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Chevy Silverado - Continued XV

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Comments

  • wight1wight1 Member Posts: 218
    Given the current situation with Firestone tires, I'm not taking any chances. I'll run my Steeltex's at the max when towing.
  • johnt9johnt9 Member Posts: 10
    10,000 to be produced in 2001? thats not too much is it? how many 1500 ext cabs does chevy make in a year?
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    that's 10,000 GMC 1500 crew cabs. Not 1500 ext cabs. ;)
  • mgdvhmanmgdvhman Member Posts: 4,157
    ...double the GMC production?

    it's going to be called a 1500.....cuz that way more people will buy it!
    - Tim
  • ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    Well guys went to walmart for some tire wax and a wash mitt and i also came out with an Oli Filter they had em this time. $2.97 not to bad. Looks like this wk ill be doing my first oil change on my truck.

    Kyle, Tim and Dean what oil do you use in your truck? Brandwise. Thanks just collecting some info on brands thanks

    Ryan
  • careyacecareyace Member Posts: 44
    Well,we picked up the fifth wheel camper Wed. night I put in a 60/70 combo and it seemed pretty good but it was not a long haul home.We will pull farther this weekend.
    On the the power side of things I was happy with the take off and ability to hold a good speed with the truck.We have about an 8%-10% grade to climb to get home starting from a stop at the bottom and it did great going up.
    I did not plan on getting a camper this big when we bought the truck so I got the 3:73 gears rather than the 4:10 gears cuz all I would pull is my three place sled trailer and one in the truck or my lawn care trailer or the 21' camper but the 3:73 gears seem just fine so far with this bigger trailer.
    I wonder what my mpg will be towing this trailer I'm hoping for 8-9 mpg.Anybody have any thoughts on it?
  • z71billz71bill Member Posts: 1,986
    Don't know if this is true - but a contractor I know - tows all the time, many different rigs- he says with a 1/2 ton truck take your MPG empty and divide by 2. Your MPG when towing a heavy trailer should be a little better than this. He also claims if your MPG is much less than 1/2 of what you get when you are running empty you need a bigger truck. Although this is a pretty ruff way to calculate - it does have a certain amount of logic.
  • chevy4mechevy4me Member Posts: 203
    Truck was kept in garage but I live near the ocean so humidity can be high. Could be a factor.What was strange ,the odor came on strong after the a/c had been on then switched to vent air.
  • vince4vince4 Member Posts: 1,268
    That's normal. When the a/c is on the evaporator is cold and gets a lot of condensation on it. Then when you switch it off the moisture evaporates back into the warmer air stream. Even with a clean system you can smell the difference for a few minutes.
  • rwagonerrwagoner Member Posts: 338
    Ryan:

    Even though you didn't ask me, I use Mobil One. Amsoil is probably better, but the case price for Mobil One is decent at Sams Club.

    In the past I used Havoline (and did for years, as my dad did and his father, etc.). I am trying synthetic for the first time now.

    Richard
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    ya know me..I gotta be different. I now use the 10-30w, cause where I live it's 75-85 degrees all year round....and I love the color purple...as in Royal Purple synthetic. Found at Napa for $72.00 a case of 12 qts. After 3200 miles...guess what...yep it's still purple...kinda like koolaid.

    Dean
  • wight1wight1 Member Posts: 218
    I've got the 2500 with the 6.0l and 3.73 axle. I run about 8 to 9 MPG when towing my 6000# travel trailer on the highway at about 60-65 MPH. Generally runs about 8.25 to 8.50. Lowest was 7.5 into a vicious headwind and highest ever was 10.5. This is pretty much flatland towing with some hills of up to 6% or 7% grade. I pull in 3rd gear with tow/haul on. Were you able to pull in OD with yours?
  • mgdvhmanmgdvhman Member Posts: 4,157
    the fronts are 50 max..same tires as rear...but too much air...

    babs...don't you pay attention?....Mobil 1 5-30

    - Tim
  • bcobco Member Posts: 756
    tire wax? what the hell is that?

    i use mobil one 5w30. i'll never see temperatures consistently low enough in sc to warrant the 5, but i plan on heading back to the heartland (north of the mason-dixon line) in a year or so, and didn't want to switch. depending on where i settle, i'll most likely stick with the 5w-30, but may drop to 0w. we'll see. used a mobile one filter this last change too and, like red mentioned, the press. was a little lower than with the ac delco - but not enough to worry about. will switch back to the ac delco this time though because i was finally able to find it. $2.97 is a great price for the pf59 - i'd buy 5-10 at that price. i'm paying upwards of $4 for mine. hoping walmart will get some in around here...

    kyle
  • mledtjemledtje Member Posts: 1,123
    My dad has a 6000lb trailer and a 2000 Silverado 5.3L/auto/3.42 he pulls it with.

    Without the trailer he gets 20+ mpg, and with the trailer he gets 10mpg.

    His 99 5.3L/auto/3.73 got very similar mileage.

    Mike L
  • odenmeyerodenmeyer Member Posts: 61
    I noticed after installing the velvet-ride shackles that the middle bolt(supplied with the kit) rubs on the shackle mount portion of the frame. I have the bolt head facing towards the frame as the installation instructions suggests. I called BF Goodrich and they suggested either grinding the bolt head or purchasing some 9/16" grade 8 button head bolts. I told him I shouldn't have to do this for a proper fit, he said "I'm Sorry Sir". Has anyone else experienced this? I can post pictures if someone can tell me how to do this on this forum. Thanks

    Mark
  • bob332bob332 Member Posts: 137
    Mike, MPG sounds about right. Seems as though he has a lot of experience in travel traveling through the years. Is he towing in 3rd or Drive. I'm guessing he uses D most of the time. I must be missing something, but I don't understand some people pulling a travel trailer on the open highway, including interstates, with the automatic locked in 3rd gear. If the automatic is shifting back and forth and having trouble determining which gear then I can understand. But, it seems that some people are not willing to give the automatic with the tow/haul mode a chance. They are just deciding to lock it in 3rd gear for hundreds/thousands of miles so as to keep the rpms higher. That, I don' understand. More wear on the engine, tranny and lower mpg. If the automatic can adequately pull the tow in D, then why should we override it and limit it to 3rd? Doesn't the tow/haul mode take care of most of the auto hunting situation? What does he think about the tow/haul mode? This posting started out for Mike, but I will also welcome others to comment on your experiences in long distance towing with the automatic tranny Silverados with the new tow/haul feature. Thanks. Bob
  • ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    The tire wax is made by turtle wax great stuff comes in a small box. You wipe on with a sponge let it sit 5 min then softly wipe some excess off and it leaves a great shine. $4.97 for a bottle.

    Ryan
  • ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    Ok guys im gonna be gone till monday so dont go wild on the posts. Everyone have a nice and safe labor day weekend!!!

    Ryan
  • wight1wight1 Member Posts: 218
    Mine will not stay in overdrive without "hunting" back and forth, so I leave it in 3rd. Contrary to what some folks believe, the tow/haul mode does not improve the capability of the engine/transmission to pull in overdrive, it just increases the shift point to a higher RPM point and increases the hydraulic line pressure to provide quicker, firmer shifts which saves wear on the clutch packs. In fact, depending on a number of factors, the tow/haul mode in conjunction with other programming within the PCM sometimes will PREVENT the transmission from shifting into overdrive regardless of how fast you are going.

    Also,driving in 3rd gear at a higher RPM is not necessarily any more wear on the entire drivetrain than towing in overdrive. You might be able to pull in overdrive, but it could be a marginal condition where the engine and tranny are lugging just a little bit, but not enough to force a downshift to 3rd. Under those conditions, you'll burn up the tranny LONG before you would towing locked in 3rd.

    In my particular case, I could probably tow in overdrive real easily if I had the 4.10 axle, but I chose the 3.73 for better fuel economy in everyday commuter driving. I thought it was interesting to note that in 2 different towing tests by Trailer Life magazine of the Silverado 2500 with 6.0l and 4.10 gears, they could pull in overdrive and average about 8.0 MPG. I get about 8.5 MPG towing a similar sized trailer in 3rd gear with my 3.73.

    These are just my observations and experiences based on many years of towing lots of different loads with several different tow vehicles. For my particular towing conditions, 3rd gear is the right gear.
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    Forgot to add, if you want to check if your link works, use the spellcheck feature prior to posting.

    Dean
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    to insert pictures in your post, follow the link for instructions:

    http://www.edmunds.com/edweb/townhall/help/hyp.html

    You will need to place a = after src.


    bco

    Found the best price for pf59 at kmart on sale at 2/$5. Went back when it wasn't on sale and was priced at $2.50 each...go figure.

    Dean
  • careyacecareyace Member Posts: 44
    I pulled it in o/d but it stayed in 3erd gear with the tow/haul on.
    I would think I will get the same mpg as you do.We will be on the road in about an hour.
  • rwagonerrwagoner Member Posts: 338
    Let me know if they ever go on sale at 3 for $7.50 ...

    >Found the best price for pf59 at kmart on sale at 2/$5. Went back when it wasn't on sale and was priced at $2.50 each...go figure.<

    Reminds me of when I worked at another high school. During football games, they sold sodas for 75 cents each, and made a sign stating 1 soda = 75 cents, 2 sodas = $1.50, etc. all the way to 7 sodas. I used to order 8 just to throw them off...

    Richard
    (Da Math Teacher)
  • khharriskhharris Member Posts: 51
    I had the same problem with my velvet rides,I just left it that way.I also had a hard time getting mine,they did'nt come after like 3 weeks and I called them and they sent me some overnight.I did the Edelbrock shocks at the same time,it sure rides better.


    Kirk
  • fortopfortop Member Posts: 239
    installed by a local spring shop and they shaved one edge of the bolt head on the frame rail side of the shackle. I think it's due to the "one size fits all" approach that BFG uses on these shackles. I could see some daylight between the frame rail and the bolt head when they installed them, but now it seems to be right up against the
    frame rail, but still appears to not be rubbing against the rail. I also have the Edelbrock IAS/velvet combo on my 2WD long bed reg cab. The handling is more improved than the ride is (IMO), but the ride is better than stock for sure. Hope you like your velvets.
  • redsilveradoredsilverado Member Posts: 1,000
    that koolaid flavored oil you're using, is it
    available anywhere else other than napa?


    all you guys talkin' bout the velvet ride, are
    they worth it?


    ...red

    hope everyone has a sane and fun weekend.
  • mgdvhmanmgdvhman Member Posts: 4,157
    sane kinda cancels out the fun part....eh?

    LOL

    Enjoy

    ....I got a bathroom to finish and about 20 sheets of drywall to finish (on the ceiling of course) by Sunday........just have to keep away from the beer fridge.....them 3 kegs keep calling my name...I can hear it..honest!

    Enjoy

    - Tim
  • odenmeyerodenmeyer Member Posts: 61
    to obyone for the attachment info and khharris to fortop for the velvet feedback. I'm going to grind one side of the bolt heads tomorrow. It's a shame I didn't catch it when I installed it. Oh well, I don't do much wrenching anymore so I guess this is another one of life's learning lessons. Thanks again!

    Mark
  • odenmeyerodenmeyer Member Posts: 61
    Did you ever get the Zummo system?

    A friend had a Flowmaster 50 series installed today with 3" in and dual 2 1/4 out (mandrel bent pre-fab pipe out the side). Thought it was too quiet. Had the muffler shop swap it for the 40 series and loves it. Seems quite opposite from what I've read here, go figure????

    Mark
  • chevy4mechevy4me Member Posts: 203
    All the K-marts I've looked at in Orange co. don't handle the pf-59. Where are you seeing them for 2/$5 I'd buy a few at that price?
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    As far as I know, Royal Purple is only carried by Napa. I bought it for a couple of reasons. Lost the link but it had a high rating similar to Amsoil, cost more..about a buck per quart than mobil 1, and of course...it's purple.

    If your truck is empty most of the time, I would get the velvets. Made quite a difference on mine with no load. But the install isn't as easy as the passenger air filter. A dremel or a rotozip comes in real handy on this one, to cut the bolts.

    odenmeyer

    I didn't get my zummo system as of yet. The group purchase just ended last week. Production about to begin...some of the guys are getting impatient. On the flowmasters, could it be that your friend had the 50 series delta flow? Those are supposed to be a little quieter with their baffle technology. Going to a 40 series might earn him some of that funny burble when decelerating.

    chevy4me

    It was me that was commenting on the 2/$5 PF59 at KMart and rwagoner just added his comments on it. If you head about 2700 miles west of your location, you will find a couple of Kmarts that carry them. That is if you're in Orange county, CA.


    Tim

    You would save the ceiling drywall for a holiday weekend....using the beer for whatever it's worth... Hanging drywall is a bi**h, much less the ceiling...but I guess if they want to drink the beer....LOL
    Yawl, have a great weekend!!

    Dean
  • mgdvhmanmgdvhman Member Posts: 4,157
    comes AFTER the work is done....and I have a drywall hoist....man them puppy's are the cats' meow....

    - Tim
  • fortopfortop Member Posts: 239
    hoist. I single-handedly put up a lot of drywall on ceilings with one of them. A couple of other tips if you don't already know them - use construction adhesive and drywall screws if you can - saves nail pops later on. Also, the fiberglass tape seems to show cracks less. Of course, if we were pros we would use our heads to hold up the ceiling drywall - literally.
  • pjcavpjcav Member Posts: 80
    Damn, gone for bout a week and a half on vacation, and already on a new silverado forum. You guys sure write alot, took a while to catch up. Dean that purple oil sounds intersting, might have to switch from mobil 1 syntehtic for no other reason in that it is purple.

    pat
  • bob332bob332 Member Posts: 137
    Thanks for sharing your experience on towing. I agree that the tow/haul mode was designed to delay/raise the shift point when the gear selector is located in D. This improves the towing performance of gm trucks with automatic trannys and the tow/haul mode activated. It also tells me to leave it in D as long as it is working as intended. If the truck is shifting back and forth, then it is time to manually select the gear. Have a good holiday weekend. Now time to go take in another Cardinal game. Bob
  • jmbuck2jmbuck2 Member Posts: 3
    I'm looking at buying a new 2001 Silverado (possible a 2000) if I can find one I like and I have a couple concerns. I found a 2001 with everything I like but it has a 4.10 axle ratio. I don't do any hauling so I don't know if it makes sense to get the 4.10 axle ratio. How bad is the gas mileage affected due to this. Also, I currently have a 5.7 V8 in my 97 chevy and I'm wondering what size engine to get in a new one. The 5.3 V8 or 4.8 V8. Does the 4.8 still seem to have enough power to avoid the constant up and down shifting of a smaller engine?
  • rwagonerrwagoner Member Posts: 338
    One of the stores that took over Pep Boys in San pedro (and apparently in other parts) sells PF59s for something like $2.39. At least that's what they were when I bought some earlier this year.

    Richard
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    If you have the 5.7 now get the 5.3 which has a flatter torque curve. If you're not using the truck for hauling, what are you using it for? Best match up I seen for performance and fuel consumption is the 5.3 with the 3.73.
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    If you'd like more info on the purple oil, here's the link. Seems like quite a few dealers carry them in CA.

    http://www.synerlec.com/

    Dean
  • bob332bob332 Member Posts: 137
    The year, drive and engine basically comes down to how much money you are willing to spend vs truck needs. My Opinions: Wait for the 2001 models. Naturally they will cost more money, but I would do it and hopefully they will not have some of the problems that have been in the 99 and 01 models and it will be a current model and not already one year old. A lot of people on this topic seem to have the 4wd with a 4.10 ratio. That seems to be the in-thing to purchase, even though a lot of owners appear to not need the costly 4wd, but to each his own and if that is what a person wants to buy, then so be it. (Freedom of choice) If you are not going to be doing much heavy towing, then get the 3.73 or even the 3.42 with a 2wd unless you live in an area of the country where you NEED and can really make good and often use of a 4wd. I have the 5.3, but from reading these postings it appears the 4.8 has plenty of power and would be more than adequate for you if you are not towing a lot. Bob
  • bob332bob332 Member Posts: 137
    Any progress on getting your truck back. Since the dealer has kept your truck so long, will gm extend your warranty for all those weeks? Bob
  • mgdvhmanmgdvhman Member Posts: 4,157
    using Liquid Nails glue for drywall and 1 5/8 screws.....

    That glue does work too....I had to take a piece off the other day....and well....an entire sheet fits nicely into 2 garbage bags now...

    LOL

    - Tim
  • redsilveradoredsilverado Member Posts: 1,000
    thanx for the link. there is a shop listed that's
    walking distance from my shop. if all those
    testimonials are true then it should be worth a
    buck more. one more mobil 1 change (still have
    6qts.) and i think i'm gonna give it a try.
    purple has never been a favorite color ever since
    the One-eyed-purple-people-eater thing back in
    the 60's. no one has ever told me if he exist or
    not either.

    ...red
  • redsilveradoredsilverado Member Posts: 1,000
    if you like liquidating staples glue (as it
    sometimes gets called) then you should try
    PL-400. nope, forget that, you might want to
    remove it and i doubt that all the 2x4's that
    will come down too, will fit in that can. LOL

    ...red
  • denn777denn777 Member Posts: 52
    Any opinions on what to use for cleaning and preserving the black vinyl trim around the bumpers and grill on the new Silverado's.
    Thanx Denny
  • redsilveradoredsilverado Member Posts: 1,000
    is a trick i learned from the bike detailers
    years ago when bike manfs. started the black
    engine craze. believe it or not but the second
    and third coat prevent anything from sticking to
    it. it becomes a routine wipe on wipe off part of

    detailing and does'nt leave an oily film. Or,
    you can do like everyone else and go out and buy
    the gimmicks in the spray bottle, (black
    magic,armour-all, etc.) that attract dirt and
    dust and wash off when water hits 'em.

    ...red
  • jmbuck2jmbuck2 Member Posts: 3
    I'm don't know a whole lot about all this engine size and axle ratio stuff but here's basically what I use my truck for. I enjoy hunting and I live in PA so it's definitely nice to have the 4WD around here for that. As far as engine size, I hate getting into a vehicle with a small engine and all you do is listen to it shift up and down every time you come to a hill. If I'm not hauling much does the V8 4800 in the 2000/2001 provide plenty of power for what I want it for. It seems that most people I know go with the 5300 for some reason. Also, does the smaller engine give you any better gas mileage. Would I notice a big difference in power going from the 5.7 V8 in my 97 extended cab to the 4800 V8 in a new 2001 extended cab?
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    The easiest way would be to test drive both. I had owned both and prefer the 5.3. But that just cause I like to go fast. Most economical is the 4.8 with the 3.42. Most preferred is the 5.3 with the 3.73. Good luck!!


    denn777

    Check this out:

    http://www.303-products.com/product.htm



    bob332

    When picking up my truck, the Shop Foreman asked me to put a couple thousand miles on the truck and give the new rack and pinion a chance to break in. We haven't discussed extended warranty or buyback at this point. I'm sure either of the topics will arise if I don't dump the truck first like jed1894.

    I'm hoping that more '01 models will arrive at the dealership during the period that I place the couple of thousand miles on the truck. What I'm thinking of doing at this point is make the dealer an offer of invoice on a '01 model and have the dealership remove all the mods on my truck an place on the new one. Not sure if they will go for that idea. However, it will save them a ton of money in warranty costs.

    Dean
  • z71billz71bill Member Posts: 1,986
    Your plan has merit - but the warranty work does not cost the dealer anything - I would think the dealer actually makes a little bit of $$ off the warranty work. I think GM pays them a standard rate for any work. Like 5 hours at $xx per hour plus parts to replace the defective steering components.
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