I want to make my 09 Tahoe more off-road trail ready

[gmartin1215]

Hello!
I have a 2009 Tahoe LT with 140K miles on it, and it has the ZW7 premium smooth ride suspension.
I bought the vehicle because it could haul my family, and it also is good for towing and is a 4x4. I am almost an empty-nester, so I don't need the family-hauling space as much as I used to have. My towing is very lightweight (raft and raft trailer. no RV).

I have been bouncing the idea in my head to downsize to a later model trail-ready 4x4, such as a Land Cruiser, 4-Runner, or Tacoma. However, seeing the high average price of these machines has been almost enough to steer me away from the idea of downsizing. My Tahoe is fully paid, and if I am going to throw any money into any vehicle, then it might as well be to it!

I wonder what modifications I can do to make the Tahoe more trail-ready and on par with the other vehicles mentioned above. Granted, the Tahoe is a big machine and may not be able to go everywhere the others can, but I would like to be very close to it. I plan not to do any extreme rock-crawling but would like to take it on rough mountain trails or Moab-type terrain. Am I dreaming or wishful thinking?!?!

I have done some modifications to make my Tahoe more ready for the trail. I have installed the ReadyLift 2.25" leveling kit and installed the AAM TracRite LSD to my rear differential. I am also running 285/70/17, too, to give me more clearance.

Given the above, if you were to create a shopping list for things I can do to make my Tahoe more trail-worthy, what would be on it?

 

[Tozan]

The Tahoe should do what you want with some work.

I have done runs alongside all the vehicles you mentioned above on mountain trails, desert trails and around Moab with no problem. Over 2500 miles off road this past year and my rig has 195k miles on it.

Feel free to take a look at my build thread it may give you some ideas.

Getting a longer travel lift up front is a big plus. Baja kit combined with King struts is a great improvement you can get 3 inches of lift and 9 inches of travel. Lifting with out increase of travel is a waste of money and performance.

On the rear I would go with Spohn suspension package
adding a set of King shocks and longer springs.

Eliminating the front skirt and trimming you should be able to get some bigger tires under there too.

Good luck with your build...

 

[Sparksalot]

I take thecopcar out on a lot of trails. The best thing I’ve done was a set of KO2 tires so I can air down to deal with washboard roads.

 

[Bill 1960]

You might want to include your budget and think about how much you’re willing to bias the performance toward the trail which will detract from some other desirable road driving characteristics. How deep down the rabbit hole do you want to go? @Tozan is the pioneer in this area, and I'm getting pretty deep into it myself.

Approach angle is the Tahoe's biggest weakness. Some plastic needs to go. Air dam at a minimum and the border patrol chop or a custom front bumper at the extreme. There's some pictures in my thread in the under construction section.

I'm not a fan of leveling kits because of what they do to the operating angles of the suspension and CV's, and ride quality. But enough about that, lots of people like them.

With 33's and LSD, you're on par with most semi serious SUV's for trail use right now. I would turn my attention to recovery gear and going through the mechanical systems to ensure reliability. A minor roadside issue can be a major PITA trailside. I have been through many of the trails you're considering with stock vehicles. There's a trail for every class of machine. Just get out there and experience some and you'll soon know if you want or need to do major mods to the Hoe or if you're already in your zone.

 

[Jason in DLH]

Interesting you’re talking about this as this is my agenda as well. Family rides are always in my wife’s newer Yukon now, so I have my ‘07 all to myself.

I just removed the front stabilizer to gain better articulation. Drove it around tonight and it feels great! Kind of like going from “tighty whities” to boxers. Might take the rear out as well down the road.

I’ve been researching Coilovers, but this is as far as I have gotten.

Definitely watching this thread as there’s already great amount of info that’s been suggested.

 

[gmartin1215]

You might want to include your budget and think about how much you’re willing to bias the performance toward the trail which will detract from some other desirable road driving characteristics. How deep down the rabbit hole do you want to go? @Tozan is the pioneer in this area, and I'm getting pretty deep into it myself.

Approach angle is the Tahoe's biggest weakness. Some plastic needs to go. Air dam at a minimum and the border patrol chop or a custom front bumper at the extreme. There's some pictures in my thread in the under construction section.

I'm not a fan of leveling kits because of what they do to the operating angles of the suspension and CV's, and ride quality. But enough about that, lots of people like them.

With 33's and LSD, you're on par with most semi serious SUV's for trail use right now. I would turn my attention to recovery gear and going through the mechanical systems to ensure reliability. A minor roadside issue can be a major PITA trailside. I have been through many of the trails you're considering with stock vehicles. There's a trail for every class of machine. Just get out there and experience some and you'll soon know if you want or need to do major mods to the Hoe or if you're already in your zone.

Thanks!
Where do I find your "under construction" section?

 

[gmartin1215]

The Tahoe should do what you want with some work.

I have done runs alongside all the vehicles you mentioned above on mountain trails, desert trails and around Moab with no problem. Over 2500 miles off road this past year and my rig has 195k miles on it.

Feel free to take a look at my build thread it may give you some ideas.

Getting a longer travel lift up front is a big plus. Baja kit combined with King struts is a great improvement you can get 3 inches of lift and 9 inches of travel. Lifting with out increase of travel is a waste of money and performance.

On the rear I would go with Spohn suspension package
adding a set of King shocks and longer springs.

Eliminating the front skirt and trimming you should be able to get some bigger tires under there too.

Good luck with your build...

Thanks!
You have done a lot to your Tahoe!

 

[gmartin1215]

For budget, I am looking to spend in the $10K-$15K. Not all at once, but in stages.
I'll still use the Tahoe to commute to work, so there will be 20 miles a day, 5 days a week, that will be on the highway.
Again, I am not looking for it to be a rock crawler. However, I want it to be more biased to off-roading.

 

[Sparksalot]

I ended up with the twins, because the overlanding configuration really wanted a rear seat delete. Theothertwin only cost $4k at auction, so i felt much better about having two vehicles to separate their uses.

 

[Bill 1960]

With that budget you can do a lot. My advice is not to do too much until you get some trail time in and get a feel for what capabilities are falling short of your desires. Big lifts and tires are sexy but there are penalties in economy, durability, and reliability.

Some random observations:

The front diff is weak. Will have to plan around that at higher levels of stress. Most serious OR builders will say just go for the straight axle swap. I like the ride of IFS so I’ll be swapping in the center section from a 2500 should I get that deep into the pool.

Any significant lift (more than a level) for the IFS involves aftermarket spindles, which bring along several additional inches in track width. Then add big tires and it’s very wide. That’s nice on the dunes. Not so much in the trees or a shelf road.

You get what you pay for in lifts. Prices vary, so does performance.

Build for the terrain you like. Mud, mountains, deserts, have dissimilar build needs for best results.

To a certain degree you can swap trimming for lifting. A 4” with the NorCal mod is roughly equivalent to a 6” without. More trim and less lift will keep your weight lower, which is a plus.

Have fun with your project and post up some pictures!

My pictures are here: https://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/threads/building-the-ss-v-trailhoe.124192/