How many miles is too many?
- Thread starter mike the welder
- Start date
Dutch Matrix
New member
My current truck had 158k when I bought it. now at 186k. I drive a lot. I bought it off of a friend who worked at a dealership,and he bought it off the original owner who took outstanding care of it,so miles didnt bother me. plus its an obs chevy, theres parts everywhere!
plumber mike
Adventurer
Just bought a 2001 suburban 2500 with 266k. I'll let you guys know if it was too many miles. I can't understand how it can still ride like a 70k mile truck.....but it does:coffeedrink:
....and dirt cheap.
....and I'm hooked on the 8.1:Wow1:
....and dirt cheap.
....and I'm hooked on the 8.1:Wow1:
mike the welder
Adventurer
I have heard good things about the 8.1. I'm looking forward to Larry's 8.1 swap in the Polar Bear thread. I just can't get my head around all the electronics that you would need to address to do that swap. My 99 suburban rides really good and quiet for 170k, but I could use more power. I've been thinking about doing a GM HT383e crate engine swap. Major HP and torque increase with no other mods needed. The computer automatically adapts to the added size and you use all of the same fuel, exhaust accessories. My Suburban is in great shape and the previous owner just did all the suspension like lift kit, ball joints, tie rods etc at 150k, so I figure spending 4k on an engine is better than $70k plus on a new Suburban.
On another note, I just ordered new wheels and tire for the Suburban. I hate chrome, so the chrome wheels had to go. I liked the look of the Maxis Bighorn mud tires, but OMG they were loud!! I had to have the radio cranked 3/4 just to hear it. The wheels and tires should be at my door by Wednesday, mounted balanced ready to bolt on.
On another note, I just ordered new wheels and tire for the Suburban. I hate chrome, so the chrome wheels had to go. I liked the look of the Maxis Bighorn mud tires, but OMG they were loud!! I had to have the radio cranked 3/4 just to hear it. The wheels and tires should be at my door by Wednesday, mounted balanced ready to bolt on.
plumber mike
Adventurer
You should recoup a few bucks since chrome fans still exist.
Did the original owner replace the fuel injection "spider"? It's a common problem on the 96-99 I think, and robs some power.
Did the original owner replace the fuel injection "spider"? It's a common problem on the 96-99 I think, and robs some power.
mike the welder
Adventurer
I'm not sure I'll have to look into the fuel injection. Is there a thread on easy and inexpensive performance upgrades? Things that don't require tearing into the engine.
plumber mike
Adventurer
Not sure if they exist here, but the fuel spider is a known issue. Ck5, tahoe/yukon forum and the like cover it well.
These days I think the computer will unlock the best bang for the buck. Blackbear seems to have a good rep. I'm looking into efilive for the Gm gas engines. Amazing what can be done.
I have the Delphi fuel injector upgrade and got rid of my stock poppet injectors. It's not a performance upgrade, it's a reliability upgrade because the poppets can get dirty and clogged, and the plastic lines can break.
Blackbear did a good job on my tune, but no tune is going to wake the truck up very much. Nor will an exhaust or cold air intake ducting. They will make small changes, but the only way to really move the needle is to modify the engine internally. In other words, don't expect some huge improvement, because there isn't that much hiding in the factory tune on the Vortec 5.7 engines. You'll get a bigger improvement in shift quality and feel from a tune as you will a horsepower increase.
Blackbear did a good job on my tune, but no tune is going to wake the truck up very much. Nor will an exhaust or cold air intake ducting. They will make small changes, but the only way to really move the needle is to modify the engine internally. In other words, don't expect some huge improvement, because there isn't that much hiding in the factory tune on the Vortec 5.7 engines. You'll get a bigger improvement in shift quality and feel from a tune as you will a horsepower increase.
mike the welder
Adventurer
Thanks for the info guy's. I'm not looking for huge increases in HP, just thought there might be a few things I could do to get another say 15-20 hp. I figure I'll just have to deal with what I have until it's time for an engine. It does alright now, but with the weight of the suburban and the 33" tires it takes allot more to get it moving than my 89 3/4 ton single cab with the 5.7 tbi. I am in the process of swapping the 5.7 in the 89 with another stock rebuilt 5.7. I never even considered an upgrade because it does really well with the 5.7 4 speed standard and it's just a work truck anyway.
RotorHead04
Observer
Just my opinion but I don't believe miles really matter as long as you know the maintenance history of the vehicle in question. My daily driver is a 1999 F-350 Powerstroke with 6-speed manual transmission. I purchased it with 180k miles from a ranch that used it to haul horses across the country for showing. It was all highway miles. It now has 348k and still runs great. I have had to do the usual water, hoses, brakes, and HPOP, but all minor stuff relatively speaking. I replaced the clutch at 297k because the throw out bearing finally kicked the bucket, and rebuilt the trans at 324k because I overloaded the truck and trailer when moving from UT to TX (I slowly turned my 6-speed into a 5-speed over the 1500 mile trip). Then again I can't complain about a tranny going for something I did at +324k miles. As long as you take care of it, or know the previous owner(s) stayed on top of maintenance you should be fine. Even a major repair here and there is still cheaper than a car payment, or depreciation on a new car purchase. That being said its always a good idea to have a savings fund that you're constantly adding to for the big items such as engine, transmission, or driveline replacement parts. Do I hope my 7.3 powerstroke hits 1 million miles? Yes, that's the goal, however we all know anything mechanical can break at any moment and if you're prepared for when that happens with new parts of the funds to replace major components your set.
I work in the aviation world and the key to longevity is staying on top of routine maintenance. It does cost a few extra $$$ to replace something at the first signs of real wear and tear, but it always works out better than the "I'll fix that later" approach. That one always comes back to bite you in the rear when you're (insert adventure location here) and no where close to a parts store. It's very comforting in the back country not having to doubt your rig or equiptment because you personally know the history of all accessories and components installed.
I work in the aviation world and the key to longevity is staying on top of routine maintenance. It does cost a few extra $$$ to replace something at the first signs of real wear and tear, but it always works out better than the "I'll fix that later" approach. That one always comes back to bite you in the rear when you're (insert adventure location here) and no where close to a parts store. It's very comforting in the back country not having to doubt your rig or equiptment because you personally know the history of all accessories and components installed.