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Silverado2016

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  1. Sounds familiar minus the helper spring mention. Mine is the plastic pads/guides that GM refuses to address. The past several years and even the current year are nearly identical design. I was just stating that squeeks can be fixed relatively easy over clunks and parts actually slipping. GM's current plastic pads are not available for purchase independent from the leaf spring as they are forced into the leaf spring at the plant. I was told by several service dept's that these springs have to be purchased as a whole assembly, making them way too expensive and labor intensive to replace every 5,000 miles. (also have to drop the fuel tank to remove the leaf spring.) Had GM made the plastic spring pad serviceable or independently replaceable separate from the leaf spring steel, this issue would be a much smaller deal to complain about. Squeeks are typically easy to fix with lubrication in some form or method. Parts as designed on the late model 1500 GM series trucks slipping and clunking are near impossible to fix short of clamping or welding the springs all together (not advised or recommended), or replacing them with aftermarket altogether. I'm not going to argue about the payload capacity of leaf spring over coil spring. I do know that if a person is mostly concerned about payload, then they would be looking at the full size trucks and mostly diesels, which are an entirely different leaf spring weight capacity and truck class. Air bags also come to mind when someone is solely concerned about payload. Why do the GM 1500 series have the most reported issues of clunk, thud, etc when it comes to leaf springs, much more so than the 2500 or 3500? Seems like a GM design issue that the company could address, but would rather stick their head in the sand and kick the can down the road and flat out lie to the customer (in my case) for whatever reason. Colorado or Canyon is well overpriced and any time of the year that I have looked in my 150 mile radius area rarely offer purchase incentives on these vehicles. The interior creature comforts are far inferior to any of the full sizes in any make in my opinion. GM makes more profit margin on the full size.
  2. Easier said than done. Varies state by state. In the state I'm in the weak law is vastly in favor of the dealers or manufacturers. If you are willing to loose thousands of dollars then this is a real simple process.
  3. The complaints many of us have described on this specific forum topic are not referencing the typical, traditional leaf spring squeak noise associated with leaf springs. This is a 'clunk' and thud felt in the seats similar to if a person were to loosen all the axle U-bolts and then attempt to drive the vehicle. It feels and sounds like the axle is twisting and wobbling off the frame. I could accept a 'normal' or common leaf spring 'squeak' from any vehicle manufacturer over the clunk and thud issues that us truck owners are being told are just considered 'normal' and 'acceptable' by GM's current standards. I'd argue coil spring technology has come a long way over leaf spring and is one possible solution. (leaf spring technology can be found on early horse drawn wagons.) Coil springs have been proven to be a much more comfortable and better handling (cornering) ride however typically come at a reduced load capacity. Dodge uses a rear coil spring suspension in the 1500 series trucks. If load capacity isn't as important, coil is arguably the better route to go.
  4. Did the dealers or GM compensate you for lost wages/lost time at work in dealing with all the trips back to the dealer, talking to lawyers, talking on the phone with BBB or AG’s offices etc? Also did the compensation equal the sale price of the vehicle minus depreciation? What about GM and dealer rebates and incentives? we’re thise added back to the sale price or were they disregarded? Im still certain I won’t buy another GM product with the ‘Chevrolet Experience’ that i’ve had. That’s about the best thing anyone can do is vote with their wallet.
  5. The problem with ‘replacing’ the truck with another GM product is the problem will likely develop in the replacement truck. Repurchase senarios in Missouri the customer will loose depreciation expense regardless if it’s a ‘Lemon’ or not, so really it’s more of a ‘Trade-In’ at that point. (Even after giving written notification to the dealer.) Not in the consumer’s favor as you loose thousands the minute you drive a vehicle off the dealers lot. I’ve learned my lesson with the whole GM driving experience. My wife and I won’t buy another GM product again in my lifetime.
  6. Good luck on the leaf spring replacements guys and gals. I gave up on GM making it 'right' or even coming close. Had another respectable GM dealer that pulled me aside off record and fixed it via an unapproved method not listed in GM's service bulletins with another part. The leaf spring problems have not returned since the non-official/approved repair. Now have over 25,000 miles now on this repair without additional issues. I have had however all kinds of other non-related problems have begun since then. 1) Water pump/pulley noises 2) dash rattles/squeeks/loose bolts 3) electronic querks - radio goes to black screen, static through speakers when opening the drivers door. 4) Three sets of leaf springs. Two of the sets were installed with less than 30,000 on the odometer. First set somewhere around 10-15,000. 5) V4/V8 clunky drivetrain shifts- like getting kicked or bucked by a horse. Not in a good way. Getting worse over time. All of these on a truck that is driven 99% of the time as a commuter vehicle, highway paved roads, 45,000 miles total on the odometer. other 1% is used to haul the occasional sheet of plywood, or drywall, and not anywhere near even 1/2 load capacity. Had three other makes of trucks over the years, and NONE of them had issues until after 80,000 miles+. Also never had issues anywhere close to this with another dealership. Go in for oil changes and that was about it. Really sad what Chevrolet has become and says is acceptable or 'normal'. Regional service rep from Detroit actually made the issue worse, and had unacceptable customer service skills to handle the situation on the leaf spring issues. GM dealer extended the warranty slightly but that was about it. Says that's their trucks, buy a sedan next time. Was told in a closed door meeting to just trade it in or turn the radio up louder. Gave me a below blue book value trade in price. Most likely since they knew it had issues. Walked out and will never return to that GM dealership. Top 2 in St. Louis's volume/profitable dealerships. Went down to the Ford dealer who offered $8,000 more for a Kelly Blue book value price. Kinda sad a Ford dealer would offer more for a trade in than a Certified Chevrolet dealership. Owner loyalty and appreciation they tout was disproved by that whole experience. Missouri Lemon Laws are of little help and in the dealers favor. GM knows this and has lobbied for this. Below or at blue book is essentially what to expect on a vehicle buyback in that state. So if you drive off the lot, and have an issue, you loose all the depreciation immediately, even if it is ruled as a lemon.
  7. Update 12-26-2016 Well after driving another 12,000+/- miles since September, the rubber leaf spring end pads/plugs that the other GM dealer mechanic suggested as a fix seems to have eliminated the rear leaf spring noises that my truck had. Will see if I am saying this again after another 30,000 miles or approx. 70,000 miles on the odometer. Hopefully so. Again this was not a listed official GM TSB that any of the GM dealers I visited could find in any computer system. It was a suggested fix, with taking a gamble on what a few experienced mechanics and coincidentally truck owners suggested via field tested results on previous models. Not sure why GM would eliminate rubber suspension components and go to a plastic pad in lieu of rubber parts on suspension. Plastic has give and can outlast rubber in some instances, but just doesn't have the right physical properties to be used as a suspension component in this particular case and use. The design flaw and or executive decisions ultimately compromised the performance and quietness of the earlier model leaf springs. It would also be interesting to see what the new 2019 model has, if GM addressed any of the issues we are all having or did they just kick the can down the road, and or add to the list of design and performance problems. Would be great if GM gave a damn about their reputation of their trucks and issued a recall. The clunky and noisy drivetrain and suspension is less than acceptable in the late model GM Silverado and GMC Sierra's. Regards.
  8. I don't have a link as the dealer did the swap. The rubber pads are the factory GM leaf spring pads for the same spring. They are circular in shape, with a molded grommet style nub that holds it in place on the spring. Your local GM dealer should be able to pull the part number for you based on your vehicle's Vin#. The pad is visible in pictures on the earlier posts regarding this topic.
  9. Good luck with the leaf spring replacement. My truck has had three sets of rear leaf springs on it as of 25,000 miles, including the original factory springs. First replaced at 10,000 miles, another at 25,000 miles. The original springs were from a Canada plant, both sets of replacements were from Mexico plants. So it's not a quality control issue as the parts were from entirely different parts plants and batches. Mostly highway miles and not towing or hauling anything other than a step ladder or small tool box similar to the Silverado truck commercial. My belief is the metal parts of the springs are not failing, its the poorly designed plastic leaf spring wear/abrasion pads that are making all the noise and movement, and they can't just replace the plastic part as of now as it is not offered separately. Hence them needing to replace the entire spring. GM and the dealers are still replacing the springs or cleaning and greasing, or just trying to skate around the bigger issue that there is a design problem with the plastic parts. The plastic isn't a good material choice, or is the wrong blend of plastic, or isn't thick enough etc. Their engineering team needs to take a deeper look and come up with a better design. What I experienced is once the customer has their truck springs replaced a few times, then the dealer and GM rep from Detroit begain with the story that they just perform that way and live with it or trade it in on a car or SUV that would be much more quiet. Trade it in at or below blue book value. So the customer looses $ no matter how you look at it, for an issue that GM is hiding. Meanwhile your vehicle warranty will be closer to running out and any future repair cost is on the customer. What they don't understand or want to admit, is it is not an acceptable condition. It sounds like someone beating on the bed of the truck with a rubber mallet going down the road. This should never be acceptable on a relatively new truck. I've driven other trucks with over 150,000 miles that haven't sounded that bad before. The plastic to rubber swap resolved my issue for now. I'll see if I can get more than 10,000 miles before the issue returns. The jury is still out until then if the problem is completely resolved. For now though however, the rubber has silenced the noise entirely. So far it rides better than a brand new set of replacement or factory springs with the plastic pads. My truck is stock, without aftermarket lift kits, tires, etc. and has always been serviced at a certified GM Chevrolet dealership. It is pampered and well kept vehicle that is garaged at night. No accidents, damages, etc. and has never been off-road. GM rep from Detroit really rubbed me the wrong way, and the dealer I bought the truck from and had all repairs performed at since purchase went out of their way to cut all ties after the second time I was in about the rear suspension issues. They didn't seem to care to much or even want to resolve the issue, but would rather spend their resources and Band-Aid repairs trying to convince me the problems were just normal for their trucks and live with it. The whole GM experience has opened my eyes as to what they can and will do to cover something up, or eliminate their end of the warranty responsibilities once they can't fix the problem permanently or to an acceptable expected level of repair.
  10. Photos of the plastic wear pads to rubber pad swap - completed. The plastic leaf wear pads/spacers are total junk on these vehicles, and can't be purchased separately. SO this is the fix unless you go out and buy an entire new leaf spring pack and assembly. This pad swap is not a permanent lifetime of the vehicle fix, however I would be betting that it outlasts the factory plastic pads. The dealer mechanic has seen this type of replacement last 50,000 miles or more. I've also updated to 5100 series leveling Bilsteins, from the stock factory GM Ranchos. The rear Ranchos had failed (lost all rebound) at 30,000 highway miles or prior to this. Ranchos made for GM are complete junk as well. As of now, with 500 miles on the rubber pad swap - there are NO noises remaining from the rear of the vehicle. The Bilsteins are much better for road handling. The rubber pads between the springs silenced the noises from the rear of the vehicle and enhanced the on road handling and performance. Eliminated most of the old large boat type body roll in the suspension. It's pathetic GM's engineering dept, R&D and or field test team couldn't come up with a solution. I feel like they want their vehicles to fail after a short time and then try to convince us to just trade it in for pennies on the dollar and buy new. Why would any customer want their product again if it only lasts 25,000 miles?
  11. Just swapped my GM factory plastic spring pads with rubber pads. Not an official repair method per TSB, however I can tell you from experience that this method eliminated all the noises from the rear of the vehicle. No help from the GM regional rep that was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, or technical support, or GM customer service.
  12. GM part#'s on the 2016: Rear leaf spring packs #23401109 - double cab 4x4 - standard leaf spring #23401108 - enhanced tow package spring. I'm assuming the enhanced tow package is a heavier spring capable of heavier capacity loads, but do not know for certain. It would be interesting to see what spring part number people are having issues with. Is it both, or just one of the above mentioned leaf packs? I'll be looking closer at mine to see which set of springs are on it. I still believe it is the plastic abrasion pads that are picking up grit and prematurely wearing or creating friction between the steel leafs. There may also be something going on with the rubber mount bushings and grommet inserts at the ends of the springs. Unfortunately the GM dealer just told me and showed me that GM does not sell the plastic pads or rubber bushings separately. The entire leaf spring assembly is sold as a unit. Hence the reason that GM replaced my springs twice to eliminate the noises during the first 25,000 miles on my vehicle. Probably also why the GM regional rep was telling me they no longer replace the springs again. It's becoming costly for GM to fix our vehicles properly - both from a parts and labor standpoint. Doesn't make it right, and doesn't fix the issue to just clean and lube these parts no matter what type of lubricant or grease. All of these are temporary fixes that don't eliminate the problem permanently or long term. Lubricants only make the issue return faster as they all pick up road grime/grit as you travel down the highway. Will see what GM has in store for us, but its definitely a design flaw they won't admit and own up to.
  13. It's "normal" for GM's Regional Service rep/manager, however I had a local GM service manager, myself, a aerospace machinist, a licensed mechanic and just about everyone on this forum say otherwise on an issue that sounds very similar to yours. Amazing how they weasel their way out of warranty repairs to save the billion dollar corporation $.
  14. Popping in the rear may be leaf springs. Trade in every (50) miles or so is what GM wants.
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