2001 Chevy Suburban 1500 Blue 4x4 Build - Arizona Native

[Arizona Native]

Just some pics of our trip to the Agua Fria National Monument Area:
Pueblo La Plata Indian ruins parking area (not easy to reach):


Down the cliff:



Abandoned cabin area:


Abandoned cabin turn off, coming out:

Level look out point while going back up the cliff:

Random picture of a plains area:

 

[Arizona Native]

Airing back up:

 

[Martinjmpr]

Hey I'll be in your neck of the woods for Thanksgiving. Any "out of the way" recommendations? We'll be staying at Catalina State Park and I'm looking for stuff to do. For sure the Sonora Desert Museum, Saguaro National Park and (if I can talk the wife into it) Pima Air Museum. We may also take a day to see Tombstone and Bisbee, and pass by the Huachuca Mountains where I did a lot of my military training.

 

[Martinjmpr]

Just noticed your wheels - looks like GMT-900 17" stockers.

 

[rayra]

well I went ahead and got that 500# basket. For when 140cu' of interior space is not enough. The fresh advisory about the San Andreas fault made me geek. Need somewhere to carry all my fuel jugs, when it comes time to run away from L.A. as hard and fast and far as we can.

/damned fault runs about 15mi from my home in Santa Clarita. Already lost my home in Northridge to that '94 quake.

 

[Burb One]

well I went ahead and got that 500# basket. For when 140cu' of interior space is not enough. The fresh advisory about the San Andreas fault made me geek. Need somewhere to carry all my fuel jugs, when it comes time to run away from L.A. as hard and fast and far as we can.

/damned fault runs about 15mi from my home in Santa Clarita. Already lost my home in Northridge to that '94 quake.

Rayra my Jerry can/ spare tire holder started its life as a HF 500lb carrier. It lives mostly in the up position (I've since reinforced it/ added jerry can holders) but it's a very good starting point in my opinion. With 4 jerry cans and a 33" spare tire, it started to bend, so i had to replace the center mass with 1/4" tubing, as well as some cross bars but, saying that they actually are pretty strong. I can get pictures if you want.

 

[Arizona Native]

Hey I'll be in your neck of the woods for Thanksgiving. Any "out of the way" recommendations? We'll be staying at Catalina State Park and I'm looking for stuff to do. For sure the Sonora Desert Museum, Saguaro National Park and (if I can talk the wife into it) Pima Air Museum. We may also take a day to see Tombstone and Bisbee, and pass by the Huachuca Mountains where I did a lot of my military training.

What is "out of the way"? lol. Agua Fria National Monument was nice .
I must confess, I've lived here for three decades, flown all over the state in a small plane, and still haven't been to a lot of places. I have barely explored the Tucson area, and have never been to Mount Lemmon. Tragic, I know, but that's why I'm here, gearing up to go exploring!

On another note, I have stayed at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort (great food), and have been to Pima Air Museum with a tour of the "boneyard". Awesome places! From what I can remember, when I was young my parents took me to the Queen Mine Tour, and that was pretty cool.

And yeah the wheels, I bought the Suburban with them on. I figure they are from a truck or newer sub. I was going to get new wheels when I got tires but it was too much hassle and money. They have grown on me, especially now that I'm not worried if they get dinged up -which they have.

 

[Arizona Native]

well I went ahead and got that 500# basket. For when 140cu' of interior space is not enough. The fresh advisory about the San Andreas fault made me geek. Need somewhere to carry all my fuel jugs, when it comes time to run away from L.A. as hard and fast and far as we can.

/damned fault runs about 15mi from my home in Santa Clarita. Already lost my home in Northridge to that '94 quake.

Funny (but not funny) how things like that make you think and prepare. I'm not a "prepper" but definitely more 'prepared' then the average person . Just saw in the news that they are predicting a 7.0 maybe.

 

[Arizona Native]

Well I finally did it, I got new shocks. I was going for the 5160s, but I as I sat looking at them in my online cart, I realized I could get all four 5100s for a little less than the price of two 5160s. I couldn't do it, I just got 5100s. From everywhere I read though, they will do fine:
Rear

Front


Another car port installation success! Ride is defiantly better/softer them OEM. I don't know if the old ones wore out by turning into bricks or what, but I could not compress them at all by hand. The 5100s were fairly easy to compress, so I'm excited about not riding in a brick.

And, of course, the passenger rear still sags by 1 inch! I don't know if something is bent with the axle or what, but I'll still be getting the coil bags soon, that's a good temp fix I think.

Now looking into Cognito UCA since the new front shocks allows the UCA to hit bump stop.

 

[rayra]

It's weird that it's the passenger side, most here seem to lean the other way. All the weight's on the driver side. I mentioned the idea of swapping the rear coils side for side when doing my lift, but failed to do so, but I'm doing it again and will likely swap them then.


just put up a topic in teh Storage section, messing with the new rack
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/163927-500-lb-capacity-hitch-rack-from-Harbor-Freight

 

[slopmad]

Hi there! Congrats on your build. I'll be following you along the way - I, too, live in the Phoenix area (Gilbert, specifically) and I've been stalking these forums, and many like it, for some time. I'm highly interested in a 4x4 Suburban and I'm curious, how have you done navigating some of the narrow mountain-side roads?

By the way, there's a fun day trip that brings you through Payson, down the mountains into Young, and drops you off by Globe. Google Young Highway, there's an article on Arizona Highways (.com) that gives you a great write-up.

 

[Arizona Native]

Hi there! Congrats on your build. I'll be following you along the way - I, too, live in the Phoenix area (Gilbert, specifically) and I've been stalking these forums, and many like it, for some time. I'm highly interested in a 4x4 Suburban and I'm curious, how have you done navigating some of the narrow mountain-side roads?

By the way, there's a fun day trip that brings you through Payson, down the mountains into Young, and drops you off by Globe. Google Young Highway, there's an article on Arizona Highways (.com) that gives you a great write-up.

I assume you mean the ability of the suburban to go on the back roads? Honestly at this point I've been on some pretty rough "roads" ( more like atv trails ), and its always been good. I just air down and go slow -try not to be in a rush.

I think the suburban capabilities go past my own confidence level at the moment. I look down the road and start clenching, then the suburban just goes right over it, like 'what the heck are you scared for? GIVE ME MORE.'

Yes my Suburban speaks to me, its very special .

We did the young highway down haigler creek in our Dodge grand caravan. We promptly sold it and bought the suburban afterwards.

 

[Martinjmpr]

As far as the truck sagging to the right, is that with a full or empty tank? I wonder if it's not so much that the truck 'sags' to the right but maybe it's designed to sit a little higher on the left because the driver and the fuel tank are both on the left side?

 

[Arizona Native]

As far as the truck sagging to the right, is that with a full or empty tank? I wonder if it's not so much that the truck 'sags' to the right but maybe it's designed to sit a little higher on the left because the driver and the fuel tank are both on the left side?

It doesn't matter the load, it is always lower on the passenger side rear. When I replaced the rear coils, I did a bunch of measuring and nothing seems bent enough to register as an inch difference. I measured the coils themselves, checked the coil perches, axle to body, body mount distances, axle hinge point, and nothing is close to being an inch off. In fact, most everything seems perfect. The only big difference was in-between shock points, leading me to think the shock was bad and holding it down, or not pushing up as much as the drivers side.
Obviously, the axle is straight and level, because the tires keep it level.
Like I said, drives me nuts.

 

[Arizona Native]