Belly dragging no more - 2003 Silverado 1500HD Crew Cab 4X4 Quadrasteer

[Devin W]

Great looking truck. It's kind of too bad the QS never caught on.

Jack

Thanks, Jack - I've been watching your thread keeping track of all of the sensible things I should be thinking about to make the truck truly expedition worthy. Frankly, part of the motivation to get the suspension done was that everything on the front end was worn out and needed replacing!

[Devin W]

A good friend of mine has the Denali ex-cab version and also loves it. I haven't driven it myself, but he swears by it. I know GM did some testing with lifted big tired trucks in deep southern mud to make sure things were strong enough.

I've also read that. There aren't many kits that actually say they are compatible with the QS, but the rear axle mounts the same as a standard axle. All of the steering is attached directly to the axle so the concerns would be that the springs don't interfere with the rear wheel when turned lock-to-lock and not changing the pinion angle so the caster doesn't get caster and camber don't get changed. Other than that the only other issue is moving the hardware that holds the steering control cables forward so they have enough slack to compensate for the lift. So far so good, although, I do have a minor rear driveshaft vibe at one speed that I'll have a shop look at and see how that will best be addressed. I'm sure they are the original u-joints with 140K miles on them so they probably don't love the new angle.

[Mark Harley]

Sweet ride!
I never saw a QS in a 2500 the local rides are extended cabs and 1500
How did you mod the front bumper? just cut off the lower half?
Any problems with the airbag sensors?

Nice color combo too!

[Walker]

Nice truck!

[MagnutsWJ]

Hey Devin, what suspension and tire setup did you go with? I recently picked up a 1500hd, and like you said, yours really looks proportional now.

[Devin W]

Sweet ride!
I never saw a QS in a 2500 the local rides are extended cabs and 1500
How did you mod the front bumper? just cut off the lower half?
Any problems with the airbag sensors?

Nice color combo too!

Thanks, Mark! Agreed on the color

It's actually a 1500HD so it has the 8 lug axles and higher payload suspension, but the frame is not as tall as the 2500. As for the front bumper, yes, I just removed the plastic valence and then just shaved the outside corners to match the rest of the bumper line - so I didn't have any sensor issues.

[Devin W]

Hey Devin, what suspension and tire setup did you go with? I recently picked up a 1500hd, and like you said, yours really looks proportional now.

Saw your thread. Nice find with the truck and what a cool bumper that you don't see everyday.

I went with a Skyjacker 6" knuckle lift in the front and new 6" springs (instead of blocks) in the rear. I chose the Skyjacker because supposedly it is 100% bolt on with no mods needed to the front diff or exhaust. That's sort of true. Ultimately, the unused diff mount still had interference with my pitman arm. Chopping that mount or dropping the steering would solve that. While originally I thought it would be nice to go back to stock, I now realize that will likely never happen so I just shaved that mount (although there are kits to replace that if ever needed). So far the handling feels very stable, easy to steer, and tracks very well. The ride feels nearly factory. The kit I bought also came with longer nitrogen shocks that I replaced my factory ride control shocks with. I had two other small issues with the kit. One was that the knuckles wouldn't clear the rotors. After confirming with SJ that I had the right knuckles they looked at pictures I sent and suggested that I just clearance them a little more as there is a cut-out, but it wasn't machined deep enough (he referred to it as something that got past quality control). The other was that the torsion bar bushing hardware was undersized so those had to be machined out a little for them to fit correctly. Other than that, it came out well.

I replaced the upper control arms with Cognito Motorsports arms that have a replaceable ball joint since mine were toast and the factory UCA's technically have to be replaced when the ball joints go bad. The additional advantages were a little more droop and the ball joint can be run in two-different positions to affect the height of the front end. I ran mine in the highest position so that I could run closer to factory settings on the torsion bars for a comfortable ride but level stance front to rear.

The tires are Nitto Dura Grappler 305/70R18's. It's an E rated tire with what I would call a commercial all-season traction tread. I anticipate it will do great in the wet and snow while getting me everywhere I need to go off the beaten path (I won't be doing any rock-crawling or mud bogging). It's a 10-ply tire rated to 65psi, so I should be able to air it down if I really need some additional traction. It's a big tire for it's stated size: The tread measures 305 but with the side walls, it's wide. Diameter is about 35.3", so while the SJ lift kit says it clears 35's I do have some minor interference at the rear side of the fender well that I'm resolving.

The wheels are 18" XD-798 Addicts with the 4.5" offset that SJ requires for their kit. Between the knuckles and the wheel offset it gives the front end a wide stance, which is a look I like and I eventually will go to fiberglass fenders so that I can cover them and keep from flinging debris down the side of the truck.

New lower balls joints and tie-rods finished things out. It feels like a new truck!

[Mark Harley]

Thanks for the bumper info Devin:

I like the de-badged look, When I bought my truck that was the first thing I did.
Took them all off with fishing line and 3M adhesive remover.

That lasted several years until I saw the new
2500HD chrome block script. Got a set and a pair of Audi 6.0 badges from Germany. " had to advertise what I had"

How do you like the Can-back topper?

[Devin W]

Thanks for the bumper info Devin:

I like the de-badged look, When I bought my truck that was the first thing I did.
Took them all off with fishing line and 3M adhesive remover.

That lasted several years until I saw the new
2500HD chrome block script. Got a set and a pair of Audi 6.0 badges from Germany. " had to advertise what I had"

How do you like the Can-back topper?

I hear that - the truck was already de-badged when I picked it up and thought it looked clean but it didn't occur to me that something was missing until comparing later. The new badges are pretty cool, though!

The top is a Bestop. I love the concept, but feel like a few things could be better. I was already sold on the quality as I had Bestop's on my Defender 90 and they were great - including the windows. With this top the the design is very good, but there is one fit issue with the driver side rear corner where it's hard to hook it and have it hold well. Also, I had to have one of the windows replaced under warranty due to it cracking. Other than that, it's super easy to fold down to use the bed for utility purposes.

And under this...

...is this...


I can fold the canopy down - load the bike - and fold it back up to keep it out of the weather and I feel it's a bit more secure, too since most people wouldn't even think twice as they walk by it.

[Mark Harley]

I see I am not the only one who likes my toys to match!