91 Suburban V2500 - Tow/Weekend Rig - Build Thread

[dhcomp]

I didn't think you really "needed" the oil cooler just didn't know if you were gonna do maybe a remote mount one. I am glad you got it locked tho. I know how frustrating it can be to chase a problem round and round without making headway.

Yep, glad i got it sorted out finally.

That being said, it stays cool now, but still maxes out between 26 and 31mph over the local grades when towing. The Dmax is much better suited for frequent towing at my elevation.

Plan is to keep the 91 around for local use, and hope to get into a bit more wheeling with it. We shall see. It is currently burried under too much snow, but i plan to dig it out today. The old 350 with the 33x12.50 BFG's does WAY better in the snow than the dmax with little 245's on it.

 

[cuervo]

Has it really been that long since I updated this? Fixed a long time cooking issue by ditching the oil cooler. Will tow up grades at wot in hot temps and stay cool forever now. Finally got some detail time tonight. May have been the first time this year.

I never in 100 years would have thought that the oil cooler would make the truck run hotter. I'm glad you got it figured out and fixed. What made you decide to remove the engine oil cooler?

 

[Smokinthehippies]

Process of elimination. He had a whole mother thread that stretched months if not years of testing various bits of the system with no positive effect.

 

[cuervo]

Process of elimination. He had a whole mother thread that stretched months if not years of testing various bits of the system with no positive effect.

Yeah I'm aware of his thread but still, nothing would point me to remove the engine oil cooler.

 

[Smokinthehippies]

Which is why it was the last thing he played with. Cuz logically it shouldn't. But it did

 

[cuervo]

What made him decide to remove the cooler? You and I can keep playing 20 questions or just wait for him to post his reason(s) that lead him in that direction.

 

[Smokinthehippies]

meh I have time. it was nothing else working and someone suggesting to try it and he did.

 

[dhcomp]

The main heating up issue was when towing up grades, so it was tough to test.

When I moved up to the mountains, I had a chance to test towing when it wasn't too hot out. So I pulled the trans cooler for a test, as it was the easiest to bypass ( just put I back to stock with radiator cooler only). Once I knew it didn't get as hot with the trans cooler removed, I decided to remove the oil cooler permanently. Knew I couldn't run without the trans cooler, and enough people said the oil cooler wasn't critical, so I chose to remove it rather than remote mount one of the coolers.

 

[dhcomp]

Whoa, a year since an update.

The old rig is still very loved, but sits a lot during summer.

needs paint, and has developed a coolant leak. And needs batteries. And a steering box adjustment . And body mounts.

Doing my best not to neglect it. Barely put 1000 miles on it last year.

Looking forward to driving it some more this winter.

 

[skunked]

need some snow too.

 

[dhcomp]

Had a little time in the garage, so I finally put the rear tailgate Chevrolet badge back on. Knocked it off with a shovel last winter.

What lunatic spends 45 min prepping an emblem to install on something that is losing its paint?!


Old friend gets to spend the night in the garage while the emblem dries. Glad this garage is so comfortably deep!

 

[dhcomp]

Body mounts. Is there any reason to not go poly?

Want to maintain stock ride, and if the stock rubbers did well for 300k and 25+ years, should I mess with success?

 

[nutt7]

Body mounts. Is there any reason to not go poly?

Want to maintain stock ride, and if the stock rubbers did well for 300k and 25+ years, should I mess with success?

I recently went poly. My burb is pretty mild, but the only difference I could tell was slightly better steering response, less sway, and my engine seems to be a little louder in the cab (it's all stock, including exhaust)...and that's only when accelerating. I haven't noticed any road noise difference. I came up on a pricing mishap on Amazon and got my prothane kit for $28...usually $112 so the decision to not go rubber was easy.

 

[86454K30]

This may be debatable but at one time my dad and I both had K30's, same suspension only thing different was one had poly mounts and the other OEM rubber. I never could understand why my Dad's(poly) road rough till I put poly in mine. I promptly ordered new rubber and swapped them out. I feel the poly rides rougher or firmer.

 

[dhcomp]

 

[dhcomp]

This may be debatable but at one time my dad and I both had K30's, same suspension only thing different was one had poly mounts and the other OEM rubber. I never could understand why my Dad's(poly) road rough till I put poly in mine. I promptly ordered new rubber and swapped them out. I feel the poly rides rougher or firmer.

Where can you even get rubber kits anymore?

 

[86454K30]

LMC has rubber body mounts. You can also still get them from GM or at least you could last year.

 

[dhcomp]

Lmc has a kit with washers and bolts apparently, too.

That sounds like the way to go, but it’s $200 ish.

We’ll see if I can stop spending on boat parts long eough to give the Burb some love.

 

[swettysblazer]

Lmc has a kit with washers and bolts apparently, too.

That sounds like the way to go, but it’s $200 ish.

We’ll see if I can stop spending on boat parts long eough to give the Burb some love.

I bought that kit. It is nice. That was the only option I had though on my 78 K5, as the PO had about a 6 inch body lift in it.

 

[dhcomp]

If rubber made it 26 yrs and 290k, I’m sure a new rubber kit will probably last me a while.

Damn thing rides stiff as it is, don’t need to make it worse