Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon XL Registry

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DonD

Rank II
Launch Member

Contributor III

327
Ohio


2003 Suburban Z71
5.3L Vortec V8

As of 7/6/2017 she has 130,000 miles

Exterior
  • N-Fab Pre-Runner light bar C993LH
  • Wilco Offroad Hitchgate (offset version)
  • Level 8 MK6 17x8 Bronze Wheels
  • Thule Summit Cargo Box (mounted for longer trips)
  • BFGoodrich LT285/70R17, All-Terrain T/A KO2
  • 80 Series LC Snorkel
  • Flowmaster 50 Series Exhaust
  • Curt Front Hitch

Suspension & Brakes
  • Aftermarket torsion keys
  • 2" rear aluminum spacers
  • Moog K700539 front sway bar links
  • Bilstein 5100 Front and Rear
  • GMT900 Front Brake Upgrade

Electrical and Lighting
  • 3 x ProComp 130W 9131 Driving Lights
  • LED Interior Lighting Package
  • Dual Interstate Batteries

Engine
  • Volant Cold Air Intake
Ho


2003 Suburban Z71
5.3L Vortec V8

As of 7/6/2017 she has 130,000 miles

Exterior
  • N-Fab Pre-Runner light bar C993LH
  • Wilco Offroad Hitchgate (offset version)
  • Level 8 MK6 17x8 Bronze Wheels
  • Thule Summit Cargo Box (mounted for longer trips)
  • BFGoodrich LT285/70R17, All-Terrain T/A KO2
  • 80 Series LC Snorkel
  • Flowmaster 50 Series Exhaust
  • Curt Front Hitch

Suspension & Brakes
  • Aftermarket torsion keys
  • 2" rear aluminum spacers
  • Moog K700539 front sway bar links
  • Bilstein 5100 Front and Rear
  • GMT900 Front Brake Upgrade

Electrical and Lighting
  • 3 x ProComp 130W 9131 Driving Lights
  • LED Interior Lighting Package
  • Dual Interstate Batteries

Engine
  • Volant Cold Air Intake
[how does your 5.3 handle what your doing with your rig?
 

Old Griz

Rank V
Launch Member

Enthusiast III

1,721
North Idaho
First Name
Bill
Last Name
Clisham
Member #

9810

I haven't seriously looked into a lift with Autoride. I think most folks simply delete that option from the computer and move on as if it was never there.

I see alot of people delete the autoride do to the extra large, stupid highly price stock replacement shocks.[/QUOTE]
 
Last edited:

Old Griz

Rank V
Launch Member

Enthusiast III

1,721
North Idaho
First Name
Bill
Last Name
Clisham
Member #

9810

Mine is a 2001k2500 8.1-4L80E - full floating 14 bolt with G80 locker.
It has about 250,000 miles. Not % sure as the odometer quit a few years ago.
285/75/16 Cooper ATP tires.
Uniden 878 CB.
Doing a full camper conversion this spring.
 
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oldmopars

Rank V
Launch Member

Member III

2,865
Selah Wa
First Name
Scott
Last Name
Solomon
Member #

20486

Well, here is mine. I have done more to it sense this picture, but you get the idea. 90 V2500 5.7L 4.11,THM400. It now has a roof rack and a solar system. Full size 6in mattress and soon I hope to add an awning and water storage.
 

DonD

Rank II
Launch Member

Contributor III

327
Ohio
Yes!!!! Here's mine:

2004 Z71. 183k miles. All options including G80.

33" Cooper ATPs
Bilstein 5100, still at stock ride height
Moog sways all the way around
Full interior LED conversion

Spends most of her time as a school bus here in the PNW, but she's got it where it counts off road.

Here is my "build" on ExPo I got here as fast as I could - '07 Suburban Z71










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
How do you like the bilstein shocks compared to stock?
 

oldmopars

Rank V
Launch Member

Member III

2,865
Selah Wa
First Name
Scott
Last Name
Solomon
Member #

20486

Working on an 86 GMC Suburban. Lift kit going on next month. Will post pics soon. I love Suburbans
I look forward to seeing it. As you can see I have a 90 V2500 I am building. I would love to see what you are doing with yours.
 

BigDogYJ

Rank II
Launch Member

Enthusiast III

473
California, USA
First Name
Jamison
Last Name
Donato
My family always had a suburban as I was growing up. I began to appreciate the usefulness of them at a young age. I learned to drive and took my drivers test in a 1989 V2500. Unfortunately my parents had to give it up with over 460k miles on it. But we got to replace it with another 1989 V2500 with far less miles. I continued to drive that until I made what seemed like a stupid decision shortly after, to trade it for a new 2006 GMC 2500HD Duramax. While I loved the Duramax (the powertrain mostly), I really missed the utility of the suburban and all the interior space. It would be 11 years before another suburban would make its way into my family...

The details of the story and build are reported here: 2004 Yukon XL K2500 LBZ

Glad to have a group that loves and uses their GMT-800's. Probably one of the greatest full-size platforms around.

Here's a pic of our 2004 Yukon HD K2500 LBZ (as I like to call it)...

IMG_4871.JPG
 

Tatertot

Rank 0

Contributor I

I have a rig I just picked about a month ago...

2001 yukon xl 2500 SLT
6.0 4l80e
4" Rancho lift
Rancho front skid
Projector headlights
Roland roof basket
Homemade awning
Volant CAI
Supposedly has a hypertch tune
305/70-16 Open Country MTs

Overall, pretty close to stock.....

Needs more off the line power...thinking black bear tune....
 

BigDogYJ

Rank II
Launch Member

Enthusiast III

473
California, USA
First Name
Jamison
Last Name
Donato
@Tatertot / @Anak
Agreed, the K2500 series burbs are heavy... over 5700 lbs! before you start loading them up. The 8.1 I think is closer to 6k lbs!
Larger than stock tires without re-gearing the axle(s) makes even slower off the line.

Also the biggest restriction to "off the line power" is the transmission they put in these rigs. While the 4L80/85e series trans are great in their own right, it has a max input torque rating (440lb/ft) that they have to work with.
The 6.0L is a decent engine but thirsty compared to the 5.3L for the additional power you get from it. The 8.1L is a beast (455lb/ft)! But when mated to the 4L80/85 series trans they really need to dial the engine back to keep it under the max torque rating of the trans. The later 03+ 8.1 was detuned further to keep the trans happy. In the pickups, they had the Allison 5 speed (520 lb/ft) behind the 8.1L and while the pickup might weigh a little less, those rigs definitely have more power off the line since they do not need to limit the torque like they do when mated to the 4L80/85.

If GM would have put the Allison in the burbs then we could have had the same fun as the pickup guys. but Allison is 100+ lbs heavier then the 4L80 and with the 2500 burbs getting an 8600lb GVWR they needed to keep the component weight down so that payload capacity could be competitive. The Pickups had a higher GVWR (9200lb) so they could afford the additional weight of the allison.

I've driven a couple 8.1's with the BlackBear treatment and they definitely wake up that motor, but I feel its a matter of time for the trans with that additional torque being thrown at it. If you address the trans then you should be good to go.
That 8.1L was designed and built to be used and abused for 250k+ miles. Probably one of the most durable gas engines GM has built in recent years.
Good luck with your rigs and I'm glad to see the GMT-800 crew who appreciates these rigs for what they are.
 

velojym

Rank III
Launch Member

Enthusiast II

539
Alabama
First Name
Jim
Last Name
Caron
Member #

20941

Ham/GMRS Callsign
KM4LBP
2004 Z71 Suburban, Central AL
225,000 miles
5.3

Only mod so far is the grille/brush guard. I'm looking more for anything that'll give it an edge offroad without messing with highway/commuter use.IMG_20191015_071911916.jpg
 

Enthusiast III

1,212
Grand Falls-Windsor, NL, Canada
First Name
Steve
Last Name
Adams
I’m looking for another 2005 z71 now for a business I am going to be operating this year. Need lower mileage and bone stock. I will be lifting and adding some off road gear to it. But it will be shuttling clients around Newfoundland.
 

Enthusiast III

1,212
Grand Falls-Windsor, NL, Canada
First Name
Steve
Last Name
Adams
2004 Z71 Suburban, Central AL
225,000 miles
5.3

Only mod so far is the grille/brush guard. I'm looking more for anything that'll give it an edge offroad without messing with highway/commuter use.View attachment 131943
Cognito lift kit, with Non bilstien shocks would be a great combo for what your thinking. or, there is a conversion kit now out that you can put coil overs on the front which changes the truck drastically. For the better that is. When I get another one, I am going with those coil overs, and cognito front end parts. The company (i cannot rememeber the name now) that makes the coil overs also make shocks for the rear both of which are rebuildable. pop on a set of wheels and 285s and you are good to go.
 

velojym

Rank III
Launch Member

Enthusiast II

539
Alabama
First Name
Jim
Last Name
Caron
Member #

20941

Ham/GMRS Callsign
KM4LBP
I'm fine with the stock wheels, but 285s would be nice, and I'll look into the suspension parts mentioned. Thanks!