Beerdy's 2001 Suburban for a family of 6

[Beerdy]

I recently moved to the Midwest from the east coast, and we're going to use this as an excuse to explore this part of the country. We've already gone out to South Dakota (absolutely amazing state!), and we're going to start exploring CO and UT later this month. Unfortunately the Suburban won't be ready for that trip.

The vehicle:
2001 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 4x4
Miles: 116xxx
Engine: 5.3



It's been sitting a while, so it is need of some work (detailed below).

The inside is in great shape. I haven't seen a truck this old with leather seats in this good of condition. Too bad they'll eventually have to go!!





Of course you HAVE to have barn doors.



Being from IA there is a bit of rust, but nothing too bad. Underneath looks good, but below the doors needs to be replaced.

 

[Beerdy]

Plans:
Stage 1 (Now to November)
Fix the issues
I got this Suburban for a song and a dance, but it isn't without its issues. I had to replace the belts, output shaft seal, tail shaft seal, replace the steering gear, flush the PS fluid, and replace the wheel bearing. There was a misfire and CEL, so I replaced the spark plugs and wires, and put some fresh fuel with an injection cleaner to see if that will clear that up.
The shocks are also in need of replacement, as are the tires. This is a perfect excuse to lift it. Unfortunately, the 2001 Suburban 1500 doesn't have the biggest aftermarket for lifts. It seems that my options are torsion bars w/ new shocks, or a 6" lift. There are a few places that make lift kits, but I've narrowed it down to either Rough Country's 6" lift kit or Zone's 6" lift kit.
I'd love some opinions on either the torsion bar adjustment or the 6" lifts.

I'm pretty sure I'll be running Cooper Discovery STT Pro or ST Maxx tires, but I have a bit of time to research before I pull that trigger.

Stage 2
I would love to do a ton of cool stuff to this beast, but in reality I know that this will be a slower build. Stage two will likely consist of bumpers and a custom tire carrier. I really need this to get done before we go too far so we can have a spare tire in case something happens. I did see a few designs by one of our very own (I believe his name is Colorado Ron, but I don't think he's too active here anymore).

Here is the front bumper he made, and it looks to be incredibly sturdy.



And here is his rear bumper.



I've never welded before, but it's something that I've always wanted to try. This project might be a bit too much for me to start on, but perhaps some rock sliders is a better option.

XO-Fab makes DIY rock slider kits, and they'll do custom lengths. I think this is probably the best option for me to get some protection on the Suburban.

80

shop-xo-fab-com.3dcartstores.com

 

[Romberger]

Looks like a fun build. I thought about a suburban before building my latest Jeep. I don’t have 6 people so the build would have been closer to what suboverland does.

I think sliders are a pretty good way to start testing your fab skills. If they hold up, you’ll feel confident building things that hang/move/hold stuff. If they break, I’d assume that would happen coming down on a rock and not driving down the highway.

One last thought, a 6inch lift seems pretty high to me. You may want to see what other suburban owners are doing. I’m sure a 6inch lift comes with bigger tires and I don’t know the limits of your half ton.

 

[Beerdy]

One last thought, a 6inch lift seems pretty high to me. You may want to see what other suburban owners are doing. I’m sure a 6inch lift comes with bigger tires and I don’t know the limits of your half ton.

That's another great point. I'm not sure I want to put the stress of 35s on the rear end. I think 33s should be sufficient, and I can get that with a level kit.

 

[zachammer85]

I recall seeing a coil over conversion from a company for this generation of Chevy trucks. It should work for this as well. It takes some welding and cutting but it beats the handling of those torsion bars by a long shot.


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[Beerdy]

Atomic Fab and Performance makes a coil over conversion. Would that get me to 32-33" tires?

I'm sure the ride will be a ton better.

99-06 Torsion Bar to Coilover Kit - Atomic Fabrication

This is a package that will include everything you need to do the coilover swap on GMT800 99-06 torsion bar equipped 1500 GM truck wanting from 5in of drop to 7in of lift. More details below.

atomicfabandperformance.com

 

[02TahoeMD]

2 inch coil spacers and F150 keys cranked on the front torsion bars will get you enough space to fit a 33" tire. I am running the Cooper Discoverer AT3 in 305/70/17 and they are almost exactly 33" in size. They do fit with a bit of rubbing on the front wheel wells at maximum steering lock. No need to go for a big lift these will get you many places with just sensible driving. Atomic Fab makes a great kit but you may wish to wait to get it until you have your bumper installed since the weight would need to be compensated for with the coils.

 

[zachammer85]

Another good one that's a bit more expensive is from JD Fab. It's more off-road oriented and doesn't include coil overs but some users recommend a 35" tire at minimum to get the most out of it. I'd say you can safely fit 33" with whatever you do.


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[tbisaacs]

I ran 33s on my Z71 with no lift and no cranking. It’s an easy fit.


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[Beerdy]

Thanks to some folks on this site, I just dropped the money on a coilover kit.

American Express loves me this month...

 

[zachammer85]

Nice. Looking forward to seeing that


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[Beerdy]

Can't believe I didn't update this thread, sorry guys. Here are the pictures of the lift, plus 285/70R/17 Falken Wildpeaks. Rides great, but it does rub when turning at slow speeds.