What did you do to your NNBS GMT900 Tahoe/Yukon Today?

[Sparksalot]

Went for a splash or two Sunday.

 

[Just Fishing]

I literally just unboxed mine (screw work...) and Saw the cuts in my Champion Radiator. I looked over the box for damage, and assumed that they were manufacturing defects, or some shmuck with a bandsaw messing with Americans.

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So this is normal? There is no manual or cool sticker in the box with my new radiator.

As long as the cuts are on the bottom, it's normal.
Something about heat expansion or some nonsense.

Cold case has it also.

 

[pwtr02ss]

Still waiting to get mine back. 9 days and counting. Bare ass hanging up in the air on some hydraulic lift. Oil all drained out of the upper end of the motor into the pan. Battery missing it’s daily charge. All the moving parts and fluids sitting dormant. Collecting shop smell and dust etc. So depressing. My angel, my home away from home. Away from my home. I miss my baby so much.

Soon buddy, soon. ANNND she'll have a new rear end to toy with

 

[Just Fishing]

Just looks half a*sed to me.

My theory, it prevents warpage when manufacturing.

I have a champion in my c4 vette.

It didn't have any sort of cuts in it.
There was a noticeable amount of "twist" to the radiator.

 

[RooTBeeRthe1st]

Went for a splash or two Sunday.

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Just saw a video on YouTube that strangely looks a lot like these pictures.

 

[Sparksalot]

Just saw a video on YouTube that strangely looks a lot like these pictures.

Was it 1:57 long?

 

[RooTBeeRthe1st]

Was it 1:57 long?

How'd you know?!

 

[Charlie207]

As long as the cuts are on the bottom, it's normal.
Something about heat expansion or some nonsense.

Cold case has it also.

There is a cut on the top, toward one side. There is also a cut on the bottom, other end, but same distance from end-tank as top cut.

I'm still waiting on a reply from the vendor, for a reply to their question to the manufacturer.

I'm luckily not in imminent need of a new radiator, and still gathering other replacement parts.

 

[Just Fishing]

There is a cut on the top, toward one side. There is also a cut on the bottom, other end, but same distance from end-tank as top cut.

I'm still waiting on a reply from the vendor, for a reply to their question to the manufacturer.

I'm luckily not in imminent need of a new radiator, and still gathering other replacement parts.

In my mind, that cut on the top and bottom makes more sense assuming I'm right about the reason for them.

I think if my other radiator had those, the radiator would lay flat.
I bet they had a bunch of returns due to the radiator looking twisted due to manufacturing processes.

 

[Sparksalot]

Went for a splash or two Sunday.

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Here are some matching video clips.

 

[Just Fishing]

Once the hoe is all sorted, I'm going to do the front suspension.
Since I'll need an alignment anyways, I'm thinking about one of those leveling kits...

I see two types available.
One mounts at the top of the strut.

The other mounts under the strut.

Any opinions on what one is better?

Also, 2in, 2.5in, etc?

 

[Charlie207]

Once the hoe is all sorted, I'm going to do the front suspension.
Since I'll need an alignment anyways, I'm thinking about one of those leveling kits...

I see two types available.
One mounts at the top of the strut.

The other mounts under the strut.

Any opinions on what one is better?

Also, 2in, 2.5in, etc?

I have the Rough Country leveling kit. It's a 1" thick spacer that mounts between the control-arm and lower strut mount. It lifts/levels the front 2", and was pretty simple to install. It's nothing fancy, but gave me a little bit more clearance for the mild off-piste driving I do, but more for making it juuuuuust that much easier to fit under the front end for oil changes and stuff.

I had to unbolt the strut at the top and bottom, so it's probably no easier/harder to install than a spacer mounted on top of the strut.

 

[the_tool_man]

285/45-22 cooper discoverer at3 4s coming off and going to the Defender LTX M/S

Excellent choice. I've been using them on my SUVs and other cars for a while now. I even have a set on my Datsun.

 

[RooTBeeRthe1st]

Once the hoe is all sorted, I'm going to do the front suspension.
Since I'll need an alignment anyways, I'm thinking about one of those leveling kits...

I see two types available.
One mounts at the top of the strut.

The other mounts under the strut.

Any opinions on what one is better?

Also, 2in, 2.5in, etc?

2 inch leveled my SSV perfectly.
I went with the truxx kit originally.
Gives you the option of half inch, 2 in or 2 1/2 in.
1/4-in plate went on top of the strut and then a 1 in bracket went on the bottom of the strut.

 

[iamdub]

I know people have had varying degrees of success fixing these cracks. I tried and I’m pretty good at that stuff. I even bought the hot stapler that melts wire staples into the plastic, pulled the dash, and used about 50 of those on the underside to fix the 3 cracks- 2 by the airbag and one long one by the instrument cluster. While working on it I noticed the plastic in those areas was darker than the rest. It had “ rivers” of dark plastic where the cracking occurred. I’m not sure if that was a result or cause of the cracking. I also noticed the part that goes between the windshield and dash was brittle and broke in 2 places when I tried to remove it.

I reinstalled the main dash and ordered the other part. Within a week there was a new long crack near where the other one was by the instrument cluster. And when I pulled that dash again to replace it, I experimented with the different areas. I cut pieces out and played around a bit. That darker plastic snapped super easy, it was real brittle. The rest of it…I could bend it back and forth and couldn’t get it to break, which is what you’d expect of plastic.

So I guess what I’m trying to say is…I don’t think it’s worth trying to repair most of these. My thoughts are that there is some defect in the manufacturing process that created weaker plastic in those areas. That’s the only thing in my mind that could cause the different characteristics of the material. If it was sun doing it, I think the entire dash would be brittle and would break in more areas other than the 2 common ones. Or would be brittle in more areas.

Of course, theses are only the opinions of some guy on the internet so take it as you may. I posted pics of my findings in my build Silverado thread but it was a ways back. I did find the discoloration and brittleness pretty interesting. The top of the dash didn’t show any difference in color or texture. This was the Ebony color so it was black however on the underside it was black and then super black in the brittle areas.

I remember you going through this. Actually, I tried to find that returned stapler in the Amazon Warehouse but someone else had already scooped it up.

I think the cracking is from the plastic aging and the unsupported areas failing. The plastic offgases as it ages and I suspect the dark areas around the cracks of yours was from exposure. I suggested Wade trying fix his since it was the first crack and (I believe) his is parked inside. So, I'm under the impression that his plastic is in much better shape, molecularly. But, with the type of plastic that it is, it will continue to get brittle. Ideal conditions (minimal exposure to harsh vibrations, UV, temperature extremes, etc.) slow down the decay, but it'll still eventually happen.

The cracks I epoxied have stayed just as they were almost four years later. But, I've got plenty of newer ones that make it not worth trying to fix any more. I still have my new dash in the shipping box. I guess I'll put it back on the '08's radar since it doesn't look like I'm getting another Tahoe.

 

[iamdub]

Agreed. I'm not sure GM could survive too many more hits. But in my opinion, they could have at least offered a discounted price to owners with cracked dashes, or a rebate, or...something. Instead, they ignored it, and used their legal team to get the class-action lawsuit dismissed. That's probably the worst possible thing they could have done from a customer service standpoint.

Yet, people still flock to them to gamble $70-$100K+.

 

[Geotrash]

Yet, people still flock to them to gamble $70-$100K+.

And when these things get to be 6-7 years old, they’re a bargain in normal times because the initial quality problems hit the resale.

 

[iamdub]

Once the hoe is all sorted, I'm going to do the front suspension.
Since I'll need an alignment anyways, I'm thinking about one of those leveling kits...

I see two types available.
One mounts at the top of the strut.

The other mounts under the strut.

Any opinions on what one is better?

Also, 2in, 2.5in, etc?

Top or bottom makes no difference function-wise. It's more about installation preference and cost. I had a 1" spacer (2" lift) under the strut for about a year. I used a 36" wrecking bar to push the LCA downward while simultaneously lifting up on the strut. I straddled the bar and squatted to push it down while I slid the spacer into position, aligned it with the two bolts in place, then simply stood up a little to let the strut put weight back onto it and installed the washers and nuts.

I got a billet aluminum spacer kit off Amazon for about $25. Good stuff, just came with Grade 5 hardware. They gave me no problems, but I switched them for Grade 8 to feel better about it. My personal preference is that I wouldn't go taller than a 1" spacer under the strut. If I wanted more than that 2" lift, I'd get the top strut spacer.

 

[iamdub]

Last night: Took Kin to 4-H then went to Exxon for 9.*** gallons of 93 at $4.0x/gallon.

 

[Rocket Man]

I remember you going through this. Actually, I tried to find that returned stapler in the Amazon Warehouse but someone else had already scooped it up.

I think the cracking is from the plastic aging and the unsupported areas failing. The plastic offgases as it ages and I suspect the dark areas around the cracks of yours was from exposure. I suggested Wade trying fix his since it was the first crack and (I believe) his is parked inside. So, I'm under the impression that his plastic is in much better shape, molecularly. But, with the type of plastic that it is, it will continue to get brittle. Ideal conditions (minimal exposure to harsh vibrations, UV, temperature extremes, etc.) slow down the decay, but it'll still eventually happen.

The cracks I epoxied have stayed just as they were almost four years later. But, I've got plenty of newer ones that make it not worth trying to fix any more. I still have my new dash in the shipping box. I guess I'll put it back on the '08's radar since it doesn't look like I'm getting another Tahoe.

Maybe it’s from offgassing or aging but I am of the belief there was a failure in the composition of the plastic to start with. It was very strange to me the difference between the areas that I could snap into pieces like they were peanut brittle and the areas right next to them that had been exposed to the exact same environmental conditions and outgassing yet remained flexible and pliable. I couldn’t break those areas no matter how many times I bent them back and forth yet the areas in the crack prone sections could be easily snapped. It looked like rivers of the darker material in those areas. Maybe the molds or injection machines caused it, idk. But in comparison, I have removed, stripped and painted the dash in my 02. It has large unsupported areas and it was 22 years old the last time I painted it. The truck has never been garaged. I’m sure if there was outgassing to be done, it’s happened long ago. The sun should have done a lot more damage in comparison to the ‘12 Tahoe dash that I had the cracking occur in. ( That was part of a conversion to LTZ interior I had done ) So comparing a 22 year old dash to a 10 year old dash, the one that was more than twice as old should have been brittle as hell but even the fragile areas around the vents were still strong. So I’m left to think it was something to do with either the material to start with or the manufacturing.

And like you, my repairs on the cracks held fine. But the fact it developed new cracks in the same areas made repairing it pointless. So frustrating.