Stryder106
Explorer
Added my most important upgrade yet - should make my rig far more capable than it is. What do y'all think?
My 02 Avalanche NFE
- Thread starter Stryder106
- Start date
WOW, If he can make more of those trackbars, let me know, I would buy one tomorrow, as I have felt that about it as well. I believe a company makes tube style trailing arms, don't remember who they were, but they are around $250. I would also be interested if he fabs any.
Also very interested in this coilover rear setup and can't wait to see what you come up with!
Found the rear arms: Don't know if R&D time is worth it for your buddy, they seem to be rightly priced considering.
http://www.spohn.net/shop/2000-2006...Tahoe-Yukon-Avalanche-Escalade-Hummer-H2.html
http://www.spohn.net/shop/2000-2006...Tahoe-Yukon-Avalanche-Escalade-Hummer-H2.html
Martinjmpr
Wiffleball Batter
Expo sticker adds 15 HP and at least 4" of ground clearance. :elkgrin:
Jelorian
Adventurer
You're gonna be unstoppable now.
Stryder106
Explorer
Ooooo - wonder if it might just be worth buying those trailing arms. Sent my buddy the link to get his thoughts. I'll post up his opinion, but they look pretty stout to me.
Stryder106
Explorer
Update Time.
Added the front steering stabilizer. Custom built shock and used the Rancho Suspension Bracket kit RS5545. Note - this kit is for a 6" lift so we cut the lower portion of the bracket off (otherwise it would hang down as I am not running a lift). You can also use the Rancho stabilizer RS7402 along with the bracket kit.
Given the sway bar is in front of the steering link, this is mounted toward the bottom rather than the front as in most applications. Given my skid plate and bumper tubes welded to the frame - you cannot see the stabilizer unless you crawl under my rig and look behind the skid plate.
Also - as mentioned in a prior post, the factory rear track bar is a thin stamped piece of steel and we were discussing my buddy seeing more than one of these snapped in two. So, fabbed up a custom tubular track bar that is seriously stout - including the 1.25" end and grease fitting on the other end. The factory bar was straight and tight to the diff cover. I had him put a bend in the new one to make servicing the rear diff easier and allow for a beefier diff cover (soon).
This is laying the wrong direction in the pic.
Hard to see it in this pic with the Parking Brake cable running across it.
So - that's it for the mods for a few weeks (well, except for the new front axle I have to get tomorrow as one of mine decided to get a hole in the boot and start slinging grease everywhere) as the Mojave Road trip is upon me. So, I get to find out how all of these mods work on my first multi-day overlanding adventure.
Next mods coming: Rear trailing arms, rear control arms, rear coil overs - but not until after the Mojave Road.
Added the front steering stabilizer. Custom built shock and used the Rancho Suspension Bracket kit RS5545. Note - this kit is for a 6" lift so we cut the lower portion of the bracket off (otherwise it would hang down as I am not running a lift). You can also use the Rancho stabilizer RS7402 along with the bracket kit.
Given the sway bar is in front of the steering link, this is mounted toward the bottom rather than the front as in most applications. Given my skid plate and bumper tubes welded to the frame - you cannot see the stabilizer unless you crawl under my rig and look behind the skid plate.
Also - as mentioned in a prior post, the factory rear track bar is a thin stamped piece of steel and we were discussing my buddy seeing more than one of these snapped in two. So, fabbed up a custom tubular track bar that is seriously stout - including the 1.25" end and grease fitting on the other end. The factory bar was straight and tight to the diff cover. I had him put a bend in the new one to make servicing the rear diff easier and allow for a beefier diff cover (soon).
This is laying the wrong direction in the pic.
Hard to see it in this pic with the Parking Brake cable running across it.
So - that's it for the mods for a few weeks (well, except for the new front axle I have to get tomorrow as one of mine decided to get a hole in the boot and start slinging grease everywhere) as the Mojave Road trip is upon me. So, I get to find out how all of these mods work on my first multi-day overlanding adventure.
Next mods coming: Rear trailing arms, rear control arms, rear coil overs - but not until after the Mojave Road.
Attachments
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Stryder106
Explorer
I finally pulled the trigger and ordered both the rear upper and rear lower control arms. I spoke with the company and they said there's are at least 10x stronger than the factory arms - and they are adjustable. Ironically, when I was talking to my buddy about fabbing some - he sent me the same link and said these look awesome and that he couldn't make them for that price - so buy em. I did. I just pinged him again on the track bar - he was supposed to be looking to see how much he could get a pivot for but then I never circled back with him once we got into the holidays. I'll let you know.
Stryder106
Explorer
Sent you a PM with the chopped up version of the trip report. Apparently, PM has a 5K character limit - the original I tried to send you was 10K. Had to cut out all the cool adjectives to make it fit.
I actually ended up buying the boxed (not adjustable) uppers, their adjustable lowers, and their track bar. I am very ,very happy so far. Much less slop in the rear end, especially at high speeds. I really think my stock trackbar was flopping around. For the 400-500 bucks definitely a good improvement! I hope you like them and let us know how you like them when they come!
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rayra
Expedition Leader
Like to read that trip report as well, did you get good value for you rmoney and was there any part of that trail you feel couldn't have been done before oyour upgrades? I'd like to drive it, but don't have the money / will to make all those upgrades.
And those lower control arms certainly do seem like a good deal. I found out how fragile the factory arms are when my nephew was 'helping' me and placed my floor jack under one. I noticed it deflecting as soon as he got the jack snugged up and stopped him before he bent it permanently. Wouldn't want to drag one over a rock.
And those lower control arms certainly do seem like a good deal. I found out how fragile the factory arms are when my nephew was 'helping' me and placed my floor jack under one. I noticed it deflecting as soon as he got the jack snugged up and stopped him before he bent it permanently. Wouldn't want to drag one over a rock.
Jelorian
Adventurer
Stryder106
Explorer
I'll type up the trip report soon - just been crazy busy. I hadn't even been on Expo really since we got back - at Thanksgiving.
I could have done everything except the Mojave River crossing. I'll post the pic.. I MIGHT have been OK - but I would have for sure backed away from doing it without my snorkel and the 35"s. I had come into that a few years ago when I first started offroading my rig. Went to do Afton Canyon with my friend - and I backed away from it then and didn't do it (didn't know it was part of Mojave Road at the time) - and the water was only half as high as it was this time. Here's the pic.
When you first enter the river - there is a drop - so the water actually came up OVER my hood. Didn't expect that, so I instantly hit the throttle to raise the nose of the truck up. 4Lo 2nd to keep RPMs up.
As for the value question on the mods - YES - I'm REALLY happy with the performance of my Av on the trip. There was only one thing I did back away from - and that was the drop into the wash to Rock Spring. It was steep and moguled and the bottom exit looked really narrow. If I had a coil over front end I would have done it. With my torsion bars, being remote, and the fact there is an easy bypass that takes you to the same place - I skipped to avoid potentially breaking something. The General Grabber x3s - ROCK. They gripped in everything - dirt, deep sand, lose soil, hard pack, rock, mud - all of it. I did the road at 30 psi and dropped to 25 psi for the last day of deep sand just in case. Probably didn't need to at all.
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