Re: '97 Chevy Tahoe (2dr/2wd) mild custom
Not sure how many folks are watching since only a couple ever seem to reply, but I shall continue to document my saga. :waah:
I ran into a little issue with my front wheels. After installation, they were rubbing pretty hard on the passenger side when turning to the right. Turns out the tie rod was hitting the wheel. I also noticed scrubbing while braking, which was due to the caliper kicking up & hitting the inner-most step of the wheels. The wheels were mocked up last year before I moved. The lower control arms, calipers, & very small amount of the tie rod were all trimmed down accordingly. I thought everything was clearing adequately. However, it was done on a lift with the suspension hanging & not under it's full weight. While visiting my dad earlier this week, we stopped by a local shop to look it over. They have a drive-on ramp/lift that's equipped with a separate hydraulic lift in the center, which allows the suspension the be raised. We determined the only cure is a wheel spacer. It turned out that dad remembered having some spacers included with a bunch of truck parts he bought a while back. We ran home to get them & came back to the shop. Once installed, I took the Tahoe for a test drive. It completely fixed the problem. The wheel spacers are 5/16", which eliminates some of my wheel tucking plans. I'm going to do some testing with 1/8" washers to determine if I can get away with a thinner spacer. Then I have to find a nicer set of spacers. Here's a link to a thread I started about spacers: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=661393 Dad also realized my wheel bearing dust caps were missing. I couldn't recall if they were there in the past or not, even though I have removed the 18's before. I thought maybe the tire shop removed them for some reason. Before accusing them though, I decided to message the previous owner. He informed me that he removed them to fit the BOSS wheels, since the center caps wouldn't fit the wheels due to the dust caps. It was a flaw in the earlier BOSS wheels like mine. So, now I'm having to look for a set of dust caps. I searched everywhere I could think on the internet with no luck. I even emailed Rock Auto, & they said to check the forums or salvage yard for help. I decided to call a local dealership, & he was able to find a part number he thought would work. Of course, they don't have them in stock; and those stinking caps are $21.12 each! :crazy: |
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That's freaking ridiculous. I am parting out a 98' ECSB right now. If you want to PM me your address I'll throw the caps in an envelope and mail them to you. |
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Re: '97 Chevy Tahoe (2dr/2wd) mild custom
Don't feel bad, I traded my rallys for some 20s and went to put them on and they wouldn't fit. So I tried some slip on spacers, still to small, I wound up having to get atleast 1/2 inch spacer but went 1.5 inches anyways.. lol
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Re: '97 Chevy Tahoe (2dr/2wd) mild custom
I've heard several people complain about Boss and the dust caps. Wonder why they made them fit the small rotors when almost all have the bigger rotors. Somebody wasent thinking that day at the factory. The p/o I got mine from had the same problem. Luckly (I guess)(big rim, small breaks. sure sounds safe. lol) I have the small rotors and rims fit good.
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Re: '97 Chevy Tahoe (2dr/2wd) mild custom
Well, I got my wheel issue sorted out earlier this week. I drove down to dad's place Monday since the weather was nice. We yanked the wheels & did some light grinding in the problem areas. Then we painted the parts & reinstalled the wheel before a test drive. The fresh paint allowed us to see exactly where it was rubbing each time. It took a little trial & error on both sides until we got it right. But we got it! :metal: So, no need for spacers anymore. I went back to check & noticed that I used 4.5" backspacing on the front wheels, per suggestion of an unnamed reputable truck source of another forum. While they did work with a little trimming, I guess a bit less backspacing would've yielded less headache.
I also received the correct bullet center caps for my smoothie wheels. Once I get a chance to clean up my wheels/tires & install dust caps for my hubs, I'll get them on & snap some pics. Bad news is that the dang chirping has yet again returned with a vengeance.:no: |
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As for the chirping, gonna check with some shops to see if anybody has a tool for measuring pulley alignment before I replace anything else. I already mentioned before, but it's so annoying to drive around with it making noise like that. Also, gotta give a shout out to YBNORML (aka Jason) for hooking me up with a set of dust caps. :chevy: |
Re: '97 Chevy Tahoe (2dr/2wd) mild custom
2dr Tahoes/Blazers are such unicorns...always fun to see one
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Re: '97 Chevy Tahoe (2dr/2wd) mild custom
I don't think I would run trim rings, thats just me though.
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Re: '97 Chevy Tahoe (2dr/2wd) mild custom
Had a little snafu with the dust caps not fitting, & I just figured out why last week. Turns out the outer lip of the front hubs was machined down on a brake lathe in order to allow the center caps from the 18" Boss wheels to fit. As a result, the hub is now too short for the dust caps to fit. So, we've decided to just try & take two pair of dust caps to make a couple that will fit. The only other option would be to replace rotors, which I don't want to do until it's time for a brake system overhaul.
I'm also happy to say that last week we finally fixed the chirping issue. It feels so good to have that annoying sound gone. It had gotten so bad that I hated to even drive to town. A few weeks ago I went by a local custom shop in Spring Hill, & the guys there looked it over for a while. The only conclusion they could come to was that it might be the water pump itself. So, I gathered up a bunch of parts in preparation of a cooling system overhaul. I ended up going with the AC Delco OE style pump, which is pricey. However, they're supposed to be better quality. I also bought new Gates upper & lower radiator hoses, along with the small heater & bypass hoses that attach to the water pump. Since they were originals, I went ahead & replaced them all. I also bought a new Delco 195* thermostat & genuine GM serpentine belt just for the heck of it. Before installation, I bought some VHT satin black engine enamel & painted the pump. My dad's friend Mark did the work for me at a great deal. For what a local shop in Spring Hill was going to charge, it was a no-brainer to let him tackle it instead. I needed to make a trip down to MS anyway to help dad do some stuff at my grandparents' place, so it worked out good. Here are the part #'s I used: water pump~ ACDelco #251-719 bypass hose from w/p to t-stat housing~ Gates #19025 small hose from w/p to heater hose~ Gates #28466 thermostat~ ACDelco #131-151 thermostat gasket~ Fel-pro #35710 upper radiator hose~ Gates #22209 lower radiator hose~ Gates #21941 serpentine belt~ GM #19244955 |
Re: '97 Chevy Tahoe (2dr/2wd) mild custom
Glad you got it all figured out and the chirping noise gone!
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Re: '97 Chevy Tahoe (2dr/2wd) mild custom
Good looking Tahoe
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Re: '97 Chevy Tahoe (2dr/2wd) mild custom
Sadly, the drama continues. My dad had the dust caps lengthened. However, they still won't fit. Why, you ask? Because the amount of metal on the hub/rotor that was machined down, is the amount that was needed for the caps to slip into. Without that metal there, the caps hit the bearings when trying to tap them into place. So now my only option is to get another pair of rotors.:waah:
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Re: '97 Chevy Tahoe (2dr/2wd) mild custom
No updates on the rotor situation yet, but I decided to snap a couple pics this evening. These are the first pics since installing the steel smoothie wheels & new tires. Nothing is clean in the pics, & they were taken not long before dark. So, it's not the most accurate representation. I'll get some better ones when I get the rotor/dust cap situation fixed & finally install the bullet center caps.
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8888/...5f97848d_c.jpg https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8807/...0dcde471_c.jpg |
Re: '97 Chevy Tahoe (2dr/2wd) mild custom
That looks sweet!
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Re: '97 Chevy Tahoe (2dr/2wd) mild custom
Been gathering parts for a brake system overhaul, which I will elaborate more about once the time comes. I'm still having some vibration issues around 55-60 mph & above, which I think is wheel related. I took it to Discount Tire a while back for rebalancing, thinking it was the problem. The guy did mention then that he thought I had a bent wheel, but everything balanced out okay. The vibration is still there though & quite annoying. I'm taking it back to determine for sure what's going on & where, & I'll just have to proceed with whatever is necessary to fix it.
On a positive note, I just took some parts to the painter. I pulled the crappy LED strip light from my roll pan & will be replacing with something better. While it was off, I decided it would get new paint. I also pulled the mirrors for repaint, since they weren't done to my satisfaction the first time. The grille will also finally be coming together, as it went off for paint as well. After driving it looking like a hooptie for close to a year now (if not already), I'm excited to get this thing back together! |
Re: '97 Chevy Tahoe (2dr/2wd) mild custom
Good deal. Should be pretty awesome when you get it all done
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Dropped it off at Discount Tire on Saturday. They said the wheels/tires were slightly out of balance, but my passenger rear wheel is bent. My guess is that's definitely where the vibration is coming from. I need to get it up to highway speeds to see how it responds after the re-balancing. My guess is that'll I'll be ordering a new wheel though. :waah: |
Re: '97 Chevy Tahoe (2dr/2wd) mild custom
Got it out on the highway last night, & the vibration is definitely still there. It didn't seem quite as bad as before, but I guess that's partially due to the balance previously being off a little. I went ahead & ordered a new wheel today. Now I have to wait for it to be custom built. That's almost $100 I wasn't expecting to spend!
I've also decided to ditch the plan to replace my tailgate light bar/strip, while keeping the tinted tails. I just didn't trust the fact that most of them are hit/miss on quality. I got a crappy one last time, & I don't want to get stuck with another. So I plan to order a new set of taillights & have them painted in this fashion: https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5614/...8dd6f4d4_b.jpgtaillights 1 by likaroc13, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5572/...7d66d634_b.jpgtaillights 2 by likaroc13, on Flickr |
Re: '97 Chevy Tahoe (2dr/2wd) mild custom
Trucks looking good brother.
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Just got back into town after being gone to MS for the past week. My grandfather passed away unexpectedly, so we've been trying to get things situated. Just before I left town, my new Wheel Vintiques wheel showed up. I need to see about having it powder coated to match my others & then get it mounted up. I also got word from the painter today that my parts are ready, so I plan to pick them up this weekend. Once I have a chance to get things reassembled, I'll be sure to post some new pics. |
Re: '97 Chevy Tahoe (2dr/2wd) mild custom
Got some parts back from paint. While most look pretty good, the grille just isn't up to my standards. He even redid it free of charge, & it still didn't come out right. I also noticed that he failed to prep/fix some of the minor imperfections before painting, thus they're still noticeable. As most who have a vehicle with one know, black paint jobs are unforgiving. This guy isn't the one who was supposed to be painting my parts, however it is his full-time profession. The guy I wanted to do them has been tied up with bigger projects, thus he passed me on to his friend. If I had known it would go down like it has, I would've just waited for another painter.
On another note, I went to Discount Tire this past week to have my new wheel checked. Since I needed to get it powder coated before installing, I just wanted to make sure I didn't run into another bent/warped wheel issue. Sadly, as soon as the wheel was put on the machine & spun, it was obvious that it also had a slight wobble.:no: So, I got in touch with Summit Racing when I got back home. They're known for great customer service & have always been good to me, & the guy I spoke to assured me that he'd take care of me. So, hopefully we can get it all straightened out eventually. It just sucks to wait 4-6 weeks for a wheel to be built to spec, & then it doesn't even run true. I'm just glad I definitely had it checked before powder coat. Lastly, I've also been checking about having the metal fuel & brake lines (ones along the frame) replaced. One brake line was replaced just before I acquired the Tahoe because it had developed a leak. The PO paid to have it fixed before I took ownership. The others probably should've been replaced at the same time. They're quite corroded, & I have yet to try changing the fuel filter for fear of line breakage. Since I'm about to do a brake overhaul anyway, I figured it was time to fix these lines before they decide to crap out. While I was doing an internet search about brake lines, I coincidentally came across a thread on another forum where the PO had posted about these lines. Unfortunately, he decided not to replace them for whatever reason. :uhmk: |
Re: '97 Chevy Tahoe (2dr/2wd) mild custom
Still been gathering brake/fuel line parts. I got my new Ni-Copp lines a little while back, & now I'm in the process of getting stainless tube nuts. Hoping to never have to deal with rusting lines ever again. If it ever finds another owner someday, hopefully he'll appreciate the effort as well.
After 2 friggin' months waiting for my new Wheel Vintiques wheel, it finally showed up last week. I took it to be checked out today, & it looks like we finally have one that will work. I have to say, I'll probably never deal with Wheel Vintiques again. I can get the same style wheel from other manufacturers if ever needed. Now I just need to get it powder coated to match my others & then mounted up. I'll snap some pics of my brake/fuel line overhaul parts before installation, just for reference. Btw, I had a guy stop me at Wal-mart today to talk about the Tahoe. Even in all it's current ugliness, it still gets positive attention.:cool: |
Re: '97 Chevy Tahoe (2dr/2wd) mild custom
Hey Phillip, just now venturing over to the 88-98 board and saw your Tahoe in another thread. Love it man! Looks great with the steelies on it.
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Just before Christmas, I got my stainless tube nuts & unions ordered for the brake/fuel lines. I went through Inline Tube inlinetube.com & have to say Pete, the sales/marketing manager, treated me right. They price matched & beat the lowest prices I could find from various sources. I also got my new wheel back from powder coat a couple weeks ago & just need to get it installed. Now I'm stuck waiting on the mechanic to fit me into his schedule. Hopefully in the next 2-3 weeks he'll be ready. |
Re: '97 Chevy Tahoe (2dr/2wd) mild custom
Finally making some progress again! I got my new wheel installed, & initial around-town results suggest the vibration is gone. I plan to take it for a highway test soon. I also dropped it off with the mechanic this morning. Over the weekend, I crawled underneath to snap some "before" photos. I also snapped some of the rear, exterior frame area around the gas tank. The mechanic will be cleaning up & undercoating the areas I can't get to, & I'll tackle the rest once I get it home. Once that's done, I can reinstall the roll pan.
Some "before" pics here, along with all the new parts: https://flic.kr/s/aHskuDoSGL |
Re: '97 Chevy Tahoe (2dr/2wd) mild custom
As usual, when you do stuff like this, there's the potential to "open up a can of worms." Due to some of the rustiness, I'm now dropping unexpected money on a new fuel tank sending unit. Accompanying that will be a new fuel pump. I figured it's best to do now while the tank is out & everything getting attention.
Here is what I opted for & purchased through Rock Auto: Sending Unit: AC DELCO 19179428 (#FLS1069) Fuel Pump: AC DELCO EP381 (#25163473) Fuel Pump Strainer: AC DELCO TS3 (##25055457) *As you will notice, those parts are particular to a 2-door. Before researching parts, I had no idea of the differences between the two & 4-door, so I wanted to make sure & point it out.* |
Re: '97 Chevy Tahoe (2dr/2wd) mild custom
Incredible ride. This has me wanting a 2wd/2dr tahoe. Very nice!
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Re: '97 Chevy Tahoe (2dr/2wd) mild custom
I can't win for losing! After installing the new front brake parts, I was informed that the calipers were rubbing the inner wheel. If you have been following along, you'll know that to avoid spacers I had to grind them down a little when I first installed the Wheel Vintiques. Well, I guess the new parts lessened the tolerances I had previously clearanced for. I had the guys at the shop grind them some before it left, hoping it would be fixed. On the trip home it was evident that they're still rubbing. Not having any power tools to remedy such a problem, I'm now investing in an angle grinder. It will come in handy for trimming a bit more of the lower control arms as well.
A couple positives are that the brakes feel much better, & I now believe splurging for that new fuel pump maybe was a good idea. It had always hummed/buzzed quite loudly, but now I only hear it briefly before cranking. I read that the loud pumps were common on this year Tahoe/truck/etc. |
Re: '97 Chevy Tahoe (2dr/2wd) mild custom
Been working on the calipers the past couple days. I had no idea how crappy of a job was done until I pulled the wheels. :eek: After a few times of trial & error with the caliper grinding & seeing if rubbing was still an issue, I think I got it all sorted out. I took it around the block & heard no scraping noises while rolling or braking, & pulling the wheels confirmed all is good. :metal:
While I was in there, I went ahead & trimmed the lower control arms a bit more. The wheels have been rubbing during tight turns, which isn't often but still enough to screw up my powder coat. Next, I plan to clean up the back side of my wheels where the rubbing occurred. As you can see in the pics below, the paint on my rotor hubs didn't hold up too well either. Snapped some pics to show what I was dealing with: https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1646/...e628ba65_c.jpgWheel damage by likaroc13, on Flickr https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1519/...89324a2c_c.jpgCaliper grinding by likaroc13, on Flickr https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1548/...dbb78c06_c.jpgCaliper grinding by likaroc13, on Flickr https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1538/...e12fe4d7_c.jpgCaliper grinding (correction) by likaroc13, on Flickr https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1478/...09e766f1_c.jpgCaliper grinding (correction) by likaroc13, on Flickr |
Re: '97 Chevy Tahoe (2dr/2wd) mild custom
Atleast the wheels ain't to bad. I have run worse on my ride before.
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Re: '97 Chevy Tahoe (2dr/2wd) mild custom
Worked on getting the back of the front wheels touched up. I sanded/smoothed areas where the lower control arms & calipers rubbed the wheels, & I scraped off the messed up powder coat. I did the best I could before prepping them for satin black VHT wheel paint. Here's a shot of one:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1603/...272fd9c6_c.jpgWheel paint by likaroc13, on Flickr I also touched up the rotor hubs & painted the calipers with VHT satin black caliper paint. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1692/...6f382b3e_c.jpgRotor hub/calipers by likaroc13, on Flickr https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1658/...a9dcaf62_c.jpgRotor hub/calipers by likaroc13, on Flickr |
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