2009 Suburban 2500LT (GMT900) - Misc Upgrades

[irishcreamer]

Long time reader first time poster haha...

After a great deal of research I finally found and purchased a GMT900 3/4 ton suburban. Part way into the upgrades and thought I would share to give back to the community.

Bought this to replace a 2002 Tahoe Z71 tow vehicle and have to say the difference is night and day. Towing the 6500# boat with the Sub is a breeze - more power, heavier tow vehicle with longer wheel base, and the tow mode downshifts when I brake. Just wish this had occurred to me sooner!

Phase 1 (complete)
- Trail Ridge Tow Mirrors (pn TRMRP00011)
- EBC S8 Kits Orangestuff Brake Pads and Black GD Rotors (Front: S8KF1021, Rear: S8KR1010)
- Hellwig Suspension Products Sway Bar Kits (Front: 7654, Rear: 7653)
- Bilstein 4600 shocks (Front: 24-060813 / Rear: 24-185677)
- Firestone Ride-Rite (2253 kit, discontinued)
- Weathertech mats
- UVS100 suncreen heat shield
- Pilkinton EZ-KOOL (DW1658)

Phase 2 (researching)
- Aux battery system
- Cargo glide


Curious about your experience with these platforms and any common upgrades or problems to watch out for.

Best,
IC

 

[PG01]

Nice, looks to be in good shape. Good luck with it. Any interior shots?

 

[Matt_]

Thats a solid vehicle! If it has a sunroof, keep an eye out for wet carpet after hard rain. There are a few common causes that are pretty easy to fix

 

[irishcreamer]

Nice, looks to be in good shape. Good luck with it. Any interior shots?

sure np here are some stock photos from the listing. anything in particular you are looking for?

 

[irishcreamer]

Thats a solid vehicle! If it has a sunroof, keep an eye out for wet carpet after hard rain. There are a few common causes that are pretty easy to fix

Thanks, Matt. No sunroof but there are two plugged holes I hope they are well sealed!!

 

[irishcreamer]

Guess I should add about the Wheels and Tires:

Wheels - MB Legacy 17" alloy wheels
Tires - Cooper Discoverer AT3 (LT275/70R17)

The front tire fit is quite tight. When I first received the truck the tires would rub slightly with sharp turns on uneven surfaces. After installing the shocks, and leveling and adjusting the front end up 1" (torsion bar adj I think) the clearance is okay.

-IC

 

[adventurenali92]

Looks like a nice rig! I’ve always like the idea of a 3/4 ton GM suv. Been thinking about looking for a 2500 Yukon xl.

 

[Jason in DLH]

Nice ride! What’s going on with the 2 plugs? Some previously installed antennas or something? Looks like I’d get the black caulk out for that just to be safe.

 

[wjburken]

Welcome to the forum firm Iowa.

As others have said, it’s a nice looking ride. Really like how those wheels look on it.

 

[Matt_]

Guess I should add about the Wheels and Tires:

Wheels - MB Legacy 17" alloy wheels
Tires - Cooper Discoverer AT3 (LT275/70R17)

The front tire fit is quite tight. When I first received the truck the tires would rub slightly with sharp turns on uneven surfaces. After installing the shocks, and leveling and adjusting the front end up 1" (torsion bar adj I think) the clearance is okay.

-IC

You can gain a lot of tire clearance on these rigs with the "norcal" fender mod, and trimming the front bumper supports, then reshaping the wheel well liner keeping it all OEM looking

 

[Just Fishing]

Nice truck!

Seats look like the ones in my hoe, i love black.

I came from a 03 S10.
The seats in those are ...ok...

the seats in my vette are nice.

The seats in my 09 Tahoe are lazy boy type of comfort.
I haven't had it long, but it still makes me grin every time i sit down in it.

 

[irishcreamer]

Thanks, everyone. Appreciate the feedback and suggestions.

For anyone interested... working through the dual battery wiring over in Audio & Electronics:
https://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/thr...00-gmt900-aux-battery-system-concerns.121728/


-IC

 

[avalonandl]

Wow, thats nice. I looked high and low for a 2500 and EVERYONE I saw was a RUSTY POS. (July 2019)

Ended up with a Denali XL. It does tow my 35 Donzi CC OK for short distances.

 

[bobsburban]

Sweet 'Burb! A 2500 in good shape is a great find even if not perfect. I've got a 2011 1500 LTZ which has a suspension build sheet close to yours:

• Bilstein 5100 HD shocks (the front ones have adjustable spring perches which helped eliminate the need for a lift kit)
• Moog 1250 lb rear springs (which rid me of the blown air-ride suspension and increased the rear ride height about 1.5")
• 18" Silverado Z71 wheels and 275/65-18 General Grabber AT-Xs, which do rub ever so slightly

While the truck came with the HD towing package, I made one other major improvement since I bought it with a leaking radiator: I installed a 3" thick all-aluminum radiator with the integral transmission cooler. I'm only pulling about 4200 lbs with my 17' Winnebago trailer, but I can see some difference in the transmission temps with just this larger radiator. I'll probably install a larger external transmission fluid cooler to replace the stock HD cooler next spring. I also bought one of the Diablo Sport AFM/DOD override plugs for the OBDII port so all 8 of the cylinders would fire all the time. So far, so good on that.

The rest of my build amounts to Weathertech mats, a good off-road GPS, maybe a roof rack for the trailer spare if the wife insists on using the trailer's back bumper for a rack to carry bikes on our trips, some way to carry some gas cans for remote parts of the SW, and an air compressor mounted in the primary battery location under the hood. Why the only battery is located in the secondary position on the passenger side is anyone's guess, but I'll take such small gifts.

Loving it so far, even with the 231,000 miles it had on it when I bought it. It was well maintained. And like you, I came from a Tahoe - the original 1995 four door version which I should have never sold. I was trying to tow the little Winnebago with a 2000 ZR-2 S10 but talk about under-powered, under-cooled, and under-braked... This truck makes all the difference in the world.

Edit to add: I'm going to check out that battery thread you started; not sure about the need for a bigger alternator, extra battery, solar power and an inverter, or all of the above and how to do it. I've got the winter to research it, though.

 

[PG01]

Sweet 'Burb! A 2500 in good shape is a great find even if not perfect. I've got a 2011 1500 LTZ which has a suspension build sheet close to yours:

• Bilstein 5100 HD shocks (the front ones have adjustable spring perches which helped eliminate the need for a lift kit)
• Moog 1250 lb rear springs (which rid me of the blown air-ride suspension and increased the rear ride height about 1.5")
• 18" Silverado Z71 wheels and 275/65-18 General Grabber AT-Xs, which do rub ever so slightly

While the truck came with the HD towing package, I made one other major improvement since I bought it with a leaking radiator: I installed a 3" thick all-aluminum radiator with the integral transmission cooler. I'm only pulling about 4200 lbs with my 17' Winnebago trailer, but I can see some difference in the transmission temps with just this larger radiator. I'll probably install a larger external transmission fluid cooler to replace the stock HD cooler next spring. I also bought one of the Diable Sport AFM/DOD override plugs for the OBDII port so all 8 of the cylinders would fire all the time. So far, so good on that.

The rest of my build amounts to Weathertech mats, a good off-road GPS, maybe a roof rack for the trailer spare if the wife insists on using the trailer's back bumper for a rack to carry bikes on our trips, some way to carry some gas cans for remote parts of the SW, and an air compressor mounted in the primary battery location under the hood. Why the only battery is located in the secondary position on the passenger side is anyone's guess, but I'll take such small gifts.

Loving it so far, even with the 231,000 miles it had on it when I bought it. It was well maintained. And like you, I came from a Tahoe - the original 1995 four door version which I should have never sold. I was trying to tow the little Winnebago with a 2000 ZR-2 S10 but talk about under-powered, under-cooled, and under-braked... This truck makes all the difference in the world.


View attachment 260027

Secondary position on the NBS but primary position on the NNBS...

 

[swathdiver]

sure np here are some stock photos from the listing. anything in particular you are looking for?

View attachment 259617 View attachment 259618 View attachment 259619 View attachment 259620 View attachment 259621

Looks great, very clean interior! Don't forget that you have two fuel tanks and two fuel pumps that act as one. Put a Tech-2 on your list of things to get for it so you can work on it. Consider adding the GM Accessory Tilt and Shock sensors if you can still get them. Someday you might think of converting your motor to the L96 by adding the larger injectors and programming so the motor will then be FlexFuel capable, allowing you run various grades of ethanol for free horsepower or to save money on fuel if the price is right in your area.

 

[petethepug]

Looks great in black on black! My bro in law has a 08 in white and th lines deff don’t flow as nice against the black trim.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[irishcreamer]

Looks great, very clean interior! Don't forget that you have two fuel tanks and two fuel pumps that act as one. Put a Tech-2 on your list of things to get for it so you can work on it. Consider adding the GM Accessory Tilt and Shock sensors if you can still get them. Someday you might think of converting your motor to the L96 by adding the larger injectors and programming so the motor will then be FlexFuel capable, allowing you run various grades of ethanol for free horsepower or to save money on fuel if the price is right in your area.

Good tips. Didn't realize I had a dual tank and dual pumps. Anything I should know about this setup? Fuel pumps were notoriously bad on the 02 Tahoe I had.

-IC

 

[irishcreamer]

About to add:
- Aux battery
- Onboard Air Compressor
- Inverter
- Cargo Glide

Headlight went out and it appears we have to drop the bumper for access so think about upgrade to LED lights. Seeing some mixed reviews but maybe the GTR Ultra 2 will work with the reflector lens? Also looking for an easy upgrade for the reverse lights...with the dark tint it's difficult to see behind in the dark.

First few months of ownership always the most changes...almost through it!

-IC

 

[swathdiver]

Good tips. Didn't realize I had a dual tank and dual pumps. Anything I should know about this setup? Fuel pumps were notoriously bad on the 02 Tahoe I had.

-IC

They are quite reliable and work together seamlessly so you don't have to think about them. The 2nd tank is above the spare tire between the body and frame.