Not too happy

One day I had an hour to kill. It just so happened that I was about to install ball joints in my '99 k2500, and was not looking forward to it. I drove through the local Ford dealership and looked at new trucks. A new F250 that would do all of the stuff that I need a truck to do had a window sticker that said $58,000+. Now, the new F250 would be better, as it is new, but that is stupid money for a vehicle. They can charge that because people pay it. Stupid money. People never really own a vehicle like that. Most that say that they own it, used house equity or something even dumber to pay the truck off. Unless that vehicle makes you money, it is retarded to spend that much.

Fix your Suburban. Make a list, and put the high priority items at the top.

I have owned 12 gmt400 trucks in the past 15 years. Only one has gone to the boneyard,98 Tahoe got rear ended and totaled.a 97 1500 was purchased as a parts truck and parted out when I was done with it. They are rugged machines and can take a lickin. Most maintenance and r&r tasks are not that difficult and parts are usually plentiful and affordable. Hence the reason I currently have 4 in the fleet. The most expensive repair I have HAD to do was a fuel pump. The most I have ever paid for one was $3000 and it was in good shape(was a family friend, could have easily sold it for $5k at the time). I'm restoring a 98 suburban now, about $7500 into it, probably another $1k and paint and it's a brand new truck, (better than when it rolled of the line in my opinion)
That said, I sold my friend on getting a 99 burban a few years ago, 150k, couple rust spots on the sheet metal, straight clean frame, no leaks, drove and shifted well. Interior was smelly and a bit crusty, but a good truck in my opinion. I think it was $3000ish, which I thought was fair, so we picked it up. Figured with $3-5k he could have a almost new truck.Did the usual full tune up, fluids, started cleaning up the inside. Overheated a few months in, replaced intake gaskets and spider assembly along with all the rotating accessories on the front of the motor while we had it apart. did a 0411 pcm and electric fan swap at the same time. Ran great for a few weeks, then the motor started knocking. Never saw coolant in the oil, but something happened to them bearings...put the motor I pulled from the 97 in it. New gaskets, bearings, oil pump, sensors, whole shabang. Ran great for a few weeks, started shifting funny.ordered trans solenoids and a filter. It blew off a heater hose and overheated last weekend, he's done with it... some things are just not predictable. I feel bad for having prodded him along when he ended up with a headachemobile. but since I have never gotten a lemon/gremlin infested truck, my opinion is biased for sure.(knocking on wood)

I've replaced everything but the ac you mentioned on my 98 k1500 , entire brake system, complete front end rebuild, plus everything that bolts to the motor , save the ps pump. MPFI , fuel pump , radiator too. It just started falling apart around 160K. I did everything except the lower balljoints and steering box myself . It really wasn't that expensive compared to buying another truck, but it was a huge pain in the ass for a about a year working on it all the time

Thanks and yes that's the one. Thinking back on it, it really isn't a bad deal all said and done. The new BFG advantage LT tires I put on it make a world of difference in the ride from the worn out Kelly Safaris I took off it. Thanks for all the tips, I am considering doing the full upper control arm so I get the new bushings and it looks easier then trying to just do the ball joint anyway. The fuel tank I might let someone figure that leak out. I appreciate all the positive feedback I will be sure to post updates on things as I get them done.

"New" upper control arms will be easier than replacing ball joint and bushings...but...the "New" control arm will be a Chinese reproduction; so "good luck" getting proper service life from it.

When it was me, I bought a Polyurethane bushing kit, and a set of ball joints. That project stalled when I found the inner sleeves of the upper control arm bushings--which unlike the inner sleeves for the lower bushings are not included in the "Kit"--were so corroded as to be unusable. Now I have to manufacture new inner sleeves.

Other than that, it's an easy job once the control arm is off the vehicle.

I bought a set of upper & lower control arms from the wreckers. $50.00 for all 4.
Sand-blasted & painted them.
Installed Poly bushings (A bear of a job. Needed to use the mondo-large press! ...and LOTS of the lube!) + new ball joints.
Made for a lot less down-time when it came to doing the install.

That's a good idea to have a pair to swap on real quick. I never thought about lower quality arms but It makes sense. I too looked at what it would cost me to get a newer suburban and it is outrageous. Not to mention the wife and I both prefer the GMT 400 over any of the new generations. I have an 05 Silverado and I do like the truck but no where near as much as I liked my old GMT 2500. I miss that truck so much and wish I could have stored it away and held on to it. Oh well guess that's why I wanted this Suburban so bad it reminds me a lot of the truck only not lifted and a 1500.

sewlow said:

Installed Poly bushings (A bear of a job. Needed to use the mondo-large press! ...and LOTS of the lube!)

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You must have done it the hard way.

I use a propane torch, not a press.

Melt the rubber bushing out of the original steel shells. Clean up the inside of the shell with emery cloth and Scotchbrite pads. Install greased bushing into original steel shell.

The lower bushings in the kit I bought came with steel center sleeves. Grease 'em and install with the bushings, so that the sleeves press into the bushing at the same time that the bushing presses into the shell. Easy.

The upper bushings in the kit did not come with steel sleeves. I'm going to have to make my own, and I've been putting that off for over a month. USUALLY the steel sleeves are re-usable from the original bushings, but mine are corroded to death.

Schurkey said:

You must have done it the hard way.

I use a propane torch, not a press.

Melt the rubber bushing out of the original steel shells. Clean up the inside of the shell with emery cloth and Scotchbrite pads. Install greased bushing into original steel shell.

The lower bushings in the kit I bought came with steel center sleeves. Grease 'em and install with the bushings, so that the sleeves press into the bushing at the same time that the bushing presses into the shell. Easy.

The upper bushings in the kit did not come with steel sleeves. I'm going to have to make my own, and I've been putting that off for over a month. USUALLY the steel sleeves are re-usable from the original bushings, but mine are corroded to death.

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You don't think the AC Delco uppers RockAuto sells are up to ***** compared to the originals?

I know a guy who has a bodacious scar on his arm when burning out a bushing with a cutting torch and the rubber popped/exploded, a burning chunk landed on his arm and immediately vulcanized itself to his skin.
He dropped the torch while trying to ***** out his burning arm and caught his shoe on fire from the torch. Ended up with a blister his foot also. It's kinda' funny when he tells the story.

I used Energy Suspension poly bushings. The mechanic I take my trucks to when things are above my pay grade has a very old 40 ton shop press--big enough to fit the A-arms in. I thought we were going to bend the friggin' A-arms pressing the old bushings out and the new ones in. They never provide enough grease to properly lube things.........

alpinecrick said:

You don't think the AC Delco uppers RockAuto sells are up to ***** compared to the originals?

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AC Delco is a SALES organization, not a MANFUACTURING organization. Delco typically has three or four "lines" of it's products, all bought-in from outside vendors.

The discount lines are the typical imported junk you'd find with other budget vendors.

The top-quality line is "supposed" to be the same stuff you'd get at the Dealership as "genuine GM parts". But "Genuine GM" outside mirrors for my Lumina were made in Canada when the car was new, and made in China from crappy low-grade plastic when I bought one years later. So "Genuine GM" is ALSO a crap-shoot.

alpinecrick said:

I know a guy who has a bodacious scar on his arm when burning out a bushing with a cutting torch

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I bet. THAT's one of several reasons I use--and tell folks to use--a propane torch.

alpinecrick said:

I used Energy Suspension poly bushings. The mechanic I take my trucks to when things are above my pay grade has a very old 40 ton shop press--big enough to fit the A-arms in. I thought we were going to bend the friggin' A-arms pressing the old bushings out and the new ones in. They never provide enough grease to properly lube things.........

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The shells wouldn't use anything except some aerosol lube or engine oil to press in. Getting the old ones out is often done with an air chisel. Collapse the shell with the chisel, and they practically fall out. But I like not dicking with the press at all, as described previously.