Would you consider your Tahoe/Sub/Yuk as fragile?

[oh1yukonslt]

If I could keep the appearance I have now and switch to a 2500 at no cost, I'd be a happy Grimes.

Yeah I have to say you have a bitchin looking rig. Like the way it looks!!

 

[YukonXL04]

I've owned nothing but GMs my entire life with the exception of a Honda Civic for 6 months and now an Audi A6 for a part time commuter car.

I'd have to run down the list again but I think I'm around 16 or 19 GM vehicles in about 26 years of driving.

I do consider them fragile. The transmissions, suspensions, front differential, rusting, electrical, etc.

I've always owned GM because I was raised on them and knew how to work on them. The ergonomics and design has kept me coming back.

My 05 Escalade had a reman trans in it when I bought it at 83K miles, I've rebuilt the front suspension with the exception of the control arms which I have in boxes, ready to go on in the spring. I've rebuilt the rear suspension both front and rear was shot. I rebuilt the steering two weeks ago, it was also shot. All of this before 90K miles.

I drained the front diff when I purchased the vehicle and could not believe how much metal came out, I'm surprised it's gotten me this far and it's starting to act up a bit, I'm expecting to have that rebuilt by summer.

The good thing about the reputation for being fragile is we all get to pick them up cheap as used vehicles and if you can do the work yourself you get a lot of vehicle for a very reasonable amount of money.

Whenever I buy a used GM I always plan on rebuilding the suspensions at a minimum. I cross my fingers that if the trans and engine are solid on the test drive they'll remain that way for some time but I always keep the trans in the back of my mind for possible replacement.

Honestly it sounds like your truck has been abused lol...

All of my GM vehicles have held up great with the exception of anything with a 4l60e lol. Those are crap. Even the one in my s10 blazer couldn't hold up. Those would be the only part I consider fragile.

 

[Z-56 Hoe]

Honestly it sounds like your truck has been abused lol...

All of my GM vehicles have held up great with the exception of anything with a 4l60e lol. Those are crap. Even the one in my s10 blazer couldn't hold up. Those would be the only part I consider fragile.

I must agree

 

[Wake]

Honestly it sounds like your truck has been abused lol...

All of my GM vehicles have held up great with the exception of anything with a 4l60e lol. Those are crap. Even the one in my s10 blazer couldn't hold up. Those would be the only part I consider fragile.

It's possible that it was abused before I bought it, but I've found the items I mentioned in several of my vehicles as weak points. I don't think all of them were abused. My 03 Trailblazer also needed to have all the suspension rebuilt before 90K miles as it was pretty sloppy.

My Escalade like your Tahoes/Yukons share a lot of the same pieces. Take a look at some of the suspension pieces and you might be surprised. I was pretty surprised to find the lower control arm bushings looked fine on both sides but the uppers are totally shot, cracked all the way around on both sides and sloppy. The panhard bar bushing looked OK but they along with the stamped steel bar are pretty flimsy. I replaced it with a tubular steel unit with poly bushings and it feels like a brand new rear suspension. The rear lower control arms were replaced last summer, cracked bushings. The rear upper control arms looked fine.

Maybe it's because I now live in an area where salt is used but if you do as well take a look at your brake lines, they might scare you. Lots of those going out all through the GM line, heavy rust and corrosion on My 98 Olds and my 05 Escalade. Not sure about the 07 STS yet as I haven't been under it that much.

I knew a lot of these issues going into the game but I decided to purchase one anyway. You can't beat the prices on a used GM. My $62K Escalade came to me at 7 years old with 83K miles for $16K. My $80K STS-V came to me at 6 years old with 79K miles for $22K. Both almost like new in appearance and run excellent. I just know there is a lot of work ahead of me in keeping them for any length of time. I was pretty relieved to find out I had a rebuilt trans in the Escalade already.

I still consider them fragile though.

 

[Tom Joad]

All of my GM vehicles have held up great with the exception of anything with a 4l60e lol. Those are crap. Even the one in my s10 blazer couldn't hold up. Those would be the only part I consider fragile.

I checked and guess what, I have the M30 code which means I have a 4l60-E.
Of what I read on Wikepaedia, the 4l60-E is an update of the 4l60. So it should be stronger.

 

[02tahoeindiana]

By far the most solid car ive ever owned. Been in the family since off the lot and it has been through hell in back. At 216xxx miles with stock engine and trans. Changed a ujoint, brakes a few times, batteries, and lots of tires. Never had the trans flushed or changed. Still on original fuel pump even Been treated like a truck from day one, always ran hard and put away wet. Ive sank it in a river, sunk it in muck, in 4wd daily in this snow and is ran in auto 4wd on launches in rain. Also pull 6,000lb plus often. Will be towing 6,500lbs this summer 20hours with it and anticipate no problems. These trucks are pretty remarkable if you get a properly maintained one.

 

[alc5m]

I checked and guess what, I have the M30 code which means I have a 4l60-E.
Of what I read on Wikepaedia, the 4l60-E is an update of the 4l60. So it should be stronger.

4l60 is a 700r4 just renamed for the new naming system in like 91 or whatever year it was, the e just means electronic shifting instead of manual valve body



and as far as rock solid i've owned an obs and a nbs and suspension components have needed to be replaced

honestly i feel thats the weakest point of these rigs, but i love modifying and working on suspension stuff so i'm not borhtered

never had a problem with either of my 4l60's or engines, i consider these things tanks, i unfortunately put my nbs into a wall, fixed it then ended up in a pole 2 yrs later and i didnt get hurt at all in either instance

so no i dont think these are fragile

 

[Goodinblack]

Chryslers have the most transmission problems. Followed by Ford . Then GM.

Just a general rule that was taught to us in ASEP.

 

[Big Buttons]

Hellz naw dat der sum bish is tuff....

 

[Donnie Yukonie]

Im a GM guy by heart , Honestly Ive put my yukon threw its paces Doing with it NOTHING it was ever designed for , In fact Its held up as good or better than some Jeep guys that I wheel with , Yes Ive Broke things but its the name of the game Jeeps (off road vehicles) as they are renowned for break just as much as these do In tough situations , speaking of OBS of course but thought Id add my .02