Explorerinil
Observer
That’s a good idea. Several years ago we sent several pallets of old lights, cages, misc parts down south. I was surprised to learn how poor some LE agencies espically in the south are.
My 2006 GMT800 2500 Auction Find...
- Thread starter dvn4life1972
- Start date
dvn4life1972
Member
I have now driven this thing a bit over 20k miles. Good power, especially for the size, and my real world fuel mileage at the pump has been between 14.2 and 14.5 mpg. Running factory sized tires on factory wheels. Just an FYI for anyone doing research.
Anybody else with a 6.0 4wd Suburban care to share their mileage? Am I about where expected?
Anybody else with a 6.0 4wd Suburban care to share their mileage? Am I about where expected?
dvn4life1972
Member
Did a tuneup yesterday with air filter change. The plugs are the previous acdelco generation iridiums that haven’t been available for some years now lol. The wires were less than robust. Anyway, runs much smoother and quieter - although I didn’t feel like it was particularly noisy before. Maybe the fuel mileage will go up a bit.
dvn4life1972
Member
Had a rear tire with a super slow leak. Took a couple of weeks to confirm it, this was probably pulling my mileage down a smidge.
@dvn4life1972
I averaged about 13.5 mpg on my recent trip, keeping the truck around 70mph on the interstate. I usually run my Toyo AT2s at 40psi for road trips, and my typical tactic here in S. Idaho is to find a semi going around 70mph and cruise control behind them. I'm not sure how much that helps at safe following distances but it's worth noting.
I've decided I'd like to supercharge the truck by adding the factory supercharger from a Camaro ZL1 - I don't expect this to impact fuel economy too much but it would make merging into traffic safer, since I've found that there's not a lot of margin with the stock setup. I may try just adding a cam and some other inexpensive modifications first but the idea of a supercharged Suburban appeals to me.
I averaged about 13.5 mpg on my recent trip, keeping the truck around 70mph on the interstate. I usually run my Toyo AT2s at 40psi for road trips, and my typical tactic here in S. Idaho is to find a semi going around 70mph and cruise control behind them. I'm not sure how much that helps at safe following distances but it's worth noting.
I've decided I'd like to supercharge the truck by adding the factory supercharger from a Camaro ZL1 - I don't expect this to impact fuel economy too much but it would make merging into traffic safer, since I've found that there's not a lot of margin with the stock setup. I may try just adding a cam and some other inexpensive modifications first but the idea of a supercharged Suburban appeals to me.
dvn4life1972
Member
Thanks for sharing your info. I’m averaging about 12.5mpg now, after the tuneup and tire fixed. Oh well, good thing it has a decent sized tank anyhow.
dvn4life1972
Member
So, took a trip of a couple hundred miles a couple of times here in the state. Going the posted speed limit (usually 75mph) and I avg around 13ish.
I just returned from a trip to Colorado, and kept it at or below 70mph on the way up. 14.75mpg. Then returning home at or below 68 and it jumps to between 16 and 17. I’ll definitely take that, just not in a hurry.
Tires are stock sized, E rated 10 ply sidewalks at recommended pressures.
I just returned from a trip to Colorado, and kept it at or below 70mph on the way up. 14.75mpg. Then returning home at or below 68 and it jumps to between 16 and 17. I’ll definitely take that, just not in a hurry.
Tires are stock sized, E rated 10 ply sidewalks at recommended pressures.
dvn4life1972
Member
The 4l80e has a bad solenoid, so I’m about to tear it down and do the full rebuild. Disappointing, but it’ll be fresh after. Also ordered some Bilstein 5100 series shocks, passenger side wheel bearing and ball joints. Figured I may as well finish it up and get it freshened up too. Creature comforts will come soon afterward.
I remembered I had these mini h1 projectors laying around, some ballasts, and some 4500k morimoto bulbs…so I figured why not retrofit my suburban for HID projectors?
I ordered the parts years ago for another project that took another turn. Anyway, cheap Amazon projectors and quality bulbs and ballasts lol. The projectors actually have a nice cutoff, not bad for twenty five bones!
Learning curve got done on the first side. Still needs some adjustment, but that’s no biggie.
I remembered I had these mini h1 projectors laying around, some ballasts, and some 4500k morimoto bulbs…so I figured why not retrofit my suburban for HID projectors?
I ordered the parts years ago for another project that took another turn. Anyway, cheap Amazon projectors and quality bulbs and ballasts lol. The projectors actually have a nice cutoff, not bad for twenty five bones!
Learning curve got done on the first side. Still needs some adjustment, but that’s no biggie.
dvn4life1972
Member
dvn4life1972
Member
Digging into things now. Turned out the transmission issue is the EPC solenoid. No biggie. Still gonna rebuild it after a trip to Colorado in early June, all of the parts came in. Just a little crunched for time now.
This time it’s the passenger side ball joints and wheel bearing getting changed. The ball joints are toasted, just didn’t have time when I did the driver side to jump right over. Wheel bearing seems and feels good but I already have a replacement Timken. I’ll keep the old one for an emergency spare. Shocks done too, very anxious to feel how it rides now towing and empty. The old ones would not rebound or extend at all lol.
This time it’s the passenger side ball joints and wheel bearing getting changed. The ball joints are toasted, just didn’t have time when I did the driver side to jump right over. Wheel bearing seems and feels good but I already have a replacement Timken. I’ll keep the old one for an emergency spare. Shocks done too, very anxious to feel how it rides now towing and empty. The old ones would not rebound or extend at all lol.
"Keep the old one for a spare"
I replaced the belt on my Yukon at, I forget exact mileage now but around 200k. It was the original from the factory. I had a replacement I had bought probably 4 years begore and figured, I better just do it in case it goes. When I took it off factory one had no cracks or anything. So it became my "emergency spare". Ha. Always good to have a spare just in case.
I replaced the belt on my Yukon at, I forget exact mileage now but around 200k. It was the original from the factory. I had a replacement I had bought probably 4 years begore and figured, I better just do it in case it goes. When I took it off factory one had no cracks or anything. So it became my "emergency spare". Ha. Always good to have a spare just in case.
vintageracer
To Infinity and Beyond!
Keep track of your exhaust manifold bolts. They are a known problem for breaking off and falling out.
IF you can get them out it is good maintenance practice to replace them before you have problems.
IF you can get them out it is good maintenance practice to replace them before you have problems.
dvn4life1972
Member
Got it all finished up. Nice difference with A: New shocks , and B: Bilstein 5100 series. After a couple of test drives on bumpy Houston streets and the freeway, it definitely rides much better now. The old shocks looked to be the original ones.
