Long distance in an old truck

[OutlawDrifter]

IMO the GMT400 platform SUVs (Suburbans especially) are some of the greatest road trip vehicles of all time.

100% agree. The GMT400 platform even has more 2nd row room than the 800 or 900. One of the many reasons I love my 'burb. And realistically, loaded down with kids, luggage, and the dog, our 2011 Suburban would only get around 14.5mpg on the interstate @ 78mph...even with a custom tune, and better exhaust. I'll take my big block motivated GMT400 any day over that!

 

[thinger2]

I thought I'd share that just because a truck is very old, and has a lot of miles, doesn't mean it's not good for long road trips still. I just completed a 3,000 mile road trip from Florida up through Western NY, then east in NY and back down the East Coast (I-95), all with zero issues and in surprising comfort.

My old Tahoe has a little over 500,000 miles on it now, but I knew it was up to the trip and it did just fine. Even through the twisty mountains of WV it never felt old or tired. My wife said on several occasions during the trip that she was way more comfortable than she ever imagined she could be for such long hours on the road.

Our longest day was 13 hours straight seat time and even after that I wasn't hurting. We could have taken her two year old Nissan Rogue, but I knew that after that long in the vehicle I'd never stand up straight again (I'm not so young anymore...). A lot of friends and family members thought we were crazy for setting out in such a high-mileage truck, but with good maintenance there's no reason it can't be as reliable as new.

Joe

Thats awesome.
Anytime you have the choice between adventure or staying home because of fear,
Choose adventure every damn time.
Go do it, go see it take that flyer just because you can.
You are gonna get old and die one day.
Nobody gets out of here alive.
You have a choice
Fade out with lifelong friends and memories and the knowledge that, though you were a badass when you were young
You become much more of a badass when you are old but only because of the friends and the times and the experiances.
I think its just all ******* awesome.
When in doubt?
Just ******* do it!

 

[96TahoeDoug]

That's what I heard also, but maybe some still have have 'em? My coworker's '18 or so Silverado had an episode of "something lifter-related." Estimate like $5k at the dealer or $4k at an independent shop if it was indeed a lifter job (still don't know,) but the guy has lost faith in his truck. He had just spent $3k on his stupid AC condenser going out, then rats chewed into his wiring...$500 deductible for that. Same truck! Home AC went out, another $3k. And his wife just had a knee replaced!

They need to start making vehicles reliable again and quit screwing around with emissions garbage/d-o-(uche)-b-a-g crap! I'm sticking to my late GMT400/800 trucks, LOL.

Right they will probably start making crankshafts out of ceramic epoxy and hemp.

I be impressed....

Week ago took my 96 K1500 1200 miles. From Northeast CO to Moab, back to the West Slope to our high country place to check out my parents, down into the valley to overnight at my house on the West slope to see if it's still standing, back to a job on the Front Range. Tach saw 5k several occasions passing on two lane highways along with long sustained pulls up the passes in third gear. Crossed the Continental Divide twice. Roughly 18,000 ft elevation gain on the trip.
But I only have 268K on my truck.

That's the heartbeat of America right there. I better catch up got only 98k on my 96 Tahoe.

 

[FLJoe]

IMO the GMT400 platform SUVs (Suburbans especially) are some of the greatest road trip vehicles of all time.

I agree. Mine is a 4WD, and has stiffer than normal shocks, poly control arm bushings, plus E-rated tires (I tow a heavy boat with it) so the ride is a little stiffer than normal, but overall on the highway it couldn't be more comfortable. We had enough space in the far back for nearly everything we carried, leaving the back seat open for food and just a change of place to sit and stretch while the other drove. We got an "Alpicool" fridge off Amazon that stayed plugged in the whole time so we always had cold food and drink. (check out those for road trips- like a cooler, but a legit compressor fridge, not a thermo-electric that can't hold temperature). My wife is type-1 diabetic (childhood type- insulin dependent) so we used it to store insulin and OJ for correction of lows and would have been screwed without it.

 

[Joe Dirte]

So this is the ones that aren't deactivated. Any idea how they lock?

Im thinkin its oil pressure related. Sticker girl has an avalanche thats had the AFM repaired twice. They keep talkin her out of the AFM delete.

Me n my buddy did 7 hrs in his truck couple weeks ago for an escalade hood n console. Truck has 230k miles on it i believe. Comfortable n quiet the whole time. I got another friend who doesnt like high mileage trucks so hes bein super picky (low mileage, cheap, easy to maintain) good luck on that!

 

[DonYukon]

Id take my chance with an older vehichle any day. The brand new 2021 model are dropping off left and right from lifters locking up causing major engine repair

Hot facts my dads 2017 Just expierenced a collapesed lifter spring and bent the rods. 1800 dollar repair

 

[thegawd]

there is a thimble like stainless steel filter under the oil pressure sensor I believe... its called the valve lifter oil manifold filter or VLOMF. It's under $10 and has no service schedule. soooo my theory is when this gets plugged up and afm activates is when the valves get screwed due to no hydraulic pressure.

but it's just a theory.

too many reasons NOT to buy one... I'll take a gmt400 over anything new.

My burb feels like I'm driving a lazy boy couch. actually it's more comfortable than my lazy boy couch. haha

Al

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

there is a thimble like stainless steel filter under the oil pressure sensor I believe... its called the valve lifter oil manifold filter or VLOMF. It's under $10 and has no service schedule. soooo my theory is when this gets plugged up and afm activates is when the valves get screwed due to no hydraulic pressure.

but it's just a theory.

too many reasons NOT to buy one... I'll take a gmt400 over anything new.

My burb feels like I'm driving a lazy boy couch. actually it's more comfortable than my lazy boy couch. haha

Al

Yes I think this is on LS motors as well,this is one of the reasons why our 06 got parked ( affecting oil pressure on startup)

 

[Supercharged111]

there is a thimble like stainless steel filter under the oil pressure sensor I believe... its called the valve lifter oil manifold filter or VLOMF. It's under $10 and has no service schedule. soooo my theory is when this gets plugged up and afm activates is when the valves get screwed due to no hydraulic pressure.

but it's just a theory.

too many reasons NOT to buy one... I'll take a gmt400 over anything new.

My burb feels like I'm driving a lazy boy couch. actually it's more comfortable than my lazy boy couch. haha

Al

I have that on my GenIV LH6, but I've replaced the sensor, the screen, and unplugged the MAP sensor on the brake booster to disable the AFM. I realize 2017 stuff is different tho.

 

[User_name]

@HotWheelsBurban
the pickup tube o-ring would likley be your culprit if its the 4.8,5.3,or 6.0....