Diesel suburban.

[Riverbound]

[video=vimeo;149720084]https://vimeo.com/149720084[/video]

So the other day I'm in my garage and this thing pulls up (sorry for the Shitty video). It's a 4x4 duramax/Allison suburban. Obviously I'm totally interested. so I start snooping around the interwebs and find a few outfits that do this conversion. So obviously the wheels are turning. I have been looking hard at new/slightly used burbs/escalades. And after crunching the numbers I could build one of these for less than a new Burb would cost me. I actually have a buddy who's building one now and can do one for me using a wrecked burban and truck.

I guess at this point I have to ask my self.....why wouldn't I?

 

[Riverbound]

http://duramaxsuburbans.com/photos.html

 

[downriver34]

My parents bought one of the conversions, they do it all with upgrading suspension etc. Add the PPE tuner and its a beast/

 

[HavasuHank]

There are a couple builds over at thedieselplace.com

A diesel suburban would be badass.

 

[boat527]

Thats my plan too. Theres tons of good shops out there and great conversion parts being made. F350s with Cummins, 150s with the smaller 4bt cummins and even ( like you mentioned) Burbs, 25mpg Hummer H2s. Etc.. The list is growing as the cost of new ones skyrocket.

 

[Riverbound]

Anyone know what if any issues there are smogging one in Ca?

 

[rivrrts429]

I see a blue one cruising around Menifee every once in a while. Duramax badging and all.

It's bad ass [emoji106]

 

[CampbellCarl]

Anyone know what if any issues there are smogging one in Ca?

Just guessing here but I'd think that the smog bullshit would completely outweigh the headaches of the entire project...

 

[rivrrts429]

Anyone know what if any issues there are smogging one in Ca?

Probably have to know a guy since smog is vin based, I dunno.

 

[HOOTER SLED-]

Why doesn't GM just pull the trigger already?

 

[HOOTER SLED-]

Wouldnt there be a loophole somehow since it would be custom? Or somehow it can get smogged as if it were a truck? I thought I read that somewhere once. ???

 

[boatpi]

Looks like Dodge RAM will have a Suburban fighter out in 2017 or so, Cummings based on RAM 2500.

 

[Riverbound]

Wouldnt there be a loophole somehow since it would be custom? Or somehow it can get smogged as if it were a truck? I thought I read that somewhere once. ???

That's kind of my thought. Do a body swap on d-max truck.

 

[5oclocksomewhere]

Anyone know what if any issues there are smogging one in Ca?

We bought this one last November from Duraburb in Florida. It's and 07 suburban with 130k on the body. All the running gear came from an 08 Silverado with 73k on it that was rolled in Texas. Duraburb put this whole package together for us. To make it CA legal the running gear has to be the same year or newer than the body. Duraburb walked U.S. through the the whole process and it was very simple. First I went to DMV and the did an out of state vehicle inspection then they send you to a referee place which you have to make an appointment. Dmv issuers you like a 60 day temporary reg so you can get your referee appt. I chose to go to Bakersfield which was at the college. It took about and hour for them to go through it and make sure the DPF and everything was In place. FYI all suburban diesels have to be on a 2500 platform to be CA legal. Then after the Referee I went right to Dmv and they issued me reg & plates. DuraBurb Eric Swanson (407)497-7031. Now that we have moved to AZ I put aftermarket exhaust and a programmer 21 mpg all day long.

This is my wife's actual suburban

 

[Ibeplumbing]

I really don't understand why no one is tapping into that market. The excursions are the most modern diesel hd platform suv you can get stock. They still sell like crazy and hold value well. Seems like both ford and Chevy could sell the heck out of a diesel ex or sub.

 

[Chili Palmer]

I had on 04 Silverado crew cab with the Quadrasteer package. I loved that truck, I could pull a u-turn anywhere, it was easy to maneuver in tight parking lots, but the 6.0 gas engine was a dog. At 103,000 it blew a head gasket and and neither Chevy or GM would give me any assistance of the $3k they wanted. I then checked out the Duramax Suburban guy to see what he'd charge to do a conversation - $40 grand! That's about as much as a new Dmax was going for in '07 so I passed. If I had done it, it would have been a bitchen' truck, but it would've been hard to justify the cost though.

 

[LB247XS]

http://duramaxsuburbans.com/photos.html

DAMN that thing is badass.👍 I need this

 

[dschifan]

Why doesn't GM just pull the trigger already?

Been waiting patiently myself but it's getting ridiculous don't know what the fuck Chevy and Ford are thinking

 

[DLow]

Been waiting patiently myself but it's getting ridiculous don't know what the fuck Chevy and Ford are thinking

And when they do they will be pushing $90+K new I would imagine.

 

[Cray Paper]

IIRC, GM quit offering the Suburban and Yukon XL in 3/4 livery after 07. The price to upgrade became much larger with GM not offering the running gear to perform this swap. I would be in line if they did, even with the weaker GM transmission and de powered D max.

 

[rivermobster]

A better idea would be to find a 7.3 Excursion. Best diesel engine ever built. Re-do the interior and you are done. You'd spend a whole lot less money, and have a truck that would last forever that would tow whatever you want. :thumbsup

 

[NicPaus]

A better idea would be to find a 7.3 Excursion. Best diesel engine ever built. Re-do the interior and you are done. You'd spend a whole lot less money, and have a truck that would last forever that would tow whatever you want. :thumbsup

With how cheap you can find a high mileage V-10. A swap with a new totaled out 6.7 Diesel power train is a good option. $5k plus $30k labor $10k $45k for a bad ass rig.

 

[rrrr]

And when they do they will be pushing $90+K new I would imagine.

My wife and I were talking about this last night. We figured a new diesel limited would be pushing $90K, as you said.

We have owned four Excursions, two of them 2WD diesel Limited Excursions, both around $47,000 each.

My first Ex was a 2000 2WD Limited V-10. I totaled it, had a blowout and hit a bridge abutment. If you feel like having a big crash and walking away from it, get an Excursion.

I had an early 2004 6.0 and it started to creep me out the way it was running. I traded it in on a end-of-year 2004 6.0 and it was a great running truck. There's just nothing like the Ex.

Unfortunately I traded it in on a 2008 6.4 F-250, and it was a total piece of shit. Went from 15 MPG in town mileage on the Ex to 9-10 MPG on the F-250. I sold it after seven months, took a damn big bath on the deal. But hell, I could tell the truck was gonna be a shitwagon.

So I bought a 2001 Limited 4WD with a V-10 in the fall of 2008. It had 25,000 miles on it. I figured that I wouldn't be driving it much, and the money penalty for buying diesel fuel along with the unknowns of expensive repair made a V-10 a safer bet.

Here we are seven years later, the truck has 67,000 miles on it, and all I've had to do to it was replace the A/C compressor and a set of tires. It's been a great vehicle for us.

I could find a wrecked late model diesel F-250 for what, $25-$30K? My Excursion would be a great candidate for the swap. It's in fantastic condition.

The Suburban Duramax conversion isn't a bad sounding deal. Eighteen months ago you probably could have purchased a loaded 3/4 ton Burb for a song. But even now, doing the conversion for $40K would give you a helluva truck for $15-$20K less than the imaginary cost of a 2016 3/4 ton Duramax Burb.

 

[charlyox]

I was at Safeway and this Burb stopped so I could cross. I stopped and the dude rolled down his window and I asked him if that was a diesel and he said yes. A company in Florida does conversions. He loves it

 

[Rsqfxr]

A few years back Duraburb quoted me 20k for the 3/4 ton chassis swap with the duramax, allison and 4x4 for my 05 Xl denali

 

[last1]

Yes we love our 4x4 7.3 Excursion, same running gear as my F350 pu. Have a buddy that wants to buy it but its not for sale.

 

[dschifan]

And when they do they will be pushing $90+K new I would imagine.

It's a 9k upgrade on a pickup for diesel. I bought a 2015 Yukon for 60k otd loaded. Can't imagine it being over 75k once the initial release price gouging settled

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

We bought this one last November from Duraburb in Florida. It's and 07 suburban with 130k on the body. All the running gear came from an 08 Silverado with 73k on it that was rolled in Texas. Duraburb put this whole package together for us. To make it CA legal the running gear has to be the same year or newer than the body. Duraburb walked U.S. through the the whole process and it was very simple. First I went to DMV and the did an out of state vehicle inspection then they send you to a referee place which you have to make an appointment. Dmv issuers you like a 60 day temporary reg so you can get your referee appt. I chose to go to Bakersfield which was at the college. It took about and hour for them to go through it and make sure the DPF and everything was In place. FYI all suburban diesels have to be on a 2500 platform to be CA legal. Then after the Referee I went right to Dmv and they issued me reg & plates. DuraBurb Eric Swanson (407)497-7031. Now that we have moved to AZ I put aftermarket exhaust and a programmer 21 mpg all day long.

This is my wife's actual suburban

And you have some new CA BAR sticker on the doorsill they use when they smog the car right? These are the hoops you need to go through with an engine swapped car in CA if you want it smog legal.

You'd probably sell that Suburban for what you have into it in CA since it is all legal and ready to go.

 

[5oclocksomewhere]

And you have some new CA BAR sticker on the doorsill they use when they smog the car right? These are the hoops you need to go through with an engine swapped car in CA if you want it smog legal.

You'd probably sell that Suburban for what you have into it in CA since it is all legal and ready to go.

Yep exactly! We paid $53k for the suburban, the swap & the exhaust & performance computer. Your right I could easily sell it for what I paid for it. After you drive one you will have to have one. Now we have an SUV that will pull anything, pass anything, gets a solid 21 mpg and have seen 23mpg and should easily last for 350k miles. We will now always own one.

 

[DLow]

It's a 9k upgrade on a pickup for diesel. I bought a 2015 Yukon for 60k otd loaded. Can't imagine it being over 75k once the initial release price gouging settled

True, but you need to add in the additional cost for the 3/4 ton running gear also.
Sounds like you got a deal on that Yukon. [emoji106]

 

[Scott E]

A few years back Duraburb quoted me 20k for the 3/4 ton chassis swap with the duramax, allison and 4x4 for my 05 Xl denali

Same price I came across.

 

[OCMerrill]

And you have some new CA BAR sticker on the doorsill they use when they smog the car right? These are the hoops you need to go through with an engine swapped car in CA if you want it smog legal.

You'd probably sell that Suburban for what you have into it in CA since it is all legal and ready to go.

I had a 2005 Jeep LJ (unlimited) and was in process of placing a HEMI under the hood. There is so much bullshit to hoop through I threw in the towel.

The final straw was requiring me to obtain approval from Chrysler on the balance of the emissions warranty since my Jeep only had 10k miles. Game over.

One would need a company with relationships to make this happen, like this Buraburb company.

 

[rivergames]

Why not just get a clean diesel truck with a camper shell?

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

I had a 2005 Jeep LJ (unlimited) and was in process of placing a HEMI under the hood. There is so much bullshit to hoop through I threw in the towel.

The final straw was requiring me to obtain approval from Chrysler on the balance of the emissions warranty since my Jeep only had 10k miles. Game over.

One would need a company with relationships to make this happen, like this Buraburb company.

Wow that is a new one I haven't heard. That is a pain.

My RX7 I don't drive often on the street, but I just pay to make the problem go away. It is possible to make the car smog compliant though. It requires a lot of parts from the donor car.

 

[Cole Trickle]

Seems like a hassle to me....

Pick up a clean 4 year old suburban or older 7.3 excursion for the better half to haul the kids and keep the dodge for towing heavy.

Pretty expensive buy in for a old vehicle with 75k on the clock. There is no way a diesel burban would tow your 30' trailer as good as the dually.

 

[Cole Trickle]

I don't think a new 2500 suburban with a Allison/duramax would ever sell in the numbers needed by GM to recover the investment.

We're talking a very small niche group here. The thing would cost a absolute fortune when you consider what the 1/2 ton 2x4 Burbans are selling for.

 

[pronstar]

I don't think a new 2500 suburban with a Allison/duramax would ever sell in the numbers needed by GM to recover the investment.

We're talking a very small niche group here. The thing would cost a absolute fortune when you consider what the 1/2 ton 2x4 Burbans are selling for.

Yeah, it's hard to justify a light-duty (3/4-ton, 1-ton) SUV that can tow more weight than a tow-behind trailer hitch is rated to carry (most tow-behind trailers just aren't that heavy), but can't pull a fiver/gooseneck trailer.

Also they'd have to consider the regulatory climate.
Tree huggers helped kill the Excursion, it and the H2 became poster-kids of the "wasteful American automakers" movement that culminated a bit before the recession.

 

[Riverbound]

Why not just get a clean diesel truck with a camper shell?

I have one of those but it only hauls 5 people. We need a people hauler and a gas Burb is an underpowered pig.
View attachment 453543

 

[Riverbound]

Seems like a hassle to me....

Pick up a clean 4 year old suburban or older 7.3 excursion for the better half to haul the kids and keep the dodge for towing heavy.

Pretty expensive buy in for a old vehicle with 75k on the clock. There is no way a diesel burban would tow your 30' trailer as good as the dually.

The Burb will be a people hauler. I have driven a few and got rid of my old Tahoe because they are underpowered pigs. Although the 7.3 is a great motor. I don't want one. A d-max sub would fit exactly what I want. And i could be in to one less than buying a new one.

 

[Cole Trickle]

The Burb will be a people hauler. I have driven a few and got rid of my old Tahoe because they are underpowered pigs. Although the 7.3 is a great motor. I don't want one. A d-max sub would fit exactly what I want. And i could be in to one less than buying a new one.

Not sure I would call one underpowered. Personally I find untuned diesels terrible to drive compared to a gas 1/2 ton.

The 2014+ stuff is much better. I would also say they got a lot better when they swapped to the 6 speed auto.

Maybe just buy a 8.1 2500 I bet there cheap now days.

I don't keep stuff long enough to be able to justify a 50k 7 year old suburban. I Imagine getting a loan on one would be tough do to value as well?

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

I don't think a new 2500 suburban with a Allison/duramax would ever sell in the numbers needed by GM to recover the investment.

We're talking a very small niche group here. The thing would cost a absolute fortune when you consider what the 1/2 ton 2x4 Burbans are selling for.

GM has made more niche cars that yeilded lower numbers and less profits in the past.

There is unbelievable profit in the GM full size SUVs. If a Dmax powertrain was part of the initial design, it would cost next to nothing to produce, and yeild a $10K premium over a gas Suburban, still leaving it cheaper than an Escalade. Even a retrofit to the existing lineup would not be terribly costly.

 

[rivergames]

I have one of those but it only hauls 5 people. We need a people hauler and a gas Burb is an underpowered pig.
View attachment 453543

I forgot you already had the camper shell.

Just throw a 3 seater couch under the shell. Hell, you can even put 2 couches back there and have them face each other so everyone can party on :cool

 

[pronstar]

GM has made more niche cars that yeilded lower numbers and less profits in the past.

There is unbelievable profit in the GM full size SUVs. If a Dmax powertrain was part of the initial design, it would cost next to nothing to produce, and yeild a $10K premium over a gas Suburban, still leaving it cheaper than an Escalade. Even a retrofit to the existing lineup would not be terribly costly.

That's a point that really can't be overstated :thumbsup
Full-size trucks are responsible for 90% of Ford's global proifits, and 66% (some analysts also say 90%) of GM's global profits.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

That's a point that really can't be overstated :thumbsup
Full-size trucks are responsible for 90% of Ford's global proifits, and 66% (some analysts also say 90%) of GM's global profits.

Yes, I'd believe it is towards 90% as well.

Think of the COGS between a base Tahoe and a fully loaded Escalade. I'd bet there is less than $3k difference in hard costs associated in making the two vehicles, yet the Escalade costs double. And GM has got to be making 30-40 points on the base Tahoe.

Undoubtedly the margins on trucks are even greater, as a base 1500 no cab, and a loaded 1500 with every option are even more similar than the SUVs from a manufacturing, trim, drivetrain and suspension perspective.

 

[pronstar]

^^^ And the tooling to make these old body-in-frame trucks has long since been amortized. They don't need to massively redesign their factories when a new model comes out.

 

[dread Pirate]

I didn't see anyone posted info on this so,,, When swapping engines there are a few basics to deal with.

You will have to go to a referee and have it signed off.
The engine must be the same model year or newer than the body.
The engine must have all smog equipment that came on it for the year it was made.

So,, You have a 2010 Suburban. You must use a 2010 or newer engine for the swap.

On another note,, The hot ticket I've been seeing is to buy a gas Excursion and swap a 24V Cummins in it. Best of both worlds. :thumbsup

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

We bought this one last November from Duraburb in Florida. It's and 07 suburban with 130k on the body. All the running gear came from an 08 Silverado with 73k on it that was rolled in Texas. Duraburb put this whole package together for us. To make it CA legal the running gear has to be the same year or newer than the body. Duraburb walked U.S. through the the whole process and it was very simple. First I went to DMV and the did an out of state vehicle inspection then they send you to a referee place which you have to make an appointment. Dmv issuers you like a 60 day temporary reg so you can get your referee appt. I chose to go to Bakersfield which was at the college. It took about and hour for them to go through it and make sure the DPF and everything was In place. FYI all suburban diesels have to be on a 2500 platform to be CA legal. Then after the Referee I went right to Dmv and they issued me reg & plates. DuraBurb Eric Swanson (407)497-7031. Now that we have moved to AZ I put aftermarket exhaust and a programmer 21 mpg all day long.

This is my wife's actual suburban

I didn't see anyone posted info on this so,,, When swapping engines there are a few basics to deal with.

You will have to go to a referee and have it signed off.
The engine must be the same model year or newer than the body.
The engine must have all smog equipment that came on it for the year it was made.

So,, You have a 2010 Suburban. You must use a 2010 or newer engine for the swap.

On another note,, The hot ticket I've been seeing is to buy a gas Excursion and swap a 24V Cummins in it. Best of both worlds. :thumbsup

5:00somewhere took care of us.

 

[Riverbound]

I didn't see anyone posted info on this so,,, When swapping engines there are a few basics to deal with.

You will have to go to a referee and have it signed off.
The engine must be the same model year or newer than the body.
The engine must have all smog equipment that came on it for the year it was made.

So,, You have a 2010 Suburban. You must use a 2010 or newer engine for the swap.

On another note,, The hot ticket I've been seeing is to buy a gas Excursion and swap a 24V Cummins in it. Best of both worlds. :thumbsup

So here's my question and I don't see it really covered anywhere in here or on the diesel burb site. Why can't I buy a 4 x 4 2500 truck and swap the body onto the truck frame? Then technically it's still a Chevy production truck as far as the running gear is concerned and all I did was swap the bodies. I haven't done any measurements yet but it looks as though the suburban frame would be the same as a single cab long bed pick up maybe a single cab extended cab pick up?

So instead of doing a motor swap I would be doing a body swap, seems like it would circumvent all the smog BS.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

So here's my question and I don't see it really covered anywhere in here or on the diesel burb site. Why can't I buy a 4 x 4 2500 truck and swap the body onto the truck frame? Then technically it's still a Chevy production truck as far as the running gear is concerned and all I did was swap the bodies. I haven't done any measurements yet but it looks as though the suburban frame would be the same as a single cab long bed pick up maybe a single cab extended cab pick up?

So instead of doing a motor swap I would be doing a body swap, seems like it would circumvent all the smog BS.

VIN is tied to the body, not chassis. The CARB and BAR problems remain.

 

[Riverbound]

VIN is tied to the body, not chassis. The CARB and BAR problems remain.

Gotcha.