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1988 gmc 2500 overland build

K

kbclamper

1/2 ton status
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Location
ca
I just got this delivered this morning. I bought it sight unseen off of craigslist for a great deal. It has zero rust which was my first priority it also has front/rear ac and barn doors. This is my fifth square and ive had everything from a full on rock crawler to restored stock. This one will be somewhere in between.

So far the plan is a 4" ord custom spring lift pushing the axles fwd and back an inch. Some 35" tires that i need to figure out, any help picking a good overland tire would be appreciated. Im currently looking for a d60 and 14bff if you guys have any leads. I want this truck to be bullet proof so i dont get stranded with the family. This is hopefully going to be a quick build, i have a roof top tent showing up at the end of February and would love to take it out that weekend.

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Nice rig. What tent are you going to run?

As far as tires go, what size rim? I like the BFG KM3. I actually have them on my dedicated offroad rig and so far so good. I think they would be really good on an all around, more dirt than road vehicle.
 
swettysblazer said:
Nice rig. What tent are you going to run?

As far as tires go, what size rim? I like the BFG KM3. I actually have them on my dedicated offroad rig and so far so good. I think they would be really good on an all around, more dirt than road vehicle.
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i ordered the tuff stuff alpha rtt. it currently has 16" rims but think i might got to 17s but im not sure yet. how loud are the bfgs on the sreet? we will be getting a lot of road miles on this thing too
 
How much weight can the factory roof rack take? Will it take the weight of the rtt and my family?
 
kbclamper said:
i ordered the tuff stuff alpha rtt. it currently has 16" rims but think i might got to 17s but im not sure yet. how loud are the bfgs on the sreet? we will be getting a lot of road miles on this thing too
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They're going to be louder than a standard all terrain, for sure. I don't think they are stupid loud on the road though. I would say they're on the quieter side of the MTS.
 
Got started installing new speakers while im waiting on parts that i ordered. Used some 3/4" mdf i had laying around from my theater speaker build.20210120_162439.jpg 20210120_162457.jpg 20210123_135805.jpg 20210123_135809.jpg
 
I also tried getting it smogged yesterday, it didnt go so good. I have a leak in the evap system somewhere and high hydrocarbons. Its going to a shop on wdenesday to get the ac fixed so ill have them look into the smog stuff too.

Anybody have any experience with Thorsons extreme offroad in santa rosa? I stopped by there yesterday and am thinking about using them to build me a roofrack since the factory one wont cut it.
 
I have never had a suburban before. Whats the deal with these links? Never had them on any of my blazers20210123_174128.jpg 20210123_174115.jpg
 
Take a look at Cooper Discoverer S/T Maxx. I bought them for my truck and really like them. The best part is they have the HD sidewall and are really a cross between an A/T and a M/T. Time will tell on the performance.
 
Is that only on the passenger side?

Coopers are a decent tire. We have STT Pro's on a shop truck and they HOWL.
 
swettysblazer said:
Is that only on the passenger side?

Coopers are a decent tire. We have STT Pro's on a shop truck and they HOWL.
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Yeah the links are only on the passenger side. Almost looks like a reverse 4 link but with tie rods
 
Anyone use spyderlock beadlocks? found a set real cheap id they wil work. 17x9.5 with 3.5" backspace. will they fit?
 
I've never seen that type of linkage f&$%ery, thanks for having something new! No idea what that was for and it looks like it has the leaf messed up with lots of extra arch at the front. Probably should be careful taking it off, there could be some force pent up there.

The spyderlocks should be good, that 9.5 with 3.5" BS is usable but will leave a little tire outside the fender. I prefer it but it'll get crap on the sides of the truck that a bigger backspace will not.

I like green a lot, that's cool on a burb.
 
Is crossover steering really that much better? Im looking at a 4" lift and 35s. Ill be keeping the 10 bolt for awhile as the costs are adding up quickly. I just got my quote back from offroad design and the steering is a big chunk with the psc box and the knuckle and everything else. What do you guys think?
 
If you aren't going to be using a bunch of articulation save the money. My k5 drove well with a 4 inch lift and stock style steering. I upgraded when the trails I started going on got to be too much for the stock style and steering became difficult with the axle droop.
 
Whats it take to change the gas tank from a 31g to a 40g? Is it as simple as changing tank and sending unit or is there more to it?
 
The ~40 gal tank is several inches longer. You'll have to remove the rivets and move the back tank mount cross member back ~4". The holes are already in the frame, just attach with 3/8" G8 hardware and lock nuts. You'll need new straps and a rock shield. Everything else should work as is.

I did this a while back for my glacially slow Sub project. It's really not a big deal as long as you are comfortable removing the rivets.
 
BadDog said:
The ~40 gal tank is several inches longer. You'll have to remove the rivets and move the back tank mount cross member back ~4". The holes are already in the frame, just attach with 3/8" G8 hardware and lock nuts. You'll need new straps and a rock shield. Everything else should work as is.

I did this a while back for my glacially slow Sub project. It's really not a big deal as long as you are comfortable removing the rivets.
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Thanks for the info. I think ill do this after the lift and everything else i need to get done before the spring
 
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