2000 Suburban K1500 budget low lift with 37"s
- Thread starter CrazyDrei
- Start date
CanucksRedRocket
Observer
love the pics! i wish i had areas like that up here to explore. I just picked up a 98 tahoe if i could afford 37's i'd have them on a heart beat lol.
CrazyDrei
Space Monkey
CanucksRedRocket,
37s are not as expensive as you think, I started out with a set of 4 on 4 alloy rims for $250 on craigslist and got 5,000mi on them until I was driving on belts.
Last edited:
CrazyDrei
Space Monkey
Central NV adventure: Clown Motel
After visiting the International Car Forest of the Last Church we headed north for another 20 minutes to see the legendary Clown Motel in Tonopah, NV.
The sun was setting and it was difficult to get a good picture of the truck at the entrance.
Every room is clown themed.
With advertising like this what weary traveler would not want to stay here?
The lobby is filled with clown figurines from all over the world.
Some are worth a lot, not that the owner is slightly obsessed.
Immediately next door to the Clown Motel is the Old Tonopah Cemetey. None of the rooms look directly onto the cemetery. This does add to the nostalgia and the charm of this roadside attraction.
Stay tuned for more shenanigans!
After visiting the International Car Forest of the Last Church we headed north for another 20 minutes to see the legendary Clown Motel in Tonopah, NV.
The sun was setting and it was difficult to get a good picture of the truck at the entrance.
Every room is clown themed.
With advertising like this what weary traveler would not want to stay here?
The lobby is filled with clown figurines from all over the world.
Some are worth a lot, not that the owner is slightly obsessed.
Immediately next door to the Clown Motel is the Old Tonopah Cemetey. None of the rooms look directly onto the cemetery. This does add to the nostalgia and the charm of this roadside attraction.
Stay tuned for more shenanigans!
CanucksRedRocket
Observer
Not up here lol, down south yea you can find that stuff super cheap, i also have to to deal with snow cant run super crappy tires through the mountains. i cant even get a set of 265/75r16 for under 400 used up here.
CrazyDrei
Space Monkey
Day trip: Glimpse of the Mojave Rd
I was in the area and had a couple hours to kill, what better way to spend it than to explore a short section the legendary Mojave Rd.
Our first stop was the Mojave Cross, a monument erected to honor the memory of all the military dead of all the wars.
Apparently this monument has been re-dedicated recently.
In the parking area.
Cross dedication plaque and the cross itself.
Cima rail depot, more or less abandoned with a train for tourists to drive up to and take pictures.
Mojave Rd turn off from Cima Rd.
The original Mojave Rd ran from the Colorado River all the way to the Pacific coast, only this approximately 150 mile section remains inside the Mojave Preserve to remind us of a great example of an efficient transportation route before the railroads connected this country.
Mojave mailbox. Kids were sleeping in the back so I did not wake them up to see the frog garden 100ft past the mailbox.
New flag is flying high with a spare flag that one ExPo member left in the box to replace this one if it gets too badly damaged before Veteran's Day.
Mailbox and record book.
We turned off the Mojave Rd on to Aiken Mine Rd.
Lava tube parking area.
A very short walk up the trail there are stairs that take you into the lava tube itself.
Boys were scared to go into the tube at first however once I pulled flashlights out of my pocket they quickly scrambled down the stairs and into the lava tube.
We arrived to the lava tube a little late and did not get a chance to see the sun column.
Boys spent a solid thirty minutes running up and down the stairs before we were allowed to head to the next stop.
We continued up the road to Aiken Mine where we had a chance to play around and explore.
After the sun set the landscape felt very alien.
Aiken Cinder Mine was one of the largest cinder producers in the southwest, and most of the cinder used to build Las Vegas came from this mine. In 1990 the mine closed and most of the equipment was left as is where is.
Drive out was beautiful as the Joshua Tree forest was lit up by the Southwest Desert sunset.
Stay tuned for more shenanigans!
I was in the area and had a couple hours to kill, what better way to spend it than to explore a short section the legendary Mojave Rd.
Our first stop was the Mojave Cross, a monument erected to honor the memory of all the military dead of all the wars.
Apparently this monument has been re-dedicated recently.
In the parking area.
Cross dedication plaque and the cross itself.
Cima rail depot, more or less abandoned with a train for tourists to drive up to and take pictures.
Mojave Rd turn off from Cima Rd.
The original Mojave Rd ran from the Colorado River all the way to the Pacific coast, only this approximately 150 mile section remains inside the Mojave Preserve to remind us of a great example of an efficient transportation route before the railroads connected this country.
Mojave mailbox. Kids were sleeping in the back so I did not wake them up to see the frog garden 100ft past the mailbox.
New flag is flying high with a spare flag that one ExPo member left in the box to replace this one if it gets too badly damaged before Veteran's Day.
Mailbox and record book.
We turned off the Mojave Rd on to Aiken Mine Rd.
Lava tube parking area.
A very short walk up the trail there are stairs that take you into the lava tube itself.
Boys were scared to go into the tube at first however once I pulled flashlights out of my pocket they quickly scrambled down the stairs and into the lava tube.
We arrived to the lava tube a little late and did not get a chance to see the sun column.
Boys spent a solid thirty minutes running up and down the stairs before we were allowed to head to the next stop.
We continued up the road to Aiken Mine where we had a chance to play around and explore.
After the sun set the landscape felt very alien.
Aiken Cinder Mine was one of the largest cinder producers in the southwest, and most of the cinder used to build Las Vegas came from this mine. In 1990 the mine closed and most of the equipment was left as is where is.
Drive out was beautiful as the Joshua Tree forest was lit up by the Southwest Desert sunset.
Stay tuned for more shenanigans!
CrazyDrei
Space Monkey
Milestar Patagonia MT: one year tire review.
At this point I have had my Milestar Patagonia Mts for approximately 20,000miles. I have pushed them to their limits and beyond on the street, rain, sand, snow, washboard, dirt, gravel, mud and even in a volcano. I am sold on these tires for life or at least until a lighter weight 37" AT or MT tire comes on the market for a reasonable price. On the highway I run 45-50 PSi and my ride is quieter than any AT tire on the market. On the trail i drop to 20 PSI and my ride is so smooth that he kids instantly fall asleep in the backseat. My only dislike with the tires is the tread life. I started out with 19/32" and after 20,000miles I am at 9/32" or 7mm. That is after 17,000miles in pavement and 3,000miles off road and a Detroit locker. At this rate I will be looking at a new set every two years or less.
While in the Mojave Preserve we found Aiken Cinder mine and explored the alien lava rock landscape of the mine. In one of my tight turns I managed to put a razor sharp lava rock through a 6-7" gash I had in the sidewall of one of the tires from a trip I did in March 2018. Lava rock finished the tear and I heard the all so familiar sound of the air rushing out.
I patched the sidewall gash with a plug, not really expecting it to work at all, however once the tire pressure decreased to 10psi, the plug seated itself and sealed the hole. It was getting late on the trail so after driving for approximately one mile without any air leaking out I pulled over and changed out the tire with my itsy bitsy tiny little 35" spare donut. (Which now weighs more that than the 37" tire that it replaced)
Spare 35" tire inflated to 50psi gave me a similar top of tire height as the 37" tires deflated to 15psi. The drive home was unremarkable.
Spare 17" steel rim looks really cool and intimidating especially with the lug nuts sticking out.
It took me a while to find a 17" steel rim that I can fit 35" or 37" tires on. Despite extreme popularity of steel rims in the Overlanding crowd, I realized that aluminum alloy rims are superior to steel. Both steel and alloy rims weigh the same, alloy dissipate heat much better than steel, alloy rims are twice as strong as the same size steel rim.
Steel vs Alloy rims in a hydraulic press (steel breaks at 10 tonnes, allow at 23 tonnes)
So for anyone in the Southwest area that is looking for a cool looking inferior 17" steel wheel to put on your rig mine is for sale, PM me if interested.
Once I got home I ordered two more 37" Patagonia MTs for $420 shipped. New tires are installed on the rear wheels which would wear a little quicker than the fronts due to the Detroit locker. I am also left with a full-size 37" spare tire which I will mount on on a rim so I have a second spare for longer and more remote journeys.
Stay tuned for more shenanigans!
At this point I have had my Milestar Patagonia Mts for approximately 20,000miles. I have pushed them to their limits and beyond on the street, rain, sand, snow, washboard, dirt, gravel, mud and even in a volcano. I am sold on these tires for life or at least until a lighter weight 37" AT or MT tire comes on the market for a reasonable price. On the highway I run 45-50 PSi and my ride is quieter than any AT tire on the market. On the trail i drop to 20 PSI and my ride is so smooth that he kids instantly fall asleep in the backseat. My only dislike with the tires is the tread life. I started out with 19/32" and after 20,000miles I am at 9/32" or 7mm. That is after 17,000miles in pavement and 3,000miles off road and a Detroit locker. At this rate I will be looking at a new set every two years or less.
While in the Mojave Preserve we found Aiken Cinder mine and explored the alien lava rock landscape of the mine. In one of my tight turns I managed to put a razor sharp lava rock through a 6-7" gash I had in the sidewall of one of the tires from a trip I did in March 2018. Lava rock finished the tear and I heard the all so familiar sound of the air rushing out.
I patched the sidewall gash with a plug, not really expecting it to work at all, however once the tire pressure decreased to 10psi, the plug seated itself and sealed the hole. It was getting late on the trail so after driving for approximately one mile without any air leaking out I pulled over and changed out the tire with my itsy bitsy tiny little 35" spare donut. (Which now weighs more that than the 37" tire that it replaced)
Spare 35" tire inflated to 50psi gave me a similar top of tire height as the 37" tires deflated to 15psi. The drive home was unremarkable.
Spare 17" steel rim looks really cool and intimidating especially with the lug nuts sticking out.
It took me a while to find a 17" steel rim that I can fit 35" or 37" tires on. Despite extreme popularity of steel rims in the Overlanding crowd, I realized that aluminum alloy rims are superior to steel. Both steel and alloy rims weigh the same, alloy dissipate heat much better than steel, alloy rims are twice as strong as the same size steel rim.
Steel vs Alloy rims in a hydraulic press (steel breaks at 10 tonnes, allow at 23 tonnes)
So for anyone in the Southwest area that is looking for a cool looking inferior 17" steel wheel to put on your rig mine is for sale, PM me if interested.
Once I got home I ordered two more 37" Patagonia MTs for $420 shipped. New tires are installed on the rear wheels which would wear a little quicker than the fronts due to the Detroit locker. I am also left with a full-size 37" spare tire which I will mount on on a rim so I have a second spare for longer and more remote journeys.
Stay tuned for more shenanigans!
Taj_bskate
New member
Milestar Patagonia MT: one year tire review.
At this point I have had my Milestar Patagonia Mts for approximately 20,000miles. I have pushed them to their limits and beyond on the street, rain, sand, snow, washboard, dirt, gravel, mud and even in a volcano. I am sold on these tires for life or at least until a lighter weight 37" AT or MT tire comes on the market for a reasonable price. On the highway I run 45-50 PSi and my ride is quieter than any AT tire on the market. On the trail i drop to 20 PSI and my ride is so smooth that he kids instantly fall asleep in the backseat. My only dislike with the tires is the tread life. I started out with 19/32" and after 20,000miles I am at 9/32" or 7mm. That is after 17,000miles in pavement and 3,000miles off road and a Detroit locker. At this rate I will be looking at a new set every two years or less.
While in the Mojave Preserve we found Aiken Cinder mine and explored the alien lava rock landscape of the mine. In one of my tight turns I managed to put a razor sharp lava rock through a 6-7" gash I had in the sidewall of one of the tires from a trip I did in March 2018. Lava rock finished the tear and I heard the all so familiar sound of the air rushing out.
I patched the sidewall gash with a plug, not really expecting it to work at all, however once the tire pressure decreased to 10psi, the plug seated itself and sealed the hole. It was getting late on the trail so after driving for approximately one mile without any air leaking out I pulled over and changed out the tire with my itsy bitsy tiny little 35" spare donut. (Which now weighs more that than the 37" tire that it replaced)
Spare 35" tire inflated to 50psi gave me a similar top of tire height as the 37" tires deflated to 15psi. The drive home was unremarkable.
Spare 17" steel rim looks really cool and intimidating especially with the lug nuts sticking out.
It took me a while to find a 17" steel rim that I can fit 35" or 37" tires on. Despite extreme popularity of steel rims in the Overlanding crowd, I realized that aluminum alloy rims are superior to steel. Both steel and alloy rims weigh the same, alloy dissipate heat much better than steel, alloy rims are twice as strong as the same size steel rim.
Steel vs Alloy rims in a hydraulic press (steel breaks at 10 tonnes, allow at 23 tonnes)
So for anyone in the Southwest area that is looking for a cool looking inferior 17" steel wheel to put on your rig mine is for sale, PM me if interested.
Once I got home I ordered two more 37" Patagonia MTs for $420 shipped. New tires are installed on the rear wheels which would wear a little quicker than the fronts due to the Detroit locker. I am also left with a full-size 37" spare tire which I will mount on on a rim so I have a second spare for longer and more remote journeys.
Stay tuned for more shenanigans!
Did you ever get the mid travel supspension in , if so could you post the links of the parts involved also how did you make the battery tray for the other location. What model and year is the gmt900 like the 2500 ? Don’t they have 8 lug hubs ?
I’ve gone through 3 g80s just go to the junk yard at half off and get the whole rear end for 75$ But I’m over it and about to weld the diff for Bc it’s always the spider gears that go , less moving parts =less things to break? Lockers are so expensive otherwise I would go that route
-01 5.3 suburban 4.11 gears
CrazyDrei
Space Monkey
Taj_bskate,
Thats a lot of questions you got there...
I have had a super busy summer with work and other things, so I have not gotten around to the mid travel setup yet, will definitely do a full write up with all the parts involved as soon as it's in.
Dorman 00085
GM part number 15246518
Search for either one on eBay and you should be able to find one for around $20-25. I also purchased 0 gauge cable and ran a 3ft extension to both positive and negative leads.
I do not understand the question, last year of GMT900 2500 Suburban was 2013 and last year of 2500 Yukon XL was 2014.
3 G80s, holy cow, what size tires do you run and how hard do you drive? Another option for you would be to get a G80 empty shell and a lunchbox locker to replace the spider gears.
Monkey Lunchbox locker $240
And yes, less moving parts is better than more moving parts, less to break.
Good luck and stay tuned for more shenanigans!
Thats a lot of questions you got there...
I have had a super busy summer with work and other things, so I have not gotten around to the mid travel setup yet, will definitely do a full write up with all the parts involved as soon as it's in.
Dorman 00085
GM part number 15246518
Search for either one on eBay and you should be able to find one for around $20-25. I also purchased 0 gauge cable and ran a 3ft extension to both positive and negative leads.
I do not understand the question, last year of GMT900 2500 Suburban was 2013 and last year of 2500 Yukon XL was 2014.
3 G80s, holy cow, what size tires do you run and how hard do you drive? Another option for you would be to get a G80 empty shell and a lunchbox locker to replace the spider gears.
Monkey Lunchbox locker $240
And yes, less moving parts is better than more moving parts, less to break.
Good luck and stay tuned for more shenanigans!
CrazyDrei
Space Monkey
I will give you $120 for the Trailblazer intake manifold and related parts, you can double your money
Seriously though, that is a really great find and I am looking forward to seeing how it turns out...and if it is worth the effort.
02TahoeMD,
Keep an eye on eBay for either TBSS, NNBS or 25383922, the actual part number for cathedral port intake manifold.
I finally figured out why I was getting my P0300, P0301, P0303, P0200 codes after finding and replacing leaky vacuum lines, bad fuel injectors what had correct resistance and I could hear them tick but did not work, crappy ACDelco iridium spark plugs, dirty and old MAF, busted fuel injector connector pigtails, fried catalytic converter and faulty O2 sensors.
The truck is running correctly once again so the TBSS intake manifold will go on soon.
Stay tuned for more shenanigans!
CrazyDrei
Space Monkey
Thanks for posting those awesome pics Crazy. Those cars dug into the sand are way cool. Me like. Cheers, Chilli..
Chilli,
Thanx, the Southwest desert is full of hidden gems and roadside attractions that were created in the sake of killing time and somehow became legitimate
destinations.
Every now and then I read through the earlier posts in this thread and chuckle at all the know it alls that said that you can't put 37s on the Suburban without a lift and my truck will join the ranks of mall crawlers. Thank you for believing, pushing me and following my adventures.
Sub is finally up and running as it should, no check engine light or misfires and the weather is getting nicer, have plenty more adventures in the near future.
Stay tuned for more shenanigans!
CrazyDrei
Space Monkey
Day trip: Mojave Rd from Cima Rd to Afton
Mojave Rd is one of those world class overlanding destinations that just happens to be in my back yard, so I figure why not check it out. We decided to make a day-trip out it.
We checked the water level at the Mojave River water gauge near the legendary crossing, it read 3.96ft, that was good enough for me since my snorkel sits at around 6ft. Didn't really tell my 4Runner friends any details about the drive other than a mellow 2wd trail with pretty views.
Most rigs that run Mojave Rd start looking showroom pretty and clean, not this trio, we actually use our trucks off road weekly if not daily and start adventures like this already dusty from yesterday's trails.
Las Vegas gas $3.20 per gallon, California Gas $4.98 per gallon at Cima Rd. We stopped at the town of Cima to let the kids out and play on the train.
While the kids were exploring the train we aired down the tires and went over the game plan for the rest of the day.
We entered Mojave Rd off Cima Rd. (This is the picture I took when I was there two weeks ago, the sign has not changed)
This is the first time I have ever seen a USGS summit marker that was not buried in cement.
We made it to the Mojave mailbox.
Have to sign it to prove that we were here.
This is how far most people make it on the first day if they start at the Colorado River.
This dinosaur has traveled with us for the last week since we could not find a frog to leave at the Frog Monument this was the next best green ting.
Mojave Rd Frog Monument.
Desert humor.
Our addition fits in perfectly.
Boys are mesmerized by the sheer number of frogs here.
Not really sure what is going on here, but the next time I stop by I'll be sure to leave a Whiskey Tango Barbie doll.
Jeep monument, if I had solid axles on this trail I would want a monument for my vehicle too.
Gnomes.
Kids playing with some left over Halloween decorations.
Lava Tube trailhead parking.
Kids really enjoyed climbing up and down the ladder into the Lava Tube.
This time we got to the Lava Tube early enough to get a glimpse of the light column or ray in this case inside the Lava Tube.
CONTINUED IN PART 2...
Mojave Rd is one of those world class overlanding destinations that just happens to be in my back yard, so I figure why not check it out. We decided to make a day-trip out it.
We checked the water level at the Mojave River water gauge near the legendary crossing, it read 3.96ft, that was good enough for me since my snorkel sits at around 6ft. Didn't really tell my 4Runner friends any details about the drive other than a mellow 2wd trail with pretty views.
Most rigs that run Mojave Rd start looking showroom pretty and clean, not this trio, we actually use our trucks off road weekly if not daily and start adventures like this already dusty from yesterday's trails.
Las Vegas gas $3.20 per gallon, California Gas $4.98 per gallon at Cima Rd. We stopped at the town of Cima to let the kids out and play on the train.
While the kids were exploring the train we aired down the tires and went over the game plan for the rest of the day.
We entered Mojave Rd off Cima Rd. (This is the picture I took when I was there two weeks ago, the sign has not changed)
This is the first time I have ever seen a USGS summit marker that was not buried in cement.
We made it to the Mojave mailbox.
Have to sign it to prove that we were here.
This is how far most people make it on the first day if they start at the Colorado River.
This dinosaur has traveled with us for the last week since we could not find a frog to leave at the Frog Monument this was the next best green ting.
Mojave Rd Frog Monument.
Desert humor.
Our addition fits in perfectly.
Boys are mesmerized by the sheer number of frogs here.
Not really sure what is going on here, but the next time I stop by I'll be sure to leave a Whiskey Tango Barbie doll.
Jeep monument, if I had solid axles on this trail I would want a monument for my vehicle too.
Gnomes.
Kids playing with some left over Halloween decorations.
Lava Tube trailhead parking.
Kids really enjoyed climbing up and down the ladder into the Lava Tube.
This time we got to the Lava Tube early enough to get a glimpse of the light column or ray in this case inside the Lava Tube.
CONTINUED IN PART 2...
CrazyDrei
Space Monkey
Day trip: Mojave Rd from Cima Rd to Afton (part 2)
Crossing Soda Lake was uneventful and kinda fun especially since it was bone dry.
2015 4Runner looks like it fits in perfectly in this environment.
We made it to the Travelers Monument on the west side of Soda Dry Lake.
Kids went to work climbing all over the pile of rocks and exploring.
Pretty gold rock.
Kids spent nearly an hour playing on the monument.
Mojave River railroad bridge at the water crossing.
Water crossing is in the bushes all the way on the right side of the picture. Mojave River water station read 3.96 feet and highest water mark on the Sub was at approximately 32"
Mojave River water gauge at Afton
We made it across the water. I was so excited to see the water that I did not take any pictures of the crossing. We did get several videos but the lighting was poor and cloudy, sounds like we need to come back and get some better pictures and videos.
Suburban did great, both 2Runners did awesome. 1999 got approximately 4" of water in the cab due to old door seals.
We continued to I15, aired back up at the off-ramp and headed back home.
I will upload the videos of the water crossing soon.
Stay tuned for more shenanigans!
Crossing Soda Lake was uneventful and kinda fun especially since it was bone dry.
2015 4Runner looks like it fits in perfectly in this environment.
We made it to the Travelers Monument on the west side of Soda Dry Lake.
Kids went to work climbing all over the pile of rocks and exploring.
Pretty gold rock.
Kids spent nearly an hour playing on the monument.
Mojave River railroad bridge at the water crossing.
Water crossing is in the bushes all the way on the right side of the picture. Mojave River water station read 3.96 feet and highest water mark on the Sub was at approximately 32"
Mojave River water gauge at Afton
We made it across the water. I was so excited to see the water that I did not take any pictures of the crossing. We did get several videos but the lighting was poor and cloudy, sounds like we need to come back and get some better pictures and videos.
Suburban did great, both 2Runners did awesome. 1999 got approximately 4" of water in the cab due to old door seals.
We continued to I15, aired back up at the off-ramp and headed back home.
I will upload the videos of the water crossing soon.
Stay tuned for more shenanigans!