Suburban 2500

[calsdad]

You and a bunch of others - especially now that everyone is camping, if you find a good one act fast!

I don't have the production numbers in front of me - but I believe there are significantly less model year 2011, 2012 & 2013 2500 SUVs available - because they didn't produce any where near as many of them in those later years. If I remember correctly - that was a good part of what led GM to discontinue building the 2500 series SUVs.

The value may also be holding up - because GM has released the twelfth generation Suburban/Yukon - and there's no 2500 model in the lineup there either. The two rating on the new SUVs has a max somewhere around 7500 pounds if I recall.

Not sure why GM refuses to come up with a new 3/4 ton SUV - especially with the Duramax diesel - I would think there would be a market for that.

 

[intheburbs]

I don't have the production numbers in front of me - but I believe there are significantly less model year 2011, 2012 & 2013 2500 SUVs available - because they didn't produce any where near as many of them in those later years. If I remember correctly - that was a good part of what led GM to discontinue building the 2500 series SUVs.

The value may also be holding up - because GM has released the twelfth generation Suburban/Yukon - and there's no 2500 model in the lineup there either. The two rating on the new SUVs has a max somewhere around 7500 pounds if I recall.

Not sure why GM refuses to come up with a new 3/4 ton SUV - especially with the Duramax diesel - I would think there would be a market for that.

Well, the early years of GMT900 were no better. According to my build sheet, in 2008 there were 5,687 trucks built. That's a tiny number.

And moving forward, anything above a 1500 SUV is unlikely from GM, since the new platform has gone to IRS.

 

[calsdad]

Well, the early years of GMT900 were no better. According to my build sheet, in 2008 there were 5,687 trucks built. That's a tiny number.

And moving forward, anything above a 1500 SUV is unlikely from GM, since the new platform has gone to IRS.

2008 was a bad year economically. Not a big surprise that they didn't sell all that many. Especially because they built quite a few of the previous generation.

I agree : it seems unlikely there will be another 2500 series SUV. The new Suburban/Yukon has a new body style - with a longer wheelbase than the previous THREE generations. That means that the frame that was used on the GMT800, GMT900 - and the last gen Suburban 3500's - won't work under this new generation. So they'd be looking at a frame redesign as well.

Not sure how that works out longer term -since there does seem to be a market demand for the 2500/3500 series SUVs - if only from government sources.

I'm not sure how similar the 1500 / 2500-3500 latest generation GM pickups are chassis-wise. Previous gens had enough similarities - that (for instance) - the body from a 1500 pickup or SUV - could have been removed and installed on a 2500/3500 series chassis. I don't think this is true any more. That means that a 2500 SUV is probably a no-go , since GM is unlikely to dedicate engineering resources to develop one.

 

[Cyclemoe]

Guess I’ll be holding on to my ‘06 2500. I really do like the 6.0/4l80/4.10’s combo over the ‘05 1500 5.3/4l60/4.10 Combo I had.

 

[calsdad]

Guess I’ll be holding on to my ‘06 2500. I really do like the 6.0/4l80/4.10’s combo over the ‘05 1500 5.3/4l60/4.10 Combo I had.

What sort of mileage do you get with the 4.10 gearing?

My 2010 has 3.73 gearing if I remember correctly - there were no other options. But if you look at the tow ratings for a 2010 Chevy Silverado 2500 - with the 6.0L drivetrain - the tow rating goes up by about 2500 pounds when you have the 4.10 gearing.

 

[intheburbs]

What sort of mileage do you get with the 4.10 gearing?

My 2010 has 3.73 gearing if I remember correctly - there were no other options. But if you look at the tow ratings for a 2010 Chevy Silverado 2500 - with the 6.0L drivetrain - the tow rating goes up by about 2500 pounds when you have the 4.10 gearing.

The pickup trucks are also stouter than the 2500 Suburbans. You can think of them in three "tiers," relative to what was available in GMT800:

1) 1500 - half ton trucks, semifloater axles
2) 2500 SUVs - these are the equivalent of the 1500HD pickups of GMT800.
3) 2500HD pickups - even stouter, stiffer/higher-capacity rear springs, etc.

So just because the 2500HD pickup trailer rating goes up by 2500 lbs with the 4.10 rear, does not mean swapping in a 4.10 axle into an SUV would similarly increase its capacity. They're not the same platform.

 

[Cyclemoe]

What sort of mileage do you get with the 4.10 gearing?

My 2010 has 3.73 gearing if I remember correctly - there were no other options. But if you look at the tow ratings for a 2010 Chevy Silverado 2500 - with the 6.0L drivetrain - the tow rating goes up by about 2500 pounds when you have the 4.10 gearing.

I’m getting 10 in the city, 11ish on the Hwy. best I ever got was 14.1 while I was in the mountains of NM. I’m running 285/70-17’s on H2 wheels and it has 241k miles.

 

[calsdad]

The pickup trucks are also stouter than the 2500 Suburbans. You can think of them in three "tiers," relative to what was available in GMT800:

1) 1500 - half ton trucks, semifloater axles
2) 2500 SUVs - these are the equivalent of the 1500HD pickups of GMT800.
3) 2500HD pickups - even stouter, stiffer/higher-capacity rear springs, etc.

So just because the 2500HD pickup trailer rating goes up by 2500 lbs with the 4.10 rear, does not mean swapping in a 4.10 axle into an SUV would similarly increase its capacity. They're not the same platform.

Maybe the GMT800 2500 SUVs were more along the lines of the 1500HD pickup - especially because they didn't have the full floater axle, but the GMT900 2500 SUV from everything I can tell shares all the underpinnings of the 2500/3500 series pickup line

- the frame is good for at least 12,000 pounds , GM rated the GMT800 2500 SUV with the 8.1L gas engine at something like 12K for towing capacity, the GMT900 has this same exact frame.
- the front end components on the 2500 SUV are the same as the 2500/3500 series pickups
- the 10 bolt full floater axle on the GMT900 SUV - is the same as the pickups
- the 6.0L drivetrain is the same as the pickups
- the brakes on the 2500/3500 pickups - are the exact same parts as used on the 2500 SUV
- the 2500 series pickup with 3.73 gearing , is rated the same as the 2500 SUV - the only differences can be accounted for by looking at the different vehicle weights of each platform

Ergo................ a GMT900 2500 SUV with 4.10 gearing - should be fully capable of equal towing capacity to a 2500 series pickup with the same gearing.

There's absolutely nothing in the specs that points to anything that would make this not true. I've even gone so far as to look at individual part numbers on both platforms to see if there's any differences that might make the 2500 not capable. I can't find anything.

 

[intheburbs]

Maybe the GMT800 2500 SUVs were more along the lines of the 1500HD pickup - especially because they didn't have the full floater axle, but the GMT900 2500 SUV from everything I can tell shares all the underpinnings of the 2500/3500 series pickup line

- the frame is good for at least 12,000 pounds , GM rated the GMT800 2500 SUV with the 8.1L gas engine at something like 12K for towing capacity, the GMT900 has this same exact frame.
- the front end components on the 2500 SUV are the same as the 2500/3500 series pickups
- the 10 bolt full floater axle on the GMT900 SUV - is the same as the pickups
- the 6.0L drivetrain is the same as the pickups
- the brakes on the 2500/3500 pickups - are the exact same parts as used on the 2500 SUV
- the 2500 series pickup with 3.73 gearing , is rated the same as the 2500 SUV - the only differences can be accounted for by looking at the different vehicle weights of each platform

Ergo................ a GMT900 2500 SUV with 4.10 gearing - should be fully capable of equal towing capacity to a 2500 series pickup with the same gearing.

There's absolutely nothing in the specs that points to anything that would make this not true. I've even gone so far as to look at individual part numbers on both platforms to see if there's any differences that might make the 2500 not capable. I can't find anything.

2010 Suburban 2500 rear axle weight rating = 5500 lbs
2010 Silverado 2500 rear axle weight rating = 6084 lbs

2010 Suburban 2500 gross vehicle weight rating = 8600 lbs
2010 Silverado 2500 gross vehicle weight rating = 9200 lbs

If they're identical, why the differences?

And, BTW, the GMT800 2500s with the 8.1 got the 10.5" full floater, the 6.0s got the semifloater.

 

[puckhead]

So, school me on this beefier tow hitch people are talking about. Is it a direct bolt up? Or is there grinding and welding involved?