2002 Tahoe Z71 Build

aero

Adventurer
Long time lurker, made a few posts here and there. I originally found the forum looking for a solution for cargo drawers and have been browsing and soaking up the knowledge ever since. I figured I should start one of these to document my build since I plan to start using the truck soon for lots of outdoor stuff.


In the planning stages of moving out of Florida... to move somewhere not so boring (ie. anywhere north of the Florida/Georgia border), my search began for a Tahoe because I wanted an SUV, and was more than pleased with the Silverado I had. If the Silverado would've been 4wd I would have kept it, but... it was not.

Ive had quite a few different vehicles, OK a lot of vehicles, but I am a big DIY'er and love modifying them.

My first 4wd experience, 98? Cherokee that hit a pole at 40mph per the previous owner:
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6" Long arm lift on 35's. Never drove it, just rebuilt, then transferred some of the parts to the new white one (xfer case and SYE). 4runner was also only 2WD or I would've lifted that.
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I bought the white one mostly modded with a crappy transfer case. It had a 2-3" lift on 31's. It would go through a LOT and keep going.

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I'll end up with another Cherokee, but a decent one was in the same price range as the Tahoe, so I figured I'd give it a try.




Back to the Tahoe:
I purchased the Tahoe from North Carolina and flew up to get it. It was in somewhat rough shape even though the seller said his "master ASE tech" dad maintained it. The seller was also a politicians do-boy so I should've taken more of what he said with a lot more than just one grain of salt. But overall the truck was in decent shape other than the apparent lack of maintenance. The truck was a Florida truck other than the few years in NC, so no rust to deal with.

This is what she looked like under the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville...
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I had to take her across the Tail of the Dragon (even though it was not as spirited as I had a few months earlier with my old S2000).
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Once home, I started to catch up on the lack of maintenance. That "tiny drip" of oil from the oil pan was actually a completely doused and gunked up, this is what the valve cover looked like before and after.
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The transfer case was in a very similar condition, and I also noticed that the seals were leaking and the incorrect fluid (which looked new thankfully) was in there. So I removed it to clean it up, reconnect the vent line that was missing and rebuild what needed attention.

Not bad for 200k (Lower cladding that was faded grey was repainted to be black again)
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Then I set out to build the cargo drawers that I was wanting to build BEFORE I even bought the truck.
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The drawers are accessible from the top as well if I am in a situation where the doors cant be opened. There is also a full width cargo area behind the seats perfect for my heavy recovery, hitch, and longer items. The whole assembly is secured to the truck with a 250-pound turnbuckle at each corner. It is a little heavy (3/4 ply) but no rattles and is completely solid.

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They are currently filled up and ready for my maiden voyage. In a week, I will start my migration north with an end goal of Denver, which I have a feeling I'll love with endless outdoor activities. I plan on hitting up a lot of national parks, trails on the way out there and probably end up making the trip in the 4k miles visiting friends and family along the way. Once out there, the full size spare will either go up top or get mounted on a bumper.

I stepped the tires up to Cooper Discoverer A/T 285/70/17's, added a 1.5" spacer in the rear and torsion keys up front. I also just added a corvette servo which made the shifts much more solid and should prolong the transmissions life. My long term plans are for a mild build that will probably include a DIY RTT among other things to make it a great expo rig. Would like to modify a land cruiser or FJ cruiser front ARB bumper to fit because the ones made for the Tahoe are just too large in my opinion. Or may just pick up a welder and figure something out myself.

This is how it currently sits...looking forward to the long trip ahead of us!
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aero

Adventurer
Drawers are 28-30" deep.

The slides are GlideRite Full Extension 28-inch 100-lb Ball Bearing Drawer Slides, got them on overstock.com for $20/pair. Of course I wanted the more heavy duty ones but couldnt justify over triple the price near $70/pair I was finding. These function great so far, are solid at full extension and I can always upgrade if they fail.
 

Townsend

Observer
Moved from Tampa, FL to Denver in August of 2012. Best decision I've ever made. Another great decision was buying an 04 Z71 Tahoe two months ago. Congrats and let me know if you need a tour guide!
 

aero

Adventurer
Moved from Tampa, FL to Denver in August of 2012. Best decision I've ever made. Another great decision was buying an 04 Z71 Tahoe two months ago. Congrats and let me know if you need a tour guide!

Thanks, that's great news. I've been stuck here with my first house I bought and just was able to break even on what I owed, so it's time to bail.

I have family and friends up there, so I know it's going to be a blast and a shock coming from Ft Myers where there is NOTHING to do. Any good local forums for that area other than the regional on here?
 

Townsend

Observer
Any good local forums for that area other than the regional on here?

To be honest, I'm coming from Toyota's which did have another group site specific to out here, but I'm still just starting to figure out options for full size support.

Nice thing about this state though - regardless of vehicle - there's a ton of support for as well as a large group of 4x4 drivers always willing to share wisdom.
 

Halligan

Adventurer
I noticed you said the transfer case had the wrong fluid in it. My wife's 2003 Tahoe Z71 uses a special fluid (AutotracII I think) which is a blue colored fluid. I hope that's what you used and not regular ATF.
 

aero

Adventurer
I noticed you said the transfer case had the wrong fluid in it. My wife's 2003 Tahoe Z71 uses a special fluid (AutotracII I think) which is a blue colored fluid. I hope that's what you used and not regular ATF.

Yes, it originally had an ATF (red) in there but I swapped it over to the correct AutoTrac II or III smurf fluid, changed the seals, inspected the insides and added the pump rub fix as well as a touch of JB weld on the outside for good measure since there was a bit of rubbing.

Before
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After
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I learned quickly that this transfer case was much heavier than the last one that I changed by myself (NP242/1 out of/into my cherokees)... but I was able to get it out and back in without a jack. Although the first time I put it back on and started a few nuts I realized that I forgot to put the gasket between the case and the transmission. Whenever something is going too well, its always good to look and see what you forgot!
 

lstamatis

Overland Traveler
Great write-up Brandon! Your storage looks solid and knowing you, I'm sure you didn't cut any corners.

Marla and I are REALLY looking forward to having you out here bud. From my experience, you'll know you're home when the hazy rockies just barely come in to view. I can't explain the feeling, but something inside of you just clicks when you find where you were meant to be. You can go ahead and do the rearview mirror mod now because you'll never look back. Safe travels buddy and I know that this will be the adventure of your life that you never forget. You were there to set me off on my voyage what seems like a decade ago, and I'm happy to be here on the other end.

You'll have no trouble fitting in in CO and the support crews here are plentiful and top-notch. :smiley_drive:

-Leon
 

aero

Adventurer
Thanks, looking forward to see you guys and get out on some trails with you both! I am counting down the hours until I leave this place behind...69 to be almost exact, cant wait to get out and explore the outdoors up there. Until then, I'll continue to browse all the great threads and writeups that are all over this forum.
 

aero

Adventurer
I purchased two cheapie bike racks off Amazon (under $50 shipped for both). I knew they were going to be cheap, but only really wanted the main track part anyways, anything else was a bonus. They work pretty decent for the price although I did make a trip to Lowes for replacement hardware. It was a little more awkward putting the bikes up and taking them down, I forgot that its a decent reach to the top of this thing.

In 24 hours I should be well on my way to the Florida-Georgia line! Hoping for cooler temps because it is quite humid and hot outside today.

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aero

Adventurer
The truck is doing great so far! I had a slight hiccup before even getting out of Florida. While on the interstate, I heard a strange sound like rocks hitting the undercarriage, followed by a little thump or two and then the bright yellow "Service 4WD" light lit up. Based on the sound, I thought it was a front diff plug popping out with all the fluid. I limped it to the next exit and crawled under it at the gas station.

Thankfully, it turned out to be the dust boot on the front driveshaft. It was old and ended up cracking and shredding off. In the process, it ripped out a connector from the transfer case. So I cut the rest of the boot off, plugged in the connector, and burned my hand doing it, but the light went off.

So far I've put about 1500 miles on it without any other issues, shes been driving great. Only about 100 miles until she crosses the 203k mile mark! Currently in NE Tennessee, havent found much yet as far as dirt trails, but I'm still looking.
 

rotti

Adventurer
Welcome.....almost, to Denver. You will love it.

Take good care of that Tahoe. I have 2000 that I bought new and it has been a great ride. Was just at the dealer looking at a loaded 2015 Tahoe and the sticker was a little over $70,000....WTH!!

Guess I have bought my last Tahoe. A crew cab loaded Dmax is in that price range.
To replace my wife's Tahoe will probably be a loaded 1500 crew LTZ for at least $20,000 less.
 

jtpaintball70

Adventurer
Good looking truck! Although you're leaving my home state (which I kinda miss) for a state I used to live in (Which I really miss) :p Have fun and good luck!
 

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