2000 Suburban K1500 budget low lift with 37"s

[CrazyDrei]

Finally had some time to play with the Avi.

Got the Avalanche started, drained the fuel and put 5 gallons of new fuel. Fired right up but ran rough. I'm sure it will need spark plugs and an oil change for it to run smooth, but that's a project for another day.

Time to start taking it apart. First was the air box and mass airflow sensor. Surprisingly the air filter was really clean. Right front fender has some rust damage, nothing special for a New England truck, will clean up the hole, couple coats of pain and then a fender flare to go over the rust.

Headlights came out and fan shroud top trim piece. One of the headlight mounting brackets was broken but once again surprisingly all the bulbs still work. Same bulbs as my 2000 Suburban.

I was excited and knew that the bumper would have to come off anyway, but I could not get to the headlight support frame without removing the bumper first. Previous owner was in a low speed fender bender, bent drivers side lower bumper support.

Bumper is off, headlight support is off. There are several trim and support pieces on this truck that I have never seen before because I have never played with a truck with cladding or Z71 trim packages. On a side note I can see why so many people are having trouble with their transmissions, that little itsy bitsy sad excuse of a cooler is a two line transmission fluid cooler, it's so tiny and positioned where it doesn't get enough airflow to do anything. I have a towing package on my Suburban which came with a much larger transmission cooler that mounts on the "A" frame in front of AC condenser and cools the transmission oil much more effectively.

Next step is to take off the hood and fenders. Rip the frond end of the Suburban apart and start bolting on Avalanche pieces to the Sub.

Stay tuned for more shenanigans!

 

[Overlandtowater]

Well this is definitely going to be shenanigans....sounds like fun...I see you got some snow!

 

[CrazyDrei]

here Drei, this ought to be good for a laugh -
Spindle nut tight, spacer nuts tight, wheel nuts tight.



Been having some clunking around for a few months. Been crawling around checking my suspension mods, trailing arms, everythign I've been wrenching on. Thought too maybe I'd failed to properly tighten my front axle mount bolts. Wondering if I had a busted engine / trans mount. Crawling in around under, no joy.
Meanwhile I've been tear-assing around the State, Temecula, Lompoc rocket launch, mojave / CA City / Ridgecrest, and recently in a terrible sleet storm over the Grapevine. Clunking around and some squeaky brake-sounding noises at slow speed. A higher pitch note going down the freeway was written off as different siping in newer model Geolanders.
But been worried about front bearings and transaxles due to high mileage / general wear, increased suspension angle and then the offset loading of 2" spacers. Been thinking about upper ball joints too.
After the last high-speed run, things were getting more pronounce so I determined to get to the bottom of things and dodge rain squalls today to get it up in the air and get the wheels off, and well I didn't even get that far before I found the above.
Just kinda caught up with me while I was busy doing other things.

140k total mi, alignment 5k mi ago without issue.

Rayra,

So I heard a similar sound around a year ago, I did mention something in one of my write ups and in February 2019 you posted your video. I was too lazy or too scared or just forgot to check the play in my hub.

I had grinding and scary loud noises from my front left wheel for over a year, usually if I just jerk the truck left and right it goes away. However yesterday on my way to work it did not go away. I decided to turn around and drive 9.2 miles home. I took it easy, 15-20mph. Made it home.

This morning I finally decided to jack up the truck and do the tire wiggle you did back in February. Anyway, I think I got you beat.


Wheel is still attached to what's left of the hub. And yes I drove like this.

Took the wheel off and this is what I found next.


Sorry for the shaky camera work. $50 shipped for two hubs on eBay, 25,000miles and more abuse than most people put their vehicles through in a lifetime. Axle nut is still tight.


Took off the brake caliper, caliper bracket and finally axle nut. Found that you can either use a 15mm wrench to remove the hub assembly or use a much quicker tool less outer hub removal technique.

This adventure has been in the works since December 2018 or January 2019. 25,000 miles until catastrophic faillure is pretty darn good for made in China parts which have lifetime warranty. My ECU has been throwing an ABS and brake error for nearly a year. I knew it was the front left wheel bearing when I hooked up the truck to the scan tool and front left was not showing the same wheel speeds as other three wheels while driving.

Best part of this story is that I DROVE THE TRUCK HOME. Did not have to call a tow truck. Fixed it in my driveway. From jack touching the frame to wheels back down was less than 2 hours, I took my time. I had extra hubs/wheel bearings laying around and this cost me absolutely nothing to fix.

I'll do a write up with pictures of the damage in a couple days.

Stay tuned for more shenanigans!

 

[rayra]

Noice. 'Test to Destruction' Drei is your new name. Looks like the caliper was the only thing keeping the wheel from sliding off the splines. Brake caliper bracket is probably bent too. That hoop ain't strong enough for those sort of forces.
Had you gone to the 900 series brake swap already? Right now I can't recall if that bracket changes too. or if the 900 series swap was just rotors and calipers / pads.


I'm STILL chasing front end noise and I've refreshed everything but the front diff / inner axle / bearings and front u-joints. And I KNOW I've got some chain slack in my transfer case. Something is still shifting around and making odd alarming noises at slow speed shifts in terrain, like turning into a driveway apron slope. If I hadn't just changed everything I'd say it sounds like a broken arm or mount or balljoint shift-clunk. And I've looked at everything I can reach, tested ever nut, jacked the vehicle up by the frame and put leverage on everything with a 6' demolition bar, nothing shifts. Afraid the only way I find out what it is will be when it breaks completely. And hopefully not catastrophically when I'm flying 75mph down the freeway.

Also, my tooled hockey puck torsion bar key mount bushings are not holding up. The frontal 'flange' is getting pinched off by rearward shifting / thrust of the crossbrace against frame mounts. But I drove a good while after those replacements were put in while still having the worn bushing control arms in place. All the steering and front suspension parts are new, now, so I might go for another hockey puck set as a better test, now tha tmost of the fore-aft shifing is eliminated. Or might go right to milling some polyurethane replacements. Same jigs, same methods, just poly instead of rubber pucks.

Amazon.com

Still want to change engine and trans mounts too. Still on the originals and the trans rubber looks bad.

 

[Overlandtowater]

WOW

 

[CrazyDrei]

Had you gone to the 900 series brake swap already? Right now I can't recall if that bracket changes too. or if the 900 series swap was just rotors and calipers / pads.

Rayra,

Yes I did the GMT900 front brake conversion, it works well, extra gripping force is welcome and fade is gone especially if I ride my brakes with a trailer dropping 5-6,000ft in 15-20 miles. Much better than before, not as good as hydroboost which I will most likely never go to in this truck because the power steering pump is barely strong enough to power the 37" tires.

I'm STILL chasing front end noise and I've refreshed everything but the front diff / inner axle / bearings and front u-joints.

My GMT400 Suburban made that same clunking noise, I ripped that whole thing apart, no matter what I did everything was solid and the noise never went away. I think it might be the CV axles, this truck had a similar noise, I measured the Pep Boys replacement CV and one was 1/4" shorter than OEM, I added a 1/4" spacer on the inside of drivers side CV and never heard the noise in my GMT800.

Also, my tooled hockey puck torsion bar key mount bushings are not holding up.

That's a bummer, I was looking forward to making a set for myself and torture testing them.

Still want to change engine and trans mounts too. Still on the originals and the trans rubber looks bad.

Transmission mount in these trucks is useless, mine was attached by2 bolts of the three, both to the tranny and would clunk on the cross member. I ran it like that all over Death Valley for 2 years and finally replaced it a few months ago. It's a little quieter on washboard. Engine mounts should be replaced if they are going because the oil pan will rub on the cross member below it. Oil pan is thick and will not rub through, I ran a piece of wood for a few months until I I got around to fixing them. I made a mistake and went with eBay motor mounts, they lasted less time that the piece of wood. Ended buying an OEM used take off that had 100k miles on them, still have them and no issues.

Stay tuned for more shenanigans!

 

[rayra]

The shift-clunk has had me probing around underneath, tapping on metal all over with a ratchet handle looking for the right tone. Sound is a bit like the front diff / axle housing. It's also similar to the transfer case skidplate. But the diff bolts are tight and there's no sign of anything rubbing anywhere. But there's less than a fingertip's clearance between the transfer plate and housing. Thinking loose mounts is giving me enough shifting around to generate the noise.
Next experiment is dismount the transfer skidplate. See if the noise vanishes with it.
Too, I've had all four replacement ujoints sitting on a shelf for nearly a year. All the same btw and same as those in my 34yr-old C-10. Putting those in sometime after February.

 

[CrazyDrei]

The shift-clunk has had me probing around underneath, tapping on metal all over with a ratchet handle looking for the right tone. Sound is a bit like the front diff / axle housing. It's also similar to the transfer case skidplate. But the diff bolts are tight and there's no sign of anything rubbing anywhere. But there's less than a fingertip's clearance between the transfer plate and housing. Thinking loose mounts is giving me enough shifting around to generate the noise.
Next experiment is dismount the transfer skidplate. See if the noise vanishes with it.
Too, I've had all four replacement ujoints sitting on a shelf for nearly a year. All the same btw and same as those in my 34yr-old C-10. Putting those in sometime after February.

Rayra,

I took my front diff skid plate off to save a little weight, never had that clunk in the GMT800.

U-joints are over rated. I say just keep them in your glove box as well as a wrench and a socket to replace them if they fail on the trail.

Hopefully you can figure out where that mysterious clunk in coming form soon.

 

[rayra]

It's most noticeable when I'm coming off brake and starting to accelerate. Long time i thought it was weight shifting / suspension. But that's all been replaced, tight and lubed the last 1-4yrs. And still have a weird bad sound turning left into a driveway apron. Explored all I can and find nothing. I know I've got some slack in either the trans chain or front diff geartrain. Very little slack in the u-joints, but 17yrs in I want to change them anyway. Doubly so as I put a set in my pickup last year, 20yrs after I bought them. I don't want to wait that long for the ones purchased for the Suburban.

 

[CrazyDrei]

Fried wheel bearing.

After a day of cooling down I finally jacked up the truck and was amazed by the wheel wobble.

Wheel removed and the scorching on the rotor rubbing on the brake pad and brake caliper bracket was very substantial.

Angle of the brake pad when the wheel tilted after wheel bearing disintegrated.

Inside of left side is where the rotor was rubbing on the caliper bracket. Right side the reddish/orange discoloration of from the heat created by rotor rubbing on the outer part of brake caliper bracket. I wish I had a laser thermometer to check the temperature of the bracket when I got home.

Part of bracket that got shaved off over 30ish miles driven without a wheel bearing/hub.

Every part of the caliper bracket was rubbed by the rotor at one point or another.

Guess this is the easiest way to separate the two parts of wheel bearing without a press.

I only found 5-6 needle bearings left inside the hub assembly, couple melted and were fused to cooling vents inside the rotor.

Poof, the new hub is in, brake shield is on and CV axle was not damaged.

I ended up re-using caliber bracket, brake pads and rotor. Brake caliper bracket was not bent and remained within GM tolerances. New rotors and pads are on their way.

Stay tuned for more shenanigans!

 

[Overlandtowater]

It's most noticeable when I'm coming off brake and starting to accelerate. Long time i thought it was weight shifting / suspension. But that's all been replaced, tight and lubed the last 1-4yrs. And still have a weird bad sound turning left into a driveway apron. Explored all I can and find nothing. I know I've got some slack in either the trans chain or front diff geartrain. Very little slack in the u-joints, but 17yrs in I want to change them anyway. Doubly so as I put a set in my pickup last year, 20yrs after I bought them. I don't want to wait that long for the ones purchased for the Suburban.

Mine does the same, I'm convinced its in the rear end.

 

[Overlandtowater]

Fried wheel bearing.

After a day of cooling down I finally jacked up the truck and was amazed by the wheel wobble.

Wheel removed and the scorching on the rotor rubbing on the brake pad and brake caliper bracket was very substantial.

Angle of the brake pad when the wheel tilted after wheel bearing disintegrated.

Inside of left side is where the rotor was rubbing on the caliper bracket. Right side the reddish/orange discoloration of from the heat created by rotor rubbing on the outer part of brake caliper bracket. I wish I had a laser thermometer to check the temperature of the bracket when I got home.

Part of bracket that got shaved off over 30ish miles driven without a wheel bearing/hub.

Every part of the caliper bracket was rubbed by the rotor at one point or another.

Guess this is the easiest way to separate the two parts of wheel bearing without a press.

I only found 5-6 needle bearings left inside the hub assembly, couple melted and were fused to cooling vents inside the rotor.

Poof, the new hub is in, brake shield is on and CV axle was not damaged.

I ended up re-using caliber bracket, brake pads and rotor. Brake caliper bracket was not bent and remained within GM tolerances. New rotors and pads are on their way.

Stay tuned for more shenanigans!

I knew those bearings would come apart!

 

[rayra]

lol oh it came apart alright.
Drei, I'd be worried about the CV grease being cooked on the splined end. I had some success unbending the flat metal strap clamp on the boot on the other end when I inadvertently pulled apart on one of my axles when swapping an upper control arm, taking thins apart to knock the CV joint back together and then reinstalling the band clamp and using some vise grips on its end to cam theh band tight before bending it back over and re-folding the retention tabs on the band. There's nothing coming out of the boot ~1500 mi later.
The wear on those pads and caliper bracket, the brake assembly really was the only thing keeping the entire wheel on the CV shaft. If that bracket had sawn thru or failed under the heat load, that wheel would have gone off in it's own direction, while you plowed a furrow in the asphalt.

I'd really suggest replacing that bracket, for next time

 

[CrazyDrei]

lol oh it came apart alright.
Drei, I'd be worried about the CV grease being cooked on the splined end. I had some success unbending the flat metal strap clamp on the boot on the other end when I inadvertently pulled apart on one of my axles when swapping an upper control arm, taking thins apart to knock the CV joint back together and then reinstalling the band clamp and using some vise grips on its end to cam theh band tight before bending it back over and re-folding the retention tabs on the band. There's nothing coming out of the boot ~1500 mi later.
The wear on those pads and caliper bracket, the brake assembly really was the only thing keeping the entire wheel on the CV shaft. If that bracket had sawn thru or failed under the heat load, that wheel would have gone off in it's own direction, while you plowed a furrow in the asphalt.

I'd really suggest replacing that bracket, for next time

Rayra,

I will look into the CV axle next time I'm under the truck, I'm sure some grease leaked out from this torture. Pulling the clamp apart and re-injecting the grease is a great idea and will save me a headache down the road.

I am going to order a new caliper and caliper bracket from my front right to swap in the next time I do front rotors and pads.

Stay tuned for more shenanigans!

 

[02TahoeMD]

I am impressed your wheel stayed attached after the way that bearing came apart. Just...wow! Since you are now living in the heart of Rust Central, make sure you are putting your stuff back together with a coating of anti-seize. Makes future work SO much easier.You may also want to look into applying something like Eastwood's internal frame coating inside your frame to combat rust before it sets in. This area's climate is not friendly to our rides.