Making my 1990 Suburban bullet proof. What do I need to do?

[Vbb199]

Oh and for your 90, a spare ign module, spare coil, and spare fuel pump. Maybe 1 spare serp belt, 1 spare tensioner and idler pulley.

 

[PrairieDrifter]

Change the rear axle lol. 3/4 ton or 1 tons or nothin, unless it's a driver and nothing else.

 

[Grit dog]

Won tons and a SOLID cooling system.

Do those work better than egg rolls? Lol

 

[Grit dog]

Oh and for your 90, a spare ign module, spare coil, and spare fuel pump. Maybe 1 spare serp belt, 1 spare tensioner and idler pulley.

Another thought, generally if I’m carrying spare parts that “may” fail, I replace said parts with new and carry the used part if it’s serviceable. I somewhat enjoy repairs in my garage. Not so much laying under the truck in dirt/mud/snow...

 

[MrMarty51]

WW2, the field vehicles, for Bullitt proofing, they filled the doors with concrete. just sayin.

 

[Salty Crusty]

^ great idea and I'm sure the extra weight didn't affect the door opening and closing or working on the innards of the door a bit!

I've known people who have done that to the tailgates of el Caminos for racing but I just couldn't force myself to do it.

 

[oldretiredafguy]

Carry a PLB or other satellite emergency radio. Good article on their differences here:

<https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/personal-locator-beacons.html>.

Two man/vehicle concept. It's neat to be solo, not so much when the s@#t hits the fan. Look into one of many 4x4 clubs around the area.

Having been stationed in the desert SW US at various locations and flying over those beautiful areas thousands of times, the emergency radio capability is the only way I would venture out on foot or in a vehicle.

 

[Salty Crusty]

Has anybody tried adding plastic saddle tanks for non-potable water? Sure would be nice if you could plumb some moonshine still coils inside the tanks and use it as an engine coolant heat exchanger for hot showers. Should be able to get it plenty warm before the thermostat even opened.

 

[Salty Crusty]

N/M, crawled under mine at lunch, no room for 'em...

 

[Matt69olds]

Keep spare belts, ignition module, a good assortment of hand tools, RTV and JB weld. some wire and assorted crimp terminals, and if you have room things like alternator/starter/distributor/ignition parts, and oil/coolant/ATF.

Unfortunately, no matter how much you plan ahead and pack spare parts, the one part you break you won’t have. And as added insult to the failure, whatever part you need you will have a pile of extras at home.

Murphy is never invited, but always seems to tag along.

 

[IndianCountry]

i have an 89 v1500. the weak part of almost all square bodies is the thin frame. the only squarebodys known to have good frames are the 81-87 crewcab ck30s, or 81-87 ck20s with the camp special option. these model year trucks came with 1/4 inch steel. the other ones are laughably thin, last i checked the spec was .185". multiple problems arise from this, but most prominent is the steering box will break the frame if the frame isn't reinforced in that area. multiple companies make bolt on brackets for that area.

 

[IndianCountry]

Change the rear axle lol. 3/4 ton or 1 tons or nothin, unless it's a driver and nothing else.

lots of 20s and 2500s came with semi float rears, and unless it's a 30 or 3500 the front axle is the same as a 10 or 1500. make sure if you axles swap the rear, a real hub is sticking out on both wheels. if you want a real truck front axle, there will be 3 u bolts instead of 4. any other axle swap is a waste of time and money

 

[PrairieDrifter]

lots of 20s and 2500s came with semi float rears, and unless it's a 30 or 3500 the front axle is the same as a 10 or 1500. make sure if you axles swap the rear, a real hub is sticking out on both wheels. if you want a real truck front axle, there will be 3 u bolts instead of 4. any other axle swap is a waste of time and money

Buying an overpriced Dana 60 front is a waste of money. I'm not spending 1000 dollars on an axle that would need a 1500+ dollar rebuild. Don't get me wrong, I want a Dana 60 front, but I ain't paying some asshat 1000 bucks for an axle that needs rebuilt. We aren't building monster trucks here, if you've got a gasser there ain't no reason a good 8 lug Dana 44 front won't hold up with quality parts.

Availability? Well how many full float rear ends vs semi floats are out there? A **** ton. Of course buying a semi float rear is a waste of money when you can find a full float, under 60% of these trucks, for cheap. Now tell me how many 4wd k30's are/were rolling around? Not many. So not many front 60's.

I don't mess with semi float rears. front ends I don't have much of a choice, because I refuse to pay the trash prices people ask for a non rebuilt front 60. And I don't have the weight of a Cummins over the front axle yet so.

 

[Powerhouse Ranch]

i'd carry a solid 1911 .45 (Kimber preferred) and even a bullet proof vest; you never know what kind of illegal immigrants you'll run into in these deserts, ESPECIALLY nowadays

always thought one of those steering column pistol holsters would be handy

 

[jake wells]

AR500 plating outside the body panels, bullet proof glass, and run flat tires is a start.