Thinking about a 2-dr Tahoe...

As much as I still feel like a kid in the 70s/80s, the middle-aged guy staring back at me from the mirror says otherwise.

M
Yeah the grey in my beard is a sure giveaway for me. Actually this morning I was laying in bed thinking about what I was going to tinker with on my 2000 Jeep Wrangler, and it hit me I HAVE HAD THAT JEEP FOR 20 YEARS:oops:
 

nitro_rat

Lunchbox Lockers
I love your rig @arveetek. Very nicely built and a rare rig indeed!

@Gummee, I may be a little biased, but I think a 2dr GMT400 Blazer/Tahoe/Yukon would make a nice rig for what you want to do, like @phsycle said, throw a sleeping bag in the back and try it out. I agree with all of these posts. I'd tackle the normal suspects on all GMT400s: I'd also add a pre-emptive fuel pump replacement to that list (if theres no known record of it ever being replaced) as it seems like several of the gmt400 owners I know locally have had this issue at some point.




@Gummee, I know you didn't ask about lifts, but I also know that's something most folks gravitate towards on these rigs, myself included. Reluctantly, but logically and after my own research over the past few years, totally agree with @jonathon about lifting the suspension a GMT400. I've gone through the whole thought process of this on my own '92 K1500 RCSB and have looked at different rigs and talked with a bunch of different folks about it from simple body lifts to full strait axle swaps. Originally I was planning to do a "3 inch" suspension lift kit myself with new, aftermarket upper control arms, a slight front differential drop and longer shocks up front and a slight lift shackle in the rear. The more research I did the less I was happy I was due to steep lower ball-joint angles and a lot of cost for very little result. This can also be said about lifting other torsion-bar equipped IFS rigs (think older F-150s for example).

With that said, many people are happy with the various 4" and 6" diff-drop lift kits, @Spargman on here built a nice 4dr Tahoe with a 4" IFS lift (check out https://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/99-tahoe-expedition-build.74594/), which is the next option, with Rough Country's seeming to be the most popular. With those you gain body height and better approach/departure angle but the ground clearance at the front differential and IFS stays the same. You then have to deal with the torsion bars hanging down which affects the break-over angle unless you're able to get some of the "Reallift" torsion bar re-locators to tuck them up back into the frame. Like any modification to any rig, there's up and downsides and your mileage and need may vary.

I've been very happy with the ground clearance and capability of my own truck on 285/75R16s (just a hair shy of 33") all terrain tires. Its setup very similarly to @arveetek's rig. They are surprisingly capable in stock form and with some sort of a locker out back, can go just about anywhere (within reason). Another good thread for inspiration is @vargsmetal's K1500 thread https://expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/my-1990-chevy-k1500.202936/ He had a ton of fun with a mostly stock suspension rig as well.

Best of luck and keep us posted on if you come home with a new rig!

Have another look at rough country. They redesigned their kit years ago. It relocates the torsion bar pivot higher up and leaves the torsion bar cross member in the original position. Same result as "real lift" without patent infringement...
 

GMT430

New member
I love my 2 door! I've owned it for 15 years now.

There is a third engine option available on these rigs: the 6.5L diesel, which is what I have (although it is fairly rare). I absolutely love having a 30 gallon fuel tank and a fuel-sipping diesel. When I'm out with my Jeep and Toyota buddies on multi-day trips, they have to stop and refuel, while my fuel needle has barely moved off the full mark! :D Another perk is that the diesel option will come with the 4L80E transmission.

Also, the front end is not that weak. I have 358K miles on my rig, and I am still on the stock CV axles and joints. I did completely rebuild the front suspension joints 4 years ago, but that was just for regular maintenance. I haven't broken a single piece when off-road, and I've been places I probably shouldn't have. I'm running 285/75R16 (33") tires. That is about as big as you can go without a suspension lift.

This platform is perfect for one person: just fold the rear seats down, throw a sleeping bag in the rear, and you're good to go! Even with a family of 4, we did a 9 day trip to Colorado. I built shelving to fit in the rear cargo area to hold our belongings, along with a roof-top carrier. I also built a rear tire-carrier to move the spare tire out of the cargo area.

I think the 2 doors are often overlooked in the overland crowd. Even though it is considered "full-size", I measured the width of my rig, and I'm only 2" wider than my buddy's JK. Of course, his tires are the widest point and stick out past the body, so I have to really watch for body damage on tight trails, but I pretty much fit anywhere the 4 door JK's do.


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Casey
I love your truck! I have a stock 97 Yukon 2 door that has served me well, but I'm looking to upgrade the wheel/tire combo and would love more info on your home built tire carrier. As for the wheels, how wide are those Toyota steelies and which ones are they? Do they rub at all?
 

vintageracer

To Infinity and Beyond!
One of the BEST things about these trucks if you have a 96-99 model is that if the L31 Vortec 350 gives up you can buy a complete new L31 crate engine from GM with a 3 year 100,000 mile warranty for $1800.00 or less all day from GM! That's CHEAP if you need a new engine or buy a truck for nothing because it has a bad engine.

Can't say that about any other truck from GM or any other manufacture!
 

arveetek

Adventurer
I love your truck! I have a stock 97 Yukon 2 door that has served me well, but I'm looking to upgrade the wheel/tire combo and would love more info on your home built tire carrier. As for the wheels, how wide are those Toyota steelies and which ones are they? Do they rub at all?

Thanks!

I honestly don't know the specs on the wheels. They are stock Toyota OEM "steelies." I bought them used from a friend and bolted them and they work! There was just a slight amount of rubbing on the front, and I had to trim the lower plastic valance just a bit, and crank the front bars ever so slightly. No issues on the rear.

I built the rear tire carrier using ideas I stole from this thread:


Casey
 

GMT430

New member
Thanks!

I honestly don't know the specs on the wheels. They are stock Toyota OEM "steelies." I bought them used from a friend and bolted them and they work! There was just a slight amount of rubbing on the front, and I had to trim the lower plastic valance just a bit, and crank the front bars ever so slightly. No issues on the rear.

I built the rear tire carrier using ideas I stole from this thread:


Casey
That's a great write up on the carrier. Thanks!
 

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