r/GMT400

Two different GMT400 Suburbans need some advice here.

1999 1500 Chevrolet 4x4 (first image lifted)

Bad:
Bad motor (bearing)
3 year out of registration

Good:
Good interior / leather
Lift / roof rack
Has 3rd row

$1500

1995 2500 GMC 4x4

Good:
454 motor / TBI starts / 51k miles
Bull bar / roof rack (probably worse mpg)

Bad:
Oil leaks / wet underside
Rough interior
Bearing noise passenger front tire
Seller can’t find a shop to do smog (not a major city)
Former LEO vehicle has running board brackets that are heavy duty like a tow hitch bolted through the frame - hopefully removable as it’s deadweight

$2000 (was asking $4k)

Seems like the ‘99 might be the better buy. If I had the room I’d buy both?

Just got done putting a used 4l80e in and replacing cracked housings on the transfer case. I am now getting ready to replace the drivers exhaust manifold and am wondering how big of a pita it's going to be. How likely am I to break bolts off? Was a southern truck has no rust . Also want to do a 5speed swap at some point, but everyone wants way too much for used transmissions.

I'm at a loss for this darn thing, so here goes. I've got a 96 half ton with the Vortec 350 and 4L60E. Recently pulled it out of my backyard after sitting for a bit because it's my only vehicle with a/c and I live in Texas. I have replaced the fuel pump because it was bad and the other following bits because I read they can cause problems or because they set codes

Crank sensor

Cam sensor

Coil

ICM

Cap, rotor & plugs

EGR valve

Fuel filter

And still my problems persist. Last week it was running fine. Then at the last stoplight on my way home, it started to idle rough. When I let off the brake and hit the gas to get moving, it sputtered and died. I was able to restart it after a few tries and get it back home. Today I finished installing those parts I listed, along with verifying my timing is correct. I went to take the truck on a test drive, and it was idling okay until it stumbled twice and stalled on its own. Now it won't restart.

I'm at a genuine loss. Somebody help me please figure this hunk of shit out. Photo for attention, I guess.

16 inch Forever Sharp Wheel

94 Silverado suburban c2500. Runs and drives like new, cold AC , 123,000 miles, exterior is rough but interior is mint condition. Radio doesn't work but I'll fix that later. Picked this up 2 days ago for $4000.

What's she worth n how rare is she only 170k miles n clean underneath bit of rust but it's from ny n what should 8 know n expect once I buy it

I do most of my own work but Saturday I got a mushy pedal all of a sudden and looked under it and had a large brake fluid leak at the back driver side so I got it over to a shop that does good work in town since I was 20 minutes from home.

I understand this is what it is, but they found a wheel cylinder that they flagged as leaking there as well.

I am going to have them do the brake line, I have to have it done and do not have time to go through doing it myself.

My question is the rear wheel cylinder, should I just do that too? Could it be that it is not leaking?

Again, I know the prices are high but looking for advice on the wheel cylinder. It feels like that is pretty highly priced for the work with them already there.. - but again it all is.

Again, yes I know these prices are high but sometimes even doing most work yourself this stuff can happen.

Looking for if I should replace the rear wheel cylinder while it is there or should I defer that for later..

Plan on fixing my ac for this upcoming summer heat and found this wire. Is it part of the ac system or something else? Also would appreciate new ac compressor recommendations mine though it would be cool to blow itself up👎.

First photo is from the rear and the second is from the front. I need to back off the shoes to get the drum off but can't figure out how. They dont have a star wheel

Got my hands on this 1998 K2500 with the 6.5 turbo diesel, 4l80E trans and 8 lug. 230k miles. No blowby, runs mint. just needs some bulletproofing and new brakes. i talked dude down from 2500 to 1400. Howd i do?

Hey yall, wanting to get an idea of what it will look like to remove the plastic flaring or if that is even possible

Is this a factory paint pattern? I can’t find it online anywhere. The truck is 1989

I need some honest advice from the GMT400 crowd because I’m at a crossroads with my truck.

I’ve got a 1996 GMC Sierra C1500, RWD, 5.0 V8, 5-speed manual, sitting at about 200k miles. The truck itself is honestly in great shape for the Midwest. Body is clean, interior is surprisingly nice, frame is solid enough, and it’s been an awesome work truck for my pressure washing business. It carries all my equipment well and I genuinely enjoy driving it.

Here’s the problem:

Rear differential is grinding badly and leaking gear oil everywhere

Engine recently jumped timing for some reason

I already tried the obvious stuff (cap, rotor, plugs) and it didn’t fix the issue

The thing is… I paid $5500 for this truck back in 2023 and it’s fully paid off now. I also have a plow setup for it that I paid another $600 for, which is part of why I really don’t want to switch platforms entirely.

I know these trucks aren’t exactly rare, but finding:

a clean GMT400

with a manual transmission

that I already know the history/problems of

AND that’s already set up for my business

…makes me hesitate to dump it.

What makes this harder is seeing decent running and driving K2500s and even K3500s pop up locally for reasonable money. Honestly, the heavier chassis and 4x4 would probably suit my business even better, especially in the winter with the plow. But every single one I find is an automatic, and part of why I love this truck is the 5-speed.

At the same time, I’m trying to be realistic. I use this truck to make money, so downtime matters. Part of me says repair it because it’s still cheaper than taking on a truck payment in today’s market. Another part of me says I could throw thousands at this thing and still end up chasing problems.

So I’m asking the people who know these trucks best: Would you repair it, swap another engine/rear end into it, or cut your losses and move on?

Looking for realistic opinions, not “LS swap it bro” unless you’ve actually done it and can speak on costs/reliability.