Member III
View attachment 66025 Good Day Everyone,
Welcome!
Stock Truck Details...
2018 Chevy Colorado 4x4 Z71 with the 308hp V6 and 8spd Auto transmission. Factory installed Eaton Auto locking rear diff. Transfer Case has 2WD, Auto, 4HI, 4LOW, Neutral. Hill Descent Control, Hill Start Assist, Stabilitrac, etc, etc.
So far I am LOVING the Auto feature because you can literally drive around on dry pavement without binding the drive train. AWD vehicles have lost that advantage on this vehicle.
The Z71 package adds in Nitrogen shocks. So fade/heat on long washboard roads will not be a worry. (I may upgrade to some good hydraulic ones at a later date... maybe)
This truck was bought spanking new back in March. Sticker price as configured at the dealer was around $38k but I got her (along with a free black bowtie upgrade) for around $32k. She now has a little over 8k miles on her.
PLANS...
Keep it simple.
I will add armor to the undercarriage. I don't plan on replacing the bumpers until they get ripped off. The bed of the truck will be getting the majority of the upgrades. A diamondback bed cover most likely will be in it's future.
The tires will remain stock size and likely even stock brand (or KO2). I need to keep the road manners... especially for towing... which I will do from time to time.
I did not get the ZR2 because of several reasons... #1 being fuel economy and #2 payload/towing is reduced on the ZR2. Once I build the bed up the Z71 suspension should settle out and the ride quality should increase dramatically just like on every other truck I have owned.
Stay tuned... I am sure you guys will like the bed upgrades I have in mind!!!
EDIT/Update on current mods for new folks...
Front Air Dam - Removed - Lost .5mpg on my mostly slow hwy commute. The truck gained a 4" better approach angle on the front/center of the front bumper and a good 6" of clearance gained in front of the front wheels. Worth it!
Skids - OEM skids installed - These are light/right for my needs. GM now offers what is exactly like the ZR2 skids but with a different cutout that fits the Z71 front bumper. I got both front skids for $330 shipped. There are several other options online from 589 Fab, Superskidz, and soon AEV. They all range from a heavier gauge aluminum... to steel... to hot stamped boron steel (4x stronger than reg steel). I chose the lightest plates because they will rarely if every get used.
Rock Sliders - Actual ZR2 Sliders installed - I found some used rock sliders online for $200 ($320 shipped). They didn't have a mark on them and were in mint condition. Protecting the body of the cab of my truck is very important to me. It is also the most vulnerable part of the truck IMO based on my experience working in the motor pool back when I was in the Army. The ZR2 rock sliders are pretty light compared to other aftermarket sliders that bolt directly to the frame. However, they are sturdy enough to use as a high lift jack point allegedly. I have seen a lot of folks dragging them across rocks in ZR2s and they seem to hold up well.
Air/Tires - I now have some tire deflators, a high performance/affordable inflator, and good quality tire plug kit with valve stem tools. The tires are stock sized BF Goodrich KO2. Great for most things off road while still maintaining towing power.
Recovery Gear - I just put a Tow Package winching point on order for the rear. The stock front recovery points are bolted directly to the frame and are gtg. I have a snatch rope, chain, shovels, and boards (No seriously... actual wood boards/old school). I may get some maxtrax later on. A winch will never be on my rig. I would almost never use it and live in a wet/corrosive area. It would likely not work when I needed it.
Cargo Management - Just did a DIY bedliner a little while back. Now I have just installed a DIamondback SE with two side boxes.
Suspension - Stock and likely staying that way! The Z71 comes with Nitrogen shocks from the factory which are really resistant to heat build up compared to hydraulic shocks. Either way... I would never upgrade the suspension until after a build. There is a reason why most folks who do that first thing end up doing it yet again at the end of their build. Just finish the build first and THEN run it through it's paces first. Then make adjustments. I may do shocks some day though. Who knows.
Breather Relocation for Front/Rear Diffs and the T-Case/Transmission - Not required! From the factory my front diff breather comes up in the engine bay next to the fuse box. The rear diff breather goes up in the rear fender well and attaches above the fuel door on the fuel tank filler tube. The transmission and T-case breathers go up the fire wall behind the engine.
The truck as it sits is good for things like the White Rim Trail out in Moab, UT or the Alpine Loop in Colorado. I just need to focus on cargo management and camping gear next.
View attachment 85194
View attachment 85195
Welcome!
Stock Truck Details...
2018 Chevy Colorado 4x4 Z71 with the 308hp V6 and 8spd Auto transmission. Factory installed Eaton Auto locking rear diff. Transfer Case has 2WD, Auto, 4HI, 4LOW, Neutral. Hill Descent Control, Hill Start Assist, Stabilitrac, etc, etc.
So far I am LOVING the Auto feature because you can literally drive around on dry pavement without binding the drive train. AWD vehicles have lost that advantage on this vehicle.
The Z71 package adds in Nitrogen shocks. So fade/heat on long washboard roads will not be a worry. (I may upgrade to some good hydraulic ones at a later date... maybe)
This truck was bought spanking new back in March. Sticker price as configured at the dealer was around $38k but I got her (along with a free black bowtie upgrade) for around $32k. She now has a little over 8k miles on her.
PLANS...
Keep it simple.
I will add armor to the undercarriage. I don't plan on replacing the bumpers until they get ripped off. The bed of the truck will be getting the majority of the upgrades. A diamondback bed cover most likely will be in it's future.
The tires will remain stock size and likely even stock brand (or KO2). I need to keep the road manners... especially for towing... which I will do from time to time.
I did not get the ZR2 because of several reasons... #1 being fuel economy and #2 payload/towing is reduced on the ZR2. Once I build the bed up the Z71 suspension should settle out and the ride quality should increase dramatically just like on every other truck I have owned.
Stay tuned... I am sure you guys will like the bed upgrades I have in mind!!!
EDIT/Update on current mods for new folks...
Front Air Dam - Removed - Lost .5mpg on my mostly slow hwy commute. The truck gained a 4" better approach angle on the front/center of the front bumper and a good 6" of clearance gained in front of the front wheels. Worth it!
Skids - OEM skids installed - These are light/right for my needs. GM now offers what is exactly like the ZR2 skids but with a different cutout that fits the Z71 front bumper. I got both front skids for $330 shipped. There are several other options online from 589 Fab, Superskidz, and soon AEV. They all range from a heavier gauge aluminum... to steel... to hot stamped boron steel (4x stronger than reg steel). I chose the lightest plates because they will rarely if every get used.
Rock Sliders - Actual ZR2 Sliders installed - I found some used rock sliders online for $200 ($320 shipped). They didn't have a mark on them and were in mint condition. Protecting the body of the cab of my truck is very important to me. It is also the most vulnerable part of the truck IMO based on my experience working in the motor pool back when I was in the Army. The ZR2 rock sliders are pretty light compared to other aftermarket sliders that bolt directly to the frame. However, they are sturdy enough to use as a high lift jack point allegedly. I have seen a lot of folks dragging them across rocks in ZR2s and they seem to hold up well.
Air/Tires - I now have some tire deflators, a high performance/affordable inflator, and good quality tire plug kit with valve stem tools. The tires are stock sized BF Goodrich KO2. Great for most things off road while still maintaining towing power.
Recovery Gear - I just put a Tow Package winching point on order for the rear. The stock front recovery points are bolted directly to the frame and are gtg. I have a snatch rope, chain, shovels, and boards (No seriously... actual wood boards/old school). I may get some maxtrax later on. A winch will never be on my rig. I would almost never use it and live in a wet/corrosive area. It would likely not work when I needed it.
Cargo Management - Just did a DIY bedliner a little while back. Now I have just installed a DIamondback SE with two side boxes.
Suspension - Stock and likely staying that way! The Z71 comes with Nitrogen shocks from the factory which are really resistant to heat build up compared to hydraulic shocks. Either way... I would never upgrade the suspension until after a build. There is a reason why most folks who do that first thing end up doing it yet again at the end of their build. Just finish the build first and THEN run it through it's paces first. Then make adjustments. I may do shocks some day though. Who knows.
Breather Relocation for Front/Rear Diffs and the T-Case/Transmission - Not required! From the factory my front diff breather comes up in the engine bay next to the fuse box. The rear diff breather goes up in the rear fender well and attaches above the fuel door on the fuel tank filler tube. The transmission and T-case breathers go up the fire wall behind the engine.
The truck as it sits is good for things like the White Rim Trail out in Moab, UT or the Alpine Loop in Colorado. I just need to focus on cargo management and camping gear next.
View attachment 85194
View attachment 85195
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