GMC Sierra/Chevy Silverado 2500 & 3500 - II

quadrunner500

...most window tinting shops. Not cheap, but it's good stuff. I think around $160 for the front, but I also had them do the rocker panels, the door lowers, rocker panel behind the rear wheel. So my bill was just over $300 I think.

You can also get the pieces in kit form, but trust me. Don't do this. You don't save much money, waste lots of time. I've seen how they do it. You could never get it right on your first attempt, and it would look like a homemade window tinting job if you did.

sonjaab

Guys, check out www.xpel.com
They sell it in kits and bulk
rolls for the do it yourselfer

sonjaab

I wanted to put the 3 m stuff on my door
sills to prevent paint scuffing. A small
roll was pretty pricey. Went to truck
accessory place and they had a 4 piece
set of scuff guards to fit the sills.
Made by Vent visor Company . Only 20 bucks
too. Installed in minutes ! Held on by
sticky tape (included)even had a alchol
(spl) prep pad to clean sills before
installation. Looks like factory and
saves the paint on the door sills.....Geo

frey44

http://www.geocities.com/crackeregg/01-04-17-001A.html

I ran across this and simply wanted to post it here. I own a Ford !!!!

eric757

Thanks for the info on the bug shield. I like the clear tape idea better, but the price; ouch. I'm trying to convince my wife to let me get the bed Line-x'd ($340) before I beat the bed up. Has anyone tried to raise the front of the truck with the torsion bars? Here's what I have found out after hours of surfing forums and going to the 'Extreme Auto' shop here in Vegas: some say it is no problem to lift the truck with the torsion bars, others say it will wear them out sooner, and the shop said they could change the 'drive keys' ($60) (labor $100) for the torsion bars so it takes less turns to get the same amount of lift and puts less stress on the t-bars. This sounds like the way I will go unless someone has something better. Thanks for any info. I am waiting for pics and will post them at www.picturetrail.com/757fixer
For anyone interested in Meyers Manx Dune Buggies you can view the progress of that project there also.
Eric

mledtje

You won't hurt the torsion bars by adjusting them up. It doesn't change the load on the bars, just changes the static ride height. Essentially, it is the same as putting a spacer under a spring. The spring (torsion bar) is still carrying the same weight.

The only chance to cause some damage is when you raise the truck and then take it off road and use full compression of suspension. You can twist the bar further than it was designed to twist. That's not very likely, because the adjustment isn't very much, and the bar has a fair amount of margin designed into it.

I raised my truck about 1.5" (4-5 turns of the adjuster) 15,000 miles ago. I really like the increased ground clearance up front.

Mike L

eric757

Thanks, I do go off road to get to my 4-wheelin spots, but nothing extreme, especially with that big truck. It makes sense what your saying about it carrying the same weight. I'm thinking about doing 2 inches. Did you realign your truck after you raised it? If you did was it a 4 wheel alignment or just the front end? I think I will do a 1-1/2 or 2 inch block in the rear also.
Thanks again.
Eric

ryanbab

I Cranked my tbars up on my truck and got about an inch (4 turns). I did get a front end alignment (which is recommended).

Ryan

mledtje

I got it aligned, but it was still in specs.

I would not suggest blocks in the rear. If you want to lift the back, why not put in Air Lifts or similar? When you raise the front, the truck will be nearly level. Then you can add air to raise the back when you carry a load or simply want more ground clearance. Small blocks probably aren't a big deal, but they are always there. My HD Air Lifts cost about $200, were easy to install and work great.

Mike L

eric757

Now for another?? Since cranking the tbars, has anyone put bigger tires on? What kind and what size? I am considering Goodyear MT/R's 285/75/16 or 295/75/16.
Eric

trw3

BFGoodrich M/T 255/85/16 on the stock alloys 33.3 dia. works great! 01 GMC 2500HD slt cc 4x4

markbuck

All suspensions are designed to work best with 1/4 to 1/3 of their travel used up with "static sag".

If you crank your torsion bars up to less than 1/4 of the travel, then you compromise handling...

When the road drops away (in a bump) then the tires don't travel far enough down to maintain their connection to the road.

So, if handling is not important, go ahead, crank them up....

y2kgmc

Does anyone know part # and if it is possible to put cupholder in spot below lighter on 2001 2500HD ext cab, the seat mounted cupholders are kinda low..... Thanks Ed

sonjaab

Heck yea ! Ask over in the silverado
topic here...A few guys have done it
and have pix and stuff.........
BTW: My 01 2500 has been wonderful and
plowing snow like a champ since we
finally got snow in NY..........Geo

whatsachevy

'01 Chevy 2500HD 4x4 Ext Cab SB 6.0/4.10 Auto Locker - 12,000 miles and
only a slight engine knock on cold start-up. Other than that, no problems. I have
to admit, so far this truck is awesome (and no, I don't work for GM - I'm actually
an old Ford guy - this is my first Chevy product, ever). I did take the truck in to
my dealer to register the engine knock. I was told the same story as most that
engine longevity would not be compromised. I did note the engine knock
concerns on the service follow-up questionnaire that I mailed back to GM in
December. I received a phone call last night from GM rep. They asked about my
concerns and called me back tonight. They gave me a no-cost 5-year/100,000
mile extended warranty on the engine and all internal engine components. They
agreed to replace the pistons when the newly designed ones are available at no
cost allowing the extended warranty to continue in effect. Maybe some people
should look for another dealer or call GM customer service directly
(1-800-222-1020). Personally, I don't think the longevity of the engine is
compromised, and was quite pleased that GM took the time to call me and
apparently stand behind their product. I have a buddy who has a '97 GMC
1/2-ton that has been through hell and back several times (it has even been
buried in a pond with water up to the bottom of the dash). His truck has also
had the cold-engine start-up knock since about 5,000 miles. He now has over
90,000 miles with no oil consumption (but he does still have the same knock - it
has not gotten worse over time). 90,000 miles on a truck for him should be
worth at least 180,000 for a normal person as we consider him to be
"above-average hard" on vehicles.

BTW - with all this talk of bigger tires, has anyone ever ran Cooper tires? Cooper
makes a mud tire that looks pretty aggressive, similar to the BF, but quite a bit
cheaper than the BF. I just purchased American Racing 16x8 rims and am now
shopping for mud tires (285/75/16). I was wondering if anyone has any experience
with Cooper tires and what their opinion of them was.

owenm1

I just got the Dunlop 265-75R-16's Radial Rover Rover RT's, great tire! I'll send a pic, just email me at: omcniff@yahoo.com
I have the GMC 2500HD w/8.1 4x4

sonjaab

Are you still in Korea ? Must be nice having
the ONLY 2500 there (Civilian). New tires
already? Mine workin hard plowing snow at
the moment !...................Geo

sf0383

I don't have the part number in front of me, but I did put one in My 2001 2500HD and it works perfect. I'll try to find the number and post.

sf0383

I looked on the cup holder this morning and got three sets of numbers. 34-9-36224, 40700ASM and 15753265ASM. I am trying to remember that the last number is the part number I used but I honestly can't remember. Try to get it somewhere other than a dealer and you will save yourself some money.

mwille

my 00 2500 Extended cab 4X4 6L loaded 8' box now has 44k needs a third set of rear tires.chevy checked everything frame,etc.says every thing is ok.I have lost control several times with the rear end fishtailing.(had some damage to the truck). Also has the engine knock. Has been to the dealer alot of times. BBB who't help(milage to high)GM hot line is a joke(talked to them aleast 20 times).HELP PLEASE anyone know GM'S "CEO" home telephone number.Thanks

grumpy558

Hi Guys--Well, finally got my truck--02 Chev CC 3500,Lt,4x4, dually, 8100 w/allison.
Considering some of the posts, have I made the "Right Choice"????
My dream plan for this truck was to retire in a year and put a lance slidein on the truck and pull a enclosed motorcycle trailer(4800lb)--
You guys are a god sent wealth of info and I wish I had checked out your advice earlier but now I got what I got LOL--
Any advice is truly appreciated and also any recommendations on this combo that warrant immediate modifications--Thks all

rayt2

Just keep good records if problems should arise and report to dealer.
Other then that you HAVE made a good choice and good luck with yours.
I purchased my Y2K 2500 Sortbed Ext. Cab with the thought of keeping it as long as I owned my 88 (12 years) the 88 went thru one engine(4.3L) at 85,000 and a transmission @ 110,000. The engine was my fault, I am a volunteer firefighter and heavy on the pedal when responding to calls, so I was going thru quart of oil every 100 miles when I decided to have engine rebuilt.

Good Luck with your new truck !

Ray T.

grumpy558

Hi--
Thks for the info--appreciate it--
Good luck with your truck also--
Grumpy

cspaulding

My '00 Crew Cab is finally going back under lemon law - I haven't posted for a while, since there have been no developments. We ended up going BBB (at least the initial filing) - within 2 days, GM's legal department was on the line, and admitted the dealers (3 involved) and the zone manager should have taken this truck back over 20,000 miles ago. We should have a new truck by the end of next week, approximately three weeks after filing with the BBB. Will post after we get the replacement. Chris.

bowhuntwi

Another Chevy?

cspaulding

At this point, yes. I spoke with Chevy this AM and their story is changing...went from by the end of this week to 3 weeks - after telling us they want our truck off the road. My hubby had a friend (a Ford mechanic) ride with him this weekend, he had my hubby pop the hood to make sure it was a big block. I came across the jury instructions for Lemon Law, and, if Chevy doesn't get it taken care of soon, we'll contact an attorney here to take care of it.

Right now, Chevy is supposed to be replacing ours with a Duramax/Allison crew cab. We'll give them a chance.

bowhuntwi

mrmilkytou

of a tire will fit under the wheel wells of a stock 2002 GMC Sierra CC, w/ the Duramx- Alli combo.(short bed single rear wheels)

Right now I am riding on stock Bridgestone 245/85's and they ride great but given all the tire problems with the Bridgestone/Firestones I want them off and if I gotta get new I figure Bigger would look and maybe ride a little better.

Anybody got some advice????

P.S. cspaulding, if they come thru and give you the DMax-Alli CC, I know you will be impressed. I factory ordered mine and it took 4 1/2 months to come in. It was worth the wait. The first tank I went 338 miles and filled up. Pump said 19.083 gallons.

17.71 mpg right off the lot. I can only hope it will get better.

thanks to all who reply,

Mr. Milky

ryanbab

if you go bigger than stock the dealer wont be able to do any warranty work for the engine/trans. There is a tsb saying if you install larger tires and are having any trans (shifting) problems you have to put the original size back on before they will look at it. This only applies to trucks with the allison trans

I know i know its STUPID!

cspaulding

Thanks for the info. My hubby's boss had a '01 or '02 Duramax/Allison & went back to a Ford, he "gave" his to the doctor that raised him and says the guy loves it...he was getting between 17 and 19 for the few months he drove it, and they too figure it should only get better...

As for me, after getting "burned" ordering our '00 in (if we would have been able to test drive it before we bought it, we would have NEVER taken the truck), I'll never order another one in. I'd even drive the 150 miles to Milwaukee to find one on a lot next time. I'm hoping Chevy gets their act together and we can get into the Duramax within 2 weeks.

Thanks for the info. Chris.

mrmilkytou

that you filed under the lemon law??

cspaulding

I had a discussion on 2000 K2500's that is in archieved discussions.

Anyway...we ordered a 2000 K2500 crew cab, completely loaded, with a 454 engine. Waited 4 1/2 months to get it. Picked it up on a Saturday. As soon as my husband drove it he noticed the box was crooked, took it back Monday for that. He also told them it had a major lack of power, to no avail. At about 5000 miles it used 2 qts of oil. You could see oil around the valve covers and pcv valve, but the dealer had to do their dye test first. Also, a ticking in the motor developed...which proceeded to a knock and miss. Replaced gaskets & pcv grommets, but dealer still said nothing wrong with the motor. Also, that they noted the lack of power, that there was something wrong with the motor, but that it would cost us $2,000 to look at it - even though it was under warranty. Took to zone manager at another dealer ...got bogus story...radical cam, too many right turns, etc. By this time winter had come and I used 4wd (or tried to)...at times you cannot move the floor lever on the 4wd. To this the zone manager said "it locks in after you play with it on about the 5th or 6th try, you'll just have to live with it" and "it's normal". Also, the interior was falling apart, the locking diff. wasn't locking, and the brakes weren't working at times. Finally, a third dealer looked at the motor, replaced valves, lifters, cylanders, etc. at 14,000 miles. Now the tick/miss/knock is coming back and we're starting over with the same story. Believe it or not, this is the shortened version of what's all wrong with the truck.

We've always owned Chevys and never had problems. Couldn't believe the run around this time. Hopefully the deisel will be better. Thanks for asking.

Chris

mrmilkytou

1997 GMC Extended Cab, SB before my new truck came in. I was the 2nd owner, it was off a 3 yr. lease in January 2000. It sat on the lot for 6 months, no-one would buy it because it had a 454 and no 3rd door. Anyway I got a good deal on a great truck. It had 34K when purchased in July 2000 and it had 70K when I traded it in on 2/15/2002.

The truck cost me a Hydrobooster, Starter, Waterpump, Battery and a door handle in repairs( probably about $1000.00 total ). It was not running as good as I thought it should when I purchased it. I have a friend who is an ace GM tech and he downloaded and updated program for me. The truck screamed after that update!!!

I also had a slight cold start knock, maybe for 10-15 seconds. It used 1 qt. between changes and it got 12mpg in town and 14-16 on the highway with 3:73's.

Sorry to hear about your troubles, I have personally bought 3 new and 4 used GMC trucks in the last 12 years and had good luck with all. It's too bad that the Dealer jerked you around.

Sounds to me like the truck fell of the carrier or was tweaked when it was transported. Hey who knows maybe it was a Friday Truck!!!

Lot's of Luck, don't give up on GM's yet!!!

Mr. Milky

cspaulding

It was probably built on April Fool's Day, as we took delivery on April 14th - that's about the only explanation we can come up with. Our knock does it most of the time, doesn't matter if it's cold or run 100 miles. We have a friend who's an excellent mechanic (works for Ford, but knows vehicles) and he rode with my hubby last weekend. He said too that there is something seriously wrong with this truck. Even made my hubby pop the hood to make sure there was a big block underneath - that's pathetic. Chevy may be starting to screw with us on the lemon law deal too, so ...we'll see. I told them my attorney (boss) has been told if I get in an accident to sue the heck out of chevy, since right now the brakes are not always working (real safe, hey?) and Chevy knows it.

whatsachevy

I am assuming you have a 4-wheel drive. I have an '01 Chevy 2500HD 4X4 ext. cab short-bed with the 6.0/4.10. I think the stock tires you have are 245/75/16, not 245/85/16. 245/75/16 are what came stock on my truck. They were the Firestone Steeltex. I just put 285/75/16 Cooper STT (mud tires) on American Racing 16x8 wheels. I had to crank the torsion bars up 4 turns (approximately 3/4" raise) and trim the front air dam and the inside front fender well covers on both sides. The left front fender well is quite a bit tighter than the right front fender well. I still get a slight rub under the left front fender well at the back when the wheels are turned sharply to the left. Trimming on the back side is a little harder than the front as the body and emergency brake cable are in the way. There is not enough rubbing for me to mess with trimming the back side and rerouting the emergency brake cable. There is plenty of room in the back without any mods. However, I would say if you have both the crew cab and the diesel, I would bet that your truck probably sets a little lower than mine in the front. Therefore, I would not recommend going larger than 265/75/16 unless you want to do some work. Unfortunately, the only lift that I have currently found for the Chevy/GMC 2500 HD's is a 6" lift. I was considering a 3" lift to accomodate the 285's, but so far the 6" is all that is available. That's a little too tall for me (and my garage). I am very happy with the Cooper tires so far. They were about $50 per tire cheaper than BFG M/T's. We'll see how they wear. I've always had the BFG tires in the past, which are very good tires. I hope this helps.

ryanbab

" was considering a 3" lift to accomodate the 285's, but so far the 6" is all that is available"

Check out http://www.performanceaccessories.com

they have a 3" body lift

whatsachevy

I don't want no body lift. If you happen to see a 3" suspension lift, please post it here.

ryanbab

i figured you wanted a suspension lift.

Just thought id throw out the body lift too

trw3

You may want to consider BFG M/T 255/85/16 on your stock alloys. I have these on my 01 2500hd 4x4 CC w/ 6.0 and 4.10 . They are 33.3 dia. and work great on the stock 6.5 rim. I did crank the torsion bars up 5 turns (1")(don't forget to have it aligned). I didn't have to trim the frt. air dam but I did have to pull the driver side inner fender in with a few sheet metal screws and I also tied the emergency cable back with a zip tie to reduce rubbing on a hard left. It was about a 10 minute fix. If you want ultra quiet tires the BFG's probably aren't for you, they make some road noise. Also if you have 4.10 gears the increased dia. to 33.3 from the stock 30.6 dia. will change your overall gearing to approx. a 3.77 gear. I really haven't noticed any loss of power from the change but remember it will affect your speedo slightly.

quadrunner500

If you want a quiet running tire that won't beat up your fenders like a mud tire, and has a 40,000 mile treadwear warranty, the Kelly Safari AWR is an excellent choice. Deep tread is great for winter driving, halobutyl liner retains air pressure longer. It's a premium all around tire, reasonably priced, and one of the few available in LT255/85/16.

I have them on my 2500HD Duramax, on the stock 6.5 inch rims. No rubbing, no turning up the torsion bars either (33.05 inch diameter).
http://www.kelly-springfield.com/products/light/sawr.html

cspaulding

We will no longer own our newer Chevy...Hope no one else out here has to go through what we are, but I know some of you will. lol

bowhuntwi

So are you going to trade up to a Ford Super Duty, you say you already got the most important ingrediant........a great friend that is an ACE Ford Mechanic.....

cspaulding

wait until the suit has been taken care of and we get rid of this piece of junk Chevy. We will consider Ford and Dodge - I've always liked Dodge, but their 4 door is no where near the Ford and Chevy, size wise. Most likely will be a Ford diesel. Our friend is an ace mechanic, but works for Ford. He's fixed my old Dodge, and our older Chevys. He's wonderful, as he explains and teaches me about the drivetrain as he goes, my hubby doesn't have the patience.

eric2001

I am running a set of no-name Coopers in an LT 255/85-16 without any adjustment to my torsion bars, like Quad, with no rubbing at full stop in either direction. They are louder than the stock Firestone AT's, but not as loud as a set of MT's. I was just surprised that you had clearance issues on the stock wheels.
-Eric

bradn1

2000 GMC 2500 3door. The bed is splitting on all four corners. Has anyone had this problem, or have any solutions?

hunter98

I think I was the first one to get the Kelly Safari AWR in 255x85R16, I now have about 10,000 miles on them. My odometer and speedometer are off. To get the correct distance and speed, multiply by 1.093. I really like the looks of the tires, and the traction. Definately can't hear them over the Duramax.

I do have occasional rubbing of the drivers side rear liner, but not enough to warrant me trying to fix the problem, cause it aint really a problem.

Love the Tires
Love the 2500HD
Love the Duramax
Now averaging 18 MPG, was averaging 13 out of my 5.3 and I think I am driving even harder.

Hunter

quadrunner500

>To get the correct distance and speed, multiply by 1.093.<

That just would never work for me. Do you think we are mathematicians? Much, much simpler to divide by 0.9149.

hunter98

You Got it, LOL

Hunter

or, just add 10% and subtract a couple of miles for the tank LOL

whatsachevy

Where is everybody? I got tired of wasting my time trying to read all that crap at the GM Engine Knock thread. Perhaps we can get a civilized forum started back up here where we talk about our trucks, share our experiences (both GOOD and bad) and learn about the things we can do to get more satisfaction out of them (rather than listen to some camaro owner who got a lemon and can't let it go). If interested, chime in any time!

quadrunner500

My '94 Camaro (Z28) had the 5.7L LT1. It never knocked or used oil. My '99 1500 Z71 5.3L didn't either. My current Durmax diesel is a year old, never back to the dealer except for oil changes, flawless.

My biggest concern; when Bilstein is going to come out with some shocks for the 2500HD?