Chevy & GMC Vans

Sometimes the creeks settle down. Sometimes it's just the extra movement in everything from flexing it. You would be surprised at how much the leaf springs make noise. I never worried about creeks. Clunks on the other hand are something to check out.

Sure, I am real in the understanding that i am doomed to some creaks & new sound, trade offs for everything! I just didn't know if the spots wear in a bit is all. Especially since I tore 1/2 the carpeting & padding out! (to be replaced with thinner stuff later) It's amazing how hollow sounding vans can become! No clunks & she drives straight as an arrow, and I have been diving underneath everyday to look for stuff. She's a week out from a 3500-5K mile journey, and I am hoping I exterminate any bugs before departure!

rubberdown wrote:
...Especially since I tore 1/2 the carpeting & padding out! (to be replaced with thinner stuff later) It's amazing how hollow sounding vans can become! ...

I made new sub-carpet padding out of those 24" square interlocking neoprene pads they sell at Harbor Freight. Made for standing on at tool stations. Lighter than any kind of "real" carpet padding I've seen. Installs nice since the edges interlock. Cuts easily with a utility knife to make the edges fit contours. Nice sound deadening and it's dense enough that it doesn't tend to telegraph little irregularities in the steel floor, like the rear seat mount pockets.


Lumpy in Phoenix

Lumpy wrote:

rubberdown wrote:
...Especially since I tore 1/2 the carpeting & padding out! (to be replaced with thinner stuff later) It's amazing how hollow sounding vans can become! ...

I made new sub-carpet padding out of those 24" square interlocking neoprene pads they sell at Harbor Freight. Made for standing on at tool stations. Lighter than any kind of "real" carpet padding I've seen. Installs nice since the edges interlock. Cuts easily with a utility knife to make the edges fit contours. Nice sound deadening and it's dense enough that it doesn't tend to telegraph little irregularities in the steel floor, like the rear seat mount pockets.


Lumpy in Phoenix

Wow, that is a good idea. And being Harbor Freight, they gotta be cheap to purchase too!

mdmead wrote: ...And being Harbor Freight, they gotta be cheap to purchase too!

I always have to laugh when I'm at HF.

"Did you find everything you were looking for?"

Hell, I was looking for a $15 torque wrench. Found that in eleven seconds. But while I was here, I picked up some jack stands, easy-outs, spring compressors and a metric to SAE banana straightener adaptor. All for the same price of the same torque wrench at Sears.


Lumpy

Were you the voice of Casper?
No. Popeye, Snagglepuss and Wells Fargo Bank.
http://www.LumpyMusic.com

Lumpy wrote: ...And being Harbor Freight, they gotta be cheap to purchase too!

I always have to laugh when I'm at HF.

"Did you find everything you were looking for?"

Hell, I was looking for a $15 torque wrench. Found that in eleven seconds. But while I was here, I picked up some jack stands, easy-outs, spring compressors and a metric to SAE banana straightener adaptor. All for the same price of the same torque wrench at Sears.

I have to set a dollar limit when I wander in there as I find lots of things I just can't live without.

11 seconds to find it and 30 minutes to wait for them to get one in a box out of the back room...jeez I hate going to HF.
even with the low prices it amazes me that the HF here in the vicinity of Cypress stays in business.

mdmead wrote:

Lumpy wrote: ...And being Harbor Freight, they gotta be cheap to purchase too!

I always have to laugh when I'm at HF.

"Did you find everything you were looking for?"

Hell, I was looking for a $15 torque wrench. Found that in eleven seconds. But while I was here, I picked up some jack stands, easy-outs, spring compressors and a metric to SAE banana straightener adaptor. All for the same price of the same torque wrench at Sears.

I have to set a dollar limit when I wander in there as I find lots of things I just can't live without.

Just set the dollar limit to the price you would have to pay for
the one tool you went there for in the first place, if you had
to buy that tool at Sears. If you find even more stuff at
HF, then just "re-set" your dollar limit to what it would
be if you bought it from SnapOn.

...
Lump

rubberdown wrote:

I've always wanted a Canfield! (closest I've come is an 04 V10..and I'm on a BB7 now)
I think we'd shock most members here if they knew guys like you and I spend more on MTB's than we do on vans

Nice van...really diggin' the all white on black rims and white letters.

rubber down, do you know Kris "Jaymo" Jaimeson or Sam Pinner of NWSOF? i work at Windells in Mt Hood and they come around a lot somehow this website came up once and they mentioned a van that sounded quite a bit like yours, i believe they said your name was Kevin....

Hi

you have the 30" 9.50 tire in 15" stock rims? . No Rub? ( in anti-sway bar with full turn steering )



Thanks

George

Last I knew, he was going to sell the van and move to Panama or Costa Rica, or?

Haven't see him on here or Expo in years.

Ha! How much can change in 4 years! Still stateside, now vanless, bikeless & nearly puke almost on a daily basis over it... long story short long term girlfriend of 10 year & I bought a 5 acre farm just south of olympia to start a permaculuture/natural building school. Panama turned into I'd either have to leave my dogs behind, or accept they'd die within a year of getting there & spending nearly $3k per dog to get them there... so the deal was I needed a tractor for the new farm so I sold the Ghettobago to a kid in northern california for $7k. Story ends with the ex making me appropriate the van money towards buying her out of her part of the farm when she decided less than a year after being here this isn't what she wanted. So like all good country songs, lost my rig, lot my toys but kept my dogs!

But I shall rise again someday soon!!!!

But to answer the question at hand, nope, no rub at all with the 30" tires! They were 15" cheap aftermarket steel wheels though, not the factories.

Wow. What doesnt kill ya makes you stronger eh??
I was once without much but the shirt on my back, but ended up with my kids and that was the best.
Then I found my first Astro, Well, now we have an great dog, and the rest is history....

Good to hear from you. Sorry you're in a spot you'd rather not be in at the moment. Life can sure throw curve balls at us.

You have great vision and ingenuity, I've no doubt you'll end up where you want to be someday soon!