Suburban, tahoe and yukon guys......

i have a 99 Tahoe and turning wise nothing turns tighter but the 5.7 does has intake gasket issues unless it has been replaced. mine has 151K now but i also have a 94 Tahoe Diesel 6.5T and it out pulls my gasser. The 99 gets 19 hwy and 16 town but towing 12 all the time my 94 gets 18 town 21 hwy but 17 towing all the time. also have a 96 GMC Z71 but you don't want a truck but it falls in the middle tows better than my 99 tahoe but not as good as my 94 diesel. the 96 Z71 gets 20 hwy 14 city and 12 all the time towing.
 
The 5.3 is built loose IMO. There is a little piston slap and the top end is a little noisy on cold starts but she is peppy.

100% correct on the cold knocking, RR. i try to let it warm up a little, but when the wife drives, she is at the stop sign down the block before the starter is disengaged.
 
I haven't been online for a while, so I'm catching up.

2000 Suburban here, 1500 4WD. I have owned something like 15 vehicles, and this has been the most reliable of them all. 193,000 miles on it. Daily driver. Tows the V-20, a big box trailer, and last week a UHaul car hauler with an old Toyota Land Cruiser on it (another story). I don't tow long distance, or I might want a 2500.

An acquaintance just traded in his Yukon XL, same year and basically the same vehicle. 200,000+ miles and they gave him $4K. Had I known, I might have bought it from him for that and kept it as a backup. I love my Sub.
 
I've acquired a '69 FJ-40. It doesn't run at the moment -- last ran a year ago when it was parked -- so that's the first order of business when the temps cool off enough to make wrenching an attractive weekend activity. The Cruiser has a lot of competition for my attention, of course, not the least of which is the ol' Pipe Dream. I'd like to have it starting and stopping by October. The body has rust, but I think it's solid enough for now. Might do a restoration in the future. What can I say? I've always been a car nut, and always loved the old LCs, and this one practically fell into my lap.

"Honey, I know I don't have much free time as it is, but I've got to do this!"
 
98 Suburban (Chevrolet) 1500 4x4 with 183k miles. Runs like a top. Just drove it from Indianapolis to Massachusetts and it ran flawlessly. Got 18 mpg. It has a whopping 40 gallon tank so I only had to stop once to fill it up. Tows the V20 easily. Only problems we have had over the years has been the air conditioning system. It has gone out 3 times since we purchased it used in 2002, and the repairs were EXPENSIVE. So expensive that I have not fixed it this third time it has gone out. I have kept fluids filled and clean and only other part had to replace was a starter motor at
175k miles.
 
I'm thinking about upgrading the suspension on my 99 1500 to 1500HD specs, hey Ferm, Skools, ya'll know what the difference between them is. what it would take to convert it?
 
nipper said:
98 Suburban (Chevrolet) 1500 4x4 with 183k miles. Runs like a top. Just drove it from Indianapolis to Massachusetts and it ran flawlessly. Got 18 mpg. It has a whopping 40 gallon tank so I only had to stop once to fill it up. Tows the V20 easily. Only problems we have had over the years has been the air conditioning system. It has gone out 3 times since we purchased it used in 2002, and the repairs were EXPENSIVE. So expensive that I have not fixed it this third time it has gone out. I have kept fluids filled and clean and only other part had to replace was a starter motor at
175k miles.
Click to expand...

A/C problems on this model BURB were normally the compressor which can be solved by installing the SANDEN compressor, low side pressure switches, and the high side scrader valve port leaks. All of these are fairly simple fixes. I have yet to hear of an evaprorator fail in one of these model trucks, so I don't know what could be costing you taht much to fix.

spareparts said:
I'm thinking about upgrading the suspension on my 99 1500 to 1500HD specs, hey Ferm, Skools, ya'll know what the difference between them is. what it would take to convert it?
Click to expand...

They never made a 1500HD in the GMT 400 platform. They did make the 1500 diesel which uses all 2500 7800GVWR front suspension and a stiffer rear spring pack, and then there was the 6 lug 2500 which used 7200GVWR front suspension and a stiff rear spring pack. You could swap out your control arms with those from a 6 lug 2500, and then swap out your rear axle to a 9.5" 6 lug version.
 
THEFERMANATOR said:
They never made a 1500HD in the GMT 400 platform. They did make the 1500 diesel which uses all 2500 7800GVWR front suspension and a stiffer rear spring pack, and then there was the 6 lug 2500 which used 7200GVWR front suspension and a stiff rear spring pack. You could swap out your control arms with those from a 6 lug 2500, and then swap out your rear axle to a 9.5" 6 lug version.
Click to expand...

Spare, I currently own a '95 K1500 diesel and a '94 C1500 gasser. Like Ferm said, the front end is way more heavy duty on the diesel than my C1500. My Mom drives a '94 K2500 gasser with the 6 lug wheels. It definantly has stiffer rear springs than both of mine.

That guy Ferm sure knows some stuff.
 
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OK, change of plans now. After rethinking everything and heading off my wife's plan to buy a used Saturn(it is a nice car, just not what I want to be owing money on). I'm now in the market for a 03-06 Suburban. Needs to be a 5.3 2wd, under 80K if possible. Leather, third row, tow package. Any color but black or white(my favorite, but my wife hates it)I know its not going to tow with a 2500, but its higher than my 99. I think we're going to keep the 99 as my car, sell my Cherokee to my sister, and get my wife a newer burb. I need an older couples car, one that's been driven rarely, but taken care of. Any one run across one, let me know. I'm looking on craigs list in NC and SC. I hate to venture much further out with out some ones eyes on it before I drive to look at it. Thanks
 
2001 Burb here its a special ordered stripper 2500 with the 6.0 gasser closing in on 300K now ,4 x4 with 3.73 posi rear. It does better than my 06 HD 2500 ext cab 6.0 p/u 4:10's on mpg but I really don't bother keep track anymore. The Nanny hauls my kids around in it and she loves it. I am a big fan of the 6.0 and 8.1's just couldn't have a 5.3 at this point. I wish I could pony up for another one soon but in this economy we'll just keep on rollin with it. Paid 32k 10 years ago and it was well worth it, one tranny rebuild original engine burning mobil on since day one, couple of minor maint items and that been it. Gas guage doesn't work and the a/c compressor is on the way out but who cares. The old truck still looks good still runs good so we'll just keep on rollin. The old girl still will pull like a mule and I would take her x- country tommorow!

B
 
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