New 2 ME 14 Sierra SWB 5.3-6spd Hope I didn't blow it...

[jjzepplin]

So I gave my car to my daughter and needed a new ride. I went out to look at this truck as I've been looking for a short bed regular cab to purchase and this one fit the bill. I tried to do as much research as I could but I needed a vehicle fast. It's got 77,000 and manual everything for the interior but it blows cold AC and is pretty good for acceleration. If I did my homework right, it has 355 HP and the traction control switched off makes it fun in a corner. I think it has electric steering. Not sure. I plan to lower it and maybe some 20" rims. Should be fun. I have the other trucks but this one I can leave at the boat launch without worrying the whole time I am on the water. Tell me I didn't waste my money... Anyone with ins and outs for these?

[Palf70Step]

Very Nice. It is super hard to find a short bed now days, especially equipped like yours.

[jjzepplin]

Don't I know it. It took quite a while to find one with a V8. Thought I had one earlier this year but it turned out to be a 4.8 with 4 spd auto. This one was more expensive but I was able to get a loan for 2.75%.
I took a good look underneath it yesterday and was amazed by the large differential and huge u joints. Not sure of the ratio or if it is a one legger but it sure lets both tires loose pretty easy.

[Greg58]

Originally Posted by jjzepplin

Don't I know it. It took quite a while to find one with a V8. Thought I had one earlier this year but it turned out to be a 4.8 with 4 spd auto. This one was more expensive but I was able to get a loan for 2.75%.
I took a good look underneath it yesterday and was amazed by the large differential and huge u joints. Not sure of the ratio or if it is a one legger but it sure lets both tires loose pretty easy.

If your SPID says G80 then it is a posi. Your ratio code will be a GT4, or something in that neighborhood, you can google it.

Greg

[LS short box]

In MN it would be very tough to find a swb 2 wheel drive. All 4WD up here.

[jjzepplin]

Well my wife would not agree to a Vette. She said "It's not practical". I have a decent 4X4 and I consider my Blazer the "convertible". I think the first thing I should do is look into purchasing the HP tuners and tune out the AFM. I need to get the HP tuners for my Blazer swap anyway. A couple more credits for this one and I am in business. Thanks for your comments folks.

[jjzepplin]

I found the RPO codes in the glove box. Hard to read but looks like GU6 and G80. I think this comes out to 3.42s and a locker? These did not have limited slip right?

[Palf70Step]

That's what info my RPO code breaks down to also, 3.42 with limited slip

[Ziegelsteinfaust]

That is a nice truck. I would love a swb, but I have to haul faimly.

I did the 2.5/4 drop on my truck in a after noon. I got drop spindles, and rear shackles. Then removed the lift block.

The way my truck was set up with the ass end so high it felt twitchy at speed. After the mods it felt alot smoother on the highway, and more neutral in its handling.

I did the mods all at once, but maybe removing the block first would of helped by itself. My spindle caster was almost 3*, and after lowering was a bit over 7*. Measured through the ball joints centers. To low of caster, and the handling is too fast. Too much, and it is slower.

[jjzepplin]

SO if I get you right, there are pro's and con's to the lowering? Is your truck level now?

[jjzepplin]

So from what I have read, this one has AFM/DOD. I have no indicators on the 3.5" minimal panel that tells me if it's active or not. I think I should get it tuned out asap. Thoughts?

[Palf70Step]

From what I have heard of it, yes get rid of it. Most I know had to (failed) and rather than go back with the lifter things, they put in traditional 5.3 stuff. I didn't know you could just tune it out.

[Ziegelsteinfaust]

Originally Posted by jjzepplin

SO if I get you right, there are pro's and con's to the lowering? Is your truck level now?

Yes. There are pros, and cons to the lowering job i have done. Also my truck sits pretty level with the back end up maybe 1".

My truck handles better due to increased effective caster. I think it rides better, and feels less jittery to me.

MPG seems to be slightly higher on the highway, but not much to write home about. But what highway mpg tracking I did before the mod seems I usually do slightly better on average.

My weight carrying has decreased by 500 pounds roughly before I am riding the bump stops. I always needed helper air bags, but its still there.

It handles 7500 pounds roughly towing better on the road as the trailer has less leverage on the hitch. Still hit bump stops often, and need helper air bags.

I can reach inside the bed now, and lifting things onto the tailgate is easier. Before I barely could load a sbc block into the bed, and now its easy enough for me.

My offroad activities are limited to dirt roads, and I scrape my lower lip often. Plus bending it to.

[Ziegelsteinfaust]

Originally Posted by jjzepplin

So from what I have read, this one has AFM/DOD. I have no indicators on the 3.5" minimal panel that tells me if it's active or not. I think I should get it tuned out asap. Thoughts?

On my V6 on flat level roads it gives me a roughly 1 mpg advantage at 65mph. At 75 it is practically the same mpg again. Also slower at 55 seems to make no difference due to lack of power unless I draft a semi. Then it seems to do very well. Although my patience level is typically not good enough for 55mph.

If I drive from Temecula to Temple City "not Temple City to Temecula" when I visit family. Most of the freeway seems to be down hill for some reason. It does alot better.

But if you put load exhaust under your truck you will want it gone. As the V4 flutter is pretty bad. I have a V6 so I am leaving the stock exhaust since it sounds worse modified.

So depending on goals would be the determining factor on tuning the afm out combined with how you drive. So if you cruise the highways it can help, but if your in a hurry it likely does nothing.

[jjzepplin]

Thank You for the feedback. I want to lower it because it would be easier to get in and out as well as for loading the bed and I just think it would look better and drive better. I want to get some 20" rims and tires first to make everything gels together. I am most likely not going to be running the highway much and my new job (yay! no,longer unemployed!) is only about ten min away no highway. I saw an inexpensive kit but I don't like the front setup as it moves the strut mount from on top of the control arm to below it. To me, this puts the entire front of the truck in the hands of four bolts holding it up. Me, the engine, etc all relying on four bolts. One pothole and I am on the side of the road or worse.

[biketopia]

You'll like it lowered, I'm going to lower my 08 about the same. Just like with the old trucks, buy a quality and thought out drop and it will give you comfort and security for many miles to come. As far as the DOD also see if you have VVT. DOD/AFM are acronyms for the same system, VVT a phaser on the front of the cam to advance or retard cam timing a few degrees while driving to gain better power/economy, think there's an extra sensor or the cam sensor has 5 wires vs 3 on vvt or non trucks. The DOD cuts out 4 cylinders at cruise. Yes you can tune out DOD, but it's typically the hard parts the cause issues, namely the DOD lifter. They get debirs in them and then dont pump with oil and bam, you've got a dead cylinder. The best thing you can do for an engine with DOD is be religious about your oil changes, and use a good paper filter, not a K&N or other cold air. GM released a TSB about air filters being a leading cause of DOD lifter failure. My 08 had 187k miles on it when I bought it, I deleted the DOD and put a cam in it, some long tubes and routed it back through the factory muffler and tail pipe. Has a nice little rumble at idle but nice and quiet at cruise, but there's definitely some more power there. That engine looked pretty clean inside, but I have a 2012 with 99k at work with a failed lifter, we're just sending that to auction, not worth us tearing into it on a fleet truck that the hybrid unit is about to fail on anyways.

[jjzepplin]

Thank You for the reply! Good info for sure. I want to do the lowering first and I am guessing I am going to have to swap out the spindles to lower the front correctly. I am probably going to have to do a flip in the rear but I don't want a notch so I am thinking a small snubber on the frame and some air bag helpers for the occasional load. I am impressed with the 6 spd and acceleration is pretty good for a 5.3. I thought I had some nice Versanti 22" rims but I got there and saw a big egg on the inner hoop of one. The fellow said I would not even feel it. HAHA! Got to love dishonest CL.

[biketopia]

I don't think you'll need to do an axle flip unless you want a 7" rear drop, they look awesome like that, but have about no hauling capacity. My buddy has an 07 with a 5/7 drop and he hits the bump stops with little more than a few hundred pounds in the bed.

[jjzepplin]

Did he cut the bump stop mounts off?

[biketopia]

I'll have to ask

[jjzepplin]

This is the drop I am looking at. Not a bad price for having all new struts and shocks which at 77,000 I am due for anyway. If you look at the last picture it has the bump stop removed and the snubber relocated to the rear axle.
https://www.suspensionshop.com/chevr...t-34170-34270/

[jjzepplin]

Does anyone have any suggestions for 20" or 22" wheels and tires? I would like stock as I hear some bad reviews on the finish not lasting long on aftermarket.

[Ziegelsteinfaust]

If your lookingbfor big wheels. Check out offer up, and Craigslist. I have missed a couple of sets of 18's cheap, but they are out there.

A new set of takes offs in my area is about $1500

[jjzepplin]

OK, so little update. I saw a rear exhaust bolt that looked to be loose. Nope. Broken. Passenger rear. ( of course ) So poo to that. It's not leaking yet but will soon I imagine or is and I can't hear it. I looked for one of those temporary fix type brackets but none of them list my vehicle. I am not ready to screw up my daily driver so I guess I will make my own bracket.
Update 2. I have a weird shifting issue that I thought was the engine turning on and off the AFM or DOD. Now I think it is actually something with the transmission. It works fine when driven hard but when I slow down for , say, railroad tracks and then give it light acceleration, a hard jerky condition makes me accelerate harder and the condition goes away. Trouble is that now I am speeding and in traffic it sucks. I have tried the method of keeping it in Manual #5 gear and it still happens. I have tried trailer mode too. So a big POO to that! I have looked into Trans-Go shift kits and they mention the issue. I may have to drop the pan and try that.

[1976gmc20]

Originally Posted by jjzepplin

OK, so little update. I saw a rear exhaust bolt that looked to be loose. Nope. Broken. Passenger rear. ( of course ) So poo to that. It's not leaking yet but will soon I imagine or is and I can't hear it. I looked for one of those temporary fix type brackets but none of them list my vehicle. I am not ready to screw up my daily driver so I guess I will make my own bracket.
Update 2. I have a weird shifting issue that I thought was the engine turning on and off the AFM or DOD. Now I think it is actually something with the transmission. It works fine when driven hard but when I slow down for , say, railroad tracks and then give it light acceleration, a hard jerky condition makes me accelerate harder and the condition goes away. Trouble is that now I am speeding and in traffic it sucks. I have tried the method of keeping it in Manual #5 gear and it still happens. I have tried trailer mode too. So a big POO to that! I have looked into Trans-Go shift kits and they mention the issue. I may have to drop the pan and try that.

I hope you don't have the problem I had with my six speed.

It started shifting rough so I made an appt to have it checked out, then it started getting really bad on the 60 something miles down to the shop. By the time I got there it wouldn't shift out of 1st. They said a planetary broke and chewed up the whole transmission.