1991 3/4 ton Chevy Suburban 4x4. 5.7 litre TBI, 4L80E trans.
I bought the truck with the hopes of lifting it and putting larger tires on it. About a year after I bought it I installed a 4" Rough Country suspension lift. This included 4" lift springs in the front, new shocks (duals in the front), a new steering stabilizer, an adjustable drop drag link to keep the steering geometry stock and rear blocks. I then put wheels and tires that were take-offs from a Hummer H2. The wheels are 17" wheels with 315/70-17 BFGoodrich AT TA/KO's (About as close to 35x12.50x17's as you can get). The tires are great on the highway and are very capable in the mud and snow. The truck has a 14 bolt corporate 9.5 inch ring gear rear end with a limited slip and drum brakes. I am building a 14 bolt corporate 10.5" with a locker and disk brakes for it now. The front diff is a GM 10 bolt and I plan to replace it with a Dana 60. Within the next year the motor will come out and will be rebuilt with some modest modifications, i.e. a more aggressive cam, heads, and an aftermarket TBI. I like the fuel injection because it helps with gas mileage.
I wheel anywhere I can. The lift was just completed in April so I haven't had a chance to wheel the truck a whole lot yet. Here in Illinois you mostly have mud, but you can find some good wooded trails with hills and mud holes if you are lucky enough to know someone that will let you have fun on their property. I have been a couple of times on some wooded land that a friend of mine has in eastern Illinois with some modest trails but nothing real exciting. We have a couple of old farm roads around here that get pretty nasty after a good rain and can be fairly challenging. I am looking forward to a trip to Colorado to explore the backroads and mountains and to enjoy the scenery. No matter where I am I am glad to be driving my 4x4. It's fun no matter what. That's what it's all about right?
This truck is a daily driver (it has 225,000 miles on it!) so it is important for me to maintain on road drivability while having the most capable offroad vehicle that I can.
It does great on the highway and has been from Illinois to Florida and back a couple of times, one time hauling a 6,000lb trailer and gets no less than 1000 miles a month. But when it hits the dirt it is an entirely different creature. Very Capable to say the least! The only problem is that it is not allowed in the off road parks around here because of the long wheelbase.
Thanks for the opportunity to share my toy and thanks for the great website.
Dave Johansen
Fairbury, Illinois
United States
