kevinfranklin

I'd like to add a bug-rock deflector, but I'm a little leery about using double-sided tape directly onto my paint that's going to sit out in the sun for hours and hours, baking. I know folks use these all the time, but are there any long-term issues with this tape damaging the paint if not "refreshed" every few years?

Cool....after waffling back and forth, I think I'm going to go with the 5100's, even though my truck's not lifted, because they're a few $$ more and look way better than the yellow & blue 4600's (if they both come in both variants, I didn't notice it) Thanks all for the input!

So I also have the crap Ranchos, and am trying to decide whether to spend big-bucks on Fox coilovers or just try the Bilsteins first. I don't offroad, and this is my daily driver, so I'd like to NOT be able to tell that I drove over that penny head-up or tails ( ;) ) which I can currently, so can you describe the ways the Bilsteins have improved your ride?

Agreed....... so can you post a pic of your install? And did anyone find the previous thread of the guy who did this same thing? Is the bike tube single layer, with nothing else used at all? Did you jack up the truck to get it all the way "in" (insert jokes here......)

Ah well thanks for the honest feedback...... and that's kinda what I figured, so I'm glad I didn't drop $1600 and then be SUUUPER disappointed. I'll just get used to knowing whether the penny I just drove over was heads-up or tails. ;) If anyone else has had drastically different results, let me know, but I'm guessing, like Bush said, the improvements occur are realized on "big hits."

I may get roasted for asking this on this thread, but I've looked around and haven't found anyone who's had both Bilstein 5100's and Fox Coilovers. My truck only has 8k on it, but the Rancho's drive me nuts.......at least I THINK they're contributing to me feeling every little bump in the road, and making the truck shake a bit if I roll over a section of rough paving. I'm willing to pay for what will increase my satisfaction of my ride, since it is my daily driver and I just hate noticing and then worrying whether what I'm feeling is tranny related or just shock related. Update: I've talked to a couple shock dealers and the folks at Accutune seemed most knowledgeable.......and they're convinced that for "smoothness" I won't see much improvement in the FOX shocks over Bilsteins unless I go with the Fox 2.5 with reservoirs. Does that sound accurate?

Well, you hadn't sent him the link to those shims yet, silly. Although they do say they "Split 4x as easily as wood shims" so maybe some folks want something with a perfect fit that they have 100% confidence in.

Ha ha!!!! I love the extreme clothes changing regimen ( ) but please don't use dish towels when washing......I can hear the screeching of particulate and rough cotton on your paint from here. A good wash mitt (2 preferably) or SOFT microfiber towels don't drag the crap along the paint quite as firmly.

All 4 do go down on my '17........not sure when that started. Maybe it's configurable, but I've never looked.

Fellow member THOMCAT listed this one in the original thread and I use it constantly now. I don't drive aggressively, and like to coast a lot, drive "ahead" and try to avoid braking when possible, etc. so I'm overly conscious of any shift vibrations/hesitations/rough shifts/etc. This tip REALLY helps me feel better about my tranny and how long it feels like it will last. Although I have yet to research the difference between 1st and 2nd stage braking (is it speed related?) ........ and I'd LOVE to figure out how to make this a switchable feature so I didn't have to do it each time I start up. "Holding in the trailer button on the end of the stalk turns off the first stage grade braking for the full key start cycle , shifts smoother and coasts longer. Second stage grade braking in Z71s is unaffected."

And if you tap it while they're going down, they stop in place.

If you're moderately OCD and want to avoid MOST swirls on black clearcoat (you'll never totally avoid them, and GM's is middle of the road durable) you'll need to check out a guy on YouTube, AmmoNY, who's got some GREAT presentations on how to properly keep a car REALLY clean and as scratch-free as you choose to be. He's a pro, so goes the extra mile, but you can pick and choose some of his pointers to get you 90% of the way there.

Instead, how about "TMHTMOCISATTSTCFIAGI" ....... (the manual has too much obvious crap in it so a thread that summarizes the cool features is a great idea)

Agreed!! With all the crap that ends up in the glovebox, I prefer to keep the manuals/etc intact and readily available. I even asked my dealer and they said they wish they had some with all the requests they get......do you like the one you found on Amazon?

So maybe I'm too used to Japanese and German cars, but every time I drive my truck, I'm keenly aware of most shift points, and also notice what I refer to as "cycling vibrations" that lasts ~1 sec, every 3 sec or so......... which might be the torque converter (?) when cruising at around 45 mph, and also when just coasting down to a stop. I tend to drive super conservatively since I keep my vehicles for 14 years on average and want it to last, but this tranny makes me think there's no way it will last that long......but then again, maybe I have too high of expectations and am just being too picky. Oh, and that's AFTER a custom tune.