2003 GMC DURAMAX -toy with family manners

[WCO]

Comparison pics from when I got it, bone stock, to today:
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Looks a little beefier now, can't wait to get in some dirt this weekend.
102_1378.jpg

[bfdiesel]

The h2 rims look good.

[locrwln]

I agree, looks good.

Jack

[Saiyan66]

Looks much better now. Any plans for some sliders to replace the factory running boards? Also a friend of mine fabbed some brackets to remove that black insert between the grill and bumper, and move the bumper up on his GMC HD. Looks much cleaner (like the 1/2 tons) and adds some approach angle. Just an idea.

[WCO]

Thanks bfdiesel and jack, it's amazing how much difference a couple inches in tire size will do for you.
Saiyan66 - As for the bumper, it'll eventually have an ARB on it, so I'm not worried about raising it, although I've seen it done, and must agree it does look clean! As for sliders, they are on my "want to do" list, but probably won't happen too soon, where I use 4x4 right now I really wouldn't need them, and if I get a 4ton truck into something I do, I really didn't need to be there in the first place But I definitely do want to do them eventually. With the start of a family coming soon, a lot of my projects for the truck are getting put on standby, so we'll see what happens

I do need to drop my front end back down a little bit. With the keys turned up, I am definitely at the extent of my front ends travel, and for obvious reasons I don't want to grind the droop stops as I wan't to keep my CV's in desent shape. So hopefully this week I can get some work done on my inner fender wells and nose it back down about 3/4"

[Saiyan66]

I know there are always budget concerns, but you should look at set of Camburg uniball upper arms so you don't have to be bouncing off the droop stops all the time. You can keep your ride height that way too. That and some proper length shocks up front is about as good as GM IFS gets without a custom fabbed long travel setup.

[WCO]

I hear ya Saiyan66. Haven't quite figured out my route yet. I've got a little girl on the way and need to do a valve job on my wife's 300, so the $$$ is a little tight. I've looked at the Camburgs before and do like them, and hope to do something like that in the future, but as of right now I'm strapped. I am looking at some bilsteins in the very new future though as I need new shocks all the way around.....

Any reccomendations on shocks? I know a lot of people are happy with the 5100's. Please advise!

[Saiyan66]

As stated in a previous thread regarding shocks, it really doesn't get any better than Bilstein 5100's for the price (around $80). You can spend $150-200 per shock and get more performance but that is about the next level when it comes to shocks. Shocks in that price range include: Fox 2.0, King 2.0, Bilstein 7100's, etc. Then from there you go up to the 2.5 body shocks which start at around $250-350 each. It gets ridiculous really fast.

I also recommend experimenting with disconnecting the front sway bar. If you don't haul the camper around all the time and want some better performance (especially off road) it can be a pretty noticeable change. Never did make much sense to me: Design a complex and expensive independent front suspension so that you don't get bump force feedback from the left side to the right side and vice versa, then go and join the two sides together with a big steel bar..........BRILLIANT! Give it a shot. It worked well for me on my Yukon.

Only other thing I might suggest is doing a little mod on the transmission/transfer case cross member. For some reason this hangs really low off the bottom of the frame rails (you can see it just standing next to the truck). I have seen a custom built version that some guy built in his garage with basic tube and plate. It was very simple and bolted to the side of the frame so there wasn't anything to catch on a rock or obstacle. Just something to think about since the GM's have the lowest frame height of all the HD trucks.

[WCO]

I like the idea of the front sway bar. My camper isn't heavy, 150 lbs max, plus another few hundred in gear that's always on the truck. What was most noticable in behavior day to day? I've thought about the cross member before, you can even see it in one of the above pics.....that'll be a fun weekend project to take on when the rains hit (god I hope they do soon!)
Is the jump from the 5100 to the 7100 worth it? What's your opinion on the two? Thanks for your feedback! I'm both grateful and also enjoy reading other people's ideas/experiences!

[Saiyan66]

My Yukon was a 2dr so the wheelbase was very short. Also it had a 6" lift with 35 inch tires. That being said, I noticed more sway on twisty roads than normal but never had to do any emergency swerves in it so I can't really comment on that. It did seem to allow the suspension to work much better such as when you are going down the road and there are only potholes on one side of the lane. The bumps wouldn't upset the chassis as much with the sway bar off. The guy I sold it to put it back on and said that the steering precision got better, but what he was probably feeling was the lack of sway with those big tires. I had 5100's on it and they rode great.

The upgrade to the 7100's is one you will have to ask some questions of yourself. First: Are you the type of person who would rather rebuild something when it wears out or just replace it? Second: Do you have a decent knowledge of shock valving and how it relates to spring rate and ride? Third: Am I going to be driving the truck at high speed for long periods off road? The 7100's are rebuildable whereas the 5100's are not. This in itself is a feature that some people "must have". The valving on the 5100's comes set to your vehicle from the factory (which is why Bilstein has different part #'s for the different shocks for each truck). They are not just length specific. With the 7100's you get to order the valving that YOU want. They come in a variety of valve profiles which are expressed as numbers like 255/70. The bigger number is the rebound valving and the second is the compression. The larger the number, the more resistance to flow there is. Here is a page that roughly describes it www.eshocks.com/bil_Orgd.asp. You can then have custom valved shocks for situations such as heavier springs, specific driving conditions, etc. The reservoir option will allow the shock to have more oil volume and more surface area to cool that volume so the shock will not fade during long off road sections. That's a start. Let me know if you have any more questions.

P.S. I was thinking that 7100's might not be an option for you since i'm pretty sure that the GM HD trucks use a stem mount for the upper shock mount in the front. I don't think that is an option on the 7100's. Might want to call Bilstein if you were thinking of going that route. I know that Fox now makes stem mount 2.0 shocks that are rebuildable, but not sure if you get to spec the valving or not.