'97 Chevy Tahoe (2dr/2wd) mild custom

[likaroc13]

I stopped by Discount Tire in Spring Hill today, & they were super nice. The guy I spoke to said they'd match the pricing I found on Discount Tire Direct, which I assumed they would. For two 235/70/15 front & two 275/60/15 rear Cooper Cobra Radial GT tires mounted & balanced on my wheels with lifetime rotation & flat repair, the total was $532.xx I thought that was a really good deal, as I had priced the same tires for $571.xx in Charleston before we moved. He also told me about a guy he used in Lebanon who does powder coating, & he spoke highly of his work quality & pricing. I've been trying to decide whether to paint or powder coat the smoothie wheels. I just wasn't sure if you could get metallic colors in powder coating, as I'm leaning towards a gunmetal, charcoal, or silver type color.

[killthewabbit]

Pretty sure you can get metallic in powder coat.

[likaroc13]

Got my alternator ordered Monday. Went with the Powermaster 48206 from Summit. Should arrive by tomorrow evening. I had them beat a cheaper price I found online, so I ended up saving about $42!

Yesterday while out roaming with my dad, we stopped by a local welding shop to have my threaded rods welded back onto the ends of the billet grille. I don't have pics, but it's really nothing worth looking at. I still need to get some paint on the bare areas.

[likaroc13]

Received my new alternator on Thursday. As previously mentioned, I went with the Powermaster 48206, which is a 165amp. It's the same style CS130D casing as my stock alternator, thus it should bolt right in. However, it was/is suggested that I upgrade the charge wire. I was told 4-gauge or larger to get the most potential out of the alternator. I'm not sure what gauge the factory charge wire is. Has anyone else done an alternator upgrade, & is there anything else I should consider doing at this time? Everything else is still stock for now, & it'll be a while before I install any power-suckers (E-fans, stereo system, etc.).

[likaroc13]

Well, my dad's friend Mark helped us last night with the alternator. We rounded up a 4-gauge cable & end links yesterday to make a new charge wire. Got everything installed and wired & fired it up. For about 2 -3 minutes it was quiet. Then that damn chirp came right back! Mark sprayed the back side of the belt as I had done before, & the noise temporarily stopped. It was right back within a minute. So, I'm still chasing this rabbit. Mark did spin the old alternator pulley, & it squeaked just as it did before when I tried it. But it wasn't the culprit. At least I have my alternator upgrade for future purposes, but I'm bummed that the chirping wasn't cured.

I'll try to get some pics of the new alternator soon. It was a direct bolt on, which was nice.

[killthewabbit]

Gah! I hate chasing stuff like that, and it's insanely frustrating when you spend money thinking you got it fixed and nothing changes.

Sorry man. That alternator should be pretty sweet though

[likaroc13]

Originally Posted by killthewabbit

Gah! I hate chasing stuff like that, and it's insanely frustrating when you spend money thinking you got it fixed and nothing changes.

Sorry man. That alternator should be pretty sweet though

I hear ya. It's driving me nuts!

On a different note, my dad's friend bought a 2dr/2wd Tahoe as well a few months ago. He wanted to know if I'd sell mine, but that didn't happen! He found one on eBay that he drove up to Kentucky & brought back. He's taking it in for a repaint now. He wanted a set of 20's for it, but he knows I plan to sell my wheels. Since he was leaning towards the BOSS 338's anyway, he might be interested in mine. I just gotta figure out what they're worth. I have four good used ones with tires that have about 14k miles on them, along with a new matching spare with new tire. A forum vendor said he gets $169/ea for the wheels new. Selling mine would help offset the cost of tires & powder coating for my 15" smoothie wheels, but I just can't afford to give them away.

[killthewabbit]

Your dad's friend is local or in MS? I'm curious how much is paint going to run him?

Man, I'm glad no one has offered to buy mine. I go back and forth between liking it and not.

[likaroc13]

Originally Posted by killthewabbit

Your dad's friend is local or in MS? I'm curious how much is paint going to run him?

Man, I'm glad no one has offered to buy mine. I go back and forth between liking it and not.

He lives in Corinth, MS. & has a friend that paints. When I was at Mark's shop the other night, he was finishing disassembly of the Tahoe. He removed anything he didn't want overspray on, because he said the guy probably wouldn't take time to do it himself. Like me, he wants his stuff to look clean. He's doing an overall job, including jambs. The Tahoe is gonna be all white, & he said he's doing it for $1200. They've been trying to talk me into getting this guy to paint my grille shell. I'm hesitant because I haven't seen his work though. Black paint will show any imperfections, & I want to make sure it comes out slick.

I love my Tahoe. Just gotta get that darn chirp figured out. Probably gonna need a rear end overhaul at some point down the road, but it's good for now. On the way to the shop the other night, dad was complimenting how good it rides to be lowered.

[likaroc13]

My dad's friend referred me to another powder coat guy, & I have some Prismatic Powder color swatches on order. Hopefully I can check them out this week & make a decision.

A fellow forum member from a different forum said he bet it was the w/p pulley causing my chirping, as he had seen it happen before. He said it either gets a good glaze on it from the belt, or it gets grooved where it's wearing from the belt. He said you can take a brown roloc pad or green sanding disc on a die grinder and clean the glaze off where the belt rides and see if that helps. You can use emery cloth as well but takes longer if you don't have a die grinder. However, he said if it's grooved or has any kind of lip where the belt rides, then I should change the pulley. He's not the first to suggest the pulley, but I had failed to cross that road until now. Being under the hood inspecting the pulleys before, I knew there was definitely a bit of a lip where the belt rides. So, I bought a new water pump pulley last week while visiting my hometown in North MS. Just so happened the local GM dealer had one in stock. Cost me just under $20 with tax included.

I wasn't exactly sure how to go about getting that big nut off that holds the fan/clutch onto the water pump. You have to remove it first in order to remove the pulley itself. After a bit of research, I discovered there's a special tool made for holding the pulley bolts to keep it from spinning while removing the big nut. Since I didn't have a big enough wrench for the nut, I also had to figure out what to do about that. I ended up using O'reilly Auto loaner tools. They had the correct wrench set & pulley bolt holding tool. I put them to use earlier today. After buttoning everything back up, I crossed my fingers & fired it up. No chirping to report so far, & I hope it stays that way!

Btw, if anybody needs one, the water pump pulley part # is 12550053.

[likaroc13]

Well, the chirping came back a day after I changed the water pump pulley. I heard it one other day while driving as well. That said, the last few times I have driven, there has been no chirping whatsoever. I guess time will tell if it's cured or not.

I dropped the smoothie wheels off today for powder coat. Glad I had him order the swatches, because I actually ended up using one of those colors. The color I decided to go with is Mega Grey. It is the best of both worlds while offering a nice contrast to the black body color without being too dark or light, & it will still allow for the shiny chrome center caps (& trim rings if I run them) to stand out a bit as well. He will have to order the powder, but it should be there by next week. Maybe I'll have the wheels ready by the end of next week.

Here's a link to the color:
http://www.prismaticpowders.com/colo...831/MEGA-GREY/


I also ran into an issue with my bullet center caps. When I bought them at the swap meet last year, I got them with intentions of being used on my old Vette-style rally wheels. Hence, they're not made for the smoothie wheels. If you weren't aware that there's a difference, well there is! I was made aware of this when I bought them, but over time I forgot. Gonna have to see if I can swap them for the correct ones. Hopefully they'll let me do that since they're still new in the boxes & I have a receipt for proof of purchase.

[killthewabbit]

Can't wait to see how that turns out

[likaroc13]

Got the wheels back from the powder coat guy this past Friday. I'm really happy with the color. The coater pointed out ahead of time that there were spots around each valve stem hole that rubbed off a bit due to the bolt they were hanging from. I don't think it'll be that noticeable with the stems in place, but I may look for some touch-up paint in a similar shade just to dab on the spots. On one wheel, I noticed a lack of powder in the crevice where the center of the wheel meets the hoop. It's only noticeable if you're up really close & staring at it though. Considering he didn't have to blast or prime the wheels, I got a nice discount. He only charged me $100 for the whole job, & dad picked up the tab for me in return for helping him out lately. It would've cost 3x that much using the other coater I spoke with. For a set of wheels that'll eventually serve mostly as Fall/Winter rollers, I can't complain.

I got the new tires ordered earlier last week, & they're on the way. I was hoping to have them installed early this week, but it looks like the crazy weather will force me to wait. I'm shipping the old bullet caps back in exchange for the correct ones. It'll be at least a couple more weeks before I have the new centers.

I snapped a couple pics yesterday:

[likaroc13]

Today I installed my new custom grille, & I had some ice fade graphics done as well....

[Hankster]

I like that grille, were could I get one for my 86?

[likaroc13]

Originally Posted by Hankster

I like that grille, were could I get one for my 86?

Some lady named Mother Nature dropped it off. Believe it or not, it was a freebie! I haven't seen another one like it. True, one-off custom.

[killthewabbit]

Mine hasn't been out of the garage since the weekend because of this crazy assed ice weather.

As I was typing that just now, I saw a lady on ice skates pushing a jogging stroller up the street. I've lived in TN a long time and have never seen anyone ice skating in the street.

[likaroc13]

Originally Posted by killthewabbit

Mine hasn't been out of the garage since the weekend because of this crazy assed ice weather.

As I was typing that just now, I saw a lady on ice skates pushing a jogging stroller up the street. I've lived in TN a long time and have never seen anyone ice skating in the street.

....just neighbors riding around on ATV's, fish-tailing through the parking lot of the apartment complex here...I cringe watching them, thinking you better not hit my vehicles. Sadly mine have to live outside for now, but I'm highly looking forward to being able to store them indoors when we get a house with a garage.


Here are some more pics from today. My Tahoe is first obviously, but the rest are my wife's RAV4:

[killthewabbit]

I put mine up on mautofied today. I became a premium member here, but it won't let me put up a classified ad for some reason.

[likaroc13]

Originally Posted by killthewabbit

I put mine up on mautofied today. I became a premium member here, but it won't let me put up a classified ad for some reason.

That's weird, but there have been some issues with the forum lately. Not sure if you noticed about the search feature being gone for a while. Maybe the for sale section got messed up temporarily. Good luck with the sale! Wish I knew of somebody looking for one.

[likaroc13]

Not sure how many folks are watching since only a couple ever seem to reply, but I shall continue to document my saga.

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!

[YBNORML]

Originally Posted by likaroc13

Not sure how many folks are watching since only a couple ever seem to reply, but I shall continue to document my saga.

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!

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.

[likaroc13]

Originally Posted by YBNORML

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.

Totally agree. I really appreciate the offer. That would be awesome! Will send you a PM.

[Hankster]

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

[dragginmetal]

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.