Brought a new (to me) Burb home

[Bigburb3500]

Shhhh that's my plan as well, now it's going to sound like i copied you....

I just need to remember to take a tape and look at measurements to see if i need to build a bracket or if a lightbar will fit perfectly at the height i want it to sit at behind the grill. I might have originally planned on putting some SS3 Max pods from Diode Dynamics there. But i accidently put those on my truck instead, because i think a single row LED bar will look better in that location and i wanted more light so i replaced the SS1 pods i had on the a pillars of my truck

I already posted about this you copycat! LOL

I had leftover L brackets from something that worked perfectly. My truck has a slightly different stance with it being a 3500 and in the Industrial White it looks like a straight up undercover unit with the lights.

 

[Loki223]

My placement will be simular to yours, i have some leftover angle iron if i need to make some brackets, i just need to take a tape out tot he burb and see if there is a lightbar that will already directly mount to the supports, or if i will need to make some custom brackets. I'll do that this weekend when i pull it into the garage to get started on the other projects i have lined out.

 

[Loki223]

Anyone else get told by their wife "if you want or need to do something just do it, i won't get in the way" and then you start seeing their list of their wants for the weekend after you've spent the last 3 weeks reminding them what your plans on for this weekend?

 

[Bigburb3500]

Anyone else get told by their wife "if you want or need to do something just do it, i won't get in the way" and then you start seeing their list of their wants for the weekend after you've spent the last 3 weeks reminding them what your plans on for this weekend?

I plead the fifth as I am uncertain if my online activity is monitored or not by the powers-to-be.

 

[Bigburb3500]

My placement will be simular to yours, i have some leftover angle iron if i need to make some brackets, i just need to take a tape out tot he burb and see if there is a lightbar that will already directly mount to the supports, or if i will need to make some custom brackets. I'll do that this weekend when i pull it into the garage to get started on the other projects i have lined out.

Make sure to paint/rust proof it before install. You probably know this already but just reminding you lol.

 

[SpareParts]

But before you do that. Trash needs to be taken out and the fridge needs a new water filter.

 

[Loki223]

Alright, so this weekend got shot. and while i could blame my wife, it's actually GNC's fault. Her car, a 24 GMC Acadia, decided to start pissing ATF out of the bell housing. Turns out that's a known issue, with a tSB for the torque converter bolts beign fualty or loose, and destroying a bunch of stuff. So Saturday got eaten up by that fiasco. However, i did make it perfectly clear that next saturday, i'm messing with the burb. So this upcoming weekend is my wrenching weekend, i know i will get at least 2 projects done on it. Radio and suspension, and i might start on some of the other odds and ends i have sitting around for it. The other one i'd like to get going on is the headlights and light bar. I did take some measurements this weekend, and i think i found one that is going to be peeerfect. So that's ordered up i might only be able to get 4-5 hours of messing with it, so idk if i'll get to the headlights, we will see how much the rear suspension wants to fight me....

 

[SpareParts]

You won't.

 

[Loki223]

You won't.

I'm trying to be hopeful. Bare minimum will be the radio and suspension. I'm tired of those parts just sitting in the garage taking up space. but i also know the headlights will take a minute. I understand why GM does this, but still, on my truck i can pull both headlights in under 5 minutes. On the burb, yeah we're going to need to pull the front bumper. Although i guess it could be worse, family had a ford focus. to pull the headlight there was on bolt with the head facing the fender, so to pull the headlight, you had to loosing with a pivoting head ratcheting wrench, then remove the wrench and do the rest blind by feel. if you left the wrench on, it would bottom out against the fender before you had the bolt out. Best part, is on the other side of the brakcet, there was acres of room. So if they had designed it for the bolt to go the other way, it would've been an easy peasy job.

And yes, i know GM knows how to make headlights that are easy to remove, the GMT800s proved that

 

[Bigburb3500]

I'm trying to be hopeful. Bare minimum will be the radio and suspension. I'm tired of those parts just sitting in the garage taking up space. but i also know the headlights will take a minute. I understand why GM does this, but still, on my truck i can pull both headlights in under 5 minutes. On the burb, yeah we're going to need to pull the front bumper. Although i guess it could be worse, family had a ford focus. to pull the headlight there was on bolt with the head facing the fender, so to pull the headlight, you had to loosing with a pivoting head ratcheting wrench, then remove the wrench and do the rest blind by feel. if you left the wrench on, it would bottom out against the fender before you had the bolt out. Best part, is on the other side of the brakcet, there was acres of room. So if they had designed it for the bolt to go the other way, it would've been an easy peasy job.

And yes, i know GM knows how to make headlights that are easy to remove, the GMT800s proved that

Headlights actually aren’t that bad. The bumper isn’t hard, just a lot of unnecessary bolts lol.

You can prep your radio install a bit by pulling the center counsel. It has really hard clips that you need to tug really good at. Just pull straight up on the backside (closest to the center armrest area), then work forward. If you get that out before you work on it this weekend it will save you an hr of messing around with it.

 

[Loki223]

Headlights actually aren’t that bad. The bumper isn’t hard, just a lot of unnecessary bolts lol.

You can prep your radio install a bit by pulling the center counsel. It has really hard clips that you need to tug really good at. Just pull straight up on the backside (closest to the center armrest area), then work forward. If you get that out before you work on it this weekend it will save you an hr of messing around with it.

The more important prep, is going to be Friday night, when i get back from out of town, is to pull the burb into the garage so it can acclimate to the warmer environment of the garage, vs outside. Cold plastic makes for bad days. I've been through enough vehicles i'm quite good at making progress. Back in the single days this all would've been done in a day weeks ago....but wives have a way of wanting their needs met as well i suppose. Plus side, is i havent had to clean the house since i got married. So that's nice too

 

[olyelr]

The more important prep, is going to be Friday night, when i get back from out of town, is to pull the burb into the garage so it can acclimate to the warmer environment of the garage, vs outside. Cold plastic makes for bad days. I've been through enough vehicles i'm quite good at making progress. Back in the single days this all would've been done in a day weeks ago....but wives have a way of wanting their needs met as well i suppose. Plus side, is i havent had to clean the house since i got married. So that's nice too

Teamwork makes the dream work. Happy wife, happy life !

 

[Double J]

Your wife called and said she wants to swap cars …she likes your Suburban better

 

[Loki223]

Alright. Well. Only one thing getting done this weekend. Did the rear suspension. Wasnt able to get the driver's side plug to seat so i swapped it to the new plug. If you do the new plug. Do it before you install the new shock. And pull the air compressor before the drivers side shock. Makes life easy. Passenger side i went to swap the plug and thought eff this.... so i tried the factory plug. It seats just fine. Great. Eff that. It's tight above the frame to rewire it. Got it all put back together. Only the passenger side upper bolt fights you thanks to all the lines right there but not to bad. Fired up the burb and hard the air compressor run and shut off, no errors. I'm happy.

I would do the headlights this weekend, however since I'm doing the radio, im going to install a front camera as well. Looked it over, ordered a camera. Next weekend is headlights and front end stuff followed by radio

 

[Loki223]

Your wife called and said she wants to swap cars …she likes your Suburban better

Idk... she has a brand new fully loaded Acadia that she loves. The point of the burb is our weekend "beater with a heater" and to have a spare vehicle just in case. And since I'm selling my truck soon, i scratch my modification itch on the burb rather then my truck

 

[Loki223]

So, number one, I'm amazed how well the burb rode with the rear shocks being fully blown

Number 2, it now rides like glass even on my. Washed out dirt. Roads by my house

 

[Loki223]

Soooo I'll talk more about this tomorrow. But.

 

[Loki223]

So i will try and take a video and some more pics some time. but first impressions, love the new lights. The factory HIDs were good, but these are way better. I do need to adjsut them, which i might do tonight. Like others said, taking the bumper off isn't that hard, but i still feel like it's unnecessary there could've been some design choices that made the housing more serviceable. I'm never a fan of removing body work to access items that are known for needing replacement.

As to my factory lights, not sure what i'm going to do with them. Passenger side one is fine, driver's side has water intrusion, and the turn signal is inop due to it. I could now clean the contacts and make it work, and i coudl drain the housing and try and ID the issue and reseal it. or i could throw them away. Unless anyone has interest in them for something, i've never been one to think off the shelf OEM parts are that valuable 10 years later. I usually hold onto stock parts, but i doubt i'll ever put them back on even if a resell the burb in 5 years. Won't be worth the hassle but at the and of the day

Stock

And no longer stock

While the OEM headlights did look great for OEM housings, these really just bring the burb into the mid 2020s. Next up is the radio, and then she will basically be better then a brand new 2026. After the radio, i might start looking at exhuast me thinks.

Oh, Also hid this behind the grill. Looks straight in person, just realized the picture says differently. But you never see if unless you are really looking for it. But she will do the job if i ever need it. Ran the wires to the battery while i had everything off. I'll finish wiring it to a switch when i start doing dash stuff. I have a plan for that so that even my IC will tell me that light is on if for some reason i wonder why it's so bright in front of me....

 

[Bigburb3500]

So i will try and take a video and some more pics some time. but first impressions, love the new lights. The factory HIDs were good, but these are way better. I do need to adjsut them, which i might do tonight. Like others said, taking the bumper off isn't that hard, but i still feel like it's unnecessary there could've been some design choices that made the housing more serviceable. I'm never a fan of removing body work to access items that are known for needing replacement.

As to my factory lights, not sure what i'm going to do with them. Passenger side one is fine, driver's side has water intrusion, and the turn signal is inop due to it. I could now clean the contacts and make it work, and i coudl drain the housing and try and ID the issue and reseal it. or i could throw them away. Unless anyone has interest in them for something, i've never been one to think off the shelf OEM parts are that valuable 10 years later. I usually hold onto stock parts, but i doubt i'll ever put them back on even if a resell the burb in 5 years. Won't be worth the hassle but at the and of the day

Stock
View attachment 477451

And no longer stock
View attachment 477452

While the OEM headlights did look great for OEM housings, these really just bring the burb into the mid 2020s. Next up is the radio, and then she will basically be better then a brand new 2026. After the radio, i might start looking at exhuast me thinks.

Oh, Also hid this behind the grill. Looks straight in person, just realized the picture says differently. But you never see if unless you are really looking for it. But she will do the job if i ever need it. Ran the wires to the battery while i had everything off. I'll finish wiring it to a switch when i start doing dash stuff. I have a plan for that so that even my IC will tell me that light is on if for some reason i wonder why it's so bright in front of me....

View attachment 477453

Please let me know when you are ready to sell the truck… I want the headlights if you part it out lol!

Looking good friend!

 

[Loki223]

Please let me know when you are ready to sell the truck… I want the headlights if you part it out lol!

Looking good friend!

If you call into DDP Motorsports out of Texas and talk to Clayton, he will hook you up and save you some money. Tell him i sent you, and he'll get you taken care of. i buy all my stuff for all of my rigs from him, great guy, and i get to support small American owned businesses when i buy through him. I prefer giving the little guys a chance rather then just going with the big box distributors whenever possible


but in terms of headlights...i'll sell you the old ones i pulled off and put them in the Morimoto Boxes. So at least you'd get the morimoto boxes to take Instagram photos with