HondaHawkGT

Yeah the E-coating they use isn't great. The coating is thinner than a human hair and scuffs up pretty easy. I've seen a lot of 2015/16 F-150 frames with rust on all the welds, all the sharp edges where holes were punched in the frame rails, etc. Not much of an improvement. I'm not sold on paint being better. After all, the Tacoma and Tundra used painted frames and those are legendary for how fast and aggressive the rust was. I would honestly pay a premium to get a truck with a frame that's epoxy coated. Something like POR-15. That stuff outlasts most other coatings. If only GM would offer such an option...

At least $10k overpriced. An LT Trailboss with the 5.3 should not be $55k. Especially when it still comes with cheap Ranchos and a spacer kit for the lift.

By helper spring, I meant the leaf below the main leaf spring, not the overload leaf. The plastic pads have been available from Dorman for years. There are videos on how to change them on YouTube. Dorman 924-070 Leaf Spring Spacer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C1CECGS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_abfNBbANRS5FR They fit GMT900 trucks. Should also fit K2 trucks. My point wasn't Ram vs Colorado, I just used the comparison to make the point that coil spring rear suspensions compromise payload ratings for a soft ride. Most K2 trucks have 500+ lbs more payload capacity vs a comparable Ram 1500 and the GM truck will sit level with that load in the bed. The Ram will be dragging its bumper.

Mine was clunking too.. At first I suspected it was the spare tire, then I checked for loose leaf spring bolts, re-torqued my new u-bolts, checked for axle shaft slop (c-clip clunk), etc. My "clunk" was caused by the helper leaf spring's plastic guides not sliding smoothly against the main leaf spring. Any time the axle would articulate or the leaf spring flex under decel/accel conditions, the plastic bushings would stick then suddenly break loose and slide (google stick-slip friction), creating a noise that was a combination of a clunk and a creaking noise. I bet some are even getting a slip-yoke clunk. These long parabolic leaf springs have a fair amount of axle-wrap-life twisting under braking and acceleration, which causes the yoke to slip as the distance changes. Both Ford and GM have a history of slip-yoke clunk. Coil springs make a terrible rear suspension for pickup trucks. They require a dozen links and bushings, and the balance of load carrying capacity vs ride quality is bad. Ever since the Ram 1500 switched to a multilink coil spring suspension, the suspension squat was terrible and the payload ratings lose-dived. An Ram 1500 Ecodiesel Longhore Crew Cab with the Ram Box only had a payload rating of around 960 lbs. That meant that if you had 3 people riding along, you might have just a few hundred pounds of payload capacity left for stuff in the bed. Even in 2019, the Ram with its payload rating "boost" is still coming in at around 1300-1500 lbs for a typical configuration. You can get a new Chevy Colorado with 1400 lbs of payload capacity.

I'm sure it would be easy to wire mod the auto-start/stop like the F-150 guys had to start doing a couple years ago when Ford went all in on it. I don't know the specifics but it was simple splicing and required a cheap diode.

The Bison needs a BDS lift to make it look like the real deal. I agree, the ZR2 looks way better with the Bison bumper.

Yeah it needed bigger tires at a minimum. BDS has a big lift coming out for the ZR2 that will allow the use of 35" tires. Anybody know if there are aftermarket gears for these trucks yet? They're using a Dana M220 in the rear. Not sure if anything is available for the front diff yet. Gearing would be my biggest concert followed closely by the ZR2-specific CV axles.

That's a nice shade of blue

Probably has something to do with the fact that modern leaf springs are parabolic for a smoother ride. The F-150 and Tacoma/Tundra have just as many guys with noisey leaf springs. So far I still haven't had my leaf spring squeak come back after pressure washing them and spraying the ends of the 2nd spring with synthetic teflon spray. Mine originally started making noise after taking the rear apart to install taller rear blocks.

Same here $5-10k off 2019 Ram's. Just depends on the area. Ford dealers in many areas have been offering up to $15k off a brand new 2018 F-150 XLT 2.7EB. GM dealers in those areas will definitely have to offering competitive incentives if they want to sell the 2019 trucks. I think that's why GM didn't go all-out on the interior, available configurations, etc. The truck was designed and packages configured to make money even if they had to compete incentive-wise with Ford and Ram.

I'm glad they're offering a sport mode finally. Especially since the ability to tune GM vehicles is getting more difficult all the time. I wouldn't even considering a new GM truck if I was stuck with the same stock tune my 2014 came with.

Ford has slowly been changing over to a plastic oil pan and plug on all of their engines. The 6.7 Powerstroke has had a plastic oil pan for years now. For the last few years the 3.5EB, 2.7EB, and 5.0 Coyote all use them. They are notorious for oil leaks, so common it's shocking how many search results you'll find of guys with Ford oil pan leaks. https://www.f150forum.com/f118/add-me-leaking-oil-pan-list-395374/ https://www.f150ecoboost.net/forum/68-2016-ford-f150-ecoboost-chat/45858-2016-f150-2-7-adventures-case-leaking-oil-pan.html https://www.fordraptorforum.com/threads/oil-pan-leak.58906/

Yep I was about the mention this. I can always tell when a 4th gen has been lifted wrong. It can be ugly if the guy doesn't notice what he's done and the door binds against the fender.

Which is why Ram suddenly became so desperate to eliminate the iconic crosshair grille from Ram trucks, even though every replacement design so far has been ugly as f... Ram couldn't share the same signature design features as Dodge just in case some or all of FCA's brands were suddenly sold off. It will probably happen yet.

GM is beginning to manufacture their own version of the 12-bolt in Michigan. The lack of quality control at AAM was a big contributor to the vibration some had. GM also totally redesigned the frame, increasing rigidity targeting a higher natural resonance. Perhaps that will make it less sensitive to wheel and tire balance.