Adamshee Posted May 18, 2004 Report Share Posted May 18, 2004 Im looking to get a Chevy tahoe, older body style but newer version (if that makes sense), like a 98 or 99. Want to put like a 6in lift on it and 34in tires, something like that. Just seeing what everyone thinks about them, gas mileage wise, reliability, COMFORT, etc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
locogato11283 Posted May 18, 2004 Report Share Posted May 18, 2004 parts are easy to find and lifts are a dime a dozen. tires are the same. gas mileage will suck. im sure they are reliable. as for comfort, you are wanting to lift an suv 6 inches. there goes your ride. as for seats and shit, to me a seat is a seat. i can rarely tell the difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeechozen1 Posted May 18, 2004 Report Share Posted May 18, 2004 Trannys are junk in the 95 and later models from what I've experienced, have some friends that have good luck with them but they aren't running big tires or towing, under those conditions the 1/2 tons Ive had have had some issues around 90k. Get a diesel!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adamshee Posted May 19, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2004 nahhhh, no diesel for me. This is the daily driver. Gas mileage should be around the same as my truck now im thinking. Its a 98 F350 crew cab long bed with the v8 gas. Gets real crappy mileage. I didnt really meant how does it ride, i meant more like seat comfort and stuff. Like my truck now is the most unpractical truck ever. Theres no arm rests, has rubber floors, no cup holders, etc. i need that stuff in a car im gonna be driving ever day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evil Posted May 19, 2004 Report Share Posted May 19, 2004 nahhhh, no diesel for me. This is the daily driver. Gas mileage should be around the same as my truck now im thinking. Its a 98 F350 crew cab long bed with the v8 gas. Gets real crappy mileage. I didnt really meant how does it ride, i meant more like seat comfort and stuff. Like my truck now is the most unpractical truck ever. Theres no arm rests, has rubber floors, no cup holders, etc. i need that stuff in a car im gonna be driving ever day. om my god, you have a real mans truck and you want to trade it for a chick truck ??? leave those suv's to the socker moms that think a van isnt hip and fix up your 350. lift that, gear it, get a diesel for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lincster Posted May 19, 2004 Report Share Posted May 19, 2004 I have had both. I had a 98 2WD and a 99 4WD. I sold the 99 to my dad and he still has it. 47,000 miles and it runs perfect. Gets 12-13mpg around town consistently from when I bought it. No major problems on anything. You will drop more in mileage with a big lift and tires. One reason I got rid of it and got a diesel. I get 17mpg around town with my F350 PSD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ledofthezep Posted May 19, 2004 Report Share Posted May 19, 2004 One reason I got rid of it and got a diesel. I get 17mpg around town with my F350 PSD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boonman Posted May 19, 2004 Report Share Posted May 19, 2004 The trannys aren't junk. But, they are a half ton..... As for ride quality, you won't lose any. Not with an IFS lift. All your suspension will be the same rate, except for the rear, in which you can get a system, which wil have new leaf packs, or a kit, which contains an add-a-leaf. IMHO, an add-a-leaf in an SUV is the best thig for them... Makes them ride A BUNCH better. But, as for lifting it, I wouldnt. Sell your Ford, and get a V-10 or a diesel. The V-10 won't get any worse mileage with bigger tires, and you'll have power then... The diesel is the optimal choice though.... I still don't understand why people think the ride will be shitty with a lift kit. I have 15" of lift in my truck, and it rides fuckin awesome!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banshee Pilot Posted May 19, 2004 Report Share Posted May 19, 2004 I was looking for a Tahoe about a year ago and I decided not to buy one based on what I found from research and from other owner's opinions. The tranny's on the 95-99's aren't that impressive. Don't expect to get any more than 80-90k miles out of one. The 5.7L engine has issues with the intake manifold gasket and this should be the first thing you replace if you do buy one. Fuel pumps are also known to fail quite often. Don't get me wrong, Tahoes are nice trucks, but I just couldn't bring myself to buy one after hearing so many negative things about them. Naturally, there will be some people who have had no problems at all with their Tahoe's, but about 50% of owners I've spoken with have had serious repair bills. I'm sure this will piss off some die hard Chevy fans so I'm putting on my flame suit as you read this. -Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
. Posted May 19, 2004 Report Share Posted May 19, 2004 you put bigger tires on your tahoe and you better stock up on rears.....my buddies got a small lift and 35's (tsl radials) I believe on his 94 full size blazer (year before they became tahoes) and its gone through 3 or 4 rears now since he's had it. He's rough on the thing, but those little rears are junk. He's gone through one transmission on it as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adamshee Posted May 19, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2004 alright you guys im not sure what you think im gonna be doin with this thing. Im not using it as a tow vehicle, nor am i using it as a competition mud bogger, Im 17, ill be driving it every day back and forth to school, to friends houses, it has all the stuff I want including a large trunk are for some huge subs I dont want a diesel to drive back and forth to school. I dont want to lift my truck, its 2wd. A lot of my friends have Tahoes, its kinda the thing down here and everyone seems to like them. So I think im still stickin with the tahoe. Besides being tight looking, they have the kind of comforts you want when driving to school at 7am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcmoose Posted May 19, 2004 Report Share Posted May 19, 2004 there is a dude that lives around here that has one with a custom made suspension. I think he said it was close to 12inches, and he has 44 inch boggers on it. thing is sick. he beats the balls off of it. i am gonna have to take some pics of it to post... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2stroker Posted May 20, 2004 Report Share Posted May 20, 2004 The 4l60E tranny is a decent tranny. However the trannies built for 96 and 97 did have issues with extremely harsh shifting. Felt like a shift kit on steroids when shifting from 1st to 2nd. The first time I felt it, I thought someone rear ended me. While I dont have a Tahoe, my 97 K1500 has the same engine/tranny combo. Apparently, the problem is caused by the TCC lock up solenoid that locks up the torque converter. The solenoid plunger will sometimes hang up due to an undersized orifice. When the computer sees this, it gets an error thats interpretted as a slip. Since the computer thinks the tranny is slipping, it tells the tranny to shift at full line pressure. The result is an extremely hard shift. This didn't happen all the time (in my case anyway). Just after extended periods of highway driving. The fix for this is relatively easy and any decent tranny shop should know of it. The fix is basically replacing the TCC solenoid and enlarging the orifice. Or, you can replace the valve body. Or, you could do what I did for almost a year. Turn off the engine at a stop light. This resets the computer. When its restarted the error is cleared and its back to normal. Another thing to do to avoid the hard shift is to start off in second gear. Like I said, I did this for almost a year until I got it fixed. My truck has part time towing duties whenever I take my boat to the lake. And yes, I had to replace the lower intake manifold gasket due to leaks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boonman Posted May 20, 2004 Report Share Posted May 20, 2004 Any vehicle has it's inherent problems.... But, a 700R4, or a 4L60, or the 4L60E are great trannies. You have to build them the right way. Mine is on my bench. I notice that people mention severe repair Bills. yep, Repair bills. Learn how to wrench on shit yourself, and you won't have to worry about it.... And running 35's on anything smaller than a Dana 44, or light duty on a Dana 30 is suicide..... You can't throw 35's on a half ton and beat the balls off it. Shit WILL break.... Ecspecially if you have a wildly retarded right ffooot. I have a 4L60E in my blazer. Great tranny. I have a couple R4's as well. In order to build an R4, it is cheap. Do it right. Good clutches. Good shift kit. Manual lockup solenoid. Different servos, block off the accumulators... They work great. Proper maintenance is essential as well. And 12" on a Tahoe is't gonna get 44's on there.... Maybe with trimming involved...... And he better have swapped some drivetrain parts over..... Otherwise a small puddle would break it..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.