Do These Trucks Really Need This Pampering

KyRob · August 16, 2009

I was reading posts on here about whatever seemed interesting and saw where this was done to a truck:

"62500miles - Receipts for everything Oil Change every 4k. Alternated Maint 1/2 every 8k. Transfer Case done at 25k and 50k. Both Diffs done at 50k. Trans at 50k"

Don't get me wrong as I think it would be great to take care of a truck like this but realistically, I don't have the time or money to do this. I have an 04 Sierra 4x4 that I use when my whole family goes to the farm or wherever with me. My daily driver is a 19 1/2 year old Toyota 4x4 that has never had the T fer case,front and rear diffs changed or messed with at all. I put the second set of brake pads on last week but have always changed the oil at 5000 mile intervals. Truck has nearly 200,000 miles on it and I use it on my farm as well. Now, after having said that, I am curious to know whether I should do more maintenance to my GMC than I have been or is it just overkill. I am not being a smart a$$ but would really like to know if these trucks require this type of upkeep. My GMC has 36,000 miles on it and so far has never had any mechanical problems but all I have done to it is changed the oil and replaced all brake pads and rotors.

Thanks for any info,

Rob

ryan_hermanutz · August 16, 2009

I was reading posts on here about whatever seemed interesting and saw where this was done to a truck:

"62500miles - Receipts for everything Oil Change every 4k. Alternated Maint 1/2 every 8k. Transfer Case done at 25k and 50k. Both Diffs done at 50k. Trans at 50k"

Don't get me wrong as I think it would be great to take care of a truck like this but realistically, I don't have the time or money to do this. I have an 04 Sierra 4x4 that I use when my whole family goes to the farm or wherever with me. My daily driver is a 19 1/2 year old Toyota 4x4 that has never had the T fer case,front and rear diffs changed or messed with at all. I put the second set of brake pads on last week but have always changed the oil at 5000 mile intervals. Truck has nearly 200,000 miles on it and I use it on my farm as well. Now, after having said that, I am curious to know whether I should do more maintenance to my GMC than I have been or is it just overkill. I am not being a smart a$$ but would really like to know if these trucks require this type of upkeep. My GMC has 36,000 miles on it and so far has never had any mechanical problems but all I have done to it is changed the oil and replaced all brake pads and rotors.

Thanks for any info,

Rob

Maintain your vehicles the way you want, but they are like women; the better you take care of them the better they will be to you. Don’t base any mechanical experience off your Toyota that truck is different from the start and was designed to take much more abuse than your people hauling GMC. Follow the recommended maintenance program based on your driving and it will last as long as you’re Toy.

bossier62guy · August 16, 2009

I was reading posts on here about whatever seemed interesting and saw where this was done to a truck:

"62500miles - Receipts for everything Oil Change every 4k. Alternated Maint 1/2 every 8k. Transfer Case done at 25k and 50k. Both Diffs done at 50k. Trans at 50k"

Don't get me wrong as I think it would be great to take care of a truck like this but realistically, I don't have the time or money to do this. I have an 04 Sierra 4x4 that I use when my whole family goes to the farm or wherever with me. My daily driver is a 19 1/2 year old Toyota 4x4 that has never had the T fer case,front and rear diffs changed or messed with at all. I put the second set of brake pads on last week but have always changed the oil at 5000 mile intervals. Truck has nearly 200,000 miles on it and I use it on my farm as well. Now, after having said that, I am curious to know whether I should do more maintenance to my GMC than I have been or is it just overkill. I am not being a smart a$$ but would really like to know if these trucks require this type of upkeep. My GMC has 36,000 miles on it and so far has never had any mechanical problems but all I have done to it is changed the oil and replaced all brake pads and rotors.

Thanks for any info,

Rob

Go with the GM recommendations posted in your manual.....lots of people here are definitely going over and above what I think is necessary.

C. Charles Hahn · August 16, 2009

The way I look at it, maintaining a truck is just cheap insurance. The chances that you'll have a breakdown or encounter major mechanical problems is greatly reduced when you keep up with these things.

Matt_ · August 16, 2009

Go with the GM recommendations posted in your manual.....lots of people here are definitely going over and above what I think is necessary.

^^ This.

I'm one of those people that go overkill with my maintenance. BUT, i do all my own work and I enjoy working on my truck. Draining and filling my T-Case and Differentials every 25k miles is a breeze... it's only about 2 hours worth of work and maybe $100, and I only put about 12-13k on a year, so its not like a monthly thing Change my oil & rotate my tires every 5k (about 5 months) and flush my coolant every 2 years... etc.

If i didn't do all my own work, I'd probably just bring it in for service per the OEM recommendations.

bossier62guy · August 16, 2009

The way I look at it, maintaining a truck is just cheap insurance. The chances that you'll have a breakdown or encounter major mechanical problems is greatly reduced when you keep up with these things.

No one said that performing routine maintenance was a bad idea.....just that lots of people here go overboard w/ the frequency....I'll stick to what GM recommends for my vehicle, you do what you feel you have to do....I think the OP was concerned that he would need to baby his truck for it to survive and I think he'll do just fine going by what GM suggest

WilliamsVMAX · August 16, 2009

I do my oil changes when oil monitor tells me, I rotate tires every 15k or there about, I have done a 4X4 service (included diff's) at around 60k, and I just done a transmission service at 106K. My truck in in perfect condition....now they told me I need a shit load of stuff done since its over 100k....power steering service, brake fluid service, emissions service, and spark plugs changed. A couple of those including transmission service were suppose to be done at 50k they told me. I think in the end it all depends on the person and, how picky you wanna be on keeping your truck maintained.