Thinking of Transitioning to a Full Size, any Advice?

[sethb]

Hey guys, long-time lurker here, thought I'd finally make my first post. Currently I've got an '08 Jeep JK, 2 door, all stock. That means Wrangler SR-A's and open diffs, and blah blah blah (I don't wanna keep it, so I don't wanna dump a lot of money into building it). That's not really what bothers me. I've been hunting and searching and looking and yearning for something bigger. One of the things I see on here, pirate, and ih8mud all the time is "I built this (Insert small 4x4 Here), but now I have kids and need to sell it. Should I get a FJ60/62 or an 80 series?". Well, ****** that. I'm going to cut life off at the pass. Here's the rabbit trail I went down to come to the conclusion that a fullsize is just the way to go: "Oh, I could get a Montero or a Trooper! I can just get parts from the interwebs and do my own work!" (We no longer have dealerships up here in AK for Mitsu or Isuzu) Then I realized that the MPG to HP ratio is pretty crap on both of those. Then I thought to myself: Self, you know what would be kinda cool that you don't see a ton of? LCG, expo builds of Tahoes, Yukons, and the like. Sure, up here you see a ton jacked up with bracket lifts and bad alignments on half bald mudders (PLEASE ADJUST YOUR CAMBER!) that never see mud, but an actually well built, functional, full size rig that can fit get you from A to B, whether B is work or some valley on the other side of a montain? That's rare.


So, I guess my real question is, what do you guys think? I'm definitly leaning towards a 96-99 Tahoe/Yukon just because of the MFI and better built heads. The one thing that I can say freaks me out a little are the UCA's. They look... so... dinky... I haven't seen anything about it, but to satisfy my own curiosity, has anyone had an issue with bending them? I would imagine that if it were a real issue then there'd be more complaints. Anyway, I'm getting really tired of going camping and having to choose between bringing a lady friend or my dog, so something bigger is definitly in order. Thoughts? I'm not dead set on any one vehicle right now, as I've been considering pretty much anything with 4 doors and 4x4 and a low range. MPG is going to be ********** on anything I get, so I figure I may as well get something with more HP to offset the need to romp on it to keep up with traffic.

 

[tarditi]

I've had several wranglers - YJ and TJs.

I recently had a Nissan Xterra and moved to a Unlimited Rubicon - only thing I miss is the roof rack (which is something I could accommodate!)

Full sizes are OK - but Tahoe and Suburban platforms need quite a bit of work for hardcore off-road duty. If you go with an H2 or H3 you have a better starting point at least. You could always go with a Grand Cherokee or Commander.

 

[sethb]

I've had a ton of 4x4's myself (90 4 runner, 88 Chevy 1500, 96 ZJ, 98 Frontier, and a '12 Tundra). None of them were quite right. I've driven the GMT400 Tahoes and something just feels right. As far as hardcore off roading, up here in AK, it's mud, silt, river crossings, and bogs. Nothing that requires a ton of articulation required. Rocks exist, but you only have technical crawling if you expressly look for it. An H3 is too cost prohibitive, and a H2 is too big and top heavy for the trails I'm thinking of. I've been debating a Ford Expedition, but frame to roof they're too tall for my taste. Burbans are too long and can't turn tight enough to accomodate dailing driving. So that narrows it down a bit. I think with a 2.5" lift, 33x12.5's and a little fender massaging, I'll have the lowest COG I could hope for and as much flex as I'd need. This wouldn't be a dedicated trail rig, but a double duty roadtriper/camper/mud slinger. As the story goes, I'm sure at one point I'm going to go "Okay, 33's are fun, but I need 35's!" just like everyone else, but that would be phase two of this imaginary project. Affordability, parts availability, ease to work on, spaciousness, and capability once it's built are what what I'm after. I think I'd be okay with a V8 ZJ, but finding one without a c-clip d35 rear for a reasonable amount has proven to be a real pain, and I'd prefer a BOF as opposed to a unibody.

 

[rayra]

Been farting around in the dirt and deserts most of my life. Started off in mini trucks, then mil vehicles including some heavy use of 'my' humvee and my own C-10 pickup. Then in '99 it was a Tahoe, then a '05 Tahoe and now an '02 Suburban as well. The Suburban is about 22" longer and has another 15cu' inside, if interior cargo room is a key factor. They don't drive much different. But the Sub is about 600# heavier and the departure angle is mildly worse.
I can heartily recommend the Tahoe, it's a good mix of features and size and power etc and quite comfortable.

And IIRC the H2 underpinnings are not much different from a Tahoe, so don't get sucked in by the 'Hummer' branding.

Just be sure to beef up the Tahoe / Suburban tie rod ends.
http://www.roughcountry.com/gm-tie-rod-sleeves-1144.html

eta and read this guy's topic thoroughly -
http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...ukon-Long-Term-Build-amp-Adventure-Videos-56K