97' or 99' suburban any real difference?

hey there i'm new here so please bare with me, i currently have a jeep grand cherokee which i love and if i could stretch it out to hold seven people i would but since i can't the suburban is what i 'm after. i am looking at two a 1997 and a 1999 they are close in price and are close in mileage.(the 99 is a 3/4 ton if that makes a difference) i like the paint on the older one better but the newer one is well newer. is there any reason to lean towards one or another? "old " body style any more/less reliable than the "new" body style. any advice or opinions are appreciated

thanks in advance

joe

Go older bodystyle in my opinion. Less chance of GM's piston slap problems occuring in newer trucks(99-04 www.pistonslap.com). Besides, the 97 is built with less plastic. I have a 96 Z71 Ext Cab, my friend has a 97 Tahoe 2wd. The trucks are put together very well and gas mileage is very reasonable. I get 22-23 on the hwy and he gets about 19-20 hwy. Of course we take religious care of our trucks. The only shortcomings is the use of GM orange Dex-Cool which, if not changed out to green, will cause major gasket problems. The intake gaskets are a common problem, and people don't change out the fuel filter or tranny fluid enough. The 4L60-E transmission also has a weak point, but unless your going to be thrashing your vehicle all the time, the stock tranny will do fine. The reaction gear sunshell in the transmission is prone to cracking and therefore needing a teardown to replace. The symtoms usually end up being no 2nd gear or reverse I believe. Check out http://www.thesurecure.com/parts/parts/SC-4L60-E.htm and http://www.transmissioncenter.net/extreme_duty_parts.htm for info about the common problems with the tranny. Don't let me discourage you from getting a Suburban, I love my truck and I know what it is capable of. I don't intentionally try and see how far I can push it before it breaks. Hope this gives some info you can use.-Chris

Go older bodystyle in my opinion. Less chance of GM's piston slap problems occuring in newer trucks(99-04 www.pistonslap.com). (http://www.pistonslap.com).)

ehh....spit, you seem to know alot but check your facts first...the 1999 Suburbans are the same body/engine as the 1997 and 1998. IN FACT, the 1999 was basically just a hold over of the 1998s because they had two things going on at the time 1) the GM autoworkers strike in summer 98 and, 2) they had already introduced the 1999 Silverado - the current design including the replacement for the 5.7L - which is now a 5.3L. The Suburban's did not get the new design until M.Y. 2000


Also, this is second post I've read where you tell somebody to stop using Dexcool. Is is possible you could be liable for continuing to make false or unsubstantiated claims?

I have read alot about this but EVERYTHING so far about Dexcool causing problems is unsubstantiated. I have experienced and repaired the manifold gasket leak, the heater quick connect problem, I've replaced water pump etc. But there is no evidence to even suggest these problems were caused, either directly or indirectly, by the Dexcool. The problems are due to faulty assembly and poor materials (i.e. using pot metal for a fitting).

Every problem attributed to Dexcool can happen without Dexcool, so the logic itself is seriously flawed. Perhaps it would help the readership if you would document proof (not just hearsay) and explain the exact problems proven to be cause directly by Dexcool?

I've found some websites representing businesses trying to make a buck on this Dexcool hearsay so buyer beware of the scamsters out there.

Yes Ketch, my 99suburban was manufactured 02/98 and is a 99 model acorrding to serial number.(old body style)
As for differences I did notice that tire size and the rear doors are different.The 97 has 15" rims and barn doors in the rear.The 99 has 16"rims, a glass lift window with wiper and lower tailgate.I actually prefer the 99 rear door set up because the rear window does become obscured when it is raining.It needs to be cleaned especially when backing up.
I also looked at a 97 and a 99 and prefered the 99 because it was newer ,didn't belong to my brother-in-law,was a better value for the features it had and I noticed maintenance stickers on the vehicle that indicated when fluids were changed.I hope this helps you,Raiderjoe in making your decision

chuck's