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Zane Merva Executive Editor / Publisher - GM-Trucks.com October 10th, 2019 Chevrolet is giving the not so subtle hint that the rumored Silverado ZRX model is about to become reality. Today, the brand announced that a "Silverado Race Truck" would compete in this weekend's Laughlin Desert Classic alongside the Hall Racing Colorado ZR2. Interestingly, the Silverado will compete in the Desert's 1200 Stock Class, which limits changes to suspension, under body, and race-safety equipment. What does that mean? This truck is not only ready to race, it's close to production too. The "Silverado Race Truck" is outfitted with a number of aftermarket goodies that look like they were ripped right off a Colorado ZR2. Starting as an LT Trail Boss with the 6.2L V8, the Silverado Race Truck is outfitted with a long travel suspension, front and rear jounce shocks and Multimatic DSSV dampers. In short... the modifications that Chevy applies to the Colorado for the ZR2 model. Why didn't Chevy just come out and call this the ZRX Race Truck? We're not sure, but there's no doubt this is a low flying announcement made to pave the way towards an eventual Silverado model that emulates the ZR2's success in a larger package. Whether that's enough to take on the Ford Raptor is too early to determine. Stay tuned for updates on the "Silverado Race Truck" and future Silverado ZRX.
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Thom Cannell Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com December 6, 2018 Last month Chevrolet invited us to test the Chevrolet Bison, a ZR2 derivative with distinctive upgrades that add to its already solid off road capabilities. Built off the already-capable Z7R2, American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) provided the collaborative additions that created Bison. It retains the class-exclusive front and rear locking differentials from ZR2, and high-zoot Multimatic DSSV dampers. The design of the Dynamic Suspensions Spool Valve dampers uses hollow cylindrical sleeves instead of familiar discs. These were used first on race cars including Champ cars, LeMans prototypes and F1 They provide superb off road damping, particularly on rough trails where they offer greater passenger comfort. Getting to the grit of it, a pickup is hard-pressed to have the approach angle of a Jeep, and impossible for a production bed to provide a really short departure. Nonetheless, Bison does a very good job of going over rocks. One of the AEV additions is a set of five hot-stamped Boron-steel skid plates to protect the oil pan, fuel tank, transfer case and front and rear locking differentials, which we tested extensively. “As this is the first Chevrolet vehicle we’ve given the AEV treatment to,” said Dave Harriton, founder and president of AEV, “we wanted to do something special with the industry’s first use of hot-stamped Boron steel.” We think he’s referring to the off-road industry, as hot stamped High Strength Steel is the basis for modern crash-worthy chassis. However, those skid plates kept the rocks out of our oil pan. Some of the Bison upgrades are more cosmetic than necessary, like replacing the bowtie grille a free-flowing CHEVROLET front grille, Bison decals on the bedsides and an AEV Bison logo on the tailgate plus an embroidered AEV on the floor liners and front head rests. Branding, eh? Performance-oriented changes include the stamped steel front and rear bumpers. The front bumper allows adding a winch (would you go off roading without a winch??), fog lamps and integrated recovery points. As a truck designed to venture deep into open spaces, Chevy added 31-inch Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac tires mounted on Bison-specific 12x8-inch aluminum wheels. We tested those, too, and they have plenty of grip on rocks, and in loose dirt. Note that the ZR2 cast-iron control arms and Autotrac transfer case are retained, along with the ZR2’s 3.42:1 axle ratio and front/rear tracks wider by 3.5-inches. Compared to a ZR1, Bison is lifted by two-inches. Our test vehicle was powered by the new 2.8-liter Duramax diesel (186 hp., 369 lb.-ft.) mated to a six-speed transmission. It was the crew cab model; with the short bed which including some AEV upgrades. On our highway drive towards an off-road park, we noted that the Bison was extremely quiet, and not just “quiet, for a truck”. No, it was quiet for any kind of vehicle, including a Cadillac. After switching the transfer case into 4WD-high, we bucked our way towards the promised bigger challenges. Along our trail—nothing extreme but way off the beaten path—we again noted there hadn’t been a single squeak, rattle, or buzz. The only odd sounds in the cabin were from the zippers on our camera bags. Bison’s frame is stiff; there’s no tweaking, everything is absolutely tight. There was no way to call out the suspension and its Multimatic spool-valve-type dampers, however the suspension was supple on the rough trail. Another noise-related note, we picked up no rock noise in the wheel wells despite being pushed around by potholes, rocks and dips. We might as well have been on the freeway, from a noise perspective. Our truck had almost every American Expedition accessory available. There were LED fog or trail-search lights on the hood, a ladder rack and a storage bin system mounted below a false bed. We only lacked the Baja-style intake snorkel. The bolted-on roof rack may have added stiffness to the already ultra-stiff box frame, which allowed the suspension do its work. Watching the vehicles ahead of us, we could see how steady the beds were, and how much the suspension was working. For a stock vehicle, there was plenty of travel available. Bison has a solid rear axle and independent front suspension, and there is a divide among off roaders and rock climbers as to whether a solid axle or independent rear suspension is better. Rock climbers seem to prefer solid rear axles. We thought the ZR2-based Bison chassis with a Duramax diesel made off roading almost a no-challenge event. The diesel engine was totally on-point with torque, needing only a light application of brakes for stability when balancing on rocks. Comparatively, those who had the standard V-6 gasser had a harder time of it, using more throttle to obtain torque, then having to feather the throttle and brake to stay on track. If you've never done rock crawling, you must apply power to get up, apply brake to stop, before being guided down in the correct direction. Yeah, it's really hard to see the front wheels through the engine. One of the options Chevy will offer through dealers is a shorter, cut off exhaust tip. We strongly recommend this if you’re going rock crawling. Many of us “modified” the longer exhaust tips when crawling off rocks. After crawling a rock canyon we grouped to head for lunch. Parked on a hill with loose sand and the tranny set in 4WD high, there wasn't enough traction. Locking the rear differential made climbing the hill as simple as stepping on the throttle, in that low traction situation. Having complete control over axles and each wheel made off roading and rock crawling easy, even for beginners. Note that, in our opinion, the Duramax doesn't deliver optimum fuel economy for the Bison. It's good, but not great. Where it shines is in torque availability for off roading. We can see the Bison with Duramax as a perfect combination for off road camping, adventuring, and modest towing. It's quiet. While on our rock crawls, there was never a sound from the chassis, no wracking, graunching, squeaks or rattles other than when we skidded over rock on those Boron steel protectors. It was billet solid. In fact, we'd go so far as to say our Bison was quieter than a standard Silverado and totally ready for any off road adventure. Interested in the Colorado ZR2? Join the GM-Trucks.com Colorado ZR2 Facebook Group!
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Zane Merva Executive Editor / Publisher - GM-Trucks.com October 8th, 2019 Chevrolet is ready to race the 2021 Colorado. Like, really ready to race. This week in fact. The new face for the Colorado mid-size truck will make its public debut October 10th during the 2019 Method Race Wheels Laughlin Desert Classic and will be driven by Hall Racing. Here's a sneak peek at the all new face of the Colorado. Chevrolet also gave us a showing of the production 2021 ZR2 that will debut in one month at the 2019 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Check back with us in November for our first hand take at the new ZR2 when we visit the SEMA Show. Anyways, let's take a look at the changes. What's new with the 2021 Colorado? First off, the changes so far seem to be cosmetic and packaging only. No new features or changes in specs have been announced yet. However, the exterior has been warmed over to bring it in line with the Silverado's front end, without breaking the bank on a full redesign (which is expected in the 2023-2024 MY time frame). Here's the announced 2021 changes. New front end appearance for ZR2 model. Only Colorado model to have "Flow-through Chevrolet Fascia". WT, LT, and Z71 trim levels will receive updated center bars, lower fascias, and new front skid plates. WT and LT will feature "all-new" gold Chevy bowties while the Z71 trim is adorned with a black bowtie. All models receive embossed 'Chevrolet" tailgates and ditch the traditional bowtie on the rear of the vehicle. A new "Sand Dune Metallic" will be offered on Z71 and ZR2 models only. What do you think about the new face of the Colorado?
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John Goreham Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com 5-10-2018 A Colorado ZR2 owner, Joe F., at the Facebook Colorado ZR2 Club has reported a disturbing airbag deployment that occurred during some relatively benign soft-roading. If you’d like to jump directly to the club’s page you can do so here. Joe’s truck was just under a month old when this occurred. He had not modified the truck in any unusual way. He had added a winch and LED lights. Other than that his truck was bone stock. Joe says that just prior to the side curtain airbag deployment, “I was moving up a hill slowly in 4WD LOW with OFFROAD MODE on, passenger side wheel in a rut which had me leaning to the right. It certainly wasn’t leaned over too much. Going maybe 3 mph.” Joe’s image above shows the road that he was on. Joe says the event “…was quite a violent deployment (explosion).” He was not injured, and the truck was able to run after the event. Joe has provided a long version of the events that took place after the improper deployment. He has had difficulties with GM. Neither the dealer nor GM wants to handle fixing the truck, which has an estimated repair cost of $6,500. Since the circular firing squad is only just now being put together, we will hold off on saying GM won’t take responsibility at the end of the debacle. You can read Joe’s full overview of the situation to date at the link above for all the gory details on his struggles to get help. If Joe posts a final outcome story we will update this post, or add another. This sad story leaves us wondering if any other GM-Trucks.com members have ever had an airbag deploy during off-roading. YouTube does have some videos of airbags deploying when they should not, but there are surprisingly few. If something similar has happened to you, or you witnessed it happening, please give us the story.
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John GorehamContributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com11-8-2018 General Motors made an unusual request today of GM-Trucks.com. Our contact at the Chevy Truck department asked us to report that GM is launching a new campaign to adjust the sensitivity of the airbags in the Chevy Colorado ZR2. This is a refreshing change from the industry standard practice of soft-pedaling recalls and product programs. Here is the unedited information we were asked to convey: As you are aware, there have been reports of Colorado ZR2 owners whose roof-mounted side airbags deployed while off-roading. Upon learning of this issue, Chevrolet took immediate action to understand the root cause and create a solution. Today, we notified Chevrolet dealers of a customer-satisfaction initiative to recalibrate the thresholds for the roof-mounted side airbags for ZR2 owners. The updated calibration is available as of today, and will be installed free of charge the next time the customers takes their ZR2 to a Chevrolet dealer. There have been 11 reports of Colorado ZR2 owners whose roof-mounted side airbags deployed while off-roading. Chevrolet is working to reimburse those ZR2 customers for the cost of repair, provided the event data was available to confirm the incident. We are incredibly proud of the ZR2 and the off-road capability it offers, and are encouraged to see customers are using the truck as intended. If customers have questions, they should contact their local dealer or Chevrolet Customer Assistance at 800-833-2438 GM-Trucks.com readers may recall that in May we covered the news that owners were beginning to report that the airbags in their Colorado trucks were deploying while off-roading (and not in a crash). You can read the prior full report here and see more images. Our reporting leaned heavily on images and reports from GM-Truck.com member Joe F. Since Joe's information was made available, other owners have also reported the same problem. We will do our best to get new information from Joe F. and how he is reimbursed. Our thanks to GM for asking us to be involved in disseminating this important product update program.
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So My current 2001 4 door Blazer plow truck/daily driver needs a ton of work. It has over 243K on the clock, very low oil pressure, a leaky heater core, cracked windshield, and multiple emissions problems that I've been leaving unfixed because I don't care (EGR, Air pump, etc.). Oh, and lots and lots of rust. Did I mention it's a 4 door, I hate 4 doors. Anyways, I saw a 1999 Two door ZR2 show up on Facebook Marketplace with 134K and an engine knock for $580 bucks with brand new tires so I immediately message the seller and went to look at it. I talked him down to $500 and towed it back to my shop. Oh, and it even had a full tank of gas. (bonus!) Sounds like a bad rod knock. Will most likely need a crankshaft, rod and rebuild, but I might be able to find a cheap used engine. I already located the correct pushplates locally to mount the fisher plow, So I'll pick those up sometime this week (they are different plates than the standard Blazer takes). Tomorrow after work I will pull the oil pan and see what actually failed. So here's a pic of the truck: and here's a picture of my current 2001 Blazer that is going to be retired (junk yard) after I keep it for a few months to rob any parts that I may need for the new one. And my beat Fisher Plow:
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John Goreham Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com 5-15-2019 The same folks that GM turned to for the specialty equipment on the Colorado ZR2 Bison have created a fantastic tray bed concept of the truck. America Expedition Vehicles (AEV) built the concept for Overland Expo West. The concept truck shows off new high-clearance fender flares that AEV has developed. AEV took the new tray bed concept Bisons on a three-day off-road desert adventure to see how well they new bed would hold up. The post-trip report is that it worked flawlessly. The new fender flares allow for the fitment of 35" wheels without a lift kit. The new tray bed and fender flares are presently in development. AEV hopes to have more information for those interested soon. Follow AEV via its website, or at the company's Facebook page. Images courtesy of AEV and Scott Brady.
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John Goreham Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com 11-13-2018 Chevrolet announced a new list today for Colorado ZR2 race components. The list consists of 15 off-road racing parts ranging from the ZR2's special Multimatic DSSV shocks ($4,187.50) to jounce shock systems ($1,231.35 front and $1,543.75 rear). The parts are presently all suspension-related. Chevy has not included any engine upgrade parts. These parts were developed by Chevrolet Performance in conjunction with Multimatic and Hall Racing. Chad Hall drove over 10,000 miles in two race series using beta versions of these components to wring out any bugs and to ensure a perfect final product for Colorado owners. “Off-road racing is a brutal test of a vehicle, and especially its suspension components,” said Mark Dickens, executive director of Chevrolet Performance Variants, Parts and Accessories and Motorsports. “Over two years, Chad mercilessly pushed these ZR2 parts to the limit for the ultimate in development and validation. After seeing the success of the Colorado ZR2, customers have been hounding Chad for help building their own ‘Hall Racing ZR2,’” Dickens continued. “For the first time, you can buy the same Chevy Performance Parts that raced and won in the desert. All you need to add is the required safety equipment to build a pre-runner for scouting the Baja 1000 or a full-blown race truck capable of competing in the race itself.” Chevy says that these racing versions of the similar parts already on every ZR2 focus on desert running while preserving low-speed off-road performance. For example, the parts can add an additional 1-inch suspension lift and a 1.5-inch Body Lift on top of the ZR2’s factory ride height and up to 15 percent more suspension travel for extreme high-speed off-roading. AThe racing Multimatic DSSV dampers are engineered to go beyond the already formidable bandwidth of ZR2’s stock DSSVs. The available Multimatic Front Long Travel DSSV Shocks provide customers with a 15 percent increase in overall front suspension travel, while the Multimatic long travel rear shocks increase rear suspension travel by as much as 10 percent. “These parts can be purchased individually to suit each customer’s needs, or as a complete package,” said Dickens. “This gives customers the flexibility to build their truck up over time, purchase only the parts they need for their particular interest, or buy the complete set to build their own ‘Hall Racing’ ZR2.” Jump to the new online list here.
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John Goreham Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com 11-9-2018 Chevrolet announced the prices for its Colorado ZR2 Bison today. The V-6 extended cab Colorado ZR2 Bison starts at $48,045, or $49,645 for crew cab models (including $995 destination). This represents a $5750 premium over the ZR2. Given the additional content which includes rear steel bumpers, full skid plates, and fender flares, plus the Chevrolet-backed warranty, Chevy says this represents a relative bargain. GM offered a comparison to a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited. GM says the equivalent Jeep would ring in at $50,025. Dave Harriton, president and founder of American Expedition Vehicles (GM's partner for the Bison), commented on the Bison's pricing, saying, “Although they play different roles, and are for different customers, a fully loaded Rubicon with similar levels of capability and equipment will be over $50,000. However, when looking at other factory off-road vehicles on the market, the ZR2 Bison is unmatched for all-around versatility.”
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John Goreham Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com 11-9-2018 Chevrolet is building upon its huge sales success of the new generation Colorado with two new special editions. GM credits the Colorado and Canyon with helping the company to become the largest seller of pickups. “The success of Colorado helped reignite the midsize truck segment, which increased 27 percent from 2015 to 2017,” said Sandor Piszar, director of Marketing for Chevrolet Trucks. “It changed what customers expected from a midsize truck, brought new customers to Chevrolet and has inspired competitors to follow Chevy’s lead.” The first Colorado special edition is a street-focused RST is based on the LT trim. The new RST features a monochromatic exterior offset with a black beltline and body side moldings. The RST also adds a black tailgate bowtie, Colorado and RST badges. The RST becomes first Colorado trim to offer 20-inch wheels, finished in low-gloss black. Like the Bison, the RST will wear the flow-through “CHEVROLET” lettered grille. The new Colorado Z71 Trail runner begins with the Z71 package and adds the Colorado ZR2’s underbody protection and rubber. These include aluminum front and mid skid plates, functional rocker protection and Goodyear Duratrac tires. With this new trim, Chevrolet offers four distinct Colorado levels of off-road capability: - Colorado Z71: Z71 Off-Road Suspension, automatic locking rear differential and unique 17-inch painted wheels and all-terrain tires. - New Colorado Z71 Trail Runner: Adds additional off-road protection to the Z71 trim with the Colorado ZR2’s front and mid skid plates, rocker protection and 17-inch Goodyear Duratrac tires standard. - Colorado ZR2: Compared to a standard Colorado, the ZR2 features a factory-installed 3.5-inch wider track and a suspension lifted by 2 inches. Class-exclusive features include front and rear electronic locking differentials and Multimatic DSSV Dampers. The ZR2 also features front and mid skid plates, rocker protection and front and rear bumpers modified for better off-road clearance. - Colorado ZR2 Bison: The ZR2 Bison adds even more extreme off-road capability with five hot-stamped Boron steel skid plates and stamped steel front and rear bumpers with front winch provisions and rear recovery points.
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Perhaps Chevy's plan to increase production of Colorados a bit is taking shape and will allow Chevy to produce more specialty mid-size trucks. With sales still strong GM could bring the new ZR2 to market around the same time that Toyota's Tacoma TRD Pro begins to arrive. What do you think? Is Chevy going to market the ZR2 or just keep on teasing fans?
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The first thing that some in attendance thought was "Where is the Colorado version of this truck?" The Colorado is very capable off-road, but Chevy and GMC don't market anything this extreme- yet. The Z71 Trail Boss is more than most buyers will ever need, but what does "need" have to do with these special edition off-road trucks? The 2017 Tacoma TRD Pro will come in just three colors and orange is not one of them. Buyers will choose from Cement, Barcelona Red Metallic, and Super White. The style enhancements include: Front grille with color-keyed surround, blacked out hood scoop and graphic, color-keyed power outside mirrors with turn signal indicators, color-keyed door handles, black overfenders, and a color-keyed rear bumper. Many of the standard features on the TRD Pro are already found on the TRD Off-road, like the V6 engine and the Goodyear Wrangler with Kevlar tires. Here are the big upgrades in bullet point: •16-inch TRD black alloy wheels with Goodyear Wrangler® All-Terrain Kevlar®-reinforced tires •TRD Pro aluminum front skid plate • FOX 2.5 Internal Bypass shocks tuned by TRD •TRD-tuned front springs with a 1-inch lift •TRD-tuned rear suspension with progressive-rate off-road leaf spring •4WDemand part-time 4WD with a transfer case • Automatic Limited-Slip Differential (Auto LSD) •Rigid Industries® LED fog lights •Projector-beam headlights with black bezels, LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL), and auto on/off feature •Taillights with black bezels •TRD Pro badge on front door with diamond-pattern knurled finish •Black TRD Pro and 4x4 rear tailgate badging The interior also has its own changes which include: •Black TRD Pro leather-trimmed heated front seats with TRD Pro logo located in the headrest •4-way adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar support and 4-way adjustable front passenger seat •Entune™ Premium Audio with Integrated Navigation and App Suite •TRD shift knob •TRD Pro floor mats •Leather-trimmed tilt/telescopic steering wheel with audio and Bluetooth® hands-free phone controls •Rear parking assist sonar •Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (RCTA) Every TRD Pro also gets the V6 Tow Package that includes a Class-IV towing receiver hitch, ATF cooler (automatic only), engine oil cooler, power steering cooler, 130-amp alternator, 4- and 7-pin connector with convertor, and Trailer-Sway Control (TSC) Having just tested a TRD Off-Road with the Premium and Technology Packages at $37K, expect the 2017 Toyota TRD Pro to be a $40K truck out the door.
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The first ZR2 pickup was produced in 1994 and was available as an option on the compact S-10. It added a beefed up rear axle, wider suspension track, larger BFG All-Terrrain KO tires, and four-wheel drive. Powered by a huge 4.3L V6, the ZR2 was unstoppable off-road. Unfortunately, when the S-10 was shelved in 2003, so was the ZR2. Now, in 2014, it looks like it may return. Introduced last night in Los Angles, the Colorado ZR2 concept is modified extensively from a "stock" Chevrolet Colorado. Most dramatically, the ZR2 is four-inches wider than a factory Colorado. The ZR2 also has a 2-inch lift, unique front and rear fascias, flip out tow hooks, and electronic locking front/rear differentials. Read here to see the official horsepower and torque figures for the 2.8L Duramax Engine The Colorado ZR2 is all about off-road capability and is designed in the spirit of a pre-runner. New front control arms are paired with new shocks that have reserve reservoirs mounted in the front fascia. Approach and departure have been greatly improved over the stock Colorado's 25/21 degree angles. The ZR2 has a 30.7 degree approach angle and a 22.7 degree departure angle. Main features of the Colorado ZR2 Concept Builds on Colorado Z71 as a platform Four inches wider than production Z71 Two-inch lift kit Integrated skid plates 30.7-degree approach / 22.7-degree departure Flip-out aluminum tow hooks Front winch integrated with front fascia Mono-tune coil-over shock absorbers by King Electronic front/rear locking differentials 18-inch aluminum multi-spoke bead-lock rims Custom wheel flares All new grille and headlight housings New front and rear fascia Cyprus Green Exterior Color with Henna Orange accents ZR2 logos on exterior and interior 2.8L Duramax Diesel / 181-hp & 369 lb-ft Chevrolet is giving strong signals that the ZR2 will be produced. See this quote; “Chevrolet has a heritage of the ZR2 representing the ultimate in production-based off-road capability and we’ll gauge the public’s interest in this concept as we continue to explore the possibilities for the all-new Colorado.” As any current or prior ZR2 owner will attest, the idea that the RPO code could make a come back is exciting. Look for more details about the ZR2 in the future, tell Chevrolet you want one, and cross your fingers!