1998 K2500 Daily Build | Colorado | 109k

[WeldCountyStix]

This is my first post on this site so feel free to relocate if not in the correct location.

Backstory:
Myself just like many others are circling back to pickup these OBS trucks right now as the used vehicle market in 2021 hits record highs. My funds in my opinion are better spent buying a $6,000 truck and putting $6,000 of work into it. Compared to buying a $12,000 tuck that needs maintenance. This will be my third K1500/K2500 over the last seven years, and the sixth or so in my family. I've owned around 12 vehicles in that timeframe. Lots of flipping. LS platforms, Duramax, etc. At this stage in my life it was time to jump back this direction. I had a 1996 K2500 (gold) I unfortunately had to sell in 2017. Before that I had a 1997 K1500. (red). There was something about the extended cab long bed that I personally loved for the 88-98 looks. Crew Cabs are awesome too but I was searching for a 5.7 platform so much harder to find.

Here was the build breakdown for the 1996 K2500 from 2017:
Fully Loaded K2500 With Semi Float 5.7 and 4l80E 4:11 Gears, Leather interior, Keyless entry, 6" ProComp Lift Kit, Add-A-Leaf, Torsion Keys(mild crank), 22x12 Scorpion Gloss Black Milled, 37x13.50R22 Toyo Tires, Smooth front bumper, aftermarket headlight and taillights, 2015+ Tow Mirrors, 3" Back custom exhaust, and some other misc. This truck sold for $12,500 back in 2017. Which was my break even price.

Here was the problem with this truck. It looks awesome and was so not practical for anything other than a grocery getter. The 5.7L had great power even on 37s and I could have towed anything around town but it was a "show truck" that was built essentially for instagram at the time. So fast forward to 2021. I'm ready for a K2500 again. I miss it badly, but I'm not going down this route again. Maintenance and function are more important to me this time around. So here starts this next build thread for my (forest green) 1998 K2500 Ext Cab Long Bed with 109,000 original miles. I'll warn the big block guys ahead of time I favor the small block for certain reasons but we can get to that later. I'm going to detail and outline my route. Certain cost savings measures, and parts links for anyone in 2021 attempting to daily drive their K2500. Even though this is my third K1500/2500 I am still learning a lot along the way and hope it helps others.

 

[WeldCountyStix]

Okay so to start things off here was my (personal) requirements when I was looking for my K2500:
• I needed an extended cab at minimum for my daughter
• Must be a K2500 but with a Small Block 5.7 for fuel costs to daily
• It needed to be a 1996-1998 Vortec model with Fuel Injection (no TBI)
• LOW MILES, that wasn't 170k in my book. I needed 120k or less (on a 23 year old truck)
• Less than $8,000 depending on maintenance history and miles. (total budget was $13k)

Okay so I found the right one. It checks all the boxes. 1998 K2500 Posted up for sale on CL
Millage was 109,000 extended cab long bed in decent shape asking price as $7,995

I drove it, checked the carfax, and was I in for a good amount of maintenance. I negotiated a $6,500 purchase price and here we go.

Right off the bat I knew the biggest expense was going to be brakes. Anyone that has gone from a 99+ model back to OBS knows the feeling. (DISCLAIMER)* Wife, Daughter, Corporate Job, House, My time is non existent. I plan to hire out most of the work on this truck. Most of you could have made $6,500 go a lot further but it's not in the cards for me this time around. I'll be sure to share the cost and if I did the work or someone else along the way. Here is the truck on day 1. The Drive home was a bit sketchy to say the least. Dry rot tires, broken sway bar end link, ruptured brake booster, etc.

Okay next post will be the build breakdown with some prices.

 

[stutaeng]

Looks like a nice truck! So it's got the 5.7?

Hydroboost swap? NBS front brake upgrade? Or what are you thinking?

 

[WeldCountyStix]

Here are current 2021 Part and Labor Prices for my build with links:
$6,500 purchase price

$610 brake booster and master cylinder ( no link LesSchwab Price )
$180 IFS tear down kit - This has almost everything other than the idler bracket
$39 Idler Arm Bracket - Don't skip this it makes a big difference
$95 Upper Control Arms - Note: These did not fit my model K2500 (reused factory)
$50 custom tuner - This is a cheap A/F ratio tuner (nearly pointless) but info more below
$25 spark plugs - NGK only last 30k miles but perform better (1* less)
$110 distributor and wires - nice upgrade on any 5.7L more info below
$35 MAF sensor - helps A/F ratio with NGK plugs
$250 3” diff drop leveling kit - brings front end up 3" to sit level
$150 shocks - K1500 Shocks will work on most K2500 trucks
$70 Wiper Motor - my wipers would not move
$15 replacing keys - blanks can be purchased online
$40 air filter - fits within factory box
$80 truck bed box (craigslist)
$100 rotors and pads - great price complete at the same time as IFS and hubs
$25 key fobs - My model turned out to not have keyless entry (AU0) glovebox code, more info below
$40 steering stabilizer - K1500 options fit most K2500 models
$200 hummer wheels (craigslist) - these are factory 17x8.5" wide wheels +12-18 offset 8x6.5 bolt pattern more info below
$260 oil and cases (grease monkey)
$40 exhaust tips - nice dual out tips buy online it'll save money compared to the muffle shop prices
$1,300 IFS labor - I hired a local friend to tear down and replace the entire front IFS + install the differential drop
$400 Moog Ball Joints and Control Arm Bushings (napa)
$10 fender flare nuts - my K2500 flares where barely on so these are the factory style nuts to use
$56 muffler - nice dual in/out buy online it'll save money compared to the muffle shop prices
$900 305/70/17 Tires - these are slightly oversized 33" tires that measure 12" wide A/T setup. Quiet driving
$72 wheel spacers - These equal out the track width to match the front (I only recommend spacers on the rear axels for IFS)
$77 spike lug nuts - Since I wasn't going to run the factory hummer center caps these 3" tall spike lugs are a nice look
Alignment $100
Power Mirrors $50 - factory replacement (ensure to get "power" and not manual if yours has it)
Headlights $95 - I wanted the clear side markers as well because I plan to keep the factory chrome chevy grille
LED Taillights $115 - These plug right into your current bulb sockets and make the truck look much newer
Exhaust $300 ( local shop ) - This is for the welding and pipe bending
Battery $100 ( auto store ) - My battery was old and needed replaced
Alternator $90 - Amps range from 105 – 300 - This 170 is a great price for an in-between range
Starter $50 - Factory replacement starter for this price you might as well do it now

Okay so a few important notes to mention on the build so far:
My biggest goal was to attempt to keep this truck functional while also adding a bit more tire and more aggressive setup. I quoted local 4-6" suspension lift kits and the general prices were $3,000 for parts and install. So understand. Thats just for the lift kit. That doesn't solve the 23 year old front IFS that has not been touched. I determined my budget was better spent avoiding the suspension lift for now and circling back to it later. For the same $3,000 I ended up with a 100% brand new front IFS. I ended up only installing the front of the differential drop kit. I determined getting the truck to a level setup versus straining the new IFS components wasn't worth it for me. I did not install the rear 2.5" blocks. My K2500 had a tow package that made the rear sit up higher than most anyways. The biggest pickle I fell into was apparently this is a K2500 model that was ordered with a 5.7 small block. (not so common) but to top that off it has 3500 front IFS components. It is an 8 lug model not 6 lug but my upper and lower control arms matched that of a 3500 super single. So keep that in mind. You'll see above I had to rebuild the factory arms and use moog 3500 ball joints. For the keyless entry I have not yet had a model that did not come with keyless entry. I attempted to link port 4 and 8 on the OBDII and program the remotes. No response from the truck. After searching I was missing AU0 for the build list in the glovebox. The easiest route for those not well versed with wiring is to install a viper remote start with keyless entry.

Currently the brakes are still my only issue that exists. The front right caliper was replaced during the booster and master install since LeSchwab broke it. My driver side front left caliper remains as purchased. Other than that all of the brake system is completely new. The rear drums were rebuilt recently and were inspected to be performing as should. As my brakes get hotter over the course of driving something is locking up or catching while stopping. Resulting in a thud thud thud motion. Such as warped rotors would do. I plan to replace the front left caliper during alignment next week and will update.

 

[WeldCountyStix]

Looks like a nice truck! So it's got the 5.7?

Hydroboost swap? NBS front brake upgrade? Or what are you thinking?

Yes on the 5.7L from my experience (I've been look for a while) finding a 5.7L in a K2500 with fuel injection (96-98) is a bit difficult. My plan is to replace the entire factory brake system to as closely as it came off the lot. So far the only item outstanding is the front left caliper which may be causing some issues as it heats up. Overall the truck stops "perfectly" until the issue starts. The pedal is firm, and stops straight. Best stopping OBS i've ever had but also the only one that now has: New booster, master, fluid, rear drums, new hubs, calipers, rotors, pads, and ABS sensors. As I start to post more I am attempting to build a very clean and simple OBS. Thank You!!

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

If you're having caliper lockup issues, replace the hoses; I had this happen on my Burb a few years ago and that fixed that problem. Also be sure that the caliper sliding surfaces are clean and lubed with brake grease( Lubriplate makes a good one, looks like butterscotch cake icing, that's what I use and it works well). If those surfaces are dirty or dry, the calipers won't slide on their mounts like they're supposed to, and that'll heat up the brakes too.

 

[WeldCountyStix]

Front IFS Completion and Overview:

One part I forgot to mention and link to above is the first-gen Duramax extended HD sway bar end links I used:
$50 11-19 HD Sway Bar Extended Links - These are 2-3" longer than the OBS links and will be needed if you run cranked keys and a diff drop setup

Overall I am very happy with the diff drop kit. I still retained a large amount of travel in both directions. Keep in mind if you go this route you will need to cut off your upper bump stops and purchase those extended shocks for a 2-4" lift kit. The kit does come with shock extenders that are supposed to solve the problem. But since I was buying new shocks at the same time. I went this route.

The measurements are 39" height from ground to center under side of fender flares and 21" from ground to cab bottom. The 39" number is the same on the front and the back. I have minimal rubbing with the 305/70 tires and it's a very smooth ride. The kit could have gone up another 1-2" but as stated earlier I didn't want to force the IFS. If you want to go any larger than 33's I recommend a suspension lift. Cranking the keys is not ideal and will cause problems. Of course you can go the body lift route and add an extra 3" of lift for $300 or so. I decided against this. My red truck in the photos above cleared 35s on a leveling kit and a body lift. But all 9" the frame shows and isn't a clean stock look (in my opinion).

the eBay diff drop link is here - please note the kit does not bolt right in and requires slight fabrication or cutting. The instructions for the kit are also here.

Before this kit was installed I decided to crank up the keys to get the same height as whats now shown. My shocks were maxed, my cv axles where maxed, and my uppers were riding on the bump stops.The truck had a rancho leveling kit on it so keep that in mind. The truck sits very similar in height to a K1500 with a 4" suspension lift.

I did attempt to order a 1" ball joint spacer for this to help with the upper ball joint angles. Here is the kit link. The company never shipped the part and I was refunded. but this would also be an option rather than trimming the upper bump stops. I do think you would need to run 18-20" wheels though otherwise the upper control arm would hit on the 17" wheel. If you have a K1500 the newer control arms come with longer ball joints and you can drill the rivets out and flip them to the bottom to get the same effect. K2500/3500's factory have the ball joints below the control arm so this is not an option.

Now that I have the entire front end replaced and new when and if I decide to add a suspension lift I have crossed off the restoration part of the process before I go aftermarket.
Here is where the truck sits now with the measurements above and 305/70s plus the Hummer H2 wheels 17x8.5 +18 offset and 2" rear wheel spacers.

Overall I would recommend this setup for the price. The truck drives very smooth. Keep in mind running 20s or 22s on 33s will be a harsher ride and and wider than what is shown here would rub. If I do go to tow with the truck frequently I will be adding a set of adjustable tow bags to bring the rear up a bit. Right now if I go to tow my rear tires only have 1-2" of clearance. The 2.5" blocks provided in the kit would also solve this problem but I personally don't like the raked look.

 

[WeldCountyStix]

Under the Hood:

Okay well first off its 2021 these trucks are now 23+ years old and if you do find one with low miles it's been sitting A LONG TIME. This was the worst thing about my purchase. On the CarFax it shows i'm the third owner. The first owner bought the truck in 1998 and drove it 72,000 miles in 3 years! – In 2001 Old Man____ picked it up and put 37,000 miles on it in 20 years. To do the math on that it's less than 2,000 miles per year. Here's why I am saying this. The #1 a vehicle hates is to sit. It wants to move it wants to burn fuel.

Right away I knew plugs needed to be done. I decided to go with the NGK plugs since I loved them on all my LS motors. And knew I better purchase wires at the same time. You're most likely going to rip wires especially when it's been on there 23 years. Well LS motors take about 1-2 hours to change all the spark plugs with the coil pack setup. I hadn't done these in a long time. Quickly I remembered the heat shield issue around the plugs. Over time they bend and warp to make getting a socket on the plug impossible. I found a quick work around.

Take a pair of pliers and grab the middle of the heat shield. Then bend it up and away from the header. By doing this it pulls the head shield up to the top above the plugs and out of the way. If they break off no big deal because they are just in the way anyways. This will allow you to change plugs without the angle issues. Then when you're done bend them back into place. I believe they have bend tabs designed just for this on them. That just saved you a few hours by reading that. I was around 3-4 hours into changing plugs just because of the angles. I ended up not tearing any plug wires when removing so I popped them back on as I went. Do this if possible.

Next assuming you've done plugs take off each spark plug wire one by one and hold them next to the new ones to find the match. Install wires one by one to save time. Also the kit linked above for the distributor comes with a new ignition coil. You'll need to drill out the rivets on the factory one to install the aftermarket one.

These trucks are infamous for eating distributor gears. Every single one I have had it's been current on. Here's how you know. If you're driving and you feel pulsating in power almost as if the transmission is attempting to shift forward or backwards but not doing so. Thats the sensation. Power pulsating and it'll happen more at certain speeds than others. Shops will run you through fuel injectors, computer programming, transmission sensors, and even a new trans before circling back to this. So I have like I stated early purchased a new distributor in a kit and plan to install it just to cross it off the list. This truck currently doesn't have that problem but it may not be showing yet.

So I stated the truck sat for pretty much 20 years. Mostly the last 13 though from what the CarFax shows. Even more surprising while I was changing plugs I found the oil hadn't been changed in SEVEN years! – I saved the fuel filter. The engine is gutless right now it's slowly coming back to life. A new oil change, spark plugs, and 91 octane with fuel system cleaner is doing wonders. But so far I have only put 200 miles on it. More to come on this. It's slowly waking back up.

The only current issue I have is a tick coming from from right under the dash. I believe it to be a donut leak on the exhaust but I should know more after the exhaust work is done next week. If not I will turn to lifters since the truck has been sitting so long it's highly possible they need adjusted. Note: You'll see in the engine bay photo I am missing a header manifold bolt. The tick is not from that source. Right now I plan to run the cheap eBay tuner plug in on the OBDII and look back into an Edge Tuner in the future.Originally I planned on running two single chamber mufflers, but switched to an RV style three chamber simply because I don't want it as loud as I always go. A little tone but not annoying to daily drive.

My only performance at this time will be as follows:
3" cat back dual exhaust system
Spectre Air Intake
NGK Plugs
15% more Distributor and Wires
MAF Sensor
AirFuel OBDII Tuner
(possibly TB spacer) any input here?

 

[Old Bear]

Great looking OBS. I picked up a 2000 k2500 a few months ago and am going down a similar journey. Look forward to watching your build.

 

[WeldCountyStix]

Great looking OBS. I picked up a 2000 k2500 a few months ago and am going down a similar journey. Look forward to watching your build.

I followed you. Looking forward to your build as well. Thanks! –