Chevy Silverado - IV

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Comments

  • lexmarklexmark Member Posts: 68
    The chev trucks we tested all had some rattles. The exact exchange went something like, "What is rattling in the dash?" "Where is the wind noise coming from?" "It seems to be the rear windows."

    Granted, I only drove 3 different ones, we have terrible roads where I live, and there was a moderate cross wind during the testing. I would have been happy to drive one without the minor glitches and my evaluation would have been easier.

    I'm sorry you inadvertently bought a van when you actually needed a truck. It can be rather expensive trading a new vehicle soon after you just bought it. Hope your solid truck stays that way as long as you own it. Just to be safe, don't bother driving the Tundra, that could REALLY be expensive. (Just kidding)

    Good luck with your Silverado.
  • white6white6 Member Posts: 588
    If you want a reg cab truck (don't need or want to pay for an extended cab; if I need a back seat, I'll take my Intrigue) and a V-8, Toyota is not a choice, regardless of cost/quality/etc.
  • afs11afs11 Member Posts: 86
    It is up to you! What is the main reason the vehicle is going to be used for?

    I have a '00 Silverado LT Ext.Cab 4WD (4dr.) on order. The Tahoe will cost alot more then the truck. If you do not need the utility of the cargo box, buy the Tahoe.
  • murizarmurizar Member Posts: 33
    I just need to add that up front the SILVERADO is $1000.00 cheaper. How much more money do I have to spend in order to put on the Tundra the following...
    stainless steel exhaust, side impact bars, fully auto headlamps, pick-up cargo box light, underhood light, a crankdown with built in lock for the spare tire, extra power accessory outlet, a tachometer, oil pressure gauge, volt gauge, compass (I don't know about a compass). Warning indicators such as: water temp (besides a gauge), battery, low oil level, low washer fluid level, low coolant, light on, key in ignition, low fuel, door agar and a true service indicator. Ignition disable, adjustable head rests, dome light delay, tilt adjustment sport steering wheel, auto dimming day/night mirror. I have more cosmetic stuff but I will stop there.

    For the truck people the Tundra was missing: Seating capacity of 6. Full folding rear bench seat with adjustable headrests. Pat time 4 wheel drive, auto locking hub control and manual shift. Front independent torsion suspension with anti-roll bar, front torsion springs, front torsion bar, power re-circulating ball steering with vehicle speed-sensing assist, rigid rear axle suspension with rear leaf springs, 4 wheel disc brakes and a locking differential. I have more but I am tired of typing. Maybe the Tundra has some of this stuff but I just could not find it anywhere.
  • epoeepoe Member Posts: 56
    I test drove both the 1500 LT and the Tundra LTD.
    TOYOTA "BETTER" -> quiet cabin
    "WORSE" -> no entry class luxury
    appointments for $30k
    -> Hump in door pull annoying
    on left armrest...

    CHEVY "BETTER" -> FullTime 4wd;
    Awesome Back Seat room
    Heated side mirrors and Seat
    "WORSE" -> Cheap plastic overhead
    compartments....

    p.s. I wanted to 'like' the toyota better, but i will live with the cheap plastic compartments in the LT when i buy mine (i will buy when i can get the 4th door for <invoice +$500
    -sincerely
  • unixgodunixgod Member Posts: 91
    a Tundra to prove my point. I won't say it was a bad truck, but definitely does not come close to my Silverado.

    I thought the Tundra was "zippier" stoplight to stoplight, but that same quick "car like" feel was also something I disliked. The Silverado is definitely more solid and stable and gives more confidence to protect in a collision. I would not feel as confident in its frame durability or tensile strength.

    The Tundra also misses quite a lot of features that are available on my Silverado. The Tundra was about 2k more with less features.

    It did have a very smooth and peppy V8, but so does the Silverado. I don't see any reliability advantage over the Silverado either.

    No locking diff??? Com'on.
  • leathal02leathal02 Member Posts: 114
    locking differential

    so that it makes you seem that you have power when you spin the tires

    haha

    what a joke
  • volkejvolkej Member Posts: 108
    When I ordered my Silverado on 8/28, I was told I would have a build date in 3 to 4 weeks and could expect delivery in 6 to 8 weeks. I finally received a build date of 11/2; 3 to 4 weeks had turned into 10 weeks. The salesman then told me that it would take 10 to 14 working days to get delivery. Based on past performance I&#146;m expecting it sometime in January.
    The salesman called me last Saturday at about 6:00PM to tell me my truck was in, &#147;Come on down and pick it up&#148;. So I hopped in my old Toyota and hustled on down there &#150; about a 45-minute drive.
    As we were walking up to the new truck, I noticed it didn&#146;t have a rear sliding window, which I had ordered. When I mentioned it to the salesman, he did a Gomer and followed that with reassurances that the dealership would be able to put in a rear slider. Evidently GM will substitute parts if they don&#146;t have what you ordered in stock . I guess if they run out of V8s you get a V6 &#150; better go count those plugs.
    I got in the truck and was enjoying the scenery when I did what had to be a classic double take, &#147;HEY!&#148;, says I, &#147;This things supposed to have buckets! Did GM substitute those too?&#148; The salesman and his manager were doing double Gomers ( a Gomer is not an ice-skating maneuver, it&#146;s a befuddled look followed by a brilliant comment such as &#147;Golly&#148; or &#147;Gee Whiz&#148; and sometimes &#147;Uh&#148;). Turns out they were trying to give me a truck someone else had ordered.
    I&#146;ve been assured mine will be in any day now.
    Golly!
  • vince4vince4 Member Posts: 1,268
    That sounds like a dealership to stay away from in the future.
  • jaijayjaijay Member Posts: 162
    lexmark, one thing I did notice was a noisy ride on a Silverado that I test drove. This was a long bed truck and was setup real nice. However I was not in the market for the long bed but did want to try it anyways.

    As soon as I got into the truck and shut the door, it sounded like something was loose. When I drove off an hit some messed up pavement, the door rattle started and so did one in the dash board.

    Out of curiosity and to let my wife get to test drive it, I stopped the truck and looked around for something loose. I found four locking lug nuts in the door map panel. The dealer did not have a chance to install them. The glove box also contained the wiring harness for a brake controller that was bouncing around. After placing the lug nuts and the harness on the floor, end of noise.

    By the way, the brake harness is a great feature when wiring in your brake controller. I installed my controller within 20 minutes. The hardest part was mounting the controller.
  • lexmarklexmark Member Posts: 68
    Murizar,

    Don't read this if you've already made your new truck choice - but, if you are still trying to decide, please go ahead.

    I'm not here to defend the Toyota, but you've painted a fairly inacurate picture:

    It does have:

    Steel side-impact beams and seatbelt pretensioners

    Stainless steel exhaust

    Cargo light

    etc, etc

    No, it does not have recirculating ball steering - it has rack-and-pinion - probably superior.

    It has double wishbone suspension up front - is that bad?

    You are correct about some missing items like locking diff, auto 4 wheel drive, etc. Why bother to mention a lot of other stuff that you were not sure of - kind of skews the comparison, don't you agree?

    The Silverado has a long list of features and options not included on the Tundra. Some of them, like rear window defrost are great, others, like rear disk brakes may not be so great. A mechanic once explained to me that off-road vehicles with disk brakes in the rear usually develop lots of pits from stones, etc.

    My comparison of a 4 x 4 LS vs a 4 x 4 Tundra:


    Tundra better features:
    Smoother V8
    Quieter interior
    Nicer driving feel - Zippier (Subjective - my favorite advantage)
    Better visibility
    Longer drive-train warranty
    Easier to manouver and park
    Locking tailgate

    Silverado better features:
    Trailer wiring
    More HP (285 vs 245)
    More Torque (325 vs 315)
    More towing capacity (According to GM, anyway)
    Tow/Haul (almost my favorite advantage)
    Auto-trac 4 X 4 (my favorite advantage)
    Better mileage
    Locking differential
    Locking spare tire
    Bigger cab and rear seat

    And yes the Silverado MSRP is lower by over $1000

    Have I missed any important differences?
  • rs_pettyrs_petty Member Posts: 423
    I don't know where you get your MSRP from but I just looked at Edmunds and an SR5 Access 4wd base MSRP is 25,585. The Silverado LS EC/SB is 26,296 and you still have to add 995.00 for an automatic unless you want to compare an auto to a manual. The important difference is the Silverado costs more than the Tundra - by several thousand dollars.
  • joelisjoelis Member Posts: 315
    Who cares. There is a topic out there just for Silverado vs. tundra. Use it.

    This topic is for Silverado buffs. Thank you.
  • lexmarklexmark Member Posts: 68
    Did you remember to add the following items to the Tundra price:

    anti-lock brakes
    power windows
    power locks
    power mirrors
    radio upgrade
    etc, etc, etc.

    If you don't add these items to your Tundra (standard on the LS), the list of pros in favour of the LS gets longer and longer.
  • lexmarklexmark Member Posts: 68
    EXCUSE US!

    We'll have to start a topic "Silverado Buffs" for you.
  • mledtjemledtje Member Posts: 1,123
    Test drive them and buy the one you like better.

    Lots of guys have a strong preference for one or the other; yours is the only opinion that counts.

    Mike
  • rs_pettyrs_petty Member Posts: 423
    yep, did forget about ABS - its a big ticket. The power stuff washes out in the options list. See my post on the 'other' topic (and I do stand corrected on the ABS - about 600 from Toyota if I remember right). Since joelis is sensitive we can continue on the 'other' truck topic if you want.
  • powerisfunpowerisfun Member Posts: 358
    Do you know if that curb weights you quoted above are actually for a truck with 4WD, ext-cab, towing package, 4sp auto trans., V8, etc. or is it just a base weight for the ext-cab, 2WD with no options included? I noticed in a Truck Trend article, they quote the same exact number (4621) for the 2WD truck they were testing. Also, does anyone know what the definition of curb weight is (i.e. does it include full gas tank? driver? passengers? etc.)? Just curious.
    I asked this once before a few months ago, but no one answered so let's try again now that some time has passed. Has anyone with a Sierra/Silverado ext-cab Z71 (or any 4x4) had their truck weighed? I'm interested to see how much difference there is between the new trucks and my '98 Sierra Classic (a Z71, ext-cab, towing package, 5.7L, 4sp auto, p265 tires with alloy rims) which weighs 5220 lbs. empty (no people or cargo) with a full tank of gas (25 gal = ~180 lbs.) and an aftermarket hard tonneau cover (~30 lbs.) bringing the actual stock material weight to ~5010 lbs. That's an actual measurement on the scale at our county dump. I know they made the truck lighter, but they also made it bigger (length and width) so I don't know if lighter means relative to C/K's or just lighter in a general materials-used sense. If it's lighter AND bigger AND stronger than the C/K's that is really cool.
    -powerisfun
  • tuckyboy1tuckyboy1 Member Posts: 36
    I know that I've seen lots of posts about alignment problems with the Firestone tires. I have the 265s on my truck and I was showing it off to someone today when he pointed out a large dimple in the front passenger tire and a series of smaller dimples in the back passenger tire. The driver's side is fine. Only 1800 miles, no off-road, no towing, no curbs. Anyone else have this problem? How receptive was the dealer to replacing them?
  • teaboy022teaboy022 Member Posts: 59
    Hey Ya'll

    I went into my dealership in person today to see how things were going. I've made many calls before asking about the truck and making sure everything was correct. Well I wanted to see when I could expect to pick up my badass truck. I looked over the options and noticed that everything wasn't correct. They had the 3.42 axle ratio instead of the 3.73 and gave me the regular suspension. They also gave me the 235 blackwall tires .. when I wanted the 255 WOL. I guess they had problems with typing in the correct options... idiots. So i am not accepting it. Instead we have found a truck like I wanted (atleast closer than the one they ordered) 225 miles away. Gonna do a dealer Trade and maybe have it by Mondat..

    Tea
  • rwagonerrwagoner Member Posts: 338
    The 1/2 ton Silverados have Rack-in-pinion steering. The 3/4 ton has recirculating ball. Recirculating ball is a heavier-duty design than rack-in-pinion. It does not give the same "road feel" though.

    Double wishbone is just another variation of the a-arm system (upper and lower control arms). The Japanese companies like to throw the term around to make it sound like they are more advanced than the others when in reality they are not. The basic design dates back a few decades at least.

    Richard
  • chevy4mechevy4me Member Posts: 203
    I've noticed during slow speed turning (parking lots etc.) In the steering wheel I feel the pinion rolling over the rack .(the teeth meshing)
    Is this normal?
  • unixgodunixgod Member Posts: 91
    Mine does it when slowing down in a turn. Also my tires squeal (very slightly) in low speed parking lot type turns. No squeal at all in normal road turns, even in tight road turns and I don't seem to have any abnmormal tire wear. Do you think this is all normal?
  • georgemullinsgeorgemullins Member Posts: 1
    I live in Central NYS. Can anyone recommend a good dealer and/or salesman? I have been all around Syracuse, Binghamton, Northern PA and have been looking for a 2000 Silverado 2500 at a fair price without much success. Thanks.
  • vince4vince4 Member Posts: 1,268
    I just finished the wiring for an auxiliary battery in a 2000 Silverado. It is wired to the trailer & camper wiring harness to provide an isolated 12V when the ignition is off and charging current when it is on. I used mostly factory components. If anyone is interested in what I learned send me an e-mail.
  • 26andrew126andrew1 Member Posts: 93
    Yes the tire squeal is normal at low speeds during tight turns. As for the meshing noise, not sure if you have extra good hearing or if there maybe a problem. Maybe have somelse give it a drive and see what they think. Swing by a dealer an see if someone can go for a quick drive with you.
  • chevy4mechevy4me Member Posts: 203
    What I was trying to describe is not a noise it's felt in the steering wheel while turning the wheel at near stop speed like in a parking situation or a three point turn. I can feel it while stopped turning the wheel lock to lock It's not really much I was just wondering if this was normal for rack and pinion or can be adjusted out.
  • gl3gl3 Member Posts: 31
    I have a 99 xcab Z71 with 12xxx miles, just started having a problem with the steering as you
    have. Tire squeal in low speed turns and while
    parking have noticed a "hesitation/pull" while
    turning the wheel, almost like the pump is not
    working. Anything like this?
  • m1685m1685 Member Posts: 71
    To the people having the steering problems, could the autotrac have anything to do with the "feel"?
  • gl3gl3 Member Posts: 31
    This occurs when in 2w hi so I don't think so, Although when in the "auto 4x4" there is a
    jerky/grabbing by the front wheels similar to being in 4 low. This( at least mine seems to be)
    either in the pump or steering mech. Have to go
    in to service Monday anyhow. Will advise what they
    say.
  • chevy4mechevy4me Member Posts: 203
    mine is a 2 wheel drive but hesitation would be a way to describe it. I never noticed it before 6500 miles.
  • lotzahplotzahp Member Posts: 3
    I drove a 1/2ton 4WD 3dr Silverado this weekend. I liked it a lot, but I really want a 4dr.

    However, the dealer told me 4dr production units won't show up until March/April timeframe.

    Also, I'm reading about production and engineering problems with the 4dr. So, I'm worried they'll be junk for a while.

    But, since the 4dr is gonna be such a hot item,
    I also think the value of the 3dr trucks will decrease, affecting resale.

    Any other opinions on that?
  • mgdvhmanmgdvhman Member Posts: 4,157
    Lotz,

    Buy a 3/4

    As for the antenna issue....I have one on the right fender

    Plywood in a Tundra?.....who cares...

    I could probably put a tundra in a silverado!

    I tried the autotrak thing on wet leaves and gravel while turning and taking off....works like a champ.....no Locking diff either

    Gotta run

    - Tim
  • mgdvhmanmgdvhman Member Posts: 4,157
    Vince,

    I got the skins and rails on the truck right now.

    Look great

    I'll post pics later

    Skins were $189.99 at Auto zone....plus 6% tax.

    $201.39...no shipping....and they were here 2 days later..

    Supposed to get Boards in soon from another "source" of mine.

    we will see

    - Tim
  • tuckyboy1tuckyboy1 Member Posts: 36
    It all depends on when you need/want your truck. I too wanted the 4th door, but I could not wait (my lease was ending). I figure that I might lose 500 bucks or so on resale value, but I've got my truck now. I wouldn't want to wait until summer or fall. And, if they do have problems, maybe spring of 2001 for the bugs to get worked out. Have you considered leasing a 3 door for 2 years and then going 4 doors?

    Good luck.
  • m1685m1685 Member Posts: 71
    I went from a 95 ext cab, no 3rd door, to my new 3 door. I just love having the 3rd door, since i was so use to not having it. 4 door would be nice, but also consider the demand for them when they do come out. Getting a deal on one will probably be very difficult, if you can locate one with the options you want.
  • unixgodunixgod Member Posts: 91
    when the family gets in the truck with me and they always get in from the right hand side anyway (wife and son). They rarely ride in my truck anyway unless we are all going to the lake together which is rare also because I am usually doing bass tournaments.

    I guess a fourth door would eliminate me having to move my driver seat forward when putting something into the back real quick, but how much work is there to moving the seat compared to the cost of another door?

    I like my 99 3 door just fine.
  • lotzahplotzahp Member Posts: 3
    Thanks to everyone for their great responses.

    'tuckyboy summed it up pretty well: it all depends on when you want it!

    My concern was getting things in the back quickly and easily from the driver side. I'm pretty sure the driver seat doesn't tilt up with power seats. But if you get the manual seat, does anybody know if it tilts up?
  • tuckyboy1tuckyboy1 Member Posts: 36
    Sorry, can't comment on the manual seats.
  • teaboy022teaboy022 Member Posts: 59
    Hi,
    I have had my Silverado on order for months and it is finally coming in this week. The only problem is... that they ordered the wrong gear ratio(3.42) instead of 3.73 like I had asked for. They also ordered the wrong suspension and tires. I wanted the Z-85 heavy duty with 255 WOL but they ordered the standard suspension with the 235 tires.
    Everything else is how I wanted. Since they have made these errors I am not obligated to take it. Instead I have located a truck that is closer to what should have been ordered. My salesman is trying to do a dealer trade to get this truck for me but is struggling with the other dealer.
    I am debating on whether I should go ahead and accept this truck that they have ordered and cut them down to $100 over invoice(currently getting $250 over) or tell them that I am not going to be happy until they find one closer to what I had ordered. Any Suggestions?
  • mannwimannwi Member Posts: 29
    TuckyBoy1,

    And anyone else who can help, I have a 4 door on order that has been changed to a 3 door. I am thinking about staying with the 3 door to get it sooner and to get a more solid cab. My concern is getting things in and out of the back seat from the driver's door (we ordered the reclining buckets with power). Do the 2000 LS power reclining seats swivel forward for access to the back seat?

    Thanks for help,
  • teaboy022teaboy022 Member Posts: 59
    If I accept the truck with the 3.42 axle ratio is it possible to reprogram it to 3.73? or is this a mechanical change. And I would also want to get a higher sitting shock(like the Z71)and larger tires... Could I reprogram all these options at once... larger tires to read the spedometer accurately, rear axle ratio, and maybe reprogram with a hypertech chip that increases hp/torque. Would this destroy my warranty?

    I know its a lot ...sorry but any posts would help..

    ~Teaboy~
  • quadrunner500quadrunner500 Member Posts: 2,721
    If it was me, I would still try to get my dealer to get that other truck on a trade. Dealers can swap out an allocation, but they have to agree. The 2nd dealer knows someone is after the truck. I got my truck that way, but it depends on the truck. I wanted a reg cab. Those are only 15% of the market now, and the 2nd dealer was happy to get rid of it. An extended cab 2500 LT could be a weee...eee bit harder.

    By the way, I changed out rear end gears on my '94 Z28, reprogrammed the speedo and automatic transmission shift points. It's an avoided hassle if you just start with the right gears, the right tires.

    It's a sometimes safe bet they didn't get your order wrong, just found one the right color, most of the options in the distributor network, already built. Personally, I would not take it if it did not have the gear and tire I wanted. It might be wholly satisfactory to a different buyer though.
  • quadrunner500quadrunner500 Member Posts: 2,721
    Today was a winter driving day.
  • afs11afs11 Member Posts: 86
    I have the ordering guide directly from General Motors (don't ask how I received it). It has all the information you need to know.

    If I were you, I wouldn't accept that truck. I have in writing (with my order) even the make of tires that I want on my truck.

    Now to your question about the axle ratios.
    Here is the information that you want.
    Ratio-3.42
    Pinion teeth 12
    Ring Gear teeth 41
    Ring gear diameter 8.6"

    Ratio-3.73
    Pinion teeth 11
    Ring Gear teeth 41
    Ring gear diameter 8.6"

    I hope that helps you.
    afs11
    Ratio-3.73
  • powerisfunpowerisfun Member Posts: 358
    The axle ratio is a mechanical change and then you'd also need to reprogram. Can the dealer just switch the front and rear differentials on the two trucks? Probably a lot of work for them, but hey it was their mistake. If you want larger tires, I would think you should definitely stick to your guns and opt for the 3.73 ratio. The 3.42 will give you less take off and pulling power (especially with larger tires). The advantage of the 3.42 is you'll get better highway mileage and a slightly quieter engine (lower rpm's). The reprogram for tires can be done at the dealer (for a fee, I think) or you can buy the Hypertech power programmer and do it yourself (and get more power as well). Good luck whatever you decide.
    -powerisfun
  • quadrunner500quadrunner500 Member Posts: 2,721
    The editor suggested I offer a little more detail about winter driving in the '99-'00 Silverado/Sierra.

    I left for work about 04:00 am, dark of course. The snow depth was about 6 inches, wet and heavy. For fun, on a little side hill, I gassed it. The rear end stepped sideways about 20 degrees, and then the Eaton axle locked. I was still counter-steering into the skid at the time, and when the axle locked, it straightened back out on its own. Pretty cool.

    Next, the anti-lock brakes. Good, but not a panacea for a 4500 lb vehicle.

    Then the AutoTrac. As reported previously by others, its response to slip is instant, and nearly transparent. Very pleased.

    The P265 Wilderness A/Ts were fine too, only hydro-planing after I was going much too fast.

    Next the Air bags, Supplemental Restraints.
    Only kidding, not used.

    Tow/haul mode makes sloughing through wet, heavy snow a real pleasure. It seems perfectly suited for this duty, an even better use than towing or hauling.
  • z71billz71bill Member Posts: 1,986
    I would not accept the truck unless it is what you ordered. Tell them you want your deposit back so you can start shopping at a dealership that knows how to order a truck. The 3.73 gears are the way to go.. They are not telling you the truth, they just have a truck that is close to the one you ordered
  • ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    Explain more about the tires dealer is telling me that they cant select those only the size. I want good year and im scared im gonna get firestone. Thanks

    Ryan
  • moudry1moudry1 Member Posts: 61
    Harry, The power seats on my 00' LT do not flip forward like my 98' did wich I find just slightly inconvenient. I am used to the three doors and would rather have the extra cab strength than the added convenience. Travis, Hold out for the 3.73 rear, it will cost you at least 700$ to change the gearing. The 3.73 is the best all purpose gear; if you are going to do any towing consider the 4.10. Ryan, don't sweat the tires,the Firestones are good. Better yet sell the stock wheels and tires and put some good aftermarket stuff on and stand out from the rest of the college crowd. The new Silverado's look great, but add some nice wheels and you won't be lonely Saturday night. Seriousely, the trade value on new chevy wheels is good and you're truck won't look like you're neighbors.
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