Building the SS(V) TrailHoe

[PatDTN]

Ah. One benefit of being a firefighter in Baneberry is that we have a nice compressor for filling scba and scuba tanks. I can pick up a decommissioned scba tank and fill it there. Just need the proper regulator. Bonus is they're designed to be lightweight.

Where are you staying? You're close to my home.

 

[Bill 1960]

How do you like the wireless CarPlay? I installed a 1300 NEX in my Tahoe awhile back specifically for CarPlay but it's wired only. Everything I read at the time said that wireless CarPlay had a really annoying delayed response, which I've noticed when just playing my phone over Bluetooth instead of CarPlay. Have they improved the wireless responsiveness at all?

Wireless CarPlay itself is OK, but yes there is a discernible lag compared to when it’s plugged in.

This head unit though, is a POS I would never recommend. I did a thread about it in the audio section. It’s glitchy and just has a bad interface.

 

[mattjones]

Wireless CarPlay itself is OK, but yes there is a discernible lag compared to when it’s plugged in.

This head unit though, is a POS I would never recommend. I did a thread about it in the audio section. It’s glitchy and just has a bad interface.

Mine has been driving me crazy recently. Not sure if I just have a bad lightning cable, but whenever the phone comes unplugged the CarPlay shuts off and it goes back to the head units normal interface screen. It's been doing that every time the phone gets bumped or slightly moved, which is super annoying.

I do also have a problem where occasionally the head unit will just randomly completely shut off and then just sort of turns back on when it eventually wants to. That doesn't happen too often though, but has been happening fairly regularly the entire time I've had it installed.

 

[Bill 1960]

Ah. One benefit of being a firefighter in Baneberry is that we have a nice compressor for filling scba and scuba tanks. I can pick up a decommissioned scba tank and fill it there. Just need the proper regulator. Bonus is they're designed to be lightweight.

Where are you staying? You're close to my home.

Yeah, you’ve got access to the right gear there. I’ll most likely just buy a filled CO2 tank from a welding supply and then I can exchange it anywhere. Rather do that than buy one of those pretty painted ones they sell for off-road enthusiasts. Then you need a vendor to refill it on the spot.

We’re near Asheville for now.

 

[RooTBeeRthe1st]

Not sure how I haven't found this thread sooner.

 

[Bill 1960]

Been doing some more roaming around along the blue ridge.

 

[PatDTN]

I tried to suggest Hurricane Creek as a fun trail. It has one end on I40 a couple miles into Tennessee. I considered doing it with my stock Tahoe until I got stuck in my back yard.

 

[Bill 1960]

Enjoying some payoff in the Bighorn mountains of WY today.

 

[Bill 1960]

Yesterday spent some time trail riding on what was essentially a trail for ATV and UTV drivers. It was the first time I’ve had an opportunity to test the Hoe on a trail where a stock 4x4 would not be happy. I came away feeling good about the decisions on lift and tire size. I have often wondered if I went too far.

Yesterday illuminated the value of lots of clearance. Deep ruts, roots, rocks, the 35’s make it so much easier. The approach, departure and break over clearance let it stroll right over whoops and ledges that would force a lower vehicle to take an oblique angle.

I do still feel that the front diff is a weakness, and I drive it carefully in the rough.

As the summer progresses, I’ll get some better pictures of it in action.

 

[Sparksalot]

Cool copilots.

 

[PatDTN]

Am I sensing the desire for a solid front axle conversion? I bet NO LIMIT engineering in Dandridge, TN could hook you up. No Limit

 

[Bill 1960]

Thanks for the link, but that’s not in the cards. Yes, SFA is great off road, but the penalty in ride quality and road manners is not a trade off I’d make. The main point of this build was to have comfort on the trails and on the interstate.

I have other vehicles with SFA including newer ones than this, and they’re sitting at home.

If I feel an upgrade is needed for my use I’ll probably try to custom fit a 2500 IFS front diff.

 

[RooTBeeRthe1st]

If I feel an upgrade is needed for my use I’ll probably try to custom fit a 2500 IFS front diff.

I would love to see what all that takes. Thought about doing it myself, but definitely not feasible at the moment since I would need a lot of downtime on the vehicle.

 

[Bill 1960]

Nothing going on build wise, just maintenance lately. Brake booster in WY and fuel pump in MT.

Performance on and off road has been everything I hoped for. Yesterday we were out in the National forest and picked up a hiker caught out in a rainstorm without adequate gear and took her back to her camp. She commented on how smooth the ride was on the rough track. I’ve put in so much seat time now I’ve forgotten how bad factory vehicles ride off pavement.

Today took a ride along the continental divide trail in MT. Parts of it were nothing more than a SxS trail but the Hoe didn’t break a sweat through mud, rocks, and roots.

Here’s a pic along the top of the divide.

 

[RooTBeeRthe1st]

Making Tahoes great...again? Haha

 

[swathdiver]

Nothing going on build wise, just maintenance lately. Brake booster in WY and fuel pump in MT.

Performance on and off road has been everything I hoped for. Yesterday we were out in the National forest and picked up a hiker caught out in a rainstorm without adequate gear and took her back to her camp. She commented on how smooth the ride was on the rough track. I’ve put in so much seat time now I’ve forgotten how bad factory vehicles ride off pavement.

Today took a ride along the continental divide trail in MT. Parts of it were nothing more than a SxS trail but the Hoe didn’t break a sweat through mud, rocks, and roots.

Here’s a pic along the top of the divide.
View attachment 347248

Living my dreams Bill! Awesome!

 

[Bill 1960]

SE Oregon dry lake bed.

Hot springs.

 

[Bill 1960]

Visibility at times was only a couple of miles due to all the wildfire smoke.

 

[Bill 1960]

Wild, I think. There’s definitely wild herds in the area; but I’m not an expert judge of horse status. They weren’t friendly.

 

[Bill 1960]

Time for a review of mods to date, after several thousand miles of roads and trails.

The lift:
Ride quality is excellent. With the combination of lift and tires it’s comfortable on pavement and rough terrain.

Handling is decent, as long as you respect the higher COG.

Steering is precise, one of the reasons I like IFS. It is slightly sensitive due to the higher COG. The maximum cut angle on the front wheels is less than stock, so the turning circle is larger; that’s a noticeable downside in maneuvering.

Track width increases at the front using lift spindles, by about 4”. Add in the effect of big tires and the required different wheel offset to clear the spindles and it’s overall close to 8” wider at the front tires. That’s the one big downside to IFS lifted GM in my opinion. It’s noticeable on the trails as the front tires tend to snag objects at the outside edges of ruts and pull at the steering.

Wheels:
I’m about 90% satisfied with these for my purposes. Not perfect because they’re not hub centric which makes me think they might be behind a slight high speed imbalance.

Tires:
BFG FTW is all I can say. I’ve been driving around on all sorts of nasty terrain including volcanic rock, and that’s nasty sharp stuff. Quiet like highway tread on the road, grip well in the rain. Not a mud tire, if I was doing much of that I’d get the MT.

The cabinetry:
No rattles or squeaks and keeps all my gear in place through a lot of rugged trails. One of the dogs did complain that carpeting on plywood was not as soft as the rear seat cushions had been, so I had to buy her a memory foam dog bed for the rear; now she’s happy.

The stereo head unit:
This is an aggravating POS don’t buy it. Glitchy. Hard to use screen controls while driving. The sound is good, that the only good thing I can say about it.

Hopefully this long dissertation will help some future readers decide what they will or will not spend their hard earned money on.