chilliwak
Expedition Leader
You made me laugh with the statement that Chevy parts are cheap and your labour is free. That just cracked me up...
Best value Suburban as an all arounder
- Thread starter upcruiser
- Start date
You made me laugh with the statement that Chevy parts are cheap and your labour is free. That just cracked me up...
Hungry Tiger
New member
If you are going to be loaded up plus toeing something, definitely recommend 2500 running gear. Not so obvious difference is in the heft of the differential internals. Ask a mechanic who had seen them.
Just thought I would chime in here as a OBS suburban owner (99 k2500 suburban 454/4l80e/246 autotrac/4.10 gears)
I tow a 8-10K# trailer on a fairly regular basis(rock crawler), the small single piston calipers leave a lot to be desire in stopping power, however with the addition of a good trailer brake set up I have had no issues except the fuel mileage comes in at a staggering 10mpg loaded or unloaded.
on the upside it is quite roomie since it is my fiancé myself and our 2 dogs ( Rhodesian ridgeback 102#, pit bull 85#) with the third row out and second row folded down the 4 of us fit in there quite well( im 6'4" 200# she is 6' 150ish).
if your mechanically inclined a big block burban can be had for 1000-2500 I paid $1000 for mine put new tires, new fuel injectors(common problem with the 7.4l) and a fuel pump and she was road ready
I tow a 8-10K# trailer on a fairly regular basis(rock crawler), the small single piston calipers leave a lot to be desire in stopping power, however with the addition of a good trailer brake set up I have had no issues except the fuel mileage comes in at a staggering 10mpg loaded or unloaded.
on the upside it is quite roomie since it is my fiancé myself and our 2 dogs ( Rhodesian ridgeback 102#, pit bull 85#) with the third row out and second row folded down the 4 of us fit in there quite well( im 6'4" 200# she is 6' 150ish).
if your mechanically inclined a big block burban can be had for 1000-2500 I paid $1000 for mine put new tires, new fuel injectors(common problem with the 7.4l) and a fuel pump and she was road ready
upcruiser
Perpetual Transient
Thought I would give this thread a little update. So after basically hunting for the proper replacement rig for our family travel rig, and having another little one on the way… I finally found the right one. It was a long hunt. We went back and forth on a few different ideas, even considering half ton crew cab trucks, 100 Series Land Cruisers, but always came back to the Burb as the best answer. So, to revisit and also update our criteria in this process….
-Comfortable
-Space for a family of 4, a dog, and the ability to still sleep inside (behind the second row seats with an elevated sleep platform) or to haul mountain bikes inside behind the second for and out of the weather
-Reliably and safely tow our 23 foot camper both locally and on a two month trip around North America this spring/summer
-long term durability and reliability
-easy and inexpensive to source parts for
-something that we can hold on to 10-15 years
So half ton Suburbans are plentiful, but now that we are living back in the UP of Michigan, finding stuff anywhere in the midwest that isn't beat on and rusted is next to impossible. But finally my search turned up a 2004 3/4 ton Suburban that was from Texas, in southern MI that had never seen snow or salt. The guy bought it in Texas to tow a Corvette he purchased down there back, then used it one other time to tow home a vintage Jaguar from Tennessee. The guy is a consummate car enthusiast and was super particular searching for this truck and taking care of it, and essentially storing it in a heated garage since he bought it. The interior looks like new with the exception of a faded spot on the dash, but he got a custom dash cover for it. Body is perfect, it has a bumper brush guard that I usually find tacky and cheap but its actually really stout. Not sure whether I will take it off or not yet. It has a small dent in the center but I feel it could still save a radiator with an animal strike. More details, 135,000 miles, 6.0, 4.10's, towing package, G80, new non name brand 285's, the optional towing mirrors, front and rear heat/AC, leather interior, new weather tech floor mats
I think it is the needle in the haystack I was looking for. I bought it in southeastern MI, put our Outback on a car hauler and drove it 450 miles home. I know it sounds cliche, but you couldn't even tell it was back there. So, I will probably start a thread for it as I look for some suggestions from folks on some things I want to do as we move forward. Heres a few pics….
-Comfortable
-Space for a family of 4, a dog, and the ability to still sleep inside (behind the second row seats with an elevated sleep platform) or to haul mountain bikes inside behind the second for and out of the weather
-Reliably and safely tow our 23 foot camper both locally and on a two month trip around North America this spring/summer
-long term durability and reliability
-easy and inexpensive to source parts for
-something that we can hold on to 10-15 years
So half ton Suburbans are plentiful, but now that we are living back in the UP of Michigan, finding stuff anywhere in the midwest that isn't beat on and rusted is next to impossible. But finally my search turned up a 2004 3/4 ton Suburban that was from Texas, in southern MI that had never seen snow or salt. The guy bought it in Texas to tow a Corvette he purchased down there back, then used it one other time to tow home a vintage Jaguar from Tennessee. The guy is a consummate car enthusiast and was super particular searching for this truck and taking care of it, and essentially storing it in a heated garage since he bought it. The interior looks like new with the exception of a faded spot on the dash, but he got a custom dash cover for it. Body is perfect, it has a bumper brush guard that I usually find tacky and cheap but its actually really stout. Not sure whether I will take it off or not yet. It has a small dent in the center but I feel it could still save a radiator with an animal strike. More details, 135,000 miles, 6.0, 4.10's, towing package, G80, new non name brand 285's, the optional towing mirrors, front and rear heat/AC, leather interior, new weather tech floor mats
I think it is the needle in the haystack I was looking for. I bought it in southeastern MI, put our Outback on a car hauler and drove it 450 miles home. I know it sounds cliche, but you couldn't even tell it was back there. So, I will probably start a thread for it as I look for some suggestions from folks on some things I want to do as we move forward. Heres a few pics….
surlydiesel
Adventurer
Nice Truck!!!
rayra
Expedition Leader
A big giant hatch like the nose of a C-5A Galaxy. The glass in it opens seperately as well.
upcruiser
Perpetual Transient
Yep, it is! Thing is surprisingly stout for a bumper mounted brush guard.
Thanks for the encouragement folks, we are pretty stoked about this thing. Drives like a dream. Will likely be asking some advice from the full-size experts here. I think it will serve us well long term and every indication tells me it will hold up well. Front end is tight right now, but wondering if I should be looking into anything to beef it up more for 33's and moderate off road use. Mostly dirt roads, rough two tracks will be the extent of its use. We will use the Land Cruiser for tight, gnarly stuff and save the abuse on the burb.
southpaws3
Observer
when You do lift the truck get bigger tires REMEMBER TO RE-GEAR THE AXLES , and for and automatic transmission get a LARGE COOLER alot of people don't think that is necessary,BS remember that when your paying for a new tranny . I drive a large sub plus i tow when we travel/offroad. I've done as much to keep it alive as possible works for my growing family . best of adventures
justcuz
Explorer
285/75x16's generally measure 32.5 to 32.8. So you are close to 33" territory with stock suspension. You don't have to do much to raise the front end. Research on other sites has the installation of 1/2 torsion keys raising the front of 3/4 ton GM products. I do know on Avalanche, Tahoe and Suburban 1500 series vehicles the torsion bars are 2" shorter than pickups (42"-44") I believe. The 1/2 ton torsion keys re index the bars for a slight lift (1.5" to 2") for very reasonable cost. Just grab them from a wrecking yard. Truck, Avalanche, Suburban and Tahoe keys are all the same so no need to search out a specific vehicle, just find one with the least rusty undercarriage.
You got a nice vehicle, not much is needed to make a 3/4 ton the perfect vehicle for your use. I drill a 1/2" hole in the center of the rear spring plates, this allows them to drain and not pack up with mud and road crud. Easy to hit with the hose to prevent rust build up inside there. You have 4.10 gears and a towing package should have an external oil coolers for the trans and engine oil.
I spent 3 months in southern Michigan last summer with a road trip to Traverse Bay and down the west coast of the state. Lots of road kill, leave the grille guard on, is my opinion.
If I had my way, I would live in Northern Michigan during the summer and winter in northern Arizona. I absolutely love the greenery of the Midwest in the summer, but winter is too drab and dreary for me to have to suffer with it as a retiree.
You got a nice vehicle, not much is needed to make a 3/4 ton the perfect vehicle for your use. I drill a 1/2" hole in the center of the rear spring plates, this allows them to drain and not pack up with mud and road crud. Easy to hit with the hose to prevent rust build up inside there. You have 4.10 gears and a towing package should have an external oil coolers for the trans and engine oil.
I spent 3 months in southern Michigan last summer with a road trip to Traverse Bay and down the west coast of the state. Lots of road kill, leave the grille guard on, is my opinion.
If I had my way, I would live in Northern Michigan during the summer and winter in northern Arizona. I absolutely love the greenery of the Midwest in the summer, but winter is too drab and dreary for me to have to suffer with it as a retiree.
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Sock Puppet
Adventurer
He lists his new wagon as having 4.10s so he'll probably be OK.
OP, that is an EXCELLENT find!
TroopThrowback
Observer
Well, baby #5 made her arrival a month ago and the need to replace the family Odyssey (2007) is an urgent reality. We need more room! Even though we all physically fit, there is no room for a guest and we frequently use the rooftop basket for trips anywhere.
Seems like there are plenty of 2002-2006 1500 4x4 5.3l suburbans and Yukon xl out there to be had for relatively cheap. What exactly should I be looking for specifically as telltales of worn/failing transmissions and other common problems at over 100k? I'm I'm northern CA and Sacramento is the most metropolitan place to find one for me.
Not a heavy tower but will likely torsion bar lift a few inches to get to more remote camping spots. Odyssey is holding us down in that dept and I'm sick of picking favorites to go in my xj to those great spots.
Keep the Faith!
Throwbacks MC
https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=159697770713381
Seems like there are plenty of 2002-2006 1500 4x4 5.3l suburbans and Yukon xl out there to be had for relatively cheap. What exactly should I be looking for specifically as telltales of worn/failing transmissions and other common problems at over 100k? I'm I'm northern CA and Sacramento is the most metropolitan place to find one for me.
Not a heavy tower but will likely torsion bar lift a few inches to get to more remote camping spots. Odyssey is holding us down in that dept and I'm sick of picking favorites to go in my xj to those great spots.
Keep the Faith!
Throwbacks MC
https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=159697770713381