my 2ยข...
Tube Fin has a strip of sheetmetal, typically aluminum, punched with holes just a
hair smaller than the tubing that will be poked through it. These will become
the fins.
Better ones has the fins soldered to the tubing instead of just an interference
fit hole
Even better ones yet has a wave on the fins to stir the air flow to reduce
laminar air flow
The larger ones has the tubing snake through the fins that has many holes lined
up. The tubing is made up of 'U' shaped (larger and smaller) to make a series
run through the fins
Stacked Plate is punched/shaped sheetmetal 'plates'. Shaped to be complimentary
to itself when flipped. Think clam shell 'halves'
Flipped to mate with it's twin and will 'touch' at strategic spots. Most all
are elongated oval and at the ends, has a large hole that lines up with the next
calm shell set...and so on depending on on how many 'plates' or the rating of
the completed assembly
A tube is poked through each end hole for a total of two tubes. The tube ends
are capped or some how terminated
All touching metal contacts are then filleted with a paste that is both flux
and solder (the better ones silver solder and better yet, brazing paste...higher
temps needed)
The whole assembly is then heated to melt the paste to join and seal the seams.
It is pressure tested, but stacked plate is NOT good for high PSI and why ATF
is the norm on our vehicles and NOT for engine oil aux/external coolers. Engine
oil PSI is too high and will burst the seams of 'most' stacked plate coolers
The tube with the end left uncapped is where the fluid hose is mated and clamped
Same year Tahoe (4 door) and Suburban (both +7K GVWR...the +8K GVWR
Sub is completely different animal...though it uses the exact same
body as the +7K Sub) are the same truck/SUV in everything except for
the length behind the passenger door trailing edge
Both have almost the exact same ratings too...except for the added
sheetmetal weight for the Suburban
Expedition...depending which year, there are two rear ends. Older will
be live axle (solid axle tube with a pumpkin in the middle). Newer
will be IRS (Independent Reas Suspension) with the pumpkin solidly
mounted and the wheel/tires on A-Arm (AKA control arms, etc)
I'm not sold on IRS for towing heavy, as over time the precision pivot
points might not be in good order to control. Arguable, but haven't had
the opportunity to discuss this in detail yet.
A "GVW 5400 lbs" will most likely be around 7,000 lbs when fully loaded
ready to go
Right at, just a hair under, to over the 'true' ratings of any of the
TVs you mention
All of them will have potential rear GAWR issues. They are all in the
+4K RGAWR range. Example is that the next higher class TVs will have
RGAWR's in the +6K range
Good luck and please post back on how it goes
