If I were a betting man...

[ravingmadman]

This is the list of parts I've had to replace, with the date and cost. We're taking bets on what goes up in flames next. Feel free to play. No purchase necessary, void where prohibited, results may vary.

The Official Replaced/Involuntarily Upgraded List:
purchased vehicle 5/21 $2000
front brake pads 5/23 $21
rear brake shoes 5/23 $20
rear brake drums 5/23 $120
rear brake cylinders 5/23 $10
front wheel bearings 5/23 $300
idler arm 5/23 $20
alternator 6/6 $100
fuel pump 6/13 $220
radiator 6/17 $250
lower radiator hose 6/17 $20
all battery wiring 6/21 $50
pitman arm 6/24 $20
tires 6/25 $1200
rims 6/25 $400
battery 6/25 $60
alignment 6/26 $60
rear shocks 6/26 $100
front diff u-joint 7/12 $5
driver side half shaft 8/22 $70
used upper control arm/bushings/ball joint 8/29 $60
lower ball joint & pressing 8/29 $70
used spindle/hub/disc/caliper 8/29 $70
used front diff with *correct* gears 8/29 $300
new rim 8/29 $90
new rear end 9/14 $400
alignment 10/1 $150
front disks turned 10/7 $30
front brake pads replaced again 10/7 $60
moog poly sway bar bushings 11/1/09
moog poly sway bar bushings (again- rough handling during summer :headbang:) 11/5/10
driver's side catalytic converter 12/20

:owned: :emotions122:

[3blackchevys]

I'll start the over/under at 10 days

[Sepiroth]

My money si going to be on something in the drivetrain.

[AtomicHoe094]

yikes! thats not fun man.. sorry to hear about your hoe.. and FYI not all of em are like that! lol.. i hate to say it, but maybe that hoe had a shitty owner and took it out on you!

[TahoeGoBoom]

that sucks man, I'm just glad mines been rather trouble free.

oh, and I got money on the tranny!

[ravingmadman]

Hahaha. Alternator hot-to-battery wire burned up on Saturday, but I've resorted to keping my entire shop in the back of the hoe, so we weren't stranded for long. It took longer to flag someone down for a jump start. Oh, and I forgot- when I went to take the wheels off to do the brakes, the front bearings were so bad, the wheels moved about a quarter/half inch when i put the wrench on the lugs. So i did the front bearings, too.

[AtomicHoe094]

geeeezus!

[ravingmadman]

It left my wife stranded again last night. Loose/burned ground at the block (which also explains why the alternator and wire burned up- they were working really hard!!!).

I replaced all the high-amperage wires (block-body, block-battery, starter-battery, alternator-battery wtf?) with really big cables from O'Reilly's.

I also cut away all the hacked wiring that Todd from Burien did, and corrected it all with proper connectors, and crimped-on terminals. Big three FTW mother bishes!!!!

[BlueTahoe2001]

I got money on the Rear Diff. And axle...

[ravingmadman]

hahaha, i'm buying gear oil, and a gasket on the way home so I can check them. I'm also going to sea foam the engine.

[OKLAGMCRUISER]

a few hundred miles before the next oil change seafoam in the oil too to help clean it out.

Pat

[roadrageror]

well i guess im gonna go with U-joints then..at least there cheap.

[AtomicHoe094]

dont give him any more bad luck guys.. lol atleast be appreciative he drives a tahoe! lol

[ravingmadman]

Hahaha- Atomic, we sold a land rover, for this hoe. Almost anything is better than a '95 rover. I'm happy to have a rig I can wrench myself (even if half metric, half american), that actually gives me intelligible codes...

[AtomicHoe094]

oo well then screw it.. you windshield is going to blow off your truck when on the freeway.. hahahah jk man.

[ravingmadman]

Ah, thanks. :) No, I bought this hoe from a guy named Todd, in Burien, and he's a total piece of shit. If I ever see him again, it will be an instant misunderstanding. I got a good price for it, because of some obvious stuff, like it needs a repaint after completing the shave welds (the rookies that did it only spot welded the plates, and they're all cracked now), dents pulled, bald tires, and bad brakes. He also promised me that he'd give me the alarm he pulled out of it that actuates the door poppers. It has been over a month, and many phone calls, texts, etc., and still no sign of him, or the alarm. And with everything I've had to do to this thing, the sheer downtime has been not worth it, if I'd known ahead of time. But now that we've fixed so much, we're committed to getting at least a couple years and some mileage out of this thing. But Todd from Burien is still a super douche.

So anyway, I'll just keep taking pictures of the stuff I have to fix, and publish how-to's.

---------- Post added at 05:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:30 PM ----------

The saga continues.... Wife just left the alignment shop- they couldn't do it because the pitman arm is "very floppity, and about to fall off" according to my awesome wife. I'm doing the pitman arm, the gear oil in both diffs, and sea foam tonight, God willing. I'll take more pictures. I'm on a first-name basis with the entire local O'Reilly's. I've told them if it runs for a month without breaking down, or having something really messed up, I'm buying them all beer.

[AtomicHoe094]

damnn.. that sucks.. no one guessed that one.. lol

[ravingmadman]

I don't know what I'll do if someone does guess correctly. I might have to drop ship beer or something. I don't think it is possible, but I'll figure something out. Up the stakes, you know. And I should require a part/time range, too. Like, "The tranny will blow up within 2 months." Or, "The wheels will fall off on the freeway tomorrow."

[AtomicHoe094]

dont say that.. ahh boy.. we dont need any more problems!

[clean454]

id say u can turn it into a part truck but u prolly dont have enought good parts to make a profit!! lmao jk jk atleast when ur done with it it will be like new hahahah good luck....

[OKLAGMCRUISER]

have you replaced the water pump yet?

[General Stalin]

It probably already has a rear main seal leak and an intake manifold leak, you check those yet?

How many miles are on this thing anyway?

[ravingmadman]

Mileage is 116K. Waterpump isn't making noise or piddling yet, and the engine seals are holding, but the tranny and diffs leak bad. I tried to get the diff bolts out last night, and they're frozen. Taking it to jiffy lube because I really wrenched my back doing the pitman arm nut. "186 effing foot pounds? On that?"

I'm driving 1500 miles next week, so we'll see if it all holds. Getting new tires on it today or tomorrow, going from 33's to 35's. I've got too much time and money into this thing now to part it out- we're dedicated to getting at least a couple good months out of it. I can fix just about anything that goes wrong with it (supposing I'm not being a pussy), so why not?

[General Stalin]

Hey if you got the money and don't mind pouring it in then go right ahead. I got a '95 Tahoe with $157k on the clock, 42k was all me, and I have honestly had NO serious problems with it other than maintence and typical small stuff like exhaust leaks and stering components. You just got a truck that was beat to hell, sadly.

[ravingmadman]

Just bought new rims and rubber. Yay.
American Eagle 16's:
http://www.aewheel.com/eagle_alloy_wheels.cfm?id=104

Wrapped in 35" Hankook DynaPro MT's:
http://www.hankooktireusa.com/product/tire_detail.asp?pid=358

I hope the truck figures out that I'm not Todd, with all this love I'm giving it. I know I still haven't posted pictures of this thing yet; I'll have to post some tonight, if I have time, or this weekend. We're doing some camping next week, and I'll certainly have some pictures then.

:drunk:

[foreverfalcon40]

I know its too late via ur other thread. but if your pitman needed to be replaced your steering wheel would feel very loose while driving and when turning the steeriing wheel you would have to over-react/compensate in driving conditions.

[ravingmadman]

Driving out to Monroe to get my son a new bed last night, we smelled sulphur. We were passing by a fireworks stand, so i figured they were lighting some off, and we were out in the sticks. Thought nothing of it. Then, on our way home, it was so strong it made my eyes water a bit. I thought maybe my wife farted, or maybe it just got stuck in the cab, so i vented the air, but it only seemed to get worse.

I stopped for gas, got out, and it was _REALLY_ strong. I popped the hood, and my battery was violently venting a plume of sulpheric acid everywhere. So I went to the O'Reilly's just up the street, and they gave me baking soda, and a new battery.

I took it to the car wash promptly, and hosed everything down that I thought I could get away with, including my new damn rims and tires. Doesn't look like any damage, but I wonder how bad the engine sucking in all that acid will be....

[AtomicHoe094]

ohh boy.. damn that truck is really letting you down huh?? no one guess that one either..

[ravingmadman]

Just got the alignment done, and the rear shocks and mounts are toast. Added that to the list. I'm going to go back through my receipts, and find the cost of all the parts, to add to the list. This is hilarious.

[AtomicHoe094]

Just got the alignment done, and the rear shocks and mounts are toast. Added that to the list. I'm going to go back through my receipts, and find the cost of all the parts, to add to the list. This is hilarious.

:whymewhyme::uhoh2:

[roadrageror]

when your done you should have many years of worry free driving ahead of you!!!

[ravingmadman]

I bought a pair of Rancho RS5000 for the rear, and it looks really, really simple, so I'm going to do that tonight, and take pictures for the pitman arm thread, and to prove that I'm not a poser. Or at least that I own a hoe.:headbang:

[AtomicHoe094]

lol.. good luck on the shocks? hopefully the clips on top of the shock mounts arnt rusty and hopefully the bolts will come out for ya! mine wasnt so easy.. well 3 out of 4 were. but the last one was a pain~!!!! it broke and it was spinning andshit.. ahh boy a mess! took me like an hour to get that one clip out and took 2 min for the other ones..

[ravingmadman]

I'm going to go hit it with some liquid wrench or similar product, and take it for a drive to loosen it up before I attempt it. Good call, thanks for the head's up.

[TahoeGoBoom]

just think, now its all brand new.. straight outta 99. lol

[ravingmadman]

Hahaha. That's awesome. That's what I keep telling my wife. Although it just officially developed a new problem, I'll post it in a few.

[AtomicHoe094]

what now??

[roadrageror]

Kinda know how you feel tho. I spent over 9 grand on my Denali since Easter but it's a weapon now!!!

[ravingmadman]

It randomly won't start. See my latest thread-
http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2078

---------- Post added at 05:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:27 PM ----------

Kinda know how you feel tho. I spent over 9 grand on my Denali since Easter but it's a weapon now!!!

Ahh!! I'm not alone!!! Love the truck, but my wallet is about crushed. The money that was going to go into awesome mods has been maxed out just keeping it running. But it will be a weapon eventually.

[AtomicHoe094]

ooh boy.. somethings gotta give huh?? damn

[ravingmadman]

Sweet. Check this shizzle out. metallic banging sound coming from the front end. Replaced the half shaft/cv joints and posted a how-to. Awful sound didn't go away. Took it to the diff shop, and they say front gears 3.42, rear gears 3.73. Yay!!!

When I test drove it, there was no problem, and all the driveline, etc., was in place. I'm wondering if there's any way Todd from burien could have easily hid this, without removing the front driveline? I did check for this when I drove it, and now I feel retarded...

The shop also said that both the front and rear diffs are worn out, lots of metal in the oil.

I intend to swap the rear end out for one off a junker that has a 3.42. Anyone know what years will work for swapping a rear end in a '99 4wd?

:owned:

[96ProCompTahoe]

Fucking Aye man, i thought i was dumping a ton of money into mine.

if i didn't already have someone buying the gears outa mine i would give them to you for what it would cost for shipping... they are 3.73's good and clean even with the milage... they are worn out from them being different, but if the rear is still good enough you could just drop the front shaft and be on your way.

Mine always decides to drain my bank account at the worst times. Like... a few weeks ago when i had to completely replace all the shit in the gas tank, right after that new Radiator and Hoses.

You need to Find that guy and kick his ass!


even the people i have work on mine work against me. 4 Wheel Parts everytime... have to go have my rocker fixed AGAIN since the last guy fucked it all up so now its 5x as bad, same with the rear bumper...

[Bad bow tie]

A axle ranging from 1988-1998 will be compatable as long as it's 4wd. You may want to look into a 14 bolt semi float as they are much stronger than the garbage 10 bolt that it has now. It will hold up better to the bigger tires you are spinning. It is a dirrect swap in (again, 4wd only) requiring only a new u-joint. The only problem is they are somewhat rare to come across, and when you do, the asking price is rediculous. I think that 3.42 gears would be to small. Wouldn't you want to go with something lower than at least 4.10? 4.56 would work well. I got 3.42 in mine and it's a dog on the freeway going 72 mph. And I only have 285's. You're running 35's. I wish I had 4.10's.

That's fucked up that someone changed the gears in only one differential on the truck and never told you that the the other one dosen't match. It probably shredded as soon as you engaged the 4wd.

[ravingmadman]

Yeah, they guys at the diff shop (dad called them a "pumpkin patch" once, rofl) also said I'd be happier going steeper on the gears, but right now I don't have the cash to rebuild one pumpkin, much less both.

I'm probably going to put the front driveline in storage for the time being, and start scavenging on craigslist for proper parts. 3.73 is fine- a majority of the miles we put on the rig are highway miles, driving from Seattle to Portland. But I do want the 4wd to work, as this is my wife's truck and I don't want her stuck somewhere. I have my '77 Blazer "man truck" as well. I need to add that into my signature.

Holy poop guys. This truck has really become a nightmare. Thanks for all the help.

[dirtbikerdude2005]

Half of what you've spent is on rims & tires :)

[1999hoe]

I don't know what I'll do if someone does guess correctly. I might have to drop ship beer or something. I don't think it is possible, but I'll figure something out. Up the stakes, you know. And I should require a part/time range, too. Like, "The tranny will blow up within 2 months." Or, "The wheels will fall off on the freeway tomorrow."

thats creepy

[ravingmadman]

OMG, that's not funny.

[tybardy]

the love is whats killing it!

My grandma is 79 years old and has smoked cigs since she was a girl... the doctor told her if she quits it will likely kill her!

Same story, that truck was probably so used to being beat on, as soon as you started treating it good, the fucking thing didnt know what to do....

anyways, i cant decide on AC or tranny

[ravingmadman]

AC compressor pump has been leaking for a while. I don't think luxuries should count. lol. I have to update the original list with the new front diff. Also, we pulled the inspection plate off the rear diff, and there's more metal shavings than oil in it. Might be time to learn how to rebuild a diff....

[tybardy]

oh i just saw you were in seattle... i guess AC is a luxury there... here in phoenix it's as important as GAS!!! hahahaha

[ravingmadman]

Hey all. Just getting home, 100 feet from the driveway, when bang, crunch, crunch, crunch, screech. Rear end spider gears just ate themselves. I just drained/filled the diff today, and saw the carnage in the poor thing, but thought I had at least a week (and another paycheck) to get a new (used) rear end together. The rear end decided to turn again after abruptly stopping, so I got it off the road, and then got it home using the brand new front differential in 4wd!!! Yay!!!! :winner_second_h4h::puke:

I actually had the differential open today for it's first time, and saw how bad it was. The ring gear looks great, so I'm assuming the pinion gear is good too. No major wear, surprisingly.

Can I just unbolt the differential from the carrier, unbolt the ring gear, and replace the gov-lock unit with a real posi, without having to redo the backspacing? :help:

Redoing the backspacing gives me the creeps, and I've never taken a differential apart before, so i'm really not in the mood to butcher my wife's rig with my first dabblings. I'm now destitute, too, so this needs to be on a budget.

Opinions, please?

Edit: Looking at it in the light, one of the spider gears actually went through the cover, and shot down the road. So I'm looking for a new rear end. Thanks for playing!!!

[ravingmadman]

Got the new rear end in last night, late. Went for a really, really ginger drive and checked everything, seems to be doing well now. Checked the fwd, and it now works great too. I took a video of the guts of my rear diff, and detailed the common failure we all have with the gov-lock diff. I need to put it up, but I'm not sure where to put it? Should I just throw it on youtube?

http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=212&pictureid=2085

[Cdnguy]

ouch. thats all i can say.

[96ProCompTahoe]

not something you want to see after a huge BANG....

[Davyboy]

I think after reading this, I'm going to go pat my kon on the back in the morning...

[ravingmadman]

Funny this thread should come up again. I just lost the sway bar linkage. Lol. Easy cheap fix. Recommend getting the $30 Moog parts. Really improves on the stock setup.

[ravingmadman]

Dear diary,
I just spent ~$600 chasing down an electrical fault in the speed sensor wiring, that was causing my speedometer to be all over the place, and causing my truck to shift into odd gears whenever it felt like it. We replaced the speed sensor, but that didn't do it. It was a fault at one of the wiring harnesses. When we unplugged, and plugged the harness, we lost the speedo altogether, so we respliced everything, and seem to have fixed it. The transfer case is getting worse, and I'll need to replace it soon.

I also added a new no-name deck, amp, and a pair of 12" subs from O'Reilly, and it hits really hard. Starting to enjoy driving the truck. I also added smoked headlights and turn signals, cut the old, broken fog lights out of the bumper, and added some cheap, bright yellow ones with a switch overhead. Starting to get the hang of this. I also owe the guys at the shop beer, because it's been over a month since my last major breakdown. Finally made it a month...

[branndon_b]

you poor bastard. that's all i can say. get another running total like you had at the start of this thread so we can all pity you in all your glory. that totally sucks man. most people would've just done something dirty like sell it to someone else (which may have been what the p.o. did to you) or go pawn it off on a car lot towards trade. hats off to you to keep fixing the beast. probably got more patience than i have with all that, but i guess you win in experience points, you'll know every nut and bolt on it. i don't know that my love for my yukon runs deep enough to keep wrenching on it like you have if everything that you've had go wrong went wrong with mine. but i guess there has to be a light at the end of the tunnel eventually huh? can't be much left to break on it man, by the time you're done you'll have a new truck. keep wrenching man. branndon.

[NorCal]

Maybe the $1,600 you spent on those slick wheels & tires could have been better spent on getting a mechanic to go through the truck BEFORE you purchased it.:imo:

Most older Tahoe's seem to be money pits, some more than others, which is weird because I drove a 1998 GMC half ton for well over 120K without doing a thing but regular oil changes.

Some things are funny like that. Maybe Tahoe production was slotted for production only after 4pm on Friday's or early on Monday morning after a holiday weekend, lol.

[destroyer1362]

Most older Tahoe's seem to be money pits, some more than others,
Couldn't agree more.. I thought mine being 71k and one owner meant little to no repairs.. Nope.. I have spent over a grand and still have a list of repairs to do.

[ravingmadman]

Maybe the $1,600 you spent on those slick wheels & tires could have been better spent on getting a mechanic to go through the truck BEFORE you purchased it.:imo:

I did give it a pretty good look/see. The parts that I knew were bad (u-joints, brakes, t-case) I was willing to pay for. No mechanic out there could have forecasted some of the things though, like the battery, radiator, alternator, front or rear ends. Unless they popped the rear diff open, but that's not standard, and still- the front diff was so torn up from having different gears than the rear that it wasn't even complaining in 4wd.

The $1600 was a bit more than I would have spent on stock rims/rubber, but I have the money. So whatever. It's just money, right? I can put my front tire up on the hood of any stupid ricer out there, and still walk most of them in the quarter mile. :headbang:

[moviewithnotitle]

I read this post for the first time today and I am cringing. Sorry to hear your about all this work. How's your Hoe doing these days?, as the last post was in March.

[961500]

Take that damn thing to a priest and bless it shit is like the possesed demon of hoes!