What to get???

[ratfink]

Hello I'm Paul and I'm new here and new to buying off road stuff so I have lots of questions. I have a 1996 4x4 diesel 2500 Suburban and I'm looking to get it setup so i can do an expedition one day. They have a lot of different brands of off road gear out there but not to much for the Sub and I want to know what works the best for you? What size lift and make do you think is the "best". What about lockers? I'm trying to find a rear bumper that has a tire mount and jerry can holders? I like the ARB bumper, what do you think about them? Any advise you have I'm all ears and willing to learn. Thanks!!!

[navigator]

there are quite a few suburban builds, do a little searching and see what you like.
The type of expedition (and where) you are planning might have a good bit to do with what you need.
Make a list of your plans and then see what your needs are.
Below are a few generic questions that are independent of the platform.
Are you traveling alone, with a spouse, with kids/pets?
Are you planning to sleep in the vehicle, RTT, Tents?
What type of offroading will you be doing? Skid plates for sensitive areas and recovery gear (recovery points, shovel, high lift, straps etc) should be a priority.
If you think a little more about defining your mission it will help you figure out what you need to add.
Once you do that you can make a list and prioritize what you need and what you might like to have.

It looks like you have a good platform for an expedition build.

[BurbanAZ]

you have a great platform, i have always used suburbans. I had one with a 350, then a 454 and finally found a diesel. I built all my stuff on my 92 454 suburban so now that i bought the diesel i have to switch it over but with us i just built a front bumper with winch and lights. I then built a roof rack to hold gear and my hi lift jack. We have an inverter inside, dual battery setup, cb radio, ipad for navigation. We have all our recovery gear inside, shovel, axe, straps, snatch block, etc.. I just have a bag set up with all my recovery gear. We 285/65/r16 allterrain tires and they have done well in most situations. I think the main this with vehicles this big is to have as much recovery gear as you can especially if you plan on going out on your own. We kicked around the idea of a RTT but decided to get an oz tent instead.

[DoMiNiC1]

Cool rig! I would not go too high with the lift. maybe two inches with 33's. Getting it too high can result in it being harder then it already is with its size to get through the trail. Great platform. There are a few things you might want to do for the engine. Im sure someone will chime in with a few little mods that can make that thing a lot more reliable.

[ratfink]

Thanks for the info! Looks like I need to sit down, do some planning and really think it out rather than just doing random stuff that I think will work or "look cool". I'm going to look for the other builds now and I'm all ears to making it more reliable. Thanks again!

[BurbanAZ]

yea with the engines the main things are relocating the PMD away from the inj pump and into the bumper or somewhere cool, keep an eye on harmonic balancer and if it starts to get torn up change it or you will crack your crankshaft. Run some type of additive or oil in the fuel to help lube the inj pump or youll have to keep replacing them. The main thing with these engines is keeping them cool, the biggest thing is just keeping ur radiator and coolers clean and making sure ur thermostat is in good working order with usually a 195 t-stat. Also alot of people recommend upgrading to the HO water pumps that came on i think the 97+ trucks. If your still have problems with that people usually upgrade to the Duramax fan and heavy duty fan clutch. I think thats the main stuff for reliability.

[DoMiNiC1]

yea with the engines the main things are relocating the PMD away from the inj pump and into the bumper or somewhere cool, keep an eye on harmonic balancer and if it starts to get torn up change it or you will crack your crankshaft. Run some type of additive or oil in the fuel to help lube the inj pump or youll have to keep replacing them. The main thing with these engines is keeping them cool, the biggest thing is just keeping ur radiator and coolers clean and making sure ur thermostat is in good working order with usually a 195 t-stat. Also alot of people recommend upgrading to the HO water pumps that came on i think the 97+ trucks. If your still have problems with that people usually upgrade to the Duramax fan and heavy duty fan clutch. I think thats the main stuff for reliability.

This would be my first move. Keep that mother cool and make sure the HB has been replaced.

[ratfink]

Thanks I'm looking at ordering the parts now to replace or upgrade those items.