FishinGuns’ 2500 Suburban FUV Thread

[FishinGuns]

What is the exterior finish you had put on?

IGL Coatings, their 7 year ceramic coating. I had that professionally done by Precision Auto in Novi, MI. Local for me. He did a great job! He did the paint correction work as well.

I barely have to wash it at the coin-op. It’s like the whole vehicle is Rain-X’ed.

 

[FishinGuns]

Nice work! On the dash, the section that cracked near the airbag, I have seen guys leave the bolt under there a little loose.

Truck looks great. Don't know which year it is, the 2500 wagons kept the older suspension when they updated it for the pick em ups in 2011 if memory serves. The lug spacing is different too.

The 2007-2009 door panels have a smaller handle that doesn't break like the 2010+. However, folks on here have modified and repaired them and posted how tos on here.

Going to put a locker up front? They don't make them for the 1500s as the cases are too weak for them.

Good note on the dash, I’ll look into that.

it’s a 2012. I’ll edit my first post. Doh! So yeah, the 11-13 2500 Suburban suspension and lug pattern is the 01-10 truck suspension and bolt pattern for sure, except the torsion bar/key crossmember I detailed above. I almost tried keeping it in the same location, but I wasn’t sure how much the extra angle on the torsion bars would affect everything. If I already had a lift in my barn, I’d try it myself. I had favor from a local shop to use the back corner bay to put the lift on, so I needed to move it out as soon as possible.

The 2007-2009 door panels are great info! I was going to repair mine at first, but decided I try a new panel first and see how it goes for me. I tend not to beat on my stuff terribly, lol!

These 2500 Suburbans all the way to 2013 have the older cast aluminum GM/AAM 9.25” IFS front diff. More good for me than bad. The only bad is the new 2011+ diff is cast iron and has a normal front cover (bad for me because that’s better than what I have), except there’s not traction aids available for it. The older style cast aluminum clamshell diff I have is going to cost me to have the work done (not easy to work on like my 14 bolt FF rear…), but I can put an ARB Air Locker in it, at least! I know I’ll need to use it sparingly and judiciously, which is fine for me. I won’t be anything but basically light over landing as far as offroad goes, but my main reason is slick, snowy, icy, minimally plowed boat ramps. I swap to a jet pump on my boat from September to April (and soon to be occasionally back to the prop to duck hunt divers) and run rivers in that rig. What I really wanted was Eaton TruTracs front and rear like I’m doing to my Cherokee, but I can’t find enough info on putting a TruTrac in the 9.25” to take that chance. I’ll be taking her to gear shops as soon as I get my full exhaust done headers to tip and then BB tuned. I kinda want to see how the 3.73’s are with that performance stuff completed before I commit to a gear swap.

I saw the new ZR2 1500 Silverado coming (2022, I think?) will have e-lockers front and rear. So hopefully an option for the half ton guys in the future. Gotta be a new diff, I’m guessing. Wouldn’t it be sweet to get a ZR2 Tahoe or Suburban with that 3.0 in-line diesel with front and rear lockers, maybe 275/65R20’s? A man can dream!!

 

[Bill 1960]

Very nice. I am envious of the front diff as that’s the weak point in the 1500, as I’m sure you know. I was on the fence between wanting the short wheelbase and wanting 8 lugs.

 

[FishinGuns]

I mean, it’s still no solid front axle by any means, but yeah, it is significantly stronger and has a couple options for traction aids compared to the 1500’s.

 

[swathdiver]

Good note on the dash, I’ll look into that.

it’s a 2012. I’ll edit my first post. Doh! So yeah, the 11-13 2500 Suburban suspension and lug pattern is the 01-10 truck suspension and bolt pattern for sure, except the torsion bar/key crossmember I detailed above. I almost tried keeping it in the same location, but I wasn’t sure how much the extra angle on the torsion bars would affect everything. If I already had a lift in my barn, I’d try it myself. I had favor from a local shop to use the back corner bay to put the lift on, so I needed to move it out as soon as possible.

The 2007-2009 door panels are great info! I was going to repair mine at first, but decided I try a new panel first and see how it goes for me. I tend not to beat on my stuff terribly, lol!

These 2500 Suburbans all the way to 2013 have the older cast aluminum GM/AAM 9.25” IFS front diff. More good for me than bad. The only bad is the new 2011+ diff is cast iron and has a normal front cover, except there’s not traction aids available for it. The older style cast aluminum clamshell diff I have is going to cost me to have the work done, but I can put an ARB Air Locker in it at least! I know I’ll need to use it sparingly and judiciously, which is fine for me. I won’t be anything but light over landing as far as offroad goes, but the main reason is slick, snowy, icy, minimally plowed boat ramps. I swap to a jet pump on my boat from September to April (and soon to be occasionally back to the prop to duck hunt divers) and run rivers in that rig. What I really wanted was Eaton TruTracs front and rear like I’m doing to my Cherokee, but I can’t find enough info on putting a TruTrac in the 9.25” to take that chance. I’ll be taking to gear shops as soon as I get my full exhaust done headers to tip and the Suburban tuned. I kinda want to see how the 3.73’s are with that performance stuff completed before I commit to a gear swap.

I saw the new ZR2 1500 Silverado coming (2022, I think?) will have e-lockers front and rear. So hopefully an option for the half ton guys in the future. Gotta be a new diff, I’m guessing. Wouldn’t it be sweet to get a ZR2 Tahoe or Suburban with that 3.0 in-line diesel with front and rear lockers, maybe 275/65R20’s? A man can dream!!

Aren't all of them running the same suspension from 2007 to 2010 too?

Randeez on here put one of those new front differentials in his 1500 Denali race truck.

Yes, a diesel with lockers and 34s and the Jeeps on the trails out west would be envious!

Fun stuff!

 

[FishinGuns]

Aren't all of them running the same suspension from 2007 to 2010 too?

Aren't all of them running the same suspension from 2007 to 2010 too?

Randeez on here put one of those new front differentials in his 1500 Denali race truck.

Yes, a diesel with lockers and 34s and the Jeeps on the trails out west would be envious!

Fun stuff!

Yeah, sorry I wasn’t clear. The 2500 Suburban’s from 07-13 are the 01-10 truck suspensions except for the torsion bar crossmember and how it’s mounted to the frame.

 

[FishinGuns]

ARH long tubes finally showed up. Got a set for the XJ as well. Not sure why I thought the O2 sensor extensions came with the kit, but whatever. If anyone has suggestions, I’m all ears for those. * Update, might not need extensions. We’ll see how she shakes out…

Im going to start talking to shops for custom building me a cat-back. There are zero that I have been able to find for 2500 Suburbans and I’m pretty sure they are different than trucks all together, frame-wise from the torsion bar crossmember back, basically. Not many shops do mandrel bend tubing either, even in Metro Detroit. Kinda odd. Regardless, she’ll get 3” mandrel bent tubing, single exit, likely a 24” Borla round muffler (maybe two shorter round ones?), resonators to my taste. I had a Corsa Sport cat-back on my previous 1500 5.3L and it was prefect tone, loud when you got on it, and no drone cruising. Aiming for as close to that as possible.

 

[mikeyss]

ARH long tubes finally showed up. Got a set for the XJ as well. Not sure why I thought the O2 sensor extensions came with the kit, but whatever. If anyone has suggestions, I’m all ears for those. * Update, might not need extensions. We’ll see how she shakes out…

Im going to start talking to shops for custom building me a cat-back. There are zero that I have been able to find for 2500 Suburbans and I’m pretty sure they are different than trucks all together, frame-wise from the torsion bar crossmember back, basically. Not many shops do mandrel bend tubing either, even in Metro Detroit. Kinda odd. Regardless, she’ll get 3” mandrel bent tubing, single exit, likely a 24” Borla round muffler (maybe two shorter round ones?), resonators to my taste. I had a Corsa Sport cat-back on my previous 1500 5.3L and it was prefect tone, loud when you got on it, and no drone cruising. Aiming for as close to that as possible.

I have the same headers, ARH 1 7/8" with their cats, and the o2 sensors plug in perfectly with no need for wire extensions.

 

[FishinGuns]

Awesome!!! Thanks for confirming. I went 1-3/4” on mine. Your engine build is sick, btw!