[ChevyFan]

Just curious if anyone else has any stories about their suburban being tougher than they thought?

Personally, I've had a few pretty proud moments. Like when a toyota truck crossed over into my lane about 10 years ago.

He was a nice guy, I was just in his blind spot (becuase his mirrors were so small). Ended up crushing his rear passanger-side quarter panel in about 6 inches. Didn't do much to the Suburban except take a little paint off.

 

[84fiero123]

This one time at band camp.....

But seriously once in Tenn. my wife, Melanie came home from the feed store. I was making a cup of coffee as she drove in. I was looking out the window over the sink. She pulled into the drive in front of the gate leading to the barn and got out.
The top of the wheel wells were down over the tops of the rears tires. She came in the house and I asked her what she did. She said nothing she just went and got some feed for the horses. When I asked her how much she said “40 bags.”
40 bags of feed at 50 lbs. per bag = 2,000 lbs. of feed in a half ton Suburban. I asked her if it handled funny, she said no, not a problem.
I put air shocks in it the next day.
ps
We still have the 86 she did this to, she won't give it up. Says I go before the Burb.
pss
Bought her the 94 and she still likes the the 86 better.

 

[ChevyFan]

HAH! I love it. What did the air shocks end up costing you?

 

[84fiero123]

I really don't remember it was back in 91 and with my memory, well you know. Just anouther senior moment. But what ever it was they were worth it. That wasn't the only time she did something like that.

 

[ChevyFan]

I'm surprised that no one else has any stories about how tough their suburban is.

 

[84fiero123]

So am I. I will have to ask the wife if she remembers any others and I will get back with them.
She said she's getting buried in it it the back yard when she dies. The 86.

 

[ChevyFan]

Hmm, you're going to need a pretty big shovel if you want to bury a burban.

 

[84fiero123]

Burban Burial

Hmm, you're going to need a pretty big shovel if you want to bury a burban.

More like an excavator.

 

[MN_Burbon]

I have loaded my 95 several times over its "reasonable limit". I have filled the back up to the windows with limestone rock from the quarry, I filled the back half with sod once and frequently pull too much. She looks a little funny with the back end filled with limestone and the front lifted in the air a little but never had a problem with it. I replaced the shocks just last summer but am still considering airbags. (they would be cool if not helpful ;-) )

 

[OldDiesel]

Last summer, I loaded up the old 'burban with landscaping materials totaling over 2100 lbs, plus my wife and kids. I really hadn't intended to buy that much mulch, stone, edgers, and topsoil, but I sure am glad I had the old beast!

When I moved to Ohio, I left my 72 Lemans in VA. It had the engine out when I moved up, and I had to go back and get it. Now, that wouldn't be an issue, except when I came back up, my wife and kids came back with me. Just for convenience sake (and no one likes towing an empty car trailer 400 miles through the mountains) we loaded up my 95 Contour and trailered it down to Virginia. When we got there, we unloaded the 'tour, and loaded up the Pontiac. Total length of trip, 36 hours, 800 miles. Old Diesel never missed a beat.

 

[Guest]

I guess the only thing that every suprised me about my 'burban it's payload capacity. a friend of mine works for Dryvit (like stucco), and they had some off color product that they were throwing away. We tried to load a full pallet onto a 3/4ton ford truck, and the truck sagged down within inches of the tires. when we loaded the 'burban which is also a 3/4ton it barely moved. we had about 3200lbs in the cargo area, and the whole drive back it handled like a caddy. very smooth, no bounce. Just recently found out that the '93 2500 'burban holds a max of 3565 lbs payload!

 

[ivpheavychevy]

after hurricane katrina i went back to new orleans to rescue my wife's f.o.r.d. focus from the parking garage downtown i had a 20' car-hauler and at the time I-10 was closed down i had to go the long way around and i was impressed with the way it handled the hills along I-20 up and down the hills through mississippi as though they were very steep inclines on some of them then when i went back to N.O. i was doing a clean-up job and my chainsaw konked out so i hooked up a chain and yanked down a 25ft oak and maybe a 14-18ft pecan tree with only a few tugs each and the gas mileage isn't too bad either

 

[yosemitesamiam]

I'm surprised that no one else has any stories about how tough their suburban is.

Our new to us 2002 Yukon XL is pretty darn tough. Had it a whole 1,000 miles so far, and it has taken some nasty baby diapers! LOL

Sorry, had to...new guy syndrome.

-Sam

 

[larryderouin]

Going camping last summer towing our 20' trailer. About 100 miles out the 5.7 starts knocking. LOUD!!! Old woman looks over at me and said "WT#$$&@????" Says I "How would you like to camp either on I-70 or the back yard?, cause we ain't going to Upper PA. She just threw a rod bearing." Madder than a wet hen. Drove the 100 miles back home at 70 mph with the engine threatening to lay parts from Frederick to Baltimore towing the trailer the whole way. Never skipped a beat. Temp never went up and the oil pressure never hit below 20.

Ended up putting a re-man 4 bolt main 5.7 in it after pulling the 2 bolt main out. Destroyed the #5&#6 rod bearings and beat the livin h#$%^ outta the caps.

CHEVY TOUGH!!! About the only Ford I could say might do that and live to tell about it is the old 4.9L INLINE 6. Love that engine, even if it is a ford.

Larry

 

[84fiero123]

got to agree with the 4.9 ford engine, my 2 full size vans have that engine. Both have over 300,000 and still going strong.