Planning my Suburban build - Advice wanted

[LukeDM]

Howdy fellas. I'm dreaming about the long term goals for my Suburban. Here's what I'm currently envisioning

ORD 4" custom spring lift kit (10-11" advertised travel)
Cutout Fender Flares (I'd do the Icelandic style flares if I could find any)
05+ Super Duty axles
Possibly full hydro steering setup
As big of a tire as I can fit and have good flex. I'm hoping at least 37" if not bigger.
I'm assuming I'll need gearing at least 4.88 or more
Custom built front and back bumper, rock sliders, roof rack, built by yours truly

I'm not looking for this to be an interstate cruiser, more of a vehicle I'll trailer to a location and run around on mild trails and overlanding style driving. Take the family out to remote locations to camp, fish, hunt, and just run BDR kind of driving. Not going to be a rock bouncer by any stretch of the imagination, but I like that style of vehicle. My hope is that with the lift, cutout flares, and wider SD axles, I'll have room for plenty of flex for a big set of chunky tires on beadlocker wheels. I've spent a lot of time day-dreaming about having a Suburban with rear steer capability, but I suspect that's a fool's errand and more work than would be worth it. Would the SD Axles give enough clearance to at least get a decent turning radius on the rear??

The Suburban is currently sitting at
Stock height on 33" tires
A crate 350 TBI engine with 4,000 miles
Currently having the 700r4 transmission rebuilt and upgraded.
This wasn't the original vision for the Suburban but my recent purchase of an Excursion has made me want to do something different with the Suburban to make it worth keeping two full-size SUV's. The wife's on board with the goal and I have a free reign to make this as mean or as mild as I want to.

What would you guys do? What ideas are good and which ideas are stupid? I have good fabrication skills and nothing but ambition. Not intimidated by any part of the build, but I'd like to do things that make sense.
Another post incoming with pictures of my Suburban as well as some other builds I'm considering imitating certain aspects of.

 

[squaredeal91]

Don't go full hydro! Go hydro assist. They sell boxes with the holes in them but there spendy. You can drill and tap your own box to make it work. Just need to research how and where. I know it's possible because a friend did it worked awesome.
Edit: I just reread and missed the rear steer part lol. Although that would be cool lol but it would probably be hard to keep allighned for regular driving.

 

[Tonimus]

Go for it. Most of what you're talking about is preference anyway. And what you want is all that matters. *I* prefer to retain mechanical linkages for steering. I was never into big stuff or rock crawling. Just mud bogging and trails with 35s. I've busted too many hoses to want to do hydraulic steering in my own rig.

We built a '63 Chevy II with a 427 SBC, hydroboost brakes, and a stock front clip. People said it couldn't be done. Did it just to be different.

I think the super duty axles are only a few inches wider. I'd be inclined to try wheels with a different offset (or even a spacer) before I threw new axles at it. But if I already had axles lying around... Who knows?

 

[warrpath4x4]

While there is nothing wrong with ORD springs (I have many of their parts) there is a new option when putting a super duty 60 in a square body https://hogbackfab.com/products/squarebody-super-60-swap-bracket-kit

 

[squaredeal91]

That is a cool kit but wow$$

 

[warrpath4x4]

That is a cool kit but wow$$

Ya it is but so are the ORD custom springs when just the springs are $1,000 +/- per axle plus steering, bushings, and etc. Doing anything suspension wise "correctly" is spendy lol

 

[LukeDM]

Here she is as she sits currently

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I’ve been looking at rigs like this

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And damn you’ve gotta love this icelandic look. I’m all ears if anyone knows where to buy fenders like this

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[LukeDM]

Don't go full hydro! Go hydro assist. They sell boxes with the holes in them but there spendy. You can drill and tap your own box to make it work. Just need to research how and where. I know it's possible because a friend did it worked awesome.
Edit: I just reread and missed the rear steer part lol. Although that would be cool lol but it would probably be hard to keep allighned for regular driving.

Go for it. Most of what you're talking about is preference anyway. And what you want is all that matters. *I* prefer to retain mechanical linkages for steering. I was never into big stuff or rock crawling. Just mud bogging and trails with 35s. I've busted too many hoses to want to do hydraulic steering in my own rig.

Yeah, I may end up going with the mechanical steering, I’m just an old farm kid and something about a hydraulic cylinder turning the wheels makes sense to me, lol

I think the super duty axles are only a few inches wider. I'd be inclined to try wheels with a different offset (or even a spacer) before I threw new axles at it. But if I already had axles lying around... Who knows?

The main attraction to the axles for me is added strength and better braking, the additional width was just a bonus, but I sure don’t find much information about axle widths readily available.

 

[LukeDM]

While there is nothing wrong with ORD springs (I have many of their parts) there is a new option when putting a super duty 60 in a square body https://hogbackfab.com/products/squarebody-super-60-swap-bracket-kit

Wow, great link thank you. I love finding stuff like this through forums.

 

[Tonimus]

For the record, as she sits, that is a good lookin' burb!

 

[LukeDM]

For the record, as she sits, that is a good lookin' burb!

Thank you! I almost hate to hack it up and lose the original look... I spent a lot of time on the body and having it painted. But if I don't do something like this to it, I'm probably just gonna sell it and buy another old beater to fix up with the funds. So I might as well keep it and play with it since I know this truck.

We bought it to be a kickin' around town family hauler but I finally convinced my wife to daily drive an Excursion so that kind of took the purpose away from the suburban honestly lol. It doesn't drive down the interstate, or tow as well or as comfortably as the excursion. Might as well use it.

 

[Tonimus]

Mine is my rough and tumble family hauler. You can get in a lot of places with just bombing on 31s. Throw the sawzall at it and ship it on whatever wheels. I'd suggest getting the fender flares done AFTER you're happy with the wheel size and everything.

 

[Snoots]

My Jimmy had fenders/flares like that. They only lasted about 7 years. Cheep plastic but they served well. IIRC, they were from Pep Boys.

 

[Goldie Driver]

Thank you! I almost hate to hack it up and lose the original look... I spent a lot of time on the body and having it painted. But if I don't do something like this to it, I'm probably just gonna sell it and buy another old beater to fix up with the funds. So I might as well keep it and play with it since I know this truck.

We bought it to be a kickin' around town family hauler but I finally convinced my wife to daily drive an Excursion so that kind of took the purpose away from the suburban honestly lol. It doesn't drive down the interstate, or tow as well or as comfortably as the excursion. Might as well use it.

I'd agree that it looks good as is. I'd try to sell it as is and then find more of a beater to modify fenders, etc.