For the first five generations (1935-1968) the Chevy Suburban SUV used a generator to keep the battery charged. External voltage regulators, usually mounted on the firewall, controlled the charging cycle of the generator. To upgrade from a generator to alternator, we recommend the Delco type 10Si/12Si series alternator . The A200 Universal Alternator Mounting Bracket and self-exciting voltage regulator make the generator to alternator conversion as painless and worry-free as possible.
| Chevy Suburban SUV Generations with Generators | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Generation 1 (1935-1940) |
Generation 2 (1941-1947) |
Generation 3 (1947-1955) |
Generation 4 (1955-1959) |
Generation 5 (1960-1966) |
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| 10Si/12Si Series Alternator |
10Si/12Si Self-Exciting Alternator and Universal Bracket | ||||||||||
In 1968 Chevy started using their first generation of alternators. Dubbed the 10DN, this alternator was externally regulated in amperages ranging from 40-65 Amps. The 10DN was used on the Suburban SUV until 1972. It was replaced by the 10Si series alternator in 1973, which was basically the same alternator, but with an internal voltage regulator. The 10Si was widely used until around 1986, when the CS130 alternator became standard. Later in the 10Si series life, before the CS130 came along, Delco decided to revise the 10Si series design slightly. The resulting alternator had improved airflow, but all of the simplicity of the earlier 10Si. The 12Si was used from 1983 till 1990.
The Chevy Suburban went largely unchanged in style between 1973 and 1990. Those few external changes contrast with the many alternators that were used throughout this generation. 10Si, 12Si, 17Si, 27Si/100, CS130 , and the CS144 were all introduced on this one body style. The Si series and the CS144 share many simmilarities. Both use primarily screw or bolt on components and roomy case. The CS130 was a radical departure from previous designs. Tight spacing, soldered together components, and bad airflow lead to some pretty serious issues. To combat this, we invented the finned "Iceberg" housing. Fins on the case, touching the regulator, keep the CS130's internal components, as well as rear bearings, nice and cool. This still couldn't solve another problem the CS130 had. If the alternator isn't put together just so, the rotor will spin off-center and rub the stator. The noise and heat mean we usually upgrade the CS130 to the CS144 , as they share a common voltage regulator.
The CS130 's faults were attacked when Delco developed the new CS130D . The CS130D was larger, had more airflow, and was less susceptable to torquing the rotor. It used a new voltage regulator not compatible with those found in the CS130/CS144 . The CS130D showed up only for the Ninth Generation Suburbans, running from 1995-1999. In 2000 Delco started using only the new AD230 and AD244 Series alternators . The AD230/AD244 largely resembed the CS130D series alternator . We actually recommend upgrading your CS130D to the larger AD244 truck alternator . Large diameter alternators produce more power at lower RPM and have a larger thermal mass for heat dissapation.
In 2005 GM Switched from the 4-Pin regulator AD230/AD244 to the 2-Pin DR44G . The DR44G is so hard to find parts for that there are no high output models being made. We developed a retrofit kit to put the DR44G 2-Pin Voltage Regulator into our heavy duty AD244 series alternator . This allows you to get over 250 amps on your post-2005 GM vehicle.
