New older vehicle for the lady. Suv hunt

[oscar the grouch]

I opted for a 5.3 so I have the selectable tcase. It's a 2003.

Yesterday I put normal Springs in the rear and a pair of Monroe airmax shocks. Rides alot better now.

I had a Silverado 10 years ago with the 4.8 in it and it was a great truck. One of the reasons I looked for a gen3 vortec in a gmt800 chassis. I had a gmt900 in Saudi Arabia for a year and that thing was a piece of crap

 

[jonnyquest]

I'm hoping you do a build thread. Sounds like you'll come up with something really solid.

 

[calicamper]

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Should be easy to find a GMT-800 Hoe or Yuke in your sub-$5k price range as long as you're OK with higher miles (150k+). Just FYI I have heard some say the front diff and/or CV joints in Denali Yukes can go out early due to the AWD system. Non-Denali Yukes have the same drivetrain as the Tahoe, 5.3/4L60/regular 4wd with low range.
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If you don't mind going a generation earlier, you could possibly find a low-mile GMT-400 Yuke or Tahoe, too.

I'll say Suburban or Yukon also. We sold grandpas 03 with 90k two yrs ago for $9000. I dont think it ever exceeded the speed limit or had people in the back seat more than 5 times. His 87 is still running at 380,000 but a rusted out mess in Indiana. Miles dont seem to matter much but condition does. Get a CA soccer mom Burb for pennies per lb and no rust.

 

[justcuz]

Only crappie part about this one. Zw7 suspension. I ordered the parts to turn it to a normal suspension for 1/4 of what it takes to replace the self leveling shocks

Good deal, if the suspension is close to stock, 265/75 tires look just right in the fender wells.

 

[oscar the grouch]

I'm hoping you do a build thread. Sounds like you'll come up with something really solid.

I don't think this is gonna get built much. My Jeep is still the adventure machine for now

 

[Martinjmpr]

Since yours is an '03 one mod you might want to consider is a brake upgrade. All GMT-800's got hydroboost brakes in 2004, my understanding is that the upgrade is relatively simple. There's probably a writeup or Youtube video of it on the intertubes somewhere.
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I can't remember if '03 models have the Stepper Motor issue but my '04 sure did. The PRND321 display was nearly unreadable when I got it and after a few months the speedo just went haywire. I had the cluster rebuilt by Circuit Board Medics and they even added a transmission temp gauge, which is nice to have since we pull a trailer. I also upgraded to green LEDs for a more comfortable looking display.
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[Martinjmpr]

Oh, yeah, forgot to add: More fresh meat for the ExPo GMT-800 crew. Pretty soon we'll own this joint! :wings:

 

[oscar the grouch]

After moving home to Montana I've decided I need a brush Guard or something similar to save me from deer. It's bad out here.

Any suggestions

 

[Somecallmetimm]

My DD is an 05 z71 Tahoe, and i love it. I think you made a good choice. Solid and dependable drive train with easy to find parts. We have a couple GMT800's in our work fleet that are well over 250k, and have had minimal problems with both. The newer trucks, however, have been a pain.

 

[Martinjmpr]

After moving home to Montana I've decided I need a brush Guard or something similar to save me from deer. It's bad out here.

Any suggestions

I can't think of any "brush guard" that would save you from deer. On another forum I was on people referred to brush guards as "damage multipliers."

Short of a Mad Max style front bumper there's really nothing that's going to help you if you hit a deer at speed. I'd recommend slowing down, avoiding driving at dusk if possible and keeping a sharp eye on both sides of the road.