Chevy Silverado

[RoarinRow]

Well, I havent had to purchase or change brakes for a new car since 2007. Since then, it's been a 20 year old Jeep or a 25 year old big Blazer. Those parts were not expensive.

Talked with some guys on a Chevy/GMC truck forum and they recommended Z36 Power Stop. 4 rotors and all pads came in at $422 on Amazon and I flinched at that number.

I flinched at that number until I called the local GMC dealer and they wanted $750 for the same parts, OEM. I nearly dropped my lunch...then I asked "that's with labor, right?" Silly rabbit. Nope. Parts only.

It didnt end there. Z71 suspension replacement shocks (presumably the Ranchos of checkered reputation) were $180 front, $160 rear. Compare that to $115 front, $68 rear for Bilsteins and this is all a no brainer!

So I'll be ordering those Z36 brakes, and Bilstein shocks soon (from KOLAK) and do them all here myself.
Thanks for the input, DesertRunner

I'm one of those lame non-technical people that bought that Z36 Power Stops from Amazon. I was impressed that upon checkout, you can have the brake kit delivered to their nearest authorized mechanic and have it installed. I did that and am happy with the parts and service!

 

[ThundahBeagle]

I'm one of those lame non-technical people that bought that Z36 Power Stops from Amazon. I was impressed that upon checkout, you can have the brake kit delivered to their nearest authorized mechanic and have it installed. I did that and am happy with the parts and service!

Good to know they are working for you! Thanks for letting me know.

I'll be sure to make a note when I do order, receive and install these.

 

[RoarinRow]

Good to know they are working for you! Thanks for letting me know.

I'll be sure to make a note when I do order, receive and install these.

Most welcome!

 

[Gordo_K]

2015 Z71 with double cab and full size bed here. I discovered the overlanding community while shopping for a smaller truck, since when I actually go into an office it is in downtown DC, and they closed my outdoor parking lot just as we went into quarantine to build another high rise. Which means I will need to start parking in an underground lot, which will limit lots of overlanding options. I figure I can get a leveling kit and some 33"s on, but a roof rack (on either my cab or Are cap), tent, or any other lift kits are probably out. Not that TRD Tacomas or ZR2 Colorados are much shorter...but length and width make them much easier to maneuver underground. For right now, I think getting a leveling kit and some new tires (33" Duratracs?), along with building some better organized storage in the bed, will be the immediate goal.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

Most welcome!

ROARINROW,

Had the dealership do the oil change. I'll probably do that a lot with this Active Fuel Management / Cylinder Deactivation engine. That way itll be on them if the AFM fails...anyway, they did a once-over and the tech says the brake disks are good (they did look good, but he confirmed) I'll probably just change the pads this time around, but will probably go with the Z36 pads. It will probably be around September.

 

[Shakes355]

Figure I may as well get in on this. Not much for goodies as I'm more of a minimalist of sorts (see: Cheapskate). And am a hiker and hammocker by nature.

2008 Half ton w/ 6.5' bed and the MP3023 Tcase (Auto 4wd). 5.3 and 4l60e. Purchased used in 2011.

Partner and I tend to use her Honda Element for car camping and road trips due to the convenience and versatility. But the goods hang a bit low for the more technical roads.

As for upgrades I'm running Bilsteins all around (5160 Res's in the back and 5100's up front) with Rough Country's old tubular upper arms. Also run 2500 rear springs (4+1 leafs) with Sumosprings and fabricated blocks (also RC). Truetrac and 30 spline Alloys in the 10 bolt. Stock 265 P Rated tires (Dynapro ATM's at the moment). Rack was free and I modified it to fit. Still deciding on mounting points right now.
Obviously I've got other little odds and ends in there that don't warrant a list.

A note for anyone interested: I don't baby my rigs. Wouldn't own a truck if I didn't use it as one. But I do give her due love and respect. Currently sitting at 218k. 4l60 has never been opened except for fluid services. And I deleted the original Active Fuel Management stuff last year at 210k (threw in a baby truck cam while I was in there). Wasn't having problems but I was getting paranoid. Will probably have the trans refreshed soon as a precaution as well.

 

[RickR]

2017 4X4 DC

 

[RoarinRow]

ROARINROW,

Had the dealership do the oil change. I'll probably do that a lot with this Active Fuel Management / Cylinder Deactivation engine. That way itll be on them if the AFM fails...anyway, they did a once-over and the tech says the brake disks are good (they did look good, but he confirmed) I'll probably just change the pads this time around, but will probably go with the Z36 pads. It will probably be around September.

Yup it’s good to keep the pads for as long as you can. Save $$ during these times.

 

[Smileyshaun]

Not a Silverado but have had a couple gm trucks and suvs in the past and they make great exploring rigs . My plans where to leave it nearly stock and just drive it but looks like my front diff may be shot and due to a way to heavy set of torsion bars from the factory my ride is crap so I’m kicking the idea of a sas around . after the cost of rebuilding the diff , sorting out the suspension , replacing the common front end wear items the SAS May make more sense .

 

[ThundahBeagle]

Not a Silverado but have had a couple gm trucks and suvs in the past and they make great exploring rigs . My plans where to leave it nearly stock and just drive it but looks like my front diff may be shot and due to a way to heavy set of torsion bars from the factory my ride is crap so I’m kicking the idea of a sas around . after the cost of rebuilding the diff , sorting out the suspension , replacing the common front end wear items the SAS May make more sense . View attachment 164233

We take GMC Sierra's here, too! I'm one of them. Nice truck and really nice scenery!

I try to keep my stuff as stock as possible just so I dont have keep track of all the different parts and for availability of parts. I say that having just installed Bilstein 5100's all the way around with more alterations planned, so...

 

[ThundahBeagle]

Figure I may as well get in on this. Not much for goodies as I'm more of a minimalist of sorts (see: Cheapskate). And am a hiker and hammocker by nature.

2008 Half ton w/ 6.5' bed and the MP3023 Tcase (Auto 4wd). 5.3 and 4l60e. Purchased used in 2011.

Partner and I tend to use her Honda Element for car camping and road trips due to the convenience and versatility. But the goods hang a bit low for the more technical roads.

As for upgrades I'm running Bilsteins all around (5160 Res's in the back and 5100's up front) with Rough Country's old tubular upper arms. Also run 2500 rear springs (4+1 leafs) with Sumosprings and fabricated blocks (also RC). Truetrac and 30 spline Alloys in the 10 bolt. Stock 265 P Rated tires (Dynapro ATM's at the moment). Rack was free and I modified it to fit. Still deciding on mounting points right now.
Obviously I've got other little odds and ends in there that don't warrant a list.

A note for anyone interested: I don't baby my rigs. Wouldn't own a truck if I didn't use it as one. But I do give her due love and respect. Currently sitting at 218k. 4l60 has never been opened except for fluid services. And I deleted the original Active Fuel Management stuff last year at 210k (threw in a baby truck cam while I was in there). Wasn't having problems but I was getting paranoid. Will probably have the trans refreshed soon as a precaution as well.

Truck looks good! I just did Bilstien 5100's all around and they sure do make a difference. A lot more controlled ride.

I would guess the Honda Element is pretty good for car camping. The most efficient shape fo stuffing stuff into is a cube, and it's pretty close to a cube. I think it was used a lot in Japan as a light delivery vehicle for florists and things like that, because of the interior volume. So it's a good choice for that.

Having said that, there's nothing quite like a good truck.

Are those Power Stop Z36 brakes?

 

[ThundahBeagle]

This thread does need some love, I commented back in 2017 when I was stock and just thinking about getting a slimline rack... king of snowballed since then...
View attachment 131673View attachment 131674

Um, once the Ford Bronco Sasquatch editions are out on the street, I guess you'll have to roll up next to one and show 'em what a real sasquatch looks like.

 

[Shakes355]

@ThundahBeagle
Yeah, they're PowerStop's. We use them at the shop as an upgrade over OE for customers who regularly warp rotors (1/2 tons, Honda Pilots, Siennas, etc). They wear nice and stop even better if they get broken in correctly. My truck has drum brakes in the back (an intentional choice for me since the rear disc stuff falls apart living in the rust belt as I did when I bought it) so I tend to warp rotors when I run around loaded or towing. They're worth the money.

I dont like the "Extreme" pads (z36) they come with when you get the set. I prefer the z17 ceramics. They wear down faster but they're quieter and not as harsh on the rotors.