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1998 Chevy Tahoe Tune-Up: Super Suspension Upgrades - 4-Wheel & Off-Road Magazine

Fred Williams Brand Manager, Petersen’s 4Wheel & Off Road

Our friend's '98 two-door Tahoe, affectionately known as Princess, had been sitting derelict in her driveway near our office for over a year. Our friend had gotten a newer four-door for daily driving and wanted to keep the '98 for weekend adventures. She asked us how best to spruce up the white truck, and we figured it would be perfect for a simple lift and tire rehash.

131 1101 1998 Chevy Tahoe Tune Up Super Suspension Upgrades front Three Quarter Shot Photo 31044928

As one of the last fullsize two-door SUVs, this Tahoe is sort of rare, but it's also a great vehicle for backwoods weekends, beach cruising, and hauling stuff for home projects. We headed over to the 4Wheel Parts Performance Center in Redondo Beach, California, for a two-day spa treatment like no other.

PhotosView Slideshow The '98 Tahoe two-door is a great truck. It's the last of the fullsize 4x4s from GM with only two doors, a trend that started back in the late '60s with the introduction of the Blazer. This Tahoe had been sitting ignored for a year, but the cobwebs were blown off on a trip to the local 4Wheel Parts for a fresh suspension and new wheels and tires.

The '98 Tahoe two-door is a great truck. It's the last of the fullsize 4x4s from GM with only two doors, a trend that started back in the late '60s with the introduction of the Blazer. This Tahoe had been sitting ignored for a year, but the cobwebs were blown off on a trip to the local 4Wheel Parts for a fresh suspension and new wheels and tires.

Technician Big Jon Schneider started the rehash. He removed the old tires and the front suspension. This is a good time to examine consumable parts, such as suspension bushings, brake pads, and steering joints, especially on a truck 10-plus years old.

Along with the front suspension, the front axle centersection was dropped. The new Pro Comp 6-inch suspension lift we are installing is not for trucks with an Autotrac fulltime NVG-246 transfer case, as there may be a high-speed vibration when in 4-Hi or Auto 4x4 mode. The Tahoe does have Autotrac and therefore shouldn't work, but it also has a disconnectable front axle, and when driven in 2-Hi there is no noticeable vibration.

The new front suspension uses a drop bracket design that lowers both the upper and lower A-arm mounting points 6 inches, in effect raising the truck to clear taller tires. The upper bracket attaches where the upper A-arm previously attached as well as being bolted through the frame with crush sleeves.

The steering also has a 6-inch center drop link that will keep the steering geometry correct while not needing to lower the steering box or idler pitman arm. The drop link is located with dogbone double rod end links that attach to the front drop crossmember.

The suspension does require some cutting and welding on the frame to clear the front differential. In essence there is a bulge in the frame that would hit the lowered axlehousing, and this is cut out and a small plate welded in.

The Tahoe has torsion bar springs that attach to a crossmember farther back on the frame, and this also needs to be lowered to correlate with the lowered A-arms. A spacer is attached between the frame and crossmember. Some people like to crank up the torsion bars for additional front lift, but this will result in a rougher ride.

The front lower suspension drop bracket is supported by rearward-running compression struts. Oddly enough, the spacing was different on our two-door Tahoe compared to the other trucks the kit is designed for, and we had to upgrade to longer struts.

The front end is buttoned up with new longer brake lines and Pro Comp ES3000 shocks. The rear of truck will also receive new ES3000s to control the ride.

Before heading to the rear half of the truck, Schneider mounted the new 35x12.50R15 Pro Comp XTreme Mud Terrains on glossy black 15x8 Pro Comp Xtreme Alloy 8069 wheels. The kit requires a minimum of 31/4 inches of backspacing.

The rear leaf spring rides excellently in stock form, but we're never going to fit new 35-inch rubber without some help. The ProComp kit includes an add-a-leaf to raise the rear, but we did need to trim it a few inches to fit, as it's used on multiple '88-'98 GM trucks and SUVs

A 4-inch lift block and new U-bolts are also supplied for the rear. The block has a slight taper to it that will help keep the rear driveshaft angle within spec. With that, the Tahoe was given an alignment and we hit the trail.

Rehash Worth It?
Taking an old truck like this to 4Wheel Parts for a lift and tires will cost you around $4,500, including nearly $1,000 in labor. But what did we gain? The frame ground clearance went up about 61/2 inches from the same truck on 31-inch rubber without a lift. The ride is noticeably different, with some very soft steering, meaning we'll probably need to address old steering components soon. Worry about vibration seems unfounded with our truck, but could be addressed with a CV front driveshaft if it arises later. Princess definitely looks more adventurous. The shiny new shoes and taller, more respectable stance make her ready to explore lands beyond the castle.

131 1101 1998 Chevy Tahoe Tune Up Super Suspension Upgrades passenger Side Shot Photo 31044907

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1998 Chevy Tahoe Tune-Up: Super Suspension Upgrades - 4-Wheel & Off-Road Magazine

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