4x4 Suburban Buildup

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About our Choice: After out growing our Pinzgauer with the good news of expecting child number 6, we knew we needed something bigger. Id like to explain a little about why I chose a 4x4 Suburban buildup.

When your hauling as many kids as we are, you choices get limited fast. I knew I wanted a diesel and ROOM! The choice came down to a 4x4 van or a 4x4 suburban. Actually the 4x4 vans were my first choice. Upon looking them over closely, I really didnt like having to work on them. With the motor so far up in the body made it difficult. Finding a diesel one was hard. Taking the engine cover off to work on it caused diesel smell thru out the inside cabin. So I started looking closer into the suburbans. I noticed that with proper tires, I could gain almost as much clearence under the front axle as the pinzgauer. Unlike the solid axle under the 4x4 vans, the suburbans from 92 and newer had a IFS, aka Independant Front Suspension. Although I have wheeled with them several times in the past without issue, there seems to be a consensus that the Chevy IFS is weak. You can see more in 4 Wheel Offroads Chevy IFS test. I must admit after reading the previous link, I am a little worried about the IFS. But I do have a front Dana 60 in the shop just in case.

I also wanted a diesel. Although hard to find, I managed to find a good deal on a 1994 Suburban 3/4ton with a 6.5 Turbo Diesel.

Basic Specs:

1994 Chevy Suburban. 3/4 ton 4x4. IFS front with a full float 14 bolt axle in the rear. Has a 6.5 Turbo diesel with a 4L80 transmission. Manual shift transfer case. Its loaded with just about every option for its day. Has Leather, power windows, power locks, cruise, tilt, and AC.

The following are articles to specific parts of the build:

Body Armor:

Body Armor: