2003 Suburban 1500 Pop Top Conversion

[boll_rig]

Hadnt thought about cutting them down thats not a terrible idea Rayra, will look into it if I decide I want to mess with more custom stuff ha. That Aries guard is pretty much just supported by the three bolts on each side, thats it.

And ya wow thats pretty crazy, almost three whole years on this thing, did not realize that :smiley_drive:

 

[DavidS]

David I swear one day I will get to it considering how much video I shoot, just haven't taken any of the pop top in action. Maybe Ill make a little edit next trip. Glad you enjoyed the build.

Thanks man! I’ll keep an eye out

 

[Factoid]

I love this build and how you did it your way, learning and adapting as you went. Most of us will never know how many redos and rethinks you made along the way. And I love this not because it is a Suburban, but because you did it yourself through your own vision. I'm in the same boat in that I have a LR 101 FC that has been heavily modified by the PO and I plan on putting a pop top on it. I've contacted CCV many times via email and phone with not a single response, so I'm left designing and building myself (which I'm looking forward to) and trying to source the enclosure material some where else. Anyway, great job and thanks for sharing your experience!

 

[Pengyou]

Thanks for your hard work and effort in documenting this! I have been trying to decide whether to buy a pickup with camper shell, van or suburban. Now that I see a pop top can be added to a burb I think I will shoot for a burb.

In the beginning, did you ever consider using styrofoam only as the moulding agent? First gluing pieces together so that you have one big enough...then conforming the foam to the top of the burb....then using a heated piano wire to trip the top, dig out grooves for supports, etc? Then adding fiberglass or metal supports to that, and glassing over it?

 

[rayra]

That's a good idea and might be easier than working with wood. Too, think of the whole thing as building an upside-down boat on the roof. THere are LOTS of fiberglass boat building vids out there and most of the techniques are highly relevant.

/and now I'm wondering how well a flat-bottomed aluminum swamp boat would work as a latched-on pop top and REMAIN usable as a boat...

 

[boll_rig]

Rayra I think you're onto something with that one.

Pengyou, there are so many ways to go about doing this and I can say a lot of them would be easier than the route I chose. I think that could work well, it all depends on your own personal skillset and what youre best at, mine happened to be wood, so wood it was.. followed by fiberglass.

Factoid I wonder if there is a way I could find out the lady that CCV outsources there tent sewing to.. She'd be the one to contact, they might be able to give you her info.

 

[boll_rig]

So I just put some brand new Duratracs on. Went up a size to the 285/75/16s. However, I took a run up to the continental divide above Boulder near Rollins Pass and had quite a bit of rub on the way up so I cut out some of the fender walls on the trail but noticed my rear shock mounting bolts stuck out about .5 inches passed the nut. Anyone have any issues with your tires rubbing on these with articulation? Was definitely hitting it. Ordered some 2 in rear spacers for my coils to replace the 1 inch I have in there now.

Ill get some photos up in a bit but wanted to throw that out there. May cut off the bolt end if I need to.

 

[rayra]

IIRC there is room in both rear top mounts to reverse the bolt. Put the head end facing the tire. It's a cramped U-shaped space on the inner side of the top mount, but it's doable.

You'd have to REALLY be stuffing your wheel up into the tub to have a contact issue, especially with the front-rear offset of the top mounts of the rear shocks. And even then I think the tire would be contacting the upper metal tub before the shock bolt would be a concern. And that presumes you're disconnecting your rear sway bar beforehand, too(?)
IF you cut that plastic inter tub extension out, you'd better at least flip the bolt.

 

[boll_rig]

First heres how the new tires look. Think they are the right size for the vehicle..

En route on Rollins Pass Road having the girlfriend drive

and here is the photos of the bolt and nut:

looked like the bolt was hitting right around the top of the outside wall tread pattern.

Here is the area I cut out on the trail. Was seriously rubbing and pulling it up.

And the marks from the old tires on the fender walls when I was really flexing.. about 3 weeks ago.

I think switching the nut to the other side might be the way to go Rayra. And this was all with my sway bar connected. Still moves way up there. Anyone else have an issue with this?

 

[rayra]

Have to see if anyone with 285s is running spacers too, if that's workable, because that bolt sure seems to be hitting the tire right below the tread lugs. I'd flip them before your next time off the pavement, for starters.

I wonder if anyone else with 285s and stock rims has noticed the bolt contacting the inner sidewalls. That's an ungood thing.

I just recently put 2" spacers on but still have stock sized tires. I'll take some front wheel turning clearance measurements and maybe you can calculate if spacers will work for you. Crazy Drei probably knows already. And I pointed out in his and my build that if you go with less than 2" spacers you'll have to cut down the factory wheel studs, they're too long for a narrower spacer. Might be better to go with positive(?) offset rims.

 

[boll_rig]

Oh I meant rear coil spacers to lift me and inch higher. Anyone on here with 285s and a two inch rear coil spacer? Anyone else getting any rub?

Very much a bad thing so I will most likely flip the shock bolt and see if that helps.