crushNchowda

Well my 2015 actually ALSO left me & the fam stranded on a vacation, but not due to the AFM hardware - instead had a failed/corroded starter @ like 35-40k miles. 12xxx miles ownership into a 2018 Ford Raptor & VERY happy w/ the change. Good luck w/ your GM - if its on their dime take the repair & drive it for a while then trade out...Rams are nice too, I'm starting to like the look of some of the newest GM trucks as well, but won't be buying anything from them again until it seems like their quality/reliability/service improves.

One thing I'll say after driving the Tundra......when you consider cost, gas mileage, power, & the fact it is so dated & not a fully boxed frame designI feel like a prospective Tundra buyer would be better off w/ a 6.0 equipped GM 2500......will get better gas mileage, way more capable, no AFM crap, & the motor/tranny combo is proven.

Driving an '18 Ford Raptor now....lost my GMC to a deer - not a trade, but when ins. totaled my Sierra I decided after GM getting my $$$ for my last 4 trucks - 2 of which had a number of issues - I decided I should open up my options a little bit. 900 miles on the Raptor now & am happy thus far. All manufacturers will have their issues, just started to seem like I was expecting the stereotypical stuff to just fail on the new GM trucks & like magic just kept happening - lifters, injectors, fuel rail, 3rd brake light, starter, NAV/infotainment, tranny, wheel bearings, torque converter seat, shakes, etc. etc. etc. I was all set w/ potentially getting a "new" '18 waiting for all the old gremlins to reappear or crossing my fingers that a complete redesign 2019 was going to be that much better? All set. Let someone else be GM's guinea pig. Smart biz move by them - my guess is w/ the shoddy quality, Mexican builds, lack of innovation, etc. on the '14-'18 Trucks, plus avoiding warranty claims, reducing the warranty duration mid-cycle, & charging big $$$$ for all of em they probably padded the wallet fairly well.....@ least I hope so after the bailout & then laying thousands upon thousands of people off to boot. First full size Ford, maybe not my last - will see how it holds up. The bar has not been left very high by my past GM trucks sad to say.

Not worried just curious - mostly trying to get the best deal - sooooo, a brand new 2018 leftover w/ a Fabtech level, 33" nitto terra grapplers on black 20" fuel wheels, a corsa exhaust, SLT premium plus w/ a maggie for $54k is a ridiculous deal I totaled my truck need to replace it don't wanna waste much time but want to get the best deal possible. No matter what, SC or not, I'd be leveling it, putting on 33"s (I already have 33" snow tire setup w/ factory 20"s so that works out) & putting on an exhaust - that would all be $3000 in and of itself to begin with. Dealers in my area are not discounting enough IMO, this is a Laura GMC deal - of course I would have to fly out there & ship it, so that's a PITA in a way too, but still - the pricing is just way lower. I don't think it would get only 10 mpg though w/ the AFM still in there - if I'm getting on it sure, but otherwise no. I want a 6.2 CC w/ 20" wheels either SLT premium plus or Denali - Denali would cost me additional $$$ aside from the higher sticker I would IMMEDIATELY drop the magnaride shocks add the delete kit (like $450) & add either Bilstein 5100s or Eibacks which would be another $500-$750 installed. I guess I do save on the bed liner.

Long story short, my truck was totaled last week, got confirmation today. Have been looking around & found a great deal on a leftover 2018 6.2 premium plus w/ a magnason supercharger installed. Seems like they've retained the the stock cam/valvetrain will still go into AFM mode, magnason warranties the engine/transmission above & beyond GM in case something isn't covered. They're telling me the rest of the drivetrain components would still be covered under the factory comprehensive warranty (which seems nuts) - like axles, driveshaft, diffs What kind of gas mileage would I expect to see w/ a setup like this? The truck is also leveled 2.5" & on 33"s, my truck was leveled similarly I was averaging 16.5 mpg overall. I am 1100 miles away from the dealer so can't just go there & check it out myself, I wouldn't be worried about much if it wasn't supercharged since I'm already familiar w/ the platform having 3 of these trucks in the past including the one that just got totaled.

not sure if you already pulled the trigger, but my recommendation would be jumping up to the 34" 275/65R20 KO2's - with these BFG's (and most 33"+ tires) you are going to an 8 to 12 ply LT tire D or E load rated that will be MUCH heavier than stock, so w/ the added unsprung weight (and increased height/angles) you get greater wear/tear on the suspension bits/ball joints/bearings/bushings + you will notice a drop in acceleration, MPG, & braking performance. ON the other hand you gain a better/cushier ride, more ground clearance, better grip on/off road - SO all that being said, since you're already going to be compromising on that front, may as well get the 1"+ (for some reason KO2's are a "short" 275/60R20 tire measuring only 32.9" BUT the 275/65 version of that tire is a true 34" height), the better look, AND they are within 2.5 lbs of each other in terms of weight so you don't really get any additional penalty in the MPG/acceleration/braking depts. Stock 275/55R20's 39-41lbs BFG KO2's in 275/60R20 = 54.5lbs BFG KO2 in 275/65R20 = 57.3lbs + extra 1.2" diameter over the 275/60 You're welcome ;-)

I've had bilstein 5100's @ top setting + 2.25" rear blocks + 33" tires for 40k miles NO ISSUE other than a bad front wheel bearing which I cant say one way or another the lift contributed to. I do know the bilstein leveling shocks supposedly mitigate the stresses/angles on the front suspension components, so that may be worth looking into instead of a couple of POS plastic or metal puck spacers...........food for thought. Eibach also makes a similar leveling system w/ adjustable shocks & their kit can come w/ replacement front springs too which would also help avoid any issues w/ bushings/ball joints.

FWIW I did a complete brake job @ 50-55k miles or so (pads/rotors/fluid/lube) - all sounds disappeared.

FWIW I have Bilstein 5100's all 4 corners top setting in front w/ 33" 275/60R20 Nitto Terra Grapplers + 2.25" (+1") rear blocks. My total before/after ride height for the front was a hair over 2.5"....so either the bilsteins @ top setting are really more like 2" or the tires are a little taller or combo of both. I run 44 psi front 42 rear. I had 2200 lbs of rocks in the bed w/ this setup & it did not appear nose high, it still looked level - that isn't apples to apples to towing a trailer, but I think if you're not maxing it out you'll still have a level ride height may even maintain some rake depending on tongue weight. Here are some pics w/ this setup (no weight in the bed though) - its tough to really see the amount of clearance added w/ the thick stock running boards, but its significant & really is the perfect stance for this generation of GM 1/2 tons IMO. I removed the front chin spoiler/air dam/diffuser (whatever you wanna call it) & that really added to the "lifted" look of the trucks stance, also improved overall clearance, I noticed MAYBE 1/2 mpg difference on the highway, although that could also be attributed to the height increase in general. Actually, I think running 275/65R20's would be the PERFECT look/height, except you can't get a non-LT 8+ply AT tire in that size & I didn't like the drop in acceleration/braking/MPG performance w/ the heavier LT tires so decided to stick w/ the 275/60R20 Nittos. Lastly - 2 pieces of advice, #1 if you get these shocks I'd hit em up w/ some spray can clear coat before installing so they stay nice looking, they have stainless steel body but is 400 series & will oxidize in salty road conditions. #2 - if I were to do it all over again I would look into Eibach's setup as well - they are American made quality shocks & they offer a similar adjustable gas charged shock but also offer it w/ matching front springs (for a lil more $$$). I am satisfied w/ the Bilsteins though & will probably replace them w/ the same model once they're worn out - I have over 50k miles on them so far though & still ride like they did when new.

I dunno guys if the frame was bare, anodized, or galvanized I think fluid film is a good idea, otherwise I think its much more prudent to reapply the same stuff that they came w/ from the factory, combining 2 very different chemical coatings on metal is never a good idea, especially when theres no way of full removing one or the other. Also - the pic in this thread of the FF stripping the factory wax is also more than enough incentive for me NOT to try it lol

I live in MA & my truck gets pummeled w/ road salt/sand etc. all winter. I make a point to re-apply the factory wax coating once yearly smack dab in the middle of SUMMER when its hot & dry so the coating adheres well & also so there's no chance for trapped moisture causing rust beneath the surface later. Depending on the condition 1 or 2 cans does the trick, this year I went heavy & did a full 2 spray cans of it everywhere underneath & it seems like reapplying helps the wax adhere to parts better & keeps it supple w/ way less flaking occurring in between applications - I have 58k miles on this truck, previously my '14 had 45k miles on it before I totaled it and DIDNT treat the frame - its fairly obvious the frame/undercarriage on my current truck is holding up MUCH better. My truck is leveled I don't even really need to lift it up to get a good application (although I do drive it up on ramps to really get a good look underneath) - safety glasses, respirator/handkerchief, a creeper & 1-2 $20 bottles of nox-rust all you need.

I'm not into hunting (AKA dipping/drinking coffee & freezin my ass off in the early morning in the woods ) but way too many around & we need population control so glad you are helping out lol! Nice examples. I see the plow - I thought there weren't really options for plows on our trucks for some reason I thought CC trucks weren't rated for a plow?? How does it do & how much was the setup if you don't mind me asking? Do you get a lot of front end sag w/ the added weight? These trucks are so low from the factory but I have mine lifted about 3" in total between level/tires so that would help

So which is it guy? Are they "looser" or are they "stiffer"??? Sounds like more excuses for piss poor engineering & lazy Mexican manufacturing teams - sounds like big cuts & savings in R&D/Engineering/OEM parts suppliers/labor to help pad the balance sheet after borrowing our tax dollars to prevent bankruptcy. That's pretty much how I look at these piles of trash we all gut suckered into buying under the assumption GM would continue to @ least produce trucks that will match the reliability/durability of their previous offerings - instead they went backwards, probably intentionally & willfully as a business decision to put them in better financial shape - they 10000000000% KNOW These '14-'18 trucks are junkboxes, & the most unfortunate thing I'm starting to realize is that if you expect to get anywhere near a good deal on trade for a new one its gonna have to be @ a GM/Chevy dealer b/c I've already been told from multiple Dodge dealers they "know these are the chevy trucks that shake on the highway or rough trannies because 50% of the time that's why people are trading them in" GM trucks, the gift that keeps on giving!!!!!!!!

I'm happy I was able to keep my '03 Z06 alongside my '15 GMC Sierra.....sad thing is the Z06 is 10x more reliable & better built than my loaded to the gills 6.2 SLT truck....electronic gremlins & panel gaps aside, you can tell somebody actually "gave a sh*T" when they were designing and manufacturing the Z vs. the Sierra. I have 57k on my '15....paid it off recently, I can guarantee I wouldn't have done that & would've just traded it in on something else if it was a '16-'18 w/o the 100k powertrain warranty....main reason I kept it. In that mileage span its gone through multiple lifters/injectors/fuel rails, starter, tranny TSB's for flash & new fluid/filter, radio/touch screen goes haywire randomly, they all shake to some degree, just had a front bearing go south, leaky 3rd brake light, etc. etc. I'm definitely missing some of the issues they all kinda blend together @ this point...... My only hope is that it goes another 80-100k without leaving me stranded a 2nd time & without me having to put any sort of big $$$ into keeping it running other than fluids/brakes/tires. I just want low maintenance/cost for a few years while I focus on saving money & paying my mortgage down. WILL NOT get another 1/2 ton pickup again, the only TRUCKS the big 3 seem to make are HD's, these are glorified soccer mom mobiles w/ a bed in the back. A work colleague just got a new F150 lariat thing stickered for nearly $70k bahahahhahhaha You know what else $70k could buy? Hell, about $45k? I'm pretty sure I could get custom built full blown K Blazer restomod w/ all the goodies that'd be more reliable, less headaches, & more fun to drive than a new loaded mall truck.

Lol well you have an ‘04 which has no “bearing” (pun intended ?) on this thread since we are talking Mexican built post-bailout junkbox GM trucks not ‘04s when GM actually gave a sh*t