replacing OEM receiver. help!

[boondockdad]

2005 suburban
attempting to remove the GM receiver... cant get at the backside of the passenger side bolts on account the rear a/c unit is tight to open side of frame rail

theres a single visible bracket mounted to the a/c unit... i removed it, but theres something on the top of the big black plastic box thats still holding it... short of removing the entire bumper assembly, i cant see any way to access the top of this unit...

does anyone have any experience with this?
is it connected with some type of 'snap' bracket? can i simply yank the thing off? it moves around quite a bit when the one bracket mount is removed...

[boondockdad]

all the discussion of replacing GM receivers here, and nobody's done a suburban? There are no hayes or chilton service manuals for this model, either.... I guess I can see why the local hitch house wanted $100 for installation...

[markdoane]

I just did my Tahoe this weekend. I know the Sub might be different. On the Tahoe the A/C is on the outside of the frame rails, and the access for the top of the bolts is inside the frame.

The bolts holding the reciever had hex lead-ins. It was easy to put a 10mm socket on the lead-in and turn the screw (clockwise) while holding the nut with a 13/16" box wrench. You don't need to access the top of the bolts to finish the installation.

I'm assuming your Suburban uses similar bolts. If that's not the case, then ignore my advice. It took me 45 minutes to do the whole job.

There's a picture of the reciever in my photo gallery.

[boondockdad]

Originally Posted by markdoane

I just did my Tahoe this weekend. I know the Sub might be different. On the Tahoe the A/C is on the outside of the frame rails, and the access for the top of the bolts is inside the frame.

The bolts holding the reciever had hex lead-ins. It was easy to put a 10mm socket on the lead-in and turn the screw (clockwise) while holding the nut with a 13/16" box wrench. You don't need to access the top of the bolts to finish the installation.

I'm assuming your Suburban uses similar bolts. If that's not the case, then ignore my advice. It took me 45 minutes to do the whole job.

There's a picture of the reciever in my photo gallery.

if i could get at the passenger side rail bolt backsides, it would be a piece of cake... but that darn a/c unit is totally blocking the open face of the 'c' channel frame... so i can't get my open-end wrench on the bolt... i can get my socket on the nut (from the underside) easy enough....

i think i'm going to have to pull the entire bumper assembly off- i'm not even sure if i'll be able to see the top of the a/c unit then.... looks like a lot of work...

is it reasonable to think i could drive it up to my local GM service station, and have a mechanic put it up on a lift and show me how to remove it?

[boondockdad]

BTW- i completely bent the receiver tube on the OEM hitch... i set up the hitch, took measurements, set the WD, re-took measurements, happy with how the sub squatted... drove it to the scales, and whoa! the back end was sagging, and the front end was up... scales showed *no* loading to the steer axles... didn't occur to me, until i got home, to notice the receiver tube was bent signifcantly upward...
yikes.

[markdoane]

I've got the Hayes manual that shows the '99 thru '05 Silverado/Suburban/Tahoe.

The manual doesn't show anything below the rear cabin except the hoses. All the A/C works are in the rear compartment above and to the rear of the curbside wheelwell.

Are you sure it's not an Expedition?

[boondockdad]

Originally Posted by markdoane

Are you sure it's not an Expedition?

hmmm... that would explain all the service calls on it...

[boondockdad]

my wee OEM hitch and anchors....