[special-K]

I've had the '95 K2500 Suburban for three years now. I bought to get me by. Cool enough just being older, but never intended to do much coolness on it. It needed some exhaust work so I had dual pipes ran out from a Flowmaster. I haul my tools so I had the glass privacy tinted, and I'm running 285/75-16s on 7" Accurides with the torsion bars cranked up.

So it has gotten me by for three years and I don't seem to be getting ahead enough to be considering buying a truck. The Suburban is actually a good truck for my needs...but for one thing. I need to haul ladders and this one doesn't even have the factory rack. Because of ups and downs with engine troubles I've been up and down about keeping it, so been putting off building a rack. What I want is to build it to look like an expedition rack. I'm thinking now to stay with the 'Burb and build the rack. And that is what takes me to the SAS.

This thing has been a love/hate thing. I bought this thing from Georgia so it has very clean metal. It will take quite a few more winters. If I build the rack I am committed so, as with every vehicle I look at long enough, I have a vision I want to carry out. Theme with this 'Burb has been "truckify" with the base level trim, factory towing mirrors, my use, and going retro with steelies and hubcaps rather than sporty wheels. Now comes the expedition rack and it's time to move over to the cool side with my expedition looking work truck. I think the 88-98s look great with 4" of lift. Make them sit like a stock traditional 4wd. That's all the height I want, but for all that money into "spacing" the stock IFS that is ready for ball joints, etc. I am wanting to do the SAS swap I had always wanted to do on the '92...since before I ever saw any done. I have 285/75-16s on there now and they are stuffed n there. With 4" of lift those would still look right.

I'll be using a GM axle. Not sure how cool I want to go at this point. I have a Dana60 that is 4.10 ratio (also have the full floater 14-bolt). Right now a friend has a 10/14-bolt set with 3.42s I'm thinking about. This is my work truck that I need to travel all over in. I seem to run up and down the interstate for most work. I have late NP205 to put behind the 4L80E.

So, who has done this swap with any pointers to add? ORD says their kit has 3" lift built in. I think that's good for me. I think it will be subtle but noticeable. I can always get more height, but I don't want a jacked-up look, 2" springs maybe. Then I will also do crossover steering.

If I do this I'll end up with a custom creation that nets a far better equipped 4wd that won't be real obvious to tell for most built for daily use. More of a second take vehicle and then nothing shiny or custom added. To top it off I'd like to put an LS in front of that 4L80E.

Here is the 'Burb with 255/85s