Chevy Silverado - Continued XVIII

ryanbab · March 2001

here let me add to what smart99 had to say

http://www.wheels.com

skip the intro and click on assembly lines

mgdvhman · March 2001

they are not going out of biz....being discontinued....big difference

- Tim

ryanbab · March 2001

Tim actually olds is breaking up and thier lineup is going to other divisions. The bravada is going to cadillac the alero is going chevy i believe and thier minivan (forget the name) is being terminated. They will all have new names under different companies. When i find out more info ill let you know.

mgdvhman · March 2001

...as I really don't care....LOL

..although I do have The Hurst/Olds in the garage....about the last Olds I would want..

- Tim

roger350 · March 2001

I think this has been covered before, but is there something magical about waiting 7500 miles to have the alignment checked? As I recall, my dealer told me they wanted people to wait that long before bringing it back in for an alignment? Makes me think that the factory alignment must be warrantied through 7500, and after that the customer pays? Anyone know? My tires are starting to feather the outside edges at about 5200 miles, and I am thinking about taking it in for an alignment. I think the camber must be off? I don't corner hard enough to wear the tires like that. I'm sure they'll tell me the alignment is within spec though. Anyone have any experience getting them to re-do it even if it is in spec? Do these things have knock outs that prevent the factory from setting them up for optimal camber?

Anyway, going on a long roadtrip from Dallas to Steamboat at the end of the week, and figured it would be nice to get the alignment right so the tires can start wearing right. When I get back I'll post another data point on fuel mileage for an Ext. Cab, 4x4, 4.10, 6.0L 2500HD.

87lion · March 2001

if your getting feathering. Of course I'd probably procrastinate so long it'd be 7500 miles before I got it done. {8^)

I do remember way back in something like Silverado VIII someone talking about the knock outs but I'm getting to old to remember the details.

bco · March 2001

not sure what the "magic number" is on alignments. i suspect that through the first 5k miles (possibly 10k?), alignment should be covered under warranty. 7500? not sure where that number comes from. there are knock-outs, i know this. if you're experiencing uneven tire wear or feathering, they should fix it. the only problem i had with this is my service center tried to convince me that my truck was drifting due to "road crown". i politely reminded them that it was drifting to the left. this prompted a "deer in the headlights" look. at which time i told the gentleman that road crown tends to be high on the inside of the lane sloping down towards the outside (from left to right, in other words). he immediately turned red and said he'd look at it. later, i heard his buddies ribbing him for trying to use some bs excuse with me.

bco

chevygold · March 2001

I've been reading the posts here for awhile,
decided to post. Have a 00 Silvarado LS V6,2wd ext
cab 5 spd bought in June of 00.Really checked all
the makes out good,with the fiberglass cap on it
weighs in at a couple hundred lbs more than a 4x4
blazer with the V6 also. Have plenty of get up n
go,and plan on towing a light pop up camper in the future also. Drove it out the door for 21,500
had some problems with it the worst being the tranny needing replaced
but all in all have enjoyed owning it since new.Nothing horrible like
somethings I've read about on the net.My dealer is Jack Whorl Chey in
Manchester Pa.about 7 miles north of York Pa.They're been outstanding
if its wrong they correct it with no fuss or hassles.These are good
trucks and I would recommnd one highly,and give some though to a V6
depending your needs. Thanks

cowboyjohn1 · March 2001

I am half owner in a front end alignment shop in Bellflower, CA. We have a few customers who bring their brand new cars/trucks right from the dealership to have their alignment checked. Almost all are in factory specs, but a few are out. Our policy is to set them as close to the spec. as possible, not somewhere within the + and - band. As to road crown, a good shop will ask what your driving habits are and try to set the alignment to maintain the vehicle straight ahead on the type of road you do most of your driving on. When we check a car out, it gets driven before we do anything to it to assist in evaluatation of any problems, then again after we have completed the work. When we are done, it will go straight down the road with hands off. By the way, we also do a lot of front end and brake work for a variety of dealerships, including Chevrolet. Hope this helps.
cowboyjohn

obyone · March 2001

Dealer will warranty alignment up to 10,000 miles. After that you are on your own. Will extended warranty help? nope, not on this one.

Did ya'll know that there are new specs for the alignment on these trucks. Yep, a TSB was issued changing the "SPECS"...so if they tell you that it is within spec, you should ask them if they are referring to the old spec or the new spec. That should throw them for a loop. BTW, I know it works cause I threw it at my shop foreman. He said, "damn internet". So the new question is, does the 10,000 mile limit still hold true. Don't think so, cause GM changed the specs...LMFAO!!

michgndr · March 2001

Ain't the internet a grand thing? I walked in to buy my Silverado armed with invoice price data, holdback information, etc. There was no price discussion. I just told him what I wanted to pay and why it was fair enough for him. I he didn't want the deal and the easy profit, someone else would. The first dealer pitched a hissy fit. No sale! Second guy: "OK". Deal. Order it up.

Can't wait to do this same stuff with TSBs and the like.

bco · March 2001

fellas,
i was off-roading and messin' around on some fire-breaks this weekend. ran through a couple "tight" spots where some skinny branches ran down the side of my truck. now...i have some light scratches in what looks to be either the wax and/or the clearcoat. definitely not down into the paint...just surface. will these go away after i wash it, wax it, or won't they? any suggestions? thanks...

bco

mgdvhman · March 2001

wonder though if he would have went lower?

I'd ask price...and have printed stuff for a back up if need to have a discussion...

BUT..you payed what you wanted to.....so both are happy I guess?

Congrats

- Tim

bco · March 2001

yes, it is nice. i particularly enjoyed sitting in the salesman's office, pitching him a the number another dealership had already offered. he comes back from the manager with a number $1000 more. i laughed at him, stood up and headed to the door with him in tow, nervously looking at the manager. the manager got up from his desk and headed over with a big smile on his face, asking if maybe we could talk some more. i told him the offer the other dealer had given me and he comes back with a number $500 more this time. i look at him like, "wtf???" he just stands there. i said, "do you understand that i'm looking for a number LOWER than this one?" he says, "well, we just can't do that." i'm like, "ok, you could have saved my time by just saying that initially." what scares me is...there's gotta be a reason they do it that way. is it possible some folks actually bite when they drop $500 off their offer??? LOL!

bco

ps...congrats on your new truck...order that is.

markbuck · March 2001

Called "pinstripes"..... hehehehe

Some clean off, some don't. I look at it like the scars I have from playing sports all my life....Worth the fun!!!!!

If you leave the truck in the garage, it'll stay pretty forever....

mledtje · March 2001

Most of the off road scratches I get are just dust sticking to the oils from the plant leaves/branches. They wash off easily. Some others actually seem to scratch the wax. You can't feel them, but they don't wash off! Wax those little guys away.

Now the rocker panel where the rocks tried to come inside the cab is another story!! That won't wash off or wax away. I guess when the metal is dented and the paint gone you have to visit the body shop.

Mike L

jaslon4 · March 2001

Here is what I am about ready to buy, please tell me if you think this is a good deal.
2001 chevy silverado
ls package, 4 wheel drive, 4800 v8, locking diff., z-71 package, automatic, electronic push button 4 wheel drive.
Lists for 26,520 buying for 22,700. And they are changing the wheels to cast aluminum with the different tires, and they are throwing in the receiver hitch and bendliner.

blackmax200 · March 2001

is in the mind of the buyer...sounds like you got all the stuff you would want. I would want a 5.3L V8, and so might others on a trade in when you go to sell it down the road. Some may argue that the 4.8 gets better gas milage....these trucks are toooo much fun to drive and it is hard to resist the temptation to get on it...so much for milage.

If it is the color you want, and the equipment you want, then it may be the truck for you, get all the deal, stuff they are throwing in and final price, in writting before making your "final decision"

matthew

roger350 · March 2001

Is there any trick to printing your pictures off your site? I was going to print the zerk photos, so I had them with me as I was doing the job, but when I pulled up a specific photo and hit print, it still just printed all of them 1" x 1". Also, I seem to recall you removed the big plastic skid pad to grease the truck? Is that true, and what was the socket size you needed for that again? Thanks for all your help! I picked up a Craftsman pneumatic grease gun at Sears last night and it was actually cheaper than the no name brand at Northern. I'm armed with Mobil 1 grease, and a 6mm right angle zerk, and am ready to go. Thank you so much, I don't know how we all got along without this Internet?!!

michgndr · March 2001

I reckon the dealership might have gone lower if I really pushed, but they were already doing me a couple favors as part of the deal, such as cutting me a separate check after financing to handle out-of-state title and registration, and applying the GMAC incentives even though the truck was factory ordered. Plus the dealership just built a new lot and building, so I know they have some overhead to cover. I guess I really bought the privilege of using the dealer closest to home. I was also able to get my bud a $100 referral bonus (which we of course will split!).

Q for all: I used to get a catalog for my toyota in the mail that was full of Toyota truck accessories only. Is there a similar company or catalog for Chevy trucks?

ryanbab · March 2001

MICH

Good magazine with alot of parts

http://www.performanceproducts.com

Go there and order a magazine you will get one like every month or 2.

BCO

Last sunday my bedrail cap halfway came off so i thought what a good time to retape it down. Cleaned all the old tape off (damn dealership when they put it back on used a few pieces of new tape and left the original) then cleaned with alcohol (not beer) and reapplied new tape. Really sticks now. Amazing how when you take 30 min and do it right how much better of a job i could do than the body shop that had to fix it when my truck was fixed.

Ryan

mledtje · March 2001

I had a similar problem printing small pictures. Turned out I was hitting print while I was selecting the thumbnail. After I went to the fullsize picture before selecting print, then I got fullsize prints.

Mike L

roger350 · March 2001

Ryan, good to see you back. Wade bed rail covers right? How tightly do they fit to the rail? This may sound dumb, but I am wondering if they would fit over a spray in that went over the rail. My concern with the caps alone is that they'll wear down the paint on the rails like my old drop-in liner did. This is why I have always thought I'd go over the rail with the liner. but now I'm hearing people have had problems with dents in the rails because the sheet metal is so thin, and I'm thinking some sort of cap on top would be better to double up the thickness a bit. Are the Wade rails a tigh fit, or do you think they would stretch a bit to accomadate the extra thickness of the liner? I figured if it would work I would just skip the tape and go with a silicone type adhesive, as the liner wouldn't provide a flat enough surface for the tape. Anyway, what do you think?

Mike, thanks. I'll give it another try.

ryanbab · March 2001

Now that i fixed the rail caps (WADE) they fit very tight.

From what i could see they have been on 11 months and with a little wax i doubt there would be that many scratches on the rail itself. Lots of tape marks which can be removed with heat and a little scrubbing.

For them going over the spray in liner im sure they could its not that thick. The tape that is used is probably a lil thicker than the liner.

My suggestion get a pair and try it out (dont glue down) and see how it fits if it fits then actually install them.

Ryan

mgdvhman · March 2001

that's cool.....it's just any time I deal on something and the other side agrees right away.....it makes me wonder if I could have done better?

- Tim

mledtje · March 2001

I almost never see trucks with DRL's out, but last night on the way home I saw two.

Both had the passenger side out. I still have not seen a Silverado with the driver's side out in the last year.

Mike L

mgdvhman · March 2001

out at least 3-5 a week....honest...never seen a passenger out yet

- Tim

bco · March 2001

roger,
best tip i can give you on the pictures is...try "right clicking" on them and copying them. almost all, if not all, should be jpegs if i remember right. if all else fails, copy one, and paste it onto a powerpoint slide, or word document, or something of the sort. then size it and print it - and so on for the rest. not sure why they're printing out that way for you.

as for the brush guard - the brush guard is ALL you have to remove - NOT the skid plate itself - is five 15 mm bolts. it's easy to remember...same socket you'll use to pull the oil pan drain plug and...i THINK to check the transfer case. not sure about the last though.

have fun with it...i know i do.

as for the rail caps...i'll be really surprised if my caps wear my rails down like my drop in liner did on my old truck. see, they attach with 3m double sided tape which is, like, a millimeter thick itself. they really don't move a whole lot.

bco

gmarkham · March 2001

I have yet to see any of these on the road or at the dealers. Might seem like a good idea for my new work truck but I'd sure like to see one first before I order my new truck in August. I even went to a super Chewy show this weekend in Pomona, Calif. hoping CM would have one of these trucks on display. I'm also hoping Chewy makes them available on trucks other than the Z71 series. Why can't they just make them an optional item on any of their trucks. Does anyone out there have one of these Composite Box's or shed any light on what the future holds for next year. I live in nos Angles and would think I would see these new BOX' because I drive around all day. I haven't seen one and neither has my local dealer. hats up???

whitevette01 · March 2001

Was looking at a 2001 brochure and see traction
control is now an option. If same as on other
car sounds like a worthwhile expense.

Any have it ?

In wet weather the back end of my 1500 SB sure
does spin if not careful. But sometimes even in
wet conditions need to give a little more gas to
cross traffic. Have the limited slip but it
doesn't seem to help. Maybe Reg cab are worst
than ext cabs.

blacksilvertoo · March 2001

I have a 2001 LT ext-cab with locker rear and traction control. The combination is unbeatable! Get it!

Hans

ryanbab · March 2001

Autotrac and a locker is pretty good for traction

obyone · March 2001

I'm sure better tires help just a little...doh!!

vince4 · March 2001

I have very effective traction control on my truck and it doesn't cut engine power like the new option. Just put it in Auto 4wd (if you have it) and you can't spin the wheels, even accelerating in a turn in the rain.

mgdvhman · March 2001

but the grind will tear your stomach apart from having it in auto and turning on pavement!

LOL

....I know..better than 4-HI....but it does grunt a little bit when in auto and turning...

...bed rail caps won't wear sides like an over the rail drop in liner.......I had a liner with OTR....and it wore the paint big time.....but never did rust in 12 years......

the liner itself is massive and what causes the rails parts to move so much.......bed rail caps alone won't do that...

I have Stainless rail caps with 3M tape...and they haven't budged a bit.....they also have locker rails (tubes on rails) for additional support...

http://www.teleweb.net/mgdvhman/Rail1.jpg

- Tim

michgndr · March 2001

While I was goofing around at the wheels.com site I saw the composite bed was on hold, TBD. To me that means there's a short supply or there's a problem.

I haven't seen one on a lot yet either.

ryanbab · March 2001

they didnt have the protec bed at the chicago autoshow either. I expected to see it

It was supposed to already be out.

obyone · March 2001

look how long it took them to figure out how to put four doors on these damn trucks. Not to mention making an intermediate steering shaft that doesn't clunk....or an engine that doesn't knock....doh!! At least their advertising doesn't say "Quality is Job 1"

markbuck · March 2001

My '99 1/2 ton Passgr side DRL went out three days before I traded it in. Took all of 5 minutes to replace, no tools required.

Parts guy at the dealership gave me the bulb for free.

ryanbab · March 2001

Rear end view of LT285 BFG's

Front Drivers and Passeneger side windows tinted

Many more pics at

http://www.picturetrail.com/ryanbab

kcpanther · March 2001

I have been reading the group for a few months now and thought I would comment on a common posting. I have a vibration at 1100 rpm as I lightly step on the accelerator to maintain speed. I asked my service manager about it and he said it is common in the V6's and Chevy has known about it since the '99 model came out and they can't figure out how to fix it. That is what bothers me about it. I bought my truck in December (had to trade in my '97 Blazer because it was a piece of junk and cost my $5,000 in repairs in the last two years). I, of course, got a better job about a month after I bought it and could now afford a V-8 Z71 package. Oh well, I have happy with it overall. I would like to hear from some of you about your experiences with the V-6 Silverado.

P.S. Does anybody know a good tinting place in San Antonio? I am getting conflicting information from people I have talked to down here.

KC

tucsonjwt · March 2001

I have a 2K V6, 2WD, reg cab, long bed, auto - stripper - no vibrations. Also, know several people with the same or similar V6 truck - no vibrations.
What is the profile of your truck? 2WD or 4WD, reg. cab.or ext. cab, auto or stick, etc.?
Is the vibration in the body or the engine or trans? Do you feel it through the steering wheel or the seat of your pants? What kind of tires do you have?
Use "Silverado V6" on the search feature to see some of the other comments on this.
Also, we have a stripper site under "Base Model Pickups, Buying, Owning, Accessorizing" you might want to check out.
I wouldn't let the dealer off the hook. Vibration on acceleration is one I have not heard about here yet. I'm no mechanic, but it sounds like something is loose (like motor mount/trans mount?) Is this at all related to steering or suspension? I'd try to determine if you can make the vibration go away on acceleration - like accelerating on a right or left turn, uphill or downhill, in 2nd or 3rd gear, etc.
Good luck. Keep us posted. Inquiring minds want to know

jpfltaw · March 2001

in my 2000 rado ext 5.3 since 3000 mi, now have 12000 miles. Vibration was light at first, now you can definitly feel it in the seat. Also feel a slight shake at 70 mph.

willimjo · March 2001

Has been on hold the entire model year. Other than a few prototypes, I don't believe Chevy has built a single one. Yes, it's in the brochure and listed in the dealer's computer ordering system, but so is the FW1 option for a two position shock setting with the Z71, and they haven't delivered one of those either. If you really want the composite bed, it looks like you'll have to hold off and wait for a 2002 (at least).

whitevette01 · March 2001

Will put Traction on yes list.

A 4x4 for me would be overkill, sold the boat
so no pulling anymore, only off road is road
construction.

As for present truck, its on the 3rd set of
tires in 12000miles. Org were Wrangler ST
and came out of round, 2nd set was even worst,
now its got Wrangler RT\S 255/70.
All was done under warranty so no choice

KCpanther - have used Solar Tint on Nakoma or
Rhapsody? - North Park Lincoln is a big customer.
So far no problem with what was done

joelis · March 2001

I have a 99 1500 LT Z71 with 31,000 miles on it, MSRP new was $34,000.

I am trading it in for a new Vette and am not happy with current wholesale prices. The best they can give me is $20,500. Thats a big drop for only 2 years.

I am almost paying full MSRP for the Vette, so I know that they have no reason to try to lowball me. I have checked with my other regular dealers and that is about the best anyone could do under the best conditions. They are lucky to turn around and get $22,000 for it once its on their lot. And believe me, there are plenty of them used ones on the lots right now.

Just wanted to share my grief and let you guys know the scoop so you are not as shocked as I was.

I guess I shoulda got a 2500 in the first place, right Tim?

michgndr · March 2001

How about cleaning it up and selling it yourself? Almost certainly will get more than a dealer will offer.

mgdvhman · March 2001

LOL....

actually 2500's do bring good money used here....as buyers have less to pick from.....unlike a billion used Z-71's...
Good Luck on this one now!

hehe

- Tim

pogo11 · March 2001

Kansan

For the $500 certificate, I went to GMC.com and clicked on "Brochure" at the top of the page, and asked for brochures on Sierra and Silverado trucks. The brochures came in the mail, and the certificate came by email a few weeks later. The certificate wasn't advertised, it was a complete surprise. GM TV commercials here in California advertise the $2500 or low apr, I thought that was nationwide, but maybe its just regional.

Gator, you got a great deal, wish I'd been at the Truck Show for that certificate.

smart99 · March 2001

The $20,500 sounds pretty good to me. Here in Arkansas the 2000's with 10,000 to 15,000 miles top out about $23,000 trade in. The trucks have gone up by $7,000 or $8,000 and they bring the same trade in as the old ones did. When I got my 99 Z71 I got $23,000 trade in (for my 98 Z71) and had only paid $26,000. This is only a good deal for GM. But if they keep on they may price themselves out of the market.

What's the deal with the queervette, midlife crisis???

Chevy Silverado - Continued XVIII

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