'89 GMC Suburban restoration/build up project.

lightfighter21

New member
All your post does is make me pissed off I sent my dad's 89 3/4 ton to the scrap yard... his was in better condition from the beginning of your post... ARGH! (Nice truck!)
 

ADVW/Liam

Adventurer
Just read this entire build thread, and I love these old Suburbans! Great ideas (CAD) for building a rear bumper for my Tacoma, as I cant justify spending the $1800.00 on a CBI bumper. I already spent big money on the ARB for the front, and I just dont want to do that on the back. I was quite pleased to see that you went with the Bilstien shocks, that was a great choice! Awesome build!

Rick
 

dieselfuel

Adventurer
nice work on the bumper ...stay at it

Thanks!

All your post does is make me pissed off I sent my dad's 89 3/4 ton to the scrap yard... his was in better condition from the beginning of your post... ARGH! (Nice truck!)

What a shame... I'd have a fleet of these things if I had the space for it.

Just read this entire build thread, and I love these old Suburbans! Great ideas (CAD) for building a rear bumper for my Tacoma, as I cant justify spending the $1800.00 on a CBI bumper. I already spent big money on the ARB for the front, and I just dont want to do that on the back. I was quite pleased to see that you went with the Bilstien shocks, that was a great choice! Awesome build!

Rick

I hear you, I didn't want to spend that kind of money on bumpers either. Especially when nothing on the market really fit the picture I had in my head of what I wanted my truck to look like. Go to Lowes or Home Depot, ask for a refrigerator box and start drawing. It took me a couple weeks to design each bumper but in the end I got something no one else has.
 

ADVW/Liam

Adventurer
refrigerator box

That's a great idea... I was wondering where I could get the boxes from. I've been doing the CAD thing with poster board, but that's a little too small for a bumper. Looks like I'll be visiting McMaster-Carr for some latches, and materials to build a hinge. If I keep putting it off, it'll never happen.

Rick
 

dieselfuel

Adventurer
So I'm playing around with 1/2" conduit mocking up tubes for the front bumper. I think I like this one, clean and simple. What do you guys think? Higher? Lower? Wider? Lets hear it.
 

Attachments

  • uploadfromtaptalk1425659671687.jpg
    uploadfromtaptalk1425659671687.jpg
    344.7 KB · Views: 36

98dango

Expedition Leader
I like what you have there clean simple. I'm a old school brush guard guy my self especially on the square trucks pre 90s just about anything
 

Bojak

Adventurer
I think you nailed it. Needs 1.25 or 1.5 diameter for proportional balance but exactly right on the lines. Forward tilt from radiator a little. Not stinger tilt but not vertical. Just my 2 cents.
 

dieselfuel

Adventurer
674f7dbebd37a4fe5afac50d041a61f6.jpg

Like this?
 
Last edited:

Dratwagon

Adventurer
Looks good, your trouble is that you have the pretty grill and it's hard to make it look tough, in fact I don't think I have seen one outside of a pre runner that has anything above the bumper, they look so good all on their own.
 

chilliwak

Expedition Leader
Thats a very clean and sleek looking bumper Diesel. I was just wondering if you might want to make some tubing that goes all the way up and follows the line of the fenders and hood to protect them from any trail damage. The front rake on the center tubing looks good. Just dont hit any cars when you are parallel parking....:ylsmoke:
 

Bojak

Adventurer
674f7dbebd37a4fe5afac50d041a61f6.jpg

Like this?
Yep, bout' right. Larger diameter and you are gold. Don't forget light mount tabs. When I was mocking up one very similar I kept getting very frustrated about how the tube would cush at the inside of the bend. I triead several ways of bending it but couldn't loose the flat spot inside the corner. I hope you have better luck.
 
Last edited:

dieselfuel

Adventurer
Looks good, your trouble is that you have the pretty grill and it's hard to make it look tough, in fact I don't think I have seen one outside of a pre runner that has anything above the bumper, they look so good all on their own.

Very well put. I've been thinking the same today. The longer I look at it, the more I like it. I'm gonna work on the winch cradle tomorrow.

Yep, bout' right. Larger diameter and you are gold. Don't forget light mount tabs. When I was mocking up one very similar I kept getting very frustrated about how the tube would cush at the inside of the bend. I triead several ways of bending it but couldn't loose the flat spot inside the corner. I hope you have better luck.


What kind of bender were you using? My friend has a hydraulic JD2 that we used on the sliders and it worked just as it should.
 

tanktop8

New member
I like the idea of two other tubes that follow the lines of the fenders and join up with that forward leaning tube you have mocked up now, I think it would look great. I am prone to more protection on the front end after hitting a deer 6 years ago at only 30 mph in an old Dakota I had, they wreak havoc on grills, radiators, and hoods. I do think they would also help with some tree branch trail protection. If you had a tube on each side come up and then bend at 90 degrees, using the same radius, then just turn the tubes so they are not parallel with the front of the grill, but meet up with the angle tube.
 

dieselfuel

Adventurer
I like the idea of two other tubes that follow the lines of the fenders and join up with that forward leaning tube you have mocked up now, I think it would look great. I am prone to more protection on the front end after hitting a deer 6 years ago at only 30 mph in an old Dakota I had, they wreak havoc on grills, radiators, and hoods. I do think they would also help with some tree branch trail protection. If you had a tube on each side come up and then bend at 90 degrees, using the same radius, then just turn the tubes so they are not parallel with the front of the grill, but meet up with the angle tube.

I've thought a lot about that, I like the idea of having protection up front. I'll leave it alone until I figure out what I want. I really want it to look right.

Or you can forget all those mild suggestions and go stupid hardcore :elkgrin:
(On an 88 4x4 1500)


View attachment 274396

Not sure I'm going to go that far, haha! What's that bumper weigh?
 

Forum statistics

Threads
185,533
Messages
2,875,612
Members
224,922
Latest member
Randy Towles
Top