarious...wish I had video of it trying to climb the dune...but more incredible was how he got to the base of the dune in the first place as it wasn't near any flat roads.

Looking forward to your updates and your mission to put 40's on your rig.

Cheers!

 

[SexyExy]

Drei,

I'm not a Detroit Locker tuning expert but some of the road course guys use it in different forms of competition, even autocross. I did not know it until recently but you can change the springs out to limit the ratching and slow speed push it can cause. Here is a sample of what I mean:
http://shop.ronsuttonracetechnology.com/shopping/productDetails.aspx?i=710937

Also, your hood vents are a good idea but you really need something about 3 to 4 times bigger to really see a substantial benefit. Here is a sample of the what I use on my track car...they have a bunch of different sizes and shapes. They come to you mailed flat, you unfold them and paint them and you're done:
http://vraptorspeedworks.com/mk-3-roadster-hood-louvers/

If sitting still or moving along at slow speeds it really doesn't matter where you put them on the hood, heat will escape. But as you gain speed the windshield will cause a high pressure area at the rear of the hood and will limit the amount of hot air exiting the engine compartment. Best place to put the vents to release the heat at road speeds is between the radiator and the front of the engine if possible.

I had a Detroit Locker in my square body Suburban.....literally makes a 2wd truck perform like a 4wd.

 

[Lykos]

I love this thread. ♥

Got nothing to add. Just needed said.

 

[CrazyDrei]

I am glad to hear things went well with the Detroit locker Mr Crazy. You also seem to be becoming a wizz at rebuilding those rear diffs. Nice to see you out there in your rig again. Cheers, Chilli...

Chilli,

Looking back on it, I rebuilt my front diff four times and the rear four times since December. Getting quicker at it but definitely not looking forward to doing either one again anytime soon.

Stay tuned for more shenanigans!

 

[chilliwak]

Well at least you are getting the experience. Thats the best thing about getting to know our rigs. The repairs and mods get to be way easier...

 

[CrazyDrei]

why did you choose the mounting position that you did? usually the best spot to vent for the radiator is immediately behind the radiator, since thats where the most heat comes from.

Frink84,

That's a great question that sometimes even I wonder why I do what I do. I needed vents to move hot air out from under the hood when the truck is parked and not moving. Opening the hood works great but gets kinda old.

I removed the clutch fan and replaced it with dual electric fans that move either 4,500cfm or 5,500cfm of air and it gets so hot that wires melt front the heat. I positioned the vents where the hood was the hottest after sitting for 30 minutes with AC running in 105 degree heat.

So far the vents seem to get some of the hot air out but do not look like they are big enough for what I was looking for.

Stay tuned for more shenanigans!

 

[CrazyDrei]

When I did my snorkel mod, I used a volant airbox and haven't had any issues. I bought a generic LC 80 series snorkel off ebay and the hard part was cutting through the maze/honeycomb of sheet metal.

When hitting the big dunes, are you in 4hi and you just gun it? Was at Glamis 2 years ago and was debating trying to hit one of the big dunes that everyone was tackling but didn't know how to do it.

Jelorian,

Yeah, cutting through the 3 layers of sheet metal was a surprise that I expected but did not enjoy either. I can't justify the price of a Volant box so still inthe process of modifying the factory box to work. Snorkel project is on hold for a couple more weeks, have some more important projects to address.

As far as the dunes, 4x4 high and 2nd gear with torque converter locked worked the best for me. But then again I could not go nearly as far or as high as Jeeps or RZRs. I played around with 4x4 low but it was too low to get anywhere. I think locking torque converter (tow/haul mode) made the most difference. I also ran AC front and rear, it was nice but would have had a little more power if I turned it off.

Stay tuned for more shenanigans!

 

[frink84]

Frink84,

That's a great question that sometimes even I wonder why I do what I do. I needed vents to move hot air out from under the hood when the truck is parked and not moving. Opening the hood works great but gets kinda old.

I removed the clutch fan and replaced it with dual electric fans that move either 4,500cfm or 5,500cfm of air and it gets so hot that wires melt front the heat. I positioned the vents where the hood was the hottest after sitting for 30 minutes with AC running in 105 degree heat.

So far the vents seem to get some of the hot air out but do not look like they are big enough for what I was looking for.

Stay tuned for more shenanigans!

Totally understand the use case, was more curious about positioning. I used to have a mustang racecar with a GT500 vent put into the hood and it dropped temps significantly. It was just behind the radiator and you could watch heat waves pour out of it when stopped after a session.

I'm debating doing something similar to my current 88 Mustang since it tends to run a little too hot for my liking.