1989 suburban build.

[rocking chevy]

Heres my suburban, its a 1989 2500 with a 350, 6 inch lift springs which are more like 8 inch springs, and 35 inch tires. Its kind of a toy, but Im going to drive it while I rebuild my pickup.



It has really nice interior for the year. except the sagging headliner.




The exhaust was rotten, so headers and new exhaust go on.




I don't have the exhaust on yet because I didn't have time to take it to the exhaust shop.
And as you can see it has a pretty good amount of rust, but its mainly a toy so who cares.
It also needs front fenders because they were cut to fit the tires when it wasn't lifted as high and they rusted out really bad.
Other than the exhaust I need to put a new power steering pump on, a steering gear box, and an alternator.

[blakeduren]

My two cents:

Your draglink is at a terrible angle. You need crossover steering to make that rig steer well. That might change your decision on what type of steering box to buy if your current one is really trashed. Get a 2wd box!
Also, disconnect your sway bar, with springs that stiff, you probably don't need it, and the truck will ride/flex better.

Looks like a fun truck overall....hard to find a K20 suburban around the midwest that isn't trashed!

[rocking chevy]

Originally Posted by blakeduren

My two cents:

Your draglink is at a terrible angle. You need crossover steering to make that rig steer well. That might change your decision on what type of steering box to buy if your current one is really trashed. Get a 2wd box!
Also, disconnect your sway bar, with springs that stiff, you probably don't need it, and the truck will ride/flex better.

Looks like a fun truck overall....hard to find a K20 suburban around the midwest that isn't trashed!

I know I should have gotten a 2wd box, but I didn't. I don't really have the money right now to do all of that. and I think ill wait until i break the dana 44, then put crossover on when I put a dana 60 in the front.

I might disconnect the sway bars(it has a front and rear one), but the springs actually aren't stiff, it rides really good. so I don't think it will make it ride any better. but i will disconnect them if it doesn't flex enough for me. ill have to go test it out sometime to find out.

[rocking chevy]

I got the exhaust done.
Glass packs. Oh and do you guys like my jeeps tires, there a little bald.

came off the header and put this bend in to get around the transfer case.

then put the mufflers on.

then kicked it out before the rear tires.



heres the o2 sensor after the header.


I also got the power steering pump, the steering gear box, the alternator, and the front fenders on. it was to dark to get any pictures though. I put a brand new battery in it but it was defective so i put the one out of my pickup in it. but it still wouldn't run right, turns out a ground wire was loose, I don't remember loosening it though. so now it runs and sounds really good.
the only thing still wrong is the dome lights won't shut off, I think one of the things on the door that makes them turn on is broke. so i pulled the fuse, but that also messes up my radio, so I'm going to put the fuse back in and try to figure out whats up with them.
Ill get some pictures this weekend, probably a video too.

[rocking chevy]

oh, and those wheel spacers sitting on my jeeps tire, I put them on the rear of the suburban to make the wheel base the same. And I also packed the front wheel bearings.

[rocking chevy]

in a couple of the pics you can see my double stacked 4inch blocks in the rear. I'm going to do a shackle flip to get rid of those.

[rocking chevy]

I figured out whats wrong with it not running right, there was a ground wire loose. The weird thing is I never messed with it.
I also scored a set of off road light that cost $150 for $50.
heres some pictures

[manimal]

I LOVE 4wd 'burbs! Wish my '89 was 4wd.

[rocking chevy]

met up with a tree the other day on a trail...

[bmchevy1979]

Originally Posted by rocking chevy

I figured out whats wrong with it not running right, there was a ground wire loose. The weird thing is I never messed with it.

LOL I know how that is I replaced the engine in a truck that we used to have and when we got it back together it would not start and run it was getting fuel/spark/etc... it turned out to be a loose ground on the computer under the seat we never did anything to the interior of the truck during the replacement
BTW. Truck is looks good new door and fender and you should be good

[rocking chevy]

thanks, its weird how that stuff happens.

[rocking chevy]

well some bad news and some good.
the bad, the frames bent, the engine is only running on seven cylinders, and the trany is going out. so its going to the salvage yard. it was pretty top heavy and could get kinda scary if i went around corners to fast anyways, so it probably wasn't the safest thing to be messing around in anyways.
the good, out of this one going to the salvage yard a new one is born, I picked up a 85 gmc for $500 with a pretty good body on it that I'm going to put the suburbans lift on. which won't be as top heavy so it should be a little safer.


but before I haul it away I'm keeping the good parts off of it.
the electric windows all work and the glass is good, so to save some time I'm going to just take the doors off and keep them for now.
the interior is good so ill be keeping a lot of it like the door panels and seats.
the engine and trany I'm going to keep sense they can be rebuilt.
the transfer case I'm putting on my jeep(hopefully now ill be able to get it finished so I can use it).
the lift and tires are going on the 85 I bought along with the radiator support because it has a pretty new radiator in it and it has a nicer headlight set up in it also.

so the only thing I'm hauling away is the body and frame, I'm keeping pretty much everything else.

Im selling the bases of the roof rack to a guy.

[rocking chevy]

Ok, got some stuff done this weekend. Got the 14 bolt, dana 44, and the lift off the suburban and on the 85 I bought.
Heres the rear done...

Then the front...



Thats all I did to it this weekend.

[rocking chevy]

I put the half ton stuff from the 85 on the suburban.

[Dieselwrencher]

That stinks about the burb! I bet that interior stuff wil bring some decent money.

[rocking chevy]

Yeah it would bring some decent money, but I'm going to keep it for me sense its so good.
It does suck about the frame being bent and all, but it wasn't as fun for me. It was just so top heavy, going around a corner a little fast I could feel it tipping a little. In my 1997 gmc extended cab with and sas and 8 inches of lift I can go around a corner pretty fast and not feel it tipping at all.
Plus I didn't need all the seats in it, I never had that many people with me. I actually would be better off with a bed because I find myself in more situations where a bed would be handy instead of more seats.
So it does suck a little but I think its for the good.

[Dieselwrencher]

Are you keeping the grill stuff too? I'd be interested in your barn doors possibly.

[rocking chevy]

Yeah I'm keeping the grill set up. Im going to put it on the 85 I bought sometime.
I might be selling the barn doors, I'm not sure yet, if I don't ill tell you.

[rocking chevy]

Hey dieselwrencher, The barn doors have very little rust at the bottom, make me an offer if you want.