[Beater Burb]

hey, im new here. fist off, im 16. i have a 72 baja bug. im lookin into getting a 87-earlier suburban to lift. i have $1200 tops to spend, and not exactly sure what to look for. is there any years that are better/worse, and why? what are the +'s and -'s of certain years, what should i stay away from, etc. im not too picky, some rust is fine. im located near the twin cities in minnesota. whats a reasonable lift, im thinking 6-8 inch leaf spring (no blocks). whats a good axle/gear setup to run? what other mods are required for such a lift, (u joints, steering) is there a good lift kit as opposed to a ####ty setup that will just break on me? what size tires should i run, im thinking 35-38 inch. will i need a different brake setup with bigger tires? i plan to use this as a truck...towing, trails, mud, and as a daily driver (the bug is not road legal)



thanks a lot in advance

[bzmarsh]

Welcome to this place!

I don't mean to make shameless plugs, and I'm not involved at all with the magazine, but 4Wheel and Off-Road magazine is doing a series of nice lowbuck articles - the Cheap Truck Challenge - that can give you some ideas. http://www.4wheeloff...com/cheaptruck/

Regarding gear recommendations, they have a lot to do with the tires you want to run...Onk posted this one a while ago: http://forum.4x4trai...?showtopic=1790

I'd seriously look into upgrading your brakes if you get larger wheels and tires...and the prevailing wisdom nowadays is to go with a milder suspension lift, perhaps a small body lift, and do some judicious fender-trimming so you can fit the tires without making your rig too tippy.

When I started my project, I had it all figured out, cost-wise. You know, a grand here, a grand there, and I'm done! Riiiiiight. As soon as I took stuff apart, I found I needed more parts than planned, and it took twice as long as planned.

Do you have lots of tools and work space and time? Buy something cheap and start working on it. Limited tools and work opportunity (meaning, is it your daily driver)? Buy the best vehicle you can afford now and wheel rationally but have fun.

My 2 cents...

A.J., on Jan 16 2006, 10:27 PM, said:

hey, im new here. fist off, im 16. i have a 72 baja bug. im lookin into getting a 87-earlier suburban to lift. i have $1200 tops to spend, and not exactly sure what to look for. is there any years that are better/worse, and why? what are the +'s and -'s of certain years, what should i stay away from, etc. im not too picky, some rust is fine. im located near the twin cities in minnesota. whats a reasonable lift, im thinking 6-8 inch leaf spring (no blocks). whats a good axle/gear setup to run? what other mods are required for such a lift, (u joints, steering) is there a good lift kit as opposed to a ####ty setup that will just break on me? what size tires should i run, im thinking 35-38 inch. will i need a different brake setup with bigger tires? i plan to use this as a truck...towing, trails, mud, and as a daily driver (the bug is not road legal)

thanks a lot in advance

[motorhead]

There are lots of options to choose from for your Chevy. Do you have 1/2 ton (6 lug) or 3/4 ton (8 lug) axles now? You can get a set of 31x10.5 mudchuckers and have a real good time. The only drawback is ground clearance. With a 4" lift you can run 33's and 35's if you don't mind trimming the front fenders a bit. The softer lifts ride smoother. 3/4 ton axles have bigger brakes, check local wrecking yards, but then you have to deal with getting new rubber for 16" or 16.5" wheels.
Oh, I'm getting ahead of myself, you are looking for a Burbon. Look for a Burbon that is already lifted with 3/4 ton suspension and be prepared to settle for a 3/4 ton that isn't lifted. Chevy built them with bigger axles for towing, bigger brakes, lower gears, etc.
Good Luck :luck:

[Toyodist]

welcome to the site!
you sound like a young motorhead lol hes got a burb and baja bug

[Jackalope]

Zuknstien, on Jan 17 2006, 09:15 AM, said:

welcome to the site!
you sound like a young motorhead lol hes got a burb and baja bug

Hey I was gonna say that :P

Welcome A J :wave:

[fister13]

In Minnesota i would watch out for major just and crak frame where the steer box is. I cracked my K5 frame there

[rwilley]

Zuknstien, on Jan 17 2006, 09:15 AM, said:

welcome to the site!
you sound like a young motorhead lol hes got a burb and baja bug

So I was thinking the same thing too.

[Beater Burb]

hey thanks a lot for the info. actually, i met motorhead online a while back on a vw site and he showed me this one, and i just recently got the urge to buy a 4x4. i had no idea he had a burban... thats kinda crazy. i cant really afford the $3500-4500 to buy a pre-lifted one, and i think ill just get a stocker, hopefully for around...$800. ive wanted a K5, but they seem too expensive, and honestly, if a burban is under $1000, can haul all my buddies, all our gear, and still have enough room to sleep in the back...i think itll be a good truck for me. i know once i tear into it its gonna be a bigger project than i thought. trust me, just look at my bug. but, i need something driveable, and hopefully ill do this the right way, and only have it out of service for a weekend at most when im installing parts. im most likely gonna go with a 6 or 8 inch lift, i know the higher the more unstable...so im not gonna kill myself with an unrealistic lift. is there a stock brake setup off another model truck that will bolt up, or is there a common conversion/upgrade available? im thinking a 6 inch lift, 35's, and steel D-spoke rims will be what im gonna end up with. ive grabbed a few 4x4 mags off the shelves over the years...ive been raised around the idea that lifted trucks are cool. will i have to worry about front/read end gearing/axles or axle wrap with a lift like this? also, are there any major disadvantages of such a long wheelbase?

thanks again

[bzmarsh]

Here I go again. :P Blah blah...

I used to think axle wrap wasn't a problem for rigs without major major horsepower, until we wrapped the springs on my brother's Wagoneer with a stock Chebby 350. His lift was straight SOA, no blocks, and custom springs to boot. He runs a 14-bolt with 4:56 gears (I think) and 40" MT/R's. Made the springs look like curly brackets } . A traction bar seems to have helped...

Gearing? Not really connected to the lift, as far as I can see.

And you'll love the hillclimbing with the long WB, but the breakover will be a bummer, and you'll get real good at performing 12-point turns on the switchbacks. I'm still working on my technique. :-"

Also on my rig the lift changed my caster, so Leroy tends to wander. It's a complete handful on the highway. Something to keep in mind, as the lift gets taller.

A.J., on Jan 17 2006, 08:58 PM, said:

...will i have to worry about front/read end gearing/axles or axle wrap with a lift like this? also, are there any major disadvantages of such a long wheelbase?

[motorhead]

Hey KDF!! Good to see you here! My Burbon came stock as a 1/2 ton with a tow package, antilock rear drum brakes, disc front brakes, tow package, and 3.73 gears, and it had 31x10.5 bfg mt's on it. It was a decent wheeler without much ground clearance. I bought a wrecked Chevy pickup and stripped the 14 bolt rear, 10 bolt front, 6" lift springs, 35x12.5x16.5 tires and wheels and installed them on my Burbon. You should be able to find a stock 3/4 ton Burbon for the same price as a 1/2 ton. The 3/4 ton's have bigger brakes and generally lower gears. I think I have 4.10's in mine, comparing tire size and speedo readings. You can lift it later. I think Superlift makes a nice soft spring set, but you'll have to spend a little extra for the better flex and ride. I did have a 4" Rough Country lift on there for a couple of years and went to 33" tires, but the front end was stiff as heck. I'm happier with the unknown spring set I have now.
Post some pics of your Baja in the My4x4 section. Got any of it in action?

[Beater Burb]

in action? well...does sitting still count? its still not done...no title...and i dont have money to finish it so i REALLY shouldnt get a truck. but i will because i need to drive something, and why not a cool truck? i can get some pics soon...but its almost midnight and i got school. and im feeling lazy. so in a few days ill get you guys pics of the baja.

as for the burban, no luck on finding one yet, but thanks for the info. i still have no clue on what tires/lift/axles im going with though. oh well...ill figure it out once i have a truck to lift i guess.

[mwilley]

rwilley, on Jan 17 2006, 06:12 PM, said:

So I was thinking the same thing too.

It must be a thing for people who have Baja Bugs, to have a suburban....

[motorhead]

Well you use the Burbon to tow your Baja. When you get to where your Burbon won't go anymore you drive the Baja. When you get to where your Baja won't go anymore you take your Honda 110 Trail bike off and ride it to where you can't go anymore. There you'll be at the edge of the earth with nowhere else to go. :P Better than walking.

[Beater Burb]

motorhead, on Jan 20 2006, 12:43 PM, said:

Well you use the Burbon to tow your Baja. When you get to where your Burbon won't go anymore you drive the Baja. When you get to where your Baja won't go anymore you take your Honda 110 Trail bike off and ride it to where you can't go anymore. There you'll be at the edge of the earth with nowhere else to go. :P Better than walking.

well, all of that is true except the honda 110 part of it. i'd either take my 4 wheeler, or my old 74 honda 125 enduro...you were close though

not bad for $1500, 156,000 miles...but im still looking for something cheaper. someone should hook me up!

[motorhead]

That sounds very reasonable. Make an offer. I have over 150k miles on mine. That one looks like an '88 or '87. It has ralley wheels on it. Those are 8" wide, but it is a 1/2 ton. You can also tell it is a 1/2 ton by the narrower rear axle. That would make a fine ride for the price.

[Beater Burb]

motorhead, on Jan 21 2006, 12:06 PM, said:

That sounds very reasonable. Make an offer. I have over 150k miles on mine. That one looks like an '88 or '87. It has ralley wheels on it. Those are 8" wide, but it is a 1/2 ton. You can also tell it is a 1/2 ton by the narrower rear axle. That would make a fine ride for the price.

well, i still owe my dad $1500 of the $2200 he loaned me for my sled (pics of it, and my baja in the newb forum) and i have like $400 cash i can throw down at most right now, plus my checks from work whenever i can get them. that is almost exactly what im looking for though, the truck in the pic. thanks

[Beater Burb]

i found another one, its an 88, 2 tone blue...

Details
Price: $1,200 or Best Offer
Color: blue
Miles: 201,000
Body Style: 4-Door Wagon / Sport Utility

Engine: 5.7L V8 TBI OHV 16V
Transmission: Automatic
Description: Pwr steering leaks fluid, BUT besides pwr steering, truck is mechanically sound. Body is rusty, but not more than others of its age. 73,000 miles on new engine, rebuilt transmission in '00, 3rd seat, dual exhaust, engine runs very well. Has always been a reliable vehicle for me. A reasonable offer is welcome. Must sell.


Equipment Options:Bucket SeatsFour Wheel DrivePower SteeringCompact DiscPower BrakesRoof RackCruise ControlPower LocksTrailer Hitch



i gave him a call and it seems like a decent truck.interior needs a headliner, the one in it now is sagging a little. the power door locks are wearing out. no rust-through, but it is rusty he says. i asked how low hed go, he said $1000. so im thinking $800 cash easy. no pictures, and hes 1 hour away from my house. i asked my dad about it, and he was being kind of an butthole. i guess i have to get the bug driveable first. and i need to pay back the $1500 for the sled...which is understandable. its kind of hard to restore a car thats sitting outside on the side of a barn on top of mud and snow and hasnt been indoors for 3 years...or am i expecting too much by wanting to build it in our 40x80 barn? :angryfinger:

what do you guys think of the burban though?

[Truck]

I have had mine for almost 10 years

[attachment=6722:attachment]

Here it is after i bought the wife a new car

[attachment=6723:attachment]

6" lift later
It looks long but it is the same size bumper to bumper as a standard cab long bed.

it took me 3 1/2 hours to put the lift on by myself. eazy stuff.

[BW suzuki]

You guys may not beleave this but last year on the Con a Burbon passed us at the creek crossing above

Loon Lake. Came through Gate Keeper no dents. Good experianced driver, and a nice group of people.

Woluld like to have seen how it looked when they got to Tahoe.