Delicate Suspension

[ebod]

Newbie question here. My buddy wants to take his new 2003 Tahoe (LT--not Z71) 4x4 off-roading. He doesn't want to do major rock crawling or anything, but he does want to drive on some pretty rough terrain. He's putting bigger tires on it to get a bit more ground clearance.

 

He's worried, however, that his truck can't handle it. More specifically, he's noticed that there are a lot of delicate looking parts that hang low on the rear suspension (on the outside near the wheels, particularly the left wheel).

 

Can we go wheeling in his Tahoe (without scaping all that stuff off the first rut we hit)?

 

What is all of the delicate looking stuff?

 

Do we have to re-locate/re-route any of that stuff before we take the truck off-road?

 

Thanks in advance for any input!

[SilveradoWV]

I think the E Brake cable hangs pretty low. Not sure whats under a tahoe though compared to a truck. I know in the manual to my truck it says to remove the front spoiler thingy if planning to go offroad. Not sure how it will do Off Road!

[Mega Dogmeat]

he can do everything that anyone with a Z71 can.

 

 

Z71 means diddly squat as far as off-road capability goes.

 

 

the only difference might be, that the Z71 comes with slightly stiffer springs, so if he was traveling at high speeds over bumpy roads, the Z71 tahoe might soak up the bumps better, but other than that, nothing.

[99-2door]

he can do everything that anyone with a Z71 can.

 

 

Z71 means diddly squat as far as off-road capability goes.

 

 

the only difference might be, that the Z71 comes with slightly stiffer springs, so if he was traveling at high speeds over bumpy roads, the Z71 tahoe might soak up the bumps better, but other than that, nothing.

this is not true with the NBS Z-71 Tahoe, it includes a lot more than just shocks.

[Wingnut]

Yeah....You get skidplates. ooooooh!!!!! Skidplates!!

 

If he can afford an LT Tahoe, and wants to go off road. Just drop 2 g's and get an old CJ-5 with a 350 in it. Lots more fun off road.

 

You don't wan't to do much in a Tahoe off road, they are: a.) Too big b.) Too heavy. c.) Not really built for it.

 

That "stuff" hanging down back there isn't going to be relocated without a great deal of effort. Things like shock mounts don't get moved on a whim.

 

Just my .02

[DJinCO]

Sorry to disagree with the posters here... but I have been 4 wheeling in my 01 Tahoe since new. All over the Colorado mountains. Yes, it is too wide for some trails, but not many. I don't have a Jeep because I want the interior space of the Tahoe for my wife and four dogs to go off-road also. Plus I just don't fit into a Wrangler... I am a... person of size... new term for tall and portly.

 

Yep, the skid plates are scared and the ground clearance eliminators, aka running board steps, are all chewed up on the underside.

 

Cheers,

[Wingnut]

Disagree away.

 

We all have our own opinion of what 4 wheeling is.

[chevy38fan]

i wouldn't take a NEW tahoe offroading. the 4x4 is mostly designed in these new suv's for getting out the beach when its soft sand, not for hauling your butt out of a mudhole or down muddy trails.

 

the older ones with the 5.7, yes, go all you want, they are torque whores, d**n near impossible to get stuck.

[silverado man]

i wouldn't take a NEW tahoe offroading. the 4x4 is mostly designed in these new suv's for getting out the beach when its soft sand, not for hauling your butt out of a mudhole or down muddy trails.

 

the older ones with the 5.7, yes, go all you want, they are torque whores, d**n near impossible to get stuck.

I wouldn't say that they will only get you out of the beach. What is different on the NBS then the old style 4x4? I'm sure they still have the same componentry beside the autotrac.

[MountaineerTom]

If the e-brake cable is under the axle on the drivers side, like the trucks, you can reposition it over the axle.

 

http://www.gm-trucks.com/IAR_Ebrake.shtml

[LARSONEM]

They talk about taking the air dam off when running off road. If you don't do that, I'd at least take the driving (fog) lights out of it. I broke the plastic brackets on that hold the lights on my Silverado Z-71 running off road on the sand dunes. Bottomed out at the base of the hill, the front end bounced and that's when the brackets had to give way by breaking. Fixed them up with some JB Weld. Now I take them out before I leave home. Small job, but worth the effort.