2002 Tahoe "Expedition" build

[xx.xii]

yea i had just finished looking at their site, they have it listed for 560 with the tire carrier, not too bad for what it allows, i guess i will order one and fab up what ever ill need to to fit my gas can carrier on it instead. my debate right now is this bumber carrier combo or a vivair on board air, prolly both around the same price range, i already have the aluminum air tanks, so the air comp system should be cheaper...anywayz, i guess the air will come first, and then the bumper carrier. lol hopefully its not on back order, everything seems to be on back order online and in stores when it comes to recreational items....camping gear,mre's, guns and ammo, lift kits, etc. oh well,

 

[Desert Dan]

Nice Rig
I wish GM still offered 5-speed sticks in the full size rigs

 

[sdwhip]

Thanks 20 12. The bumper was ordered directly from Kennesaw Mountain Accessories, I submitted a design that modified their basic Tahoe version just in that it had the two different carriers on it. KLMore has done a splendid job of cleaning up the fitment of the KMA bumper on his project, the only fitment that I did for mine was to drill the holes to mount it up. That was my biggest complaint about the bumper, since I went through 4 drill bits drilling out the mounting holes. It is beyond me why they dont cut the holes when KMA builds them....but when they are pretty much the only company out their making that stuff, guess they can do whatever they so choose.

James, I have not heard of a locker option for the Tahoe....dunno if they ever offered one. Lockers have been discussed over on the z71 forum I frequent and nobody ever mentioned one being a factory option. I think I will stick with getting the ARB locker, I do the vast majority of my own mechanical work on the truck and have a friend with an auto shop that I can go to for help so it shouldn't cost me a few body parts for the install.

Yes GM offered the G80 locker in Z71s and the gm trucks with the tow package. I had it in my 04 Z71 and it worked really well but if you don't mind spending the money for the ARB, go for it. It's alway nice having new equipment installed instead of picking up older stuff that you don't usually know that much about.

 

[Spur]

02TahoeMD:

Thanks so much for documenting your build. I own a 2004 Z71 Tahoe. I'm in the planning stages for a new build. I originally thought I would buy an FZJ-80, which I still might do. The ready availability for aftermarket parts is a big plus for the Toyota. Still, I'd like to figure out if the Tahoe can do what I want it to do. I bought it new and it still runs great.

The problem I'm trying to solve is the suspension. There is nothing comparable to an OME HD suspension made for a Tahoe. I want to increase my payload rating. The factory spec is 1600 pounds. If I put on a RTT and fill it up with with gear, I think I could get close to the limit. That worries me. I could bag it, but my understanding is that if I bag it, I can't install a lift. It's either/or. A few inches of lift would be nice, but the payload capacity is more important? Ideally, I would like both.

Any thoughts? Thanks.

 

[JamesDowning]

A few inches of lift would be nice, but the payload capacity is more important? Ideally, I would like both.

I'm assuming you guys have coil springs in the rear too. You may want to look into Airlift 1000 load assistance bags. They make them for a variety of coil springs on the market. If you still find that you need more lift, you can add a coil spring spacer above or below your spring to add pure lift that doesn't stiffen the ride. Cheers.

 

[DiploStrat]

Chevrolet Thoughts/Comments

The current Chevrolet Pickup/Burban/Tahoe have a lot of lineage from the Isuzu Trooper, especially in the front IFS.

The biggest issues I have with these beasts (and I run two of them) is that:

-- Factory tires/wheel wells/gear ratios are too small/long. A truck this large wants 35"+ for nasty stuff. Rancho and others make suspension kits of a thousand types - you should be able to find what you want. (Don't be in a hurry to increase the rear spring rate unless you are absolutely sure that you have really increased the load - soft is good off road.)

-- Front IFS has very little free travel. I know that they claim that the bumpers are magic rubber, designed in, etc., but I like free travel, especially off road on washboard.

-- Beasts are built much lighter than in the '60's/'70's - transfer cases, axles, etc. This improves the on road fuel mileage, but may not be what the doctor ordered off road. That is speculation, not experience. We keep the Chevrolets in town as there is no service for thousands of miles and the models we were shipped were the least well equipped for rough roads. ;-( This would not be an issue for use anywhere in the US.

As far as I know, all Z71's come with the Eaton auto locking rear diff. This unit has been around since th '70's. (Had one on my '77 Blazer.) Works as advertised. (Go to the Eaton site for videos.) Below about 30 KPH it will lock up when it detects slippage. Has clutches to make this smoother. Manual lockers are the rage right now, but there is no reason to replace the Eaton if you have it. (You can decode it from the VIN.) If, on the other hand, YOU are playing and you want hard core, a manual locking diff might be simpler.

Suffice it to say that I am a die hard Chevrolet freaque and your truck makes me :drool:

Bonne route!

 

[02TahoeMD]

02TahoeMD:

Thanks so much for documenting your build. I own a 2004 Z71 Tahoe......
The problem I'm trying to solve is the suspension. There is nothing comparable to an OME HD suspension made for a Tahoe. I want to increase my payload rating. The factory spec is 1600 pounds. If I put on a RTT and fill it up with with gear, I think I could get close to the limit. That worries me. I could bag it, but my understanding is that if I bag it, I can't install a lift. It's either/or. A few inches of lift would be nice, but the payload capacity is more important? Ideally, I would like both.

Any thoughts? Thanks.

I'm assuming you guys have coil springs in the rear too. You may want to look into Airlift 1000 load assistance bags. They make them for a variety of coil springs on the market. If you still find that you need more lift, you can add a coil spring spacer above or below your spring to add pure lift that doesn't stiffen the ride. Cheers.

Thanks for the compliment Spur. And yes, James, our rigs do use coil springs in the rear. I have added 2 inch spacers to the rear for a lift, and replaced the front torsion keys with F150 keys and cranked it up level. I also replaced my LT springs with Z71 springs (unsprung, the Z spring is about 1.5 inches taller than the LT spring) to get my current height of about 40 inches at the wheel well. (cant recall the exact measurements)

If you add coil spacers, so long as they are secured to the axle properly, adding helper bags should not be an issue. I think I may do the same for my rig, since it settled perhaps an inch with all my trip gear from my recent journey.

The current Chevrolet Pickup/Burban/Tahoe have a lot of lineage from the Isuzu Trooper, especially in the front IFS.

The biggest issues I have with these beasts (and I run two of them) is that:

-- Factory tires/wheel wells/gear ratios are too small/long. A truck this large wants 35"+ for nasty stuff. Rancho and others make suspension kits of a thousand types - you should be able to find what you want. (Don't be in a hurry to increase the rear spring rate unless you are absolutely sure that you have really increased the load - soft is good off road.)

-- Front IFS has very little free travel. I know that they claim that the bumpers are magic rubber, designed in, etc., but I like free travel, especially off road on washboard.

-- Beasts are built much lighter than in the '60's/'70's - transfer cases, axles, etc.....We keep the Chevrolets in town as there is no service for thousands of miles and the models we were shipped were the least well equipped for rough roads. ;-( This would not be an issue for use anywhere in the US.

Suffice it to say that I am a die hard Chevrolet freaque and your truck makes me :drool:
Bonne route!

Thanks for the compliment DilpoStrat, and for your observations. I am currently running a 33" tire and so far the truck has been fine for where I have taken it. I agree, the IFS front end has its limitations but for me to do a SAS on it would be very, very expensive. I think I will try to see how well things go for awhile with the IFS before looking further. I only have about 70K miles on it so I hope she lasts awhile. ON EDIT - forgot to mention, I got the truck tuned, twice, by Black Bear Performance. They rewrote the engine program to compensate for the snorkel and tires, adjusting the program to my driving style, and the rig runs great. They reprogram both the engine and transmission, and I am lucky enough to be a short drive from them so Justin, the owner, actually plugged in his computer and went riding around with me, setting parameters up. Perhaps the best mod I have had done for the truck, as far as "bang for your buck" goes....

As mentioned, I have already modded the suspension some and so far am pretty happy with it. My truck came to me as an LT model so I didnt have a locker as an option on it. Though replacing my rear with a GM locker equipped axle certainly is an option, I think I will just stick with getting the ARB locker next year some time. And that is just for extra insurance, I drove all 200 off road miles of my recent trip in 2WD and never once was in danger of getting stuck. For the most part, since I travel alone, I limit my risk exposure with the rig as much as is reasonable.

Any other questions, dont hesitate to ask!

 

[DiploStrat]

Essential Accessory: Dog!

No truck is complete without a dog!

(Forgot to ooh and aaah over the picture of your hound. Shepherds rool, others drool!)

Out of curiosity:

-- What have you done to the suspension?
-- What size tire are you running?
-- Body work to make it fit?
-- Impact on low end torque/fuel economy?

In a truck without a factory locker, I too would go for the manual lock, aftermarket, rather than fooling around with an axle swap; unless I got a know good axle for "free."

 

[02TahoeMD]

No truck is complete without a dog! (AGREED!)
Out of curiosity:

-- What have you done to the suspension?
-- What size tire are you running?
-- Body work to make it fit?
-- Impact on low end torque/fuel economy?

In a truck without a factory locker, I too would go for the manual lock, aftermarket, rather than fooling around with an axle swap; unless I got a know good axle for "free."

Love the old Blazer. Nothing like old iron...I learned to drive on a 73 Bronco, wish I still had it. Suspension mods consisted of 2" coil spacers, adding Z71 coils, F150 torsion keys and cranking up the torsion bars, Rancho RSX shocks, and the big tires. I did a writeup of the mod over on Z71 TS site, click here if you wanna read more. I only needed to trim out the front wheel wells to keep the tires from chattering at maximum lock, otherwise no mods needed to the body. And thanks to the BlackBear tune, my performance was not affected negatively by the new tires.

Yeah, I am not going to fool around with finding another axle, now I have the compressor it will be easier to just go ahead with the ARB locker.

 

[TangoBlue]

That is one well done, well thought out rig. Very inspiring build. Hope to see it in person one day and I'm a die-hard Toyota fan. If you do anything around here or want to show off some of Marylands back roads and want some company give me a holler.

 

[Echodawg]

Very nice build. You definitely gave me some ideas for what I want to do with my Yukon, hope you don't mind. Looking forward to seeing more and keep up all the good work!

 

[flyingyogi]

I am considering buying a Tahoe or a Landcruiser, both have cons and pros. My question is the reliability of the cv axle shaft in the front. It seems everything I read mentions that they are weak and the one company that used to make "burlier" after market once stopped making the shafts. Have you or anyone else had any issues on some rugged trails?

 

[02TahoeMD]

I am considering buying a Tahoe or a Landcruiser, both have cons and pros. My question is the reliability of the cv axle shaft in the front. It seems everything I read mentions that they are weak and the one company that used to make "burlier" after market once stopped making the shafts. Have you or anyone else had any issues on some rugged trails?

Hi Yogi. Welcome aboard. I have had no issues with my CV shafts. I do not recall many complaints (if any) on the other forum I frequent that is dedicated to Chevy trucks. But, I also have never driven the Rubicon nor do I have plans to do so. I think with sensible driving and regular maintenance any domestic truck can be as durable (or more) than any import.

That all said, if you like to do mods to your ride and are looking to put on new bumpers and other off road goodies, then the Land Cruiser is the way to go. There are just tons of aftermarket items available for Toyotas vs. Chevy trucks. It has been part of the "fun" for me, making things for the truck. But it sure would have been lots easier if I had been able to get stuff premade for my rig.

Happy shopping.

 

[JamesDowning]

I think that's a misconception Yogi. Every component has its place, and U-Joints don't really have much place in an IFS. A U joint shaft that would take place of a CV front halfshaft would require an added element, a plunge joint, which can add vibration due to its mass. In a CV halfshaft, the plunge motion is handled by the tripod joint. So a CV shaft doesn't actually have 2 CV joints, it has a CV joint at the wheel hub, but then a tripod joint at the diff connection.

U joints have vibrations when operated in excess of 15 degrees, where as a CV joint has an operating capacity of about 50 degrees. CV joints can actually have a higher torque capacity too. This, of course, is all based upon the size and specs of the components.

The CV joint's life is directly related to how well the owner maintains the CV boot. If the boot fails, the joint won't last long, however it will otherwise outlast most U joints. So if you have CV joints on your vehicle, make sure you check your CVs often for slung grease; often small holes in the boot cannot otherwise be immediately noticed.

 

[flyingyogi]

Thanks for the info. I am still looking for the vehicle. I like the fact that I can buy Chevy parts locally but I also like the aftermarket accessories for the Cruiser. Search continues, either way I will get one that I can take on expo's. If you guys have any input, feel free to share. I limited myself so far to 02-05 Tahoe or 92-97 Landcruiser/Lexus. I am leaning towards the Tahoe if nothing else for the 5.3 vortec engine.