Project MULE - Expedition build on a 1991 1500 4x4 Suburban

PMA4x4

PMA4x4

Adventurer
Just got back Monday night from a 4 day trip just north of Flagstaff. We went along with another forum I am with on their annual event. It was held near the Cinders OHV Park in Flagstaff, AZ.

Below are some shots from that event. This was probably the first time I had to really use 4wd and 4Lo. The LSD in the rear did great in the loose cinders we even got some strange looks from the ATVers thinking ****** is a Suburban doing up here! I am thoroughly satisfied with the performance of the Mule so far

We also got the Expedition XL bumper back from powder coating. It turned out beautiful

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The Bumper with the Bull bar option

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PMA4x4

PMA4x4

Adventurer
Is your gas mileage suffering? So was(is?) mine. This is a way overlooked fix and I suggest anyone to check it out if you have a high mileage vehicle with emissions.

So pretty much since the first day I added the 33s and so on I have averaged around 11.5 to 12.5 MPG. I was satisfied with these numbers. Lately I had been getting a old gas smell and could not figure it out at first. no leaks or nothing. It was not until I started working on the dual battery setup that I realized it was the charcoal canister. Before doing anything I researched it and found that aside from causing bad emission it can cause bad gas mileage. I talked with some other people and they concurred that mileage could suffer. I went down to the local O'reilly and picked up a BWD charcoal canister. I installed it and went my marry way. We drove up to an event 200 miles away which usually eats almost a 1/2 tank. this time it only used a 1/4 I didn't think much of it.

We had our fun and 4 days later we filled up before we left. We took the scenic route which was more stop n go and just as many hills and passes as the highway. We got back I topped it off to check mileage and I had to check it 3 more times.

15.1mpg!

Ok, this is with a fully loaded front bumper with winch and lights, a rear bumper a roof rack the size of Montana, accessories on the roof rack and a huge rubbermaid block shaped container for firewood. The interior was loaded for 4 days of remote camping, two dogs and two humans on the larger side of life. I now have that vacuum sucking sound when I open my gas cap, never ever had that before. that means the purge valve in the canister is working.

I will be doing two more trips to see if this is consistent. But math dont lie and this was mileage from the GPS not the speedo.
 
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PMA4x4

PMA4x4

Adventurer
More work on the sliders today. I have them fully welded up. I had the tubes bent to far apart so they go right to the end. I was planning to taper the ends for better angles so now I will add on a 2" piece at each end that has the taper.

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I ended up with some spatter because I had the tip at such a sharp angle against the surface. I am still trying to get better at welding tube and round edges.

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chilliwak

chilliwak

Expedition Leader
WoW:Wow1: those sliders look incredibly sweet and STRONG! Make sure you post pics of your install! Cheers, Chilli...:)
 
chilliwak

chilliwak

Expedition Leader
Well actualy no, but I still would like to see how your sliders are connected to the bodywork, if they are....:)
 
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