The ductwork in these trucks S-U-C-K-S! They are slip fit and leave a big gap. Particularly at the vents. I tape mine and installed weather stripping at the vents. Helps a lot.
CK5
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Abusfullofnuns Suburban going long in the rear
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That's what I wanted to hear. I haven't looked at the system yet, but sounds like it will be worth pulling it apart and taking care of any issues I can find. The vents aren't in perfect condition either. Some are missing the adjuster and some won't stay pointed in the right direction without being wedged. I'm not sure if some of the issues are just the housing or if it's the vent. Either way I'll probably need to spend a Franklin or more on vents and housings.
superbuickguy
1/2 ton status
I forgot something until I was working on mine tonight. There's a duct that goes from the center at the HVAC to the left of the driver that many people remove and never get back in. If that one isn't connected, that could be an issue as well.
Nice suburban, I'm running a similar drivetrain in my blazer and love it so far. How did it handle running 85+ for extended periods of time? I want to put more gear in my truck, just not sure how I feel about having it run 2800 rpms on the interstate.
Great looking burb. My 52's sucked on the street, but then again that could have been the 42" swampers as well.
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Honestly, it wasn't that bad. The speedo dried out in Colorado, so until I got the gps out I didn't know how fast I was really going. I have an out of balance tire that smooths out past 75. The steering box was so bad that I was more focused on keeping her between the lines than I was about the RPMs. It was definitely somewhere around 3K but I didn't feel like I was ragging it out.
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Although it's not a necessity, I'm going to try to install the TNA crossmember and motor mounts this weekend. I'll also take a further look at the duct work.
These are minor projects compared to the suspension, but I am sick of not making progress on the overall goals. Stay tuned for pic updates.
These are minor projects compared to the suspension, but I am sick of not making progress on the overall goals. Stay tuned for pic updates.
superbuickguy
1/2 ton status
I've been singing this song too. I finally installed the lift on my 'burb, not because it makes things easier to finish fixing - it makes it a bit harder, but because I got tired of dealing with Bubba and I was starting to calculate how much tanerite I could stuff into the rig....
Sometimes nothing helps build motivation like a little visual progress. Being able to actually SEE a difference when you look at it helps a lot with moving the project along.
I used zip ties at all the vent connections, it's one more thing to cut off and replace when I have to do work on them but it does decrease the air leaked out the gaps and wasted behind the dash pretty significantly. Also, I picked up a tip from the thirdgen Camaro guys for the vents a long time ago and I've been doing it on my vents ever since, when you pop the vent out of the dash they put the "fuzzy" side of some self adhesive Velcro where the plastic pins that hold the vent in it's housing. It's the perfect amount of friction to keep them easily movable by hand but they won't just flop around anymore.
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Making progress.....you know how it goes with "help". My 6yo did the painting of the crossmember and mounts. I did the prep, as it was oil soaked and dirt covered. Her spray work left some to be desired. Lol.
Time to get the factory stuff out!
Time to get the factory stuff out!
superbuickguy
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that rocks!
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Mother Nature is being a bit of a c-word. Pouring rain just when I got some time to crank on it. Rivets are gone and triangles are undone. Motor mounts are still attached though.
As you can see, i ended up using a 4" grinder to take the rivets off. The air chisel didn't seem to make a dent. I probably don't know the proper technique or bit to use. Not quite as clean, but the grinder wasn't too bad. Sure wish I had something other than a gravel pad to work off/out of right now.
As you can see, i ended up using a 4" grinder to take the rivets off. The air chisel didn't seem to make a dent. I probably don't know the proper technique or bit to use. Not quite as clean, but the grinder wasn't too bad. Sure wish I had something other than a gravel pad to work off/out of right now.
superbuickguy
1/2 ton status
cross-cut the rivet heads with a 1/8" grinder cutting wheel - then chisel off of the air hammer. Once you've knocked the quarters off, then put a punch in the air hammer and knock the rest of the rivet through. Your cross-cut will help you stay on center.
Overkill6x6
Registered Member
I just drilled my rivets out. Started with 1/8 then stepped up till I was 1/2. My Milwaukee cordless had no problem. Then a quick pry bar and a smack with a hammer and the brackets fell off
I use the same method, sometimes I'll just use a 3lb hammer and cold chisel if I don't feel like digging out the air hammer. Used my Hilti TE-256 once, cut the rivets off in 2 seconds without cross cutting but needed a ton of room to get it in there.
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That's along the lines of what I was thinking, but all of my discs were thick abrasive wheels. By the time I hit them with my grinder they were too mangled to get a cut in them.
I guess I'll have lots of practice with all the suspension rivets that I get to remove. I think these are my first ever structural rivets that I've removed from a vehicle.
Waiting on the ok from the family so I can go outside and roll around on the wet gravel.
My helper (grandson) will be real busy this summer! Pawpaw has plans for him...
