Pre-Trip Maintenance

[Parentnoia]

1999 GMC C1500 Suburban Vortec 350


Alright then. At the end of July, family and I are going on a road trip. I already know the basic top off fluids and such. And I'm already planning to change my oil (needs it to begin with, trip or not). What other stuff should I add to the list of things to do before the trip?

 

[SkyHighColorado]

Grease up all the suspension joints and the front drive shaft. Air filter clean? When was the last time you changed the fuel filter? Clean your windshield really well and apply rainX and headlights. Check all your lights are working so you don't get pulled over for a BS reason. Check tire pressure. That should help get you better gas mileage. Rotate tires?

 

[sewlow]

Rotate tires. Check the pressure. The spare, too.
Maybe check & see if that spare carrier is in working order. Nothing worse than trying to fight with that, at night, on the roadside, in the rain!
Look at the brakes while the wheels are off.
Got a roadside emerg. kit? Jumper cables?
Take along a socket set, some combo wrenches, & a hammer! (Ya never know!)
Probably more to check, but that's just off the top of my head!

 

[sewlow]

Ha! Jonathan, you posted while I was typing! Made some of the same points, & some I missed!

 

[SkyHighColorado]

Ha! Jonathan, you posted while I was typing! Made some of the same points, & some I missed!

hahah yeah I forgot about the spare, probably because I don't have one

 

[Parentnoia]

Grease up all the suspension joints and the front drive shaft. Air filter clean? When was the last time you changed the fuel filter? Clean your windshield really well and apply rainX and headlights. Check all your lights are working so you don't get pulled over for a BS reason. Check tire pressure. That should help get you better gas mileage. Rotate tires?

Rotate tires. Check the pressure. The spare, too.
Maybe check & see if that spare carrier is in working order. Nothing worse than trying to fight with that, at night, on the roadside, in the rain!
Look at the brakes while the wheels are off.
Got a roadside emerg. kit? Jumper cables?
Take along a socket set, some combo wrenches, & a hammer! (Ya never know!)
Probably more to check, but that's just off the top of my head!

Fuel filter was changed in October. Air filter was changed about a year ago, and was clean as of Saturday night when I checked it.
Already planned on bringing jumpers, jug of water, tire iron, and jack.
I dont have a decent set of tools to my name (just the junk people didnt want to take with them when they moved), so I'll see if I can borro my grandfather's spare tool set.
Tire carrier wont be a problem, it's inside, not under.
Oh, and no front shaft...

Now, as for lubing suspension. How do I do that? Will silicone spray work?

 

[SkyHighColorado]

you will need to get a grease gun and a tube of grease from the parts store. Then you will find nipples on all the parts that need grease and you just pump more grease into them till it starts to come out. So anything with a rubber boot on it like tie rods and ball joints idler and pitman arms need grease.

 

[1997chevydriver]

Fuel filter was changed in October. Air filter was changed about a year ago, and was clean as of Saturday night when I checked it.
Already planned on bringing jumpers, jug of water, tire iron, and jack.
I dont have a decent set of tools to my name (just the junk people didnt want to take with them when they moved), so I'll see if I can borro my grandfather's spare tool set.
Tire carrier wont be a problem, it's inside, not under.
Oh, and no front shaft...

Now, as for lubing suspension. How do I do that? Will silicone spray work?

There are grease zurks on all the ball joints, TRE's, pitman arm, idler arm.

 

[Parentnoia]

you will need to get a grease gun and a tube of grease from the parts store. Then you will find nipples on all the parts that need grease and you just pump more grease into them till it starts to come out. So anything with a rubber boot on it like tie rods and ball joints idler and pitman arms need grease.

Well that's gonna be a problem for me... it was hard enough to convince my girlfriend to let me buy myself a jack so I can even change the oil... now I'll have to convince her to let me buy something that I'll probably only use once to do something that isnt even that important (to her).

 

[SkyHighColorado]

Well that's gonna be a problem for me... it was hard enough to convince my girlfriend to let me buy myself a jack so I can even change the oil... now I'll have to convince her to let me buy something that I'll probably only use once to do something that isnt even that important (to her).

tell her what will happen if a tie rod fails! haha jk. I do it at every oil change, that's 3000k. I am weird like that.