2001 Suburban K2500 - Summer Camping & Winter Commuting

[fl0w3n]

I've been looking for a 2500 Suburban to do a very similar build, great to see what you've done to yours!

I had a lot of the same parts on my Duramax front suspension/steering as you've done. I didn't see if you did it or not yet, but I'd stay away from Red Head. I put their box on my truck, and it was great at first, but began to leak from the output shaft about 1.5yr later (only 1 yr warranty...).


Off hand, do you happen to have dimensions of the rear area with all seats other than driver/passenger taken out? One reason I want the Suburban over a truck or Tahoe is to be able to sleep inside and keep gear, but I've never actually taken measurements to confirm that's a possibility. I'm 6'3" for reference.

Keep up the thread, looks great!

 

[snowblind]

I've been looking for a 2500 Suburban to do a very similar build, great to see what you've done to yours!

I had a lot of the same parts on my Duramax front suspension/steering as you've done. I didn't see if you did it or not yet, but I'd stay away from Red Head. I put their box on my truck, and it was great at first, but began to leak from the output shaft about 1.5yr later (only 1 yr warranty...).


Off hand, do you happen to have dimensions of the rear area with all seats other than driver/passenger taken out? One reason I want the Suburban over a truck or Tahoe is to be able to sleep inside and keep gear, but I've never actually taken measurements to confirm that's a possibility. I'm 6'3" for reference.

Keep up the thread, looks great!

Thanks Flow.

I never did replace the steering box. It barely leaks so I just power wash it every couple of months. Good info on the RedHead.

Suburban is 8 feet from the back of the front seats to the rear hatch. 4 feet wide out back and a little wider between the back doors. Should fit you fine.



Matt

 

[boss324]

Love that white Burb!

 

[snowblind]

Summer Wheels and Tires

285x70x17 GoodYear Wrangler Duratracs. 1.75" front lift.


Rear hub with 2" spacer


Rear brakes with 1 year old Napa reman calipers, stainless lines.


285x70x17 Michelin LTX MS2 compared to GoodYear Wrangler Duratracs




Front brakes with 1 month old Delco OE calipers (already rusting!)


Suspension at full droop. Stainless brake lines. Kryptonite Tie-Rods,Swaybar links and Upper Control Arms


285x70x17 Michelin LTX MS2. 1.75" front lift.


More to come.


Matt

 

[snowblind]

Picked up some 2007+ center caps.


Depo headlights.


Hella MicroDE Fog Lights.


Spyder LED Tail Lights



Sony Head Unit with Nav. 8" speakers in console


USB Charging, HDMI and AUX in. Bass Control and Aux Light switches in background.

 

[snowblind]

Love that white Burb!

Thanks Boss. :safari-rig:


Matt

 

[upcruiser]

The Duramax's are a good all around tire. Better than a normal AT in the greasy stuff, ride well on pavement, and are pretty good in the snow as they have great siping. My only complaint with them was they get a little noisy as they wear, but not as bad as s full MT. Truck is looking great! Cool to see all the little upgrades you have done. My truck is so plain but I still live it.

 

[snowblind]

The Duramax's are a good all around tire. Better than a normal AT in the greasy stuff, ride well on pavement, and are pretty good in the snow as they have great siping. My only complaint with them was they get a little noisy as they wear, but not as bad as s full MT. Truck is looking great! Cool to see all the little upgrades you have done.

I was happily surprised with the Duramax. I use them as snow tires and they worked really well. My only complaint is that they are noisy from 30-50mph. Above that speed they are pretty quiet.



The Michelins are another level of tire on the pavement though. They have so much less rolling resistance it's amazing. The truck actually feels quicker with just the tire swap. I took a 1-2 mpg hit when I mounted the Goodyears.



Matt

 

[01BURB]

Picked up some 2007+ center caps.
View attachment 399445

Depo headlights.
View attachment 399446

Hella MicroDE Fog Lights.
View attachment 399447

Spyder LED Tail Lights
View attachment 399448


Sony Head Unit with Nav. 8" speakers in console
View attachment 399449

USB Charging, HDMI and AUX in. Bass Control and Aux Light switches in background.
View attachment 399450

What kit did you use to do the Double DIn in the dash? Also, who made the console for you as I really like that with the 8" subs in the sides

Thanks

 

[snowblind]

What kit did you use to do the Double DIn in the dash? Also, who made the console for you as I really like that with the 8" subs in the sides

Thanks

The dash mount was all custom. No kit. A local shop here charges $300 to install a double din in the 1.5 din hole.

Center console with the 8" subs is also custom.


Matt

 

[snowblind]

Yosemite - A week in the Valley

Loaded up the wife and three boys and headed from UT to CA. The drive was uneventful. The big Burb gobbles up the miles. With the fridge, coolers, etc, etc, loaded in the back the ride smoothes out nicely.

We stayed in HouseKeeping Camp in the Yosemite Valley. Interesting variation on "camping". It was nice to have unlimited 110 power but weird to camp so close to soooooo many people.

Here are some pics from the park. Forgot to get any pics of the truck!













Matt

 

[snowblind]

My radiator started leaking from a crack in the end tank. Common problem it seems.

Radiator removal was straightforward except for one thing. The 2500 trucks have a thicker radiator than the 1500s and the airbox support blocks it during removal. Here are a couple of pics to show the bracket that must be loosened when removing froma 2500 truck.



It turned out that the replacement radiator I bought at Autozone was too thin for my truck. The end tanks were correct but the core was only 1.5" thick while the stock radiator looks to be 2.5" thick. No way that is going to keep me cool so I ordered a genuine replacement.

Since I couldn't do any more with the radiator I switched over to my new Hella HID MicroDE driving lights! These are replacements for the pair of the wide angle halogen MicroDE lights I installed in the upper grille. These are much brighter than the halogens and also have a "driving light" pattern that will throw light further down the road.



I was stoked to be able to mount the ballasts on the existing grille support. I had to use the bumper intake to access the lowest mounting screw



Matt

 

[chilliwak]

I hope your radiator repair went well Matt. You can get aftermarket aluminum radiators for a very good price from a distributor in the US. I think they are chinese made but I have run one in my old Chevy now for years without any problems. Keep up the good work and thanks for posting pics. Cheers, Chilli...

 

[snowblind]

I hope your radiator repair went well Matt. You can get aftermarket aluminum radiators for a very good price from a distributor in the US. I think they are chinese made but I have run one in my old Chevy now for years without any problems. Keep up the good work and thanks for posting pics. Cheers, Chilli...

Thanks Chilli. I spent the week screwing around with various thin core rads from Autozone and GM. Not exactly "happy" with the thin core radiator I found but I've been told that it will keep the truck cool. I'll post more photos after I get everything finished this weekend.

 

[snowblind]

Time to bring this old thread back from the dead!

Life keeps on changing and the Suburban is gonna keep on changing with it. In the beginning this rig was my daily commuter and occasional camper. Over the last few years that use has declined significantly with the Sub now being used solely for moving "big" stuff a few times per month. This reduced use has inspired me to build more of a dedicated "Overland" rig.

Build Goals:

• Proactive maintenance and repairs
• Improved off-road comfort and performance
• Improved off-road durability and safety
• Improved camping experience

With the above goals in mind I'm looking at moving to 35"x12.5" tires, 4:10ish gears, raylar cam and rockers, improved radiator fan shroud, improved transmission cooler with fan, improved steering gearbox and pump, new alternator, new front and rear bumpers, new rock-sliders, rear-mounted spare tire/fuel carrier, on-board air, traction new roof rack and platform, improved solar, improved camp lighting, improved camp tools, and whatever else comes up.

To get things started here is a shot of the old girl as she currently sits.



One of the "Proactive maintenance and repair" items is rust perforation at the leading edge of the rear fenders. That makes step one of the new build: Removal of the running boards.



Close inspection reveals rust perforation of the 1/4 panel and outer rocker but the inner rocker looks to be in decent shape.



Replacement inner and outer rockers and 1/4 panel patches.




More to come over the next few months.



Matt