1997-1999 Suburban expo questions

rollinsmokehigh

New member
engine and drivetrain

Its is very unrealistic to be able to get 1000 mile rage out of a gas engine without a BIG gas tank, diesel you would get better mileage but it would cost more to rebuilt but with the proper maint. it would last 2-3 times longer, as far as IFS Iwould get rid of it I ve got a 97 chevy z71 and have been through the front end twice all balljoints and tie rod ends and idler and pitman arm once and I ve got 285 65 16 on the 35s are going to be a lot tougher on all those parts. My input.760DC6D2-FF9A-4A5B-93AA-8C1C5DBCE2BA-5315-000003D1C2D2374F.jpg
 

Soliloquy_LV

New member
Hey folks sorry for the delay in response.
xbox73 - It was me that wasn't clear. I was saying that the 2500s are tougher to find. Sorry about that!

You guys are slowly convincing me that SAS is the way to go. The problem is that I do not want to go without the ease of driving of the IFS. Can a SAS be set up with 35-37 inch tires and retain a relative amount of driveability? I just want to avoid driving something that I am constantly fighting with.

And if I go with a SAS I will just get a slightly older 'burb (91-93ish) and start from there... Thoughts?
 

njtacoma

Explorer
I'm partial to the later dash (96-99? or 97-99?) so that would motivate me to get a later model. Around here the prices seem to be based on mileage and condition more than year.

Also the vortec is only in the later models.
 

southpaws3

Observer
rollinsmokehigh stated--- big truck/ driveline ,big gas tank . if you're just starting ,get tried and true parts that last (kiss). i drive a sub as a daily driver (my expedition rig) i weight in around 7100-8000pds, that depends on the extra goodies i carry ,i use 38 but can run 44, the key is to know when to stop (which is very hard), always strenghten the steering ,frame,brakes,keep the driveline cool and well lubed,you don't need all the "cool" goodies to drive or adventure, no matter what the vehicle is only as good as the driver . my 2 cents best of luck
 

98dango

Expedition Leader
You can defiantly daily drive a sas rig with ease. Modified rigs often drive better thanstock if you do it correctly. like any thing you.cut.corners you will be unhappy. I have built many IFS to SAS rigs and am collecting parts to build my wife a sas 1ton as her daily driver. One thing I have learned is buy the truck you want and make it work for you.I have built many for the wrong reason or application andas I sit.hear on my 8th expo bug out type rig. I find my self back to what i started with. I have a 94 s10 that I'm making smaller and a 91 ramcharger/1ton on 37s.
 

DMT

K7DMT
I suggest the 2500 and the 6.5 Diesel

I have a similar rig and highly recommend going with the 6.5 turbo diesel to help with range. I'm consistently getting 19 or 20 mpg on the highway, whether I am pulling a single axle utility trailer or not. The diesel's abundant torque makes towing a breeze. I made a few mods to enhance reliability -- relocating the PMD and upgrading it to one that better suited to handle heat, and changing the thermal actuator on the front diff to a mechanical one that actually works in deep snow). I consider these to be the essential mods for a 6.5 diesel on the 2500 Suburban. I found one on CL that came with a 4 inch lift from Trailmaster, which I believe makes a 4 and a 6 inch lift for this vintage Suburban. Word of caution, Trailmaster is running out of replacement parts for this lift. You could check with them to confirm, but there may be better lift options out there, as some have mentioned.

Personally, I think a four inch lift seems just right for this vehicle--a good balance of height and ground clearance while not totally sacrificing fuel economy and front end wear. I am running 295 (33.5") Toyo MTs on 17 inch rims with 4.10 gears, which for me is just about right. I wanted to have plenty of room in the front for running chains without having to modify the front wheel wells. I have had zero problems with the IFS but I have upgraded the ball joints and tie rods don't beat it when driving offroad. [I did enough of that in my twenties when I didn't mind walking out 5 or 10 miles to a main road and flagging down a ride.]

For your range needs, FellowTraveler told me about a guy outside Portland who still makes an auxillary fuel cell for your desired rig. I talked with him recently. He doesn't have them in stock, but he can build one in a week or two to fit your specifications. Check out his 25 gallon mid-ship galvanized steel tank here: http://www.nwmp.com/index.php?option...-gmc&Itemid=17 With your 42 gallon stock tank, plus this 25 gallon transfer tank and two five gallon jerry cans mounted on the back or on top, would get you to 77 gallons, which combined with the 6.5 TD's fuel economy, and sane driving habits, would give you the range you desire.

It would be mounted mid-ship, driver's side in front of the rear axle. There are spaces on the other side of the frame on that side, or better, the passenger side, for mounting smaller items such as onboard air systems, a third battery, a water tank and the like. I would be interested to see how creative suburban owners have been in frame-mounting accessories such as these. I've got some plans of my own to experiment with different onboard air and water tank options.

Good luck with your plans.

DMT
 

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