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Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra - Owners hangout

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Comments

  • ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    I usually get about 22 mpg in my impala. Changed the air filter about a month ago and since then I havent got anything lower than 28 mpg (70% highway). Replaced it with a stock AC Delco filter.

    Wish my truck would have an increase like that
  • pinnpinn Member Posts: 7
    anyone have an idea as to the gears that would have come in the 2001 extended cab 4x4 with the 4.8l auto and is it a good idea to change the gears to try and get some more oomf!! out of the truck without comprimising the mpg i want to make some change but don't want to waste my moeny either to hard to come by you know. However i like my truck it's got a good mix of looks and use and finally where can i go online to get specs on the powertrain for future reference?
  • osubeavosubeav Member Posts: 56
    A quick Google search shows that gravel weighs about 1.4 tons per cubic yard, so I don't think your truck would do it in one trip.

    Occasionally, around here, you see people that try it. Normally, their rear bumpers are almost on the ground. I would think it would severly screw up your truck. :sick:
  • txyank1txyank1 Member Posts: 1,010
    It was cheap, and even if there's no improvement it gets rid of the big bulky stock tube. A smooth straight tube is about the only part of a CAI that does help, short of actually getting cooler air in. Unlike the Tornado. ;) It's not like I have great expectations for it.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    the guy at the gravel place pretty much said the same thing. They didn't know how much it actually weighed, but they said that they wouldn't recommend doing with anything less than a 3/4 ton truck!
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    What about resonance? any problems with that? I kind of experimented. The airaid had more resonance than the K&N FIPK. If you looked at both, the airaid has more restriction (bad design) compared to the K&N. And it used to howl at WOT. Not as much with the K&N. So I put the K&N in the Denali and the airaid in the rado. Couple of months ago I removed both and they now sit in the garage on the shelf waiting for me to get motivated enough to put them onsale at ebay.

    BTW, both throttle bodies were trashed and black with gunk as I had checked and cleaned them when I removed them. Hadn't noticed any hp or mpg improvement with these expensive bolt ons.
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    Changing the cab air filter increased your mpg? Good luck on this one now....
  • osubeavosubeav Member Posts: 56
    I don't think I would do it in a 3/4 ton, either. Do you have access to a heavy duty trailer? That's well within the towing capability of the Silverado.
  • delrickdelrick Member Posts: 105
    05 Sierra Crewcab, 5.3L, 3.73, 17.0mpg, 7000mi, all stop and go :shades:
  • KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    Be sure to post numbers like this in the MPG: Chevy Silverado Real World Numbers discussion.

    kcram - Pickups Host
  • txyank1txyank1 Member Posts: 1,010
    I haven't put it on yet, and this will be the first time I've changed the tube. The Airaid I had on my '99 did indeed howl at WOT...which I liked. Sounded like a 4bbl in days of old. I agree they're all a waste of money if you're really looking for hp or mg gains. Kinda like the Flowmaster thing...sounds good, and that's all I'm after. Intakes looks cool and even if they don't improve they don't hurt. As long as you don't over-oil your filter. :) BTW, my last one has been sitting in the garage for 4-5 yrs. now. Took it off after about a yr to see if my mpg would improve. Don't remember but don't think it did. The new K&N 77 series looks nice and folks who have them say (as well as K&N claims) they do make a slightly better hp improvement. As I'm sure you know, there's a lot of debate about how much crap comes through a K&N filter.
  • capitaltruckcapitaltruck Member Posts: 4
    I was reading Consumer Reports tire ratings, they had good things to say about the Dayton Timberline H/T. The tread looks like it would do well on pavement, which is the only place I drive my 04 Silverado 1500 2wd. The OEM Goodyear Wrangler ST's are total trash. How often do you see a tire these days with a traction rating of B That's how trashy these OEMs are. The only problem, as I'm sure many owners are aware, is that 235 75 16 is a very difficult tire to find. Fortunately, the Timberlines are available in this size. Also, though Consumer Reports rated the Hankook as being a decent tire, there is no way I am putting a Korean tire on my truck. I guess I'm still a little simple like that.
  • z71billz71bill Member Posts: 1,986
    Your post a while back said "As to the Liberator, my Dad thought they were made by Michelin also, but they are made by BF Goodrich out of Ft Wayne, IN. There is a recall on a batch made in a two week period, to include BF Goodrich, Liberator and Uniroyal brands."

    BF Goodrich sold the automotive tire business back in 1988, to a company by the name of MNA, INC.

    NMA, INC also owns the Uniroyal brand.

    That is why the recall of the Liberator also included the BF Goodrich and Uniroyal brands.

    BTW - MNA stands for Michelin North America - Michelin owns MNA, INC - which owns the BF Goodrich and Uniroyal brands.

    So your dad is right - Michelin does make the Liberator -
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    My '03 came with those Wrangler ST's in a 245/75 and I agree, they're horrible tires. Mine were replaced at 7k miles with Dean Wildcat Radial A/T's. I ended up going with 265/75's to get a bigger tire and even with being an A/T tire, they're far superior to the ST's in every way. Braking, handling, ride, noise, and most importantly TRACTION!! I'm not normally one to buy the cheaper tires, but I've had good luck with Cooper truck tires (cooper/dean are the same).

    I have a friend with a tire shop that put me into these deans super cheap so I went for it. He said even at normal price, they're only about $425 installed/tax/everything. That's a steal for a 16" truck tire IMHO, particularly one that's this good. I've got about 8k miles on them so far and love them. They've burned about 1-2 32nds though, so I don't think they're going to be a real long-life tire. But I am hard on them and drive a lot of twisty roads so I go through tires quicker on most all my vehicles.
  • texsuntexsun Member Posts: 23
    Okay, if you, and my Dad, want to say Michelin makes the Liberator and it makes ya'll feel better, I can live with it. But the DOT code on the sidewall starts with BF, which tells me BF Goodrich makes the tire, regardless of who owns the company. But thanks for the insight....
  • btenvy1btenvy1 Member Posts: 4
    I had a set of these on my old 2000 Chevy Silverado. Please, if you have these tires check them out. The left rear lost tread and tire pressure about 6 months ago and cause the truck to roll 40 mph. Total loss on the truck, caused wife and kid injuries. Look especially for cracking inside the tread. Goodyear has claimed they are not responsible for the tire. The report stated something was hit with the tire and caused the separation. Believe me, this is not the case. The tires were 305/75/R16.

    Thanks,
    btenvy
  • ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    Thought I would post a picture I took yesterday. Last weekend I put the Mud Terrains back on.

    image
  • whatsachevywhatsachevy Member Posts: 136
    I purchased an '01 2500HD from Henry Marten's in Leavenworth, KS new in 2001. I have had all service performed at this dealer as well. I would recommend them to anyone.
  • z71billz71bill Member Posts: 1,986
    I know it can bet a little confusing - but BGF is just a BRAND - Same thing with the Liberator (and Uniroyal too) - just brands not companies.

    Kind of like the Silverado - which is NOT manufactured by Chevrolet - it is made by General Motors - GM is the company - Chevy is the brand.

    When the Walmart tire shop manager told me the Liberator was produced by Michelin I though he was giving me a line of BS - at that time Michelin did not even sell a 285 75 16 tire under the Michelin brand (BTW they do now). So I gave Michelin customer service a call on their 800 number. They confirmed that Michelin produces the Liberator for sale exclusively at Walmart.
  • texsuntexsun Member Posts: 23
    I can buy that. :) Bottom line is they ride well, are quiet on the highway and a good value for the price.They were highly recommended by my brother and Dad, both of whom cover TX, OK, LA, MO, and AR in their business and they ride well in all types of weather. My brother had a sidewall puncture on his right front at 40,000 mi and thought he would end up purchasing a new tire, but Walmart replaced it for the $3.00 tire disposal fee.

    I installed Rancho RS 5000s all the way around last weekend and am happy with the new feel. Still rides like a HD truck but the ride is a bit softer. I got them on-line thru Auto-Zone for under $200.
  • rayt2rayt2 Member Posts: 1,208
    5 years old and still looks good as new Ryan, how much clearance between the roof of your truck and that garage opening, it sure looks tight ! How many miles ya got on her now? Done the brakes yet?
    I gotta do the replacement step bars Westin gave me under warranty, the black powder coats didn't hold up so now will try the chrome plated instead.

    Ray T. :shades:
  • ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    Clearance? Id rather not see haha its a good amount the tip of my antenna hits the bottom of the garage door (hangs down a bit) when I pull in and out. My tires are 33 inches tall so I have a little added height ovr the stock tires. What I hate is the width. To fit my truck and the impala I pull in at an angle to the right (into the 3rd car side a bit) otherwise I cant open the drivers door. Have had it a few times where I didnt drive for a few days and forgot and had to climb in the pass side. I also hit the mirror on the side of the garage when I was backing out. Didnt cause any damage luckily.

    I have almost 55K miles. I did the rear brakes last fall (early part). Think I had 48K miles? I just changed my tires back to the Mud Terrains and I inspected them and I have plenty of front pad left. The rears wear much quicker than the fronts. I am about even on pad wear now. I see doing another rear brake change before I do the fronts.

    I put on new nerf bars last fall. Black lifetime westins.
  • capitaltruckcapitaltruck Member Posts: 4
    Hmm...I just might have to check those out. I've never owned Cooper tires, but they are starting to show up everywhere now. I remember years ago you could almost never find them. I think they may also make "Mastercraft" tires, which some people swear by.
  • malcomalco Member Posts: 3
    I am about to buy a 2005 Silverado 1500 extended cab to replace my GMC Sierra. The Chevy dealers are offering $4000 in rebates through next week (expires May 31, 2005). I have heard unverified rumors that the new incentives begining in June '05 will be better, and there may even be a return of last year's Customer Loyalty credits for current GM owners.

    Does anybody have any real idea if the new incentives will be better than the current $4000 rebates.

    Thanks,

    Malcolm
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    I'd be surprised if the incentives don't get better. Sales are terrible right now, even with tons of incentives. GM doesn't have many other options to move product.
  • psgpsg Member Posts: 72
    Trade it in on an '05! If I was out of pocket only a grand or so I'd be willing to help drive sales. LOL!
  • z71billz71bill Member Posts: 1,986
    I could see waiting for a larger rebate if you do not have a trade in - but doesn't the extra rebate drive down the value of your trade? Maybe not exactly a $ for $ reduction but - it would be hard to understand how a $5K rebate on a new 2005 would not reduce the trade in value of a 2004 by close to $5k, which will impact a 2003 and so on - at least until you get down to maybe a 1999 model - that as long as it is in good shape is going to be worth $7,500.
  • malcomalco Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for the advice. I do in fact have a '99 Sierra that I will either trade in or just sell. I just paid $2120 this afternoon to have the auto-transmission rebuilt. I guess I should have traded a month ago!

    I am going to hope that better incentives come out next week, and hope to convince the dealer that my truck is worth more than $5000 with a new tranny and fuel pump.

    --Malcolm
  • txyank1txyank1 Member Posts: 1,010
    If the rebates went up today and you traded tomorrow that wouldn't make your trade worth less as thre bates come from GM and not the Dealer. However, all the big rebates have indeed driven down used vehicle values. BUT, it you bought your vehicle with some of those big rebates and discounts then you really haven't lost anything. ;)
  • baredoggbaredogg Member Posts: 32
    I understand they are making employee discounts available to everyone on everything except the Corvette that should help somewhat. Look for announcement early next week. :):):):):)
  • brotherpricebrotherprice Member Posts: 1
    Howdy folks!
    I am new to the form. Glad I found this place. I have a 2001 Silverado 1500, 5.3L. Bought it used 31 months ago, and she had 33,000 miles on her. Well, lately, a few problems have come up, and I was wondering if you all could help me.
    First off, the gas gauge fluxes big time. I have heard that this is a sensor, and it would cost about $700.00 to repair because the sensor is part of the fuel pump, and that it is inside the gas tank. Is this true? Am I sunk on this?
    Second, the transmission will occasionally jerk on take off. Not often, but once every few days to a week. What could cause this?
    Any help would be appreciated. Once I wash the Bomber, I will post a pic of her on here. She is a beauty, even if I do say so myself :D
  • z71billz71bill Member Posts: 1,986
    I understand that the rebate comes from GM - but the dealer must value a trade in based on what it is worth when they resell it (less the cost to sell & profit - of course) so it just seems that the large rebates would put downward pressure on trade in values.

    Hard to see many people willing to pay more for a used vehicle than a new one - so if you throw a $5,000 rebate on top of low (or no) interest financing on new vehicles then the value of 1 year old truck would be reduced. Which would ripple down through all the model years.
  • stoutporterstoutporter Member Posts: 13
    coming up on 6 years old.....same cabin filter...(it's on the bench someplace in the barn!)...put a new window regulator on the drivers....4wd switch and rear brakes and rotors....102,000 and counting... replaced the steeltex at about 90K something....bed rails and caps, as well as the running boards all are as new as they were 6 years ago....I told ya all those expensize Putco stainless pieces were gonna be worth the money!.....runs great...looks great...have barely done anything to it....thinkin' about a tune up finally here soon....and maybe sell the Hurst /Olds ....and get me a Jeep toy....83 or so CJ7....Chevy 350 with a 400 trans....4:10's....4 " suspension.....3 inch body...38 super swampers....somethin' I can squeeze between every tree in these here woods....Good luck on this one now! ....(see ya in 2 or 3 more years)..B-good - N-Joy
  • shryke300shryke300 Member Posts: 4
    I just bought a 2005 silverado, and have an aftermarket radio I want to put in. I have replaced the radio in my old 84 s10, but thats a little different. Walmart has an adaptor plate that I can use to get the new one to fit, but what I dont know is if i need a wiring harness adaptor to keep stuff like the factory chimes, and if i need an antenna adaptor. I didn't with the s10, but it is quite a bit older. Also, if I go to replace the speakers, how do I take the door panels off and replace them without damaging anything. the s10 had plastic fasteners that got stripped if you pulled the panels off.
  • txyank1txyank1 Member Posts: 1,010
    Correctimundo! But, like I've said before, if you bought with one of those huge discounts you're still in the game. BUT, if you paid top dolloar when you bought it then be prepared to take the loss, or keep it a few more years. ;)
  • studly1studly1 Member Posts: 2
    do you know how i can convert my 01 Silverado 2wd into 4wd. Is there an aftermarket transfer case i can get.
  • studly1studly1 Member Posts: 2
    I need to find a transfer case that I can use on my chevy I already straight-axled the front and now I need to find a transfer case to bolt up to my stock 2wd transmission.
  • ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    Good to hear from you.

    My impala didnt even have a cabin air filter from Sept to April.

    I was up in your neck of the woods (Detroit) a few weeks ago.
  • honda929honda929 Member Posts: 10
    I HAVE A 2005 2500HD 4x4 LB 4DOOR. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT IS THE BIGGEST ALL TERRAIN TIRE SIZE THAT CAN GO ON THE STOCK RIM WITHOUT RUBBING. I DONT WANT TO LIFT THE TRUCK, AND I TOW A TOY BOX. THANK YOU
  • honda929honda929 Member Posts: 10
    DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE AND HOW TO REPLACE A CABIN FILTER IN A 2005 2500HD 4DR DIESEL. THANKS IN ADVANCE.
  • ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    didnt they get rid of them in 2003+ year trucks?

    I dont think you have one Honda
  • z71billz71bill Member Posts: 1,986
    I know of many people who have put 265 75 16 on the 2500HD / stock wheels - with no problems -

    I also recall one truck with 285 75 16 - but they claimed to have a slight rub when they had a load on the truck & made a sharp turn. But this truck did not have stock wheels.
  • ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    if you are looking at height check out the 255/85/R16s. Not as wide but they are slightly taller than the 285s. I am currently running a set of BFG MTRs in this size on my Z71 very good tire
  • hlghlg Member Posts: 1
    have a 2000 z-71 and have been trying for months/yrs to find leveling kit,have heard of this technique of using the torsion bars but could never find anyone to show/tell me how to do it...if possible could u tell me how to do this??thanks in advance for any info hlg
  • stubbersstubbers Member Posts: 1
    I am facing the same problem. I talked to a local Custom Audio shop, and you can use a Saturn wiring harness but you need to run an accessory wire and you lose the chimes. So, I ordered the Metra's VT-GMRC-01 GM Class II Data Bus Interface from Crutchfield, and it's supposed to come with a master sheet to explain all that's needed to remove the old radio and replace the new one. When I get the sheet, I could send you a pdf of the info, if you're interested. Other than that, I can let you know how my truck goes. I you hear anything from someone that has done a radio replacement in a 2005 Silverado, please send me any relevant info. Thanks and good luck.
  • z71billz71bill Member Posts: 1,986
    Its is easy to adjust the torsion bars. Just crawl under the truck and take a look.

    You will see two large steel rods about the size of broom handles (these are the torsion bars) - one on each side of the front end - on the end of the torsion bar you will see an adjustment bolt -if you tighten these bolts it raises the front end.

    But before you start turning the bolts mark them with paint (or use a small drill bit to put a small mark) - put a dot on the bolt head and also on the frame so that the dots line up. Then you know the starting point - and if you mess up you can always go back to the exact set up you had before any adjustments. You will need to turn the bolts 3-4 complete revolutions - so you must keep track of how many turns you make on each.

    Also a good idea to have the truck on level ground so you can measure from the ground to the frame on each side - but you will want to take a short drive between adjustments - gives things a chance to settle.

    You should jack up the front end of the truck before you start adjusting - it will be hard to turn the bolts if you don't do this.

    You would think that if you turn each side the same number of turns (say 3 times each) that it would raise the truck the same on each side - but that is not 100% true - you may need to adjust one side a little more / less that the other in order to be level.

    I have always been told to get a front end alinement done after making adjustments - a good idea for sure - but if you only go up a little bit (1 to 1 1/2_ inches it is not always needed.

    Good luck.
  • shryke300shryke300 Member Posts: 4
    I talked to the local service dept. and they said that a 2004 adaptor, which is sold by circuit city and best buy, would probably work just fine, since nothing realy changed with the radio between years. I have now a plastic adaptor to fill up the space that is left when you take out the square old radio and put in a slimmer, retangular aftermarket. It is from Scosche industries. I would like to see that pdf, though, if you wouldn't mind, I haven't installed it yet, and want to make sure nothing goes wrong. Ill let you know when a get it replaced.
  • like_a_rocklike_a_rock Member Posts: 5
  • like_a_rocklike_a_rock Member Posts: 5
    I was wondering if there is anyway that when you open the doors on a 2000 Chevy Silverado 1500 if the cargo light on the back of the cab could come on also? Does anyone know any good tweaks, or anything interesting that most people do not know? If anyone does please let me know! Thanks! :D
  • honda929honda929 Member Posts: 10
    THANK YOU.
This discussion has been closed.