Off-roading In A Gmt900

Garrett Street · May 2, 2011

I'm thinking of selling my 99' Silverado and buying a GMT900 truck. After driving one recently I realized just how much nicer they really are. But, there are some things that I really love about my truck. My 99' is a SBSC, Z71, 4x4, 5.3, 3.73 and has a small lift with decent mud tires. Basically, I point it somewhere and it goes there. I'm the guy that people call when they're stuck. Now, my question to you guys. Will I be disappointed if I trade into a newer truck? I'm looking at an 09 Chevy Silverado, 5.3 w/6speed, 3.42, Extended cab, Z71 4x4. I plan on leveling the front end as soon as I get it and, depending on the tires that are on it, throwing some Nitto Trail Grabbers under it.

I apologize for the long windedness of my post. But, all I really want to know is how these trucks handle the off-road. Can they be trusted to haul a load of firewood through the creek, the muddy pasture and up to my house? Can they handle the rutted hunting trails I travel? Does deep snow give yall' trouble?

Thanks and cheers!

rgv · May 2, 2011

I'm thinking of selling my 99' Silverado and buying a GMT900 truck. After driving one recently I realized just how much nicer they really are. But, there are some things that I really love about my truck. My 99' is a SBSC, Z71, 4x4, 5.3, 3.73 and has a small lift with decent mud tires. Basically, I point it somewhere and it goes there. I'm the guy that people call when they're stuck. Now, my question to you guys. Will I be disappointed if I trade into a newer truck? I'm looking at an 09 Chevy Silverado, 5.3 w/6speed, 3.42, Extended cab, Z71 4x4. I plan on leveling the front end as soon as I get it and, depending on the tires that are on it, throwing some Nitto Trail Grabbers under it.

I apologize for the long windedness of my post. But, all I really want to know is how these trucks handle the off-road. Can they be trusted to haul a load of firewood through the creek, the muddy pasture and up to my house? Can they handle the rutted hunting trails I travel? Does deep snow give yall' trouble?

Thanks and cheers!

going from a reg-cab short-box to a ext-cab short box is going to make a bigger difference than the GMT-800 to 900

you will learn to hate stabil-trak and traction control though. Nuisance to have to remember to shut it off.

For the $2-$4k your 99 is worth on a trade-in, I say keep it for a bush truck.

AirForceAngler · May 2, 2011

Another thing I've noticed on the 900's versus the early 800's (1999-2002) is an increased front overhang. The nose on the newer trucks is a lot longer which decreases your approach angles and makes it a pain to go thru ruts and ditches.

mhenshaw · May 2, 2011

You will hate how little tire clearance you have with the GMT900. Also if you look at the fenders or bumpers wrong they will dent.

Garrett Street · May 2, 2011

I was considering that. I mean, my 99' is really an awesome truck, it's just not something I want to live with everyday anymore. It's load, slow, rough riding and cramped. But man o man will it go down a trail.

Thanks for the advice, keep it comin'!

rgv · May 2, 2011

Another thing I've noticed on the 900's versus the early 800's (1999-2002) is an increased front overhang. The nose on the newer trucks is a lot longer which decreases your approach angles and makes it a pain to go thru ruts and ditches.

yeah I forgot about that, there was a lot of publicity about the hazard light trucks and suvs posed to cars, and the makers started lowering the bumpers at the front. Those huge painted front bumper corners on the Chevs must take a beating too.

and now that I think of it, your 99 has the in-cab dust filtering and rear disk brakes that are easier to clean after lots of exposure to dirt

uh6tdrvr · May 2, 2011

I think you will like the 09. I have an 09 CC Z71 and it does pretty good, although i am coming from a 94 Suburban that i drove thru the woods and it was alot heavier in the back. I haven't gotten it real dirty but it seems to do well IF you remember to turn the TC and Stabilitrac off. The leveling kit will help get the front end up but the drive is alot better. I can probably see a 4-6 in lift in my future just for clearance. I wont go with anything bigger than a 33 though just for daily driving. Dont know what your situation is but you could keep the 99 for your dirty truck but i think that the 09 will do just fine. FYI, you can put a 305 60 on the 18 in Z71 wheels with just a leveling kit.

MikeNH · May 2, 2011

My 03 was a regular cab/shortbed and while I didn't take it off road all too often, I was always very surprised at how well it would do. Honestly, for the trails I used to run up here in NH, I wouldn't think of taking my 2011 (extended cab/shortbed). It seems way wider even though I don't think it is, it is obviously longer (119" wheelbase vs. 143.5") as well. Also, the larger wheel/less sidewall issue on my truck (18" wheels) make wheel damage more likely. The new truck would just be a handful off road.

Garrett Street · May 2, 2011

So most of you would say that the new truck wouldn't make me happy in the off-road dept? Has anyone done any work-oriented off-roading? I understand that the extra wheel base will be a bitch, but it's worth it to me. My main concern is the weight, they're heavy trucks. I know my girlfriends dad's Tundra just sinks under it's own weight. The GMT900's are a bit lighter so I figure they'd do a bit better.

BlackSilver · May 3, 2011

I realize my truck is larger than your considering, so take this just for what it's worth.

I'm off road quite a lot (farm fields, ditches, and "minimum maintenance" farm and mountain roads). My truck is stock (not lifted) and tires are just one size larger than factory-issue.

Taking into account the size (long bed, crew cab) I'm very happy with how it performs.

Mckenzie · May 3, 2011

Keep your 99 and use it as your trail riding truck...I can almost guarantee you that will not want to take a brand new 30K truck off road... The 99-02 trucks are amazing off road and dont have all that electronic crap that thew new ones have

mossbum · May 3, 2011

ive had mine on some pretty rough fire roads and trails up at my old boy scout camp as well as slogging around nasty rain soaked fields. it does fine with a good set of tires and all the electronic traction business disabled. i say go for it.

MikeNH · May 3, 2011

So most of you would say that the new truck wouldn't make me happy in the off-road dept? Has anyone done any work-oriented off-roading? I understand that the extra wheel base will be a bitch, but it's worth it to me. My main concern is the weight, they're heavy trucks. I know my girlfriends dad's Tundra just sinks under it's own weight. The GMT900's are a bit lighter so I figure they'd do a bit better.

It all depends on what off roading is to you. I had my 03 on some tight, fairly technical trails that the new rig just wouldn't work in. If all you want is to drive through sloppy fields and rutted roads where you don't need to witty about fitting between two trees while off danger than just about any 4x4 should suit you.

Daryl LBZ · May 3, 2011

Keep your 99 and use it as your trail riding truck...I can almost guarantee you that will not want to take a brand new 30K truck off road... The 99-02 trucks are amazing off road and dont have all that electronic crap that thew new ones have

That doesn't seem to matter very much. My 09 goes way better in the snow/mud than my dads 99 ever has.

reidrhollander · May 3, 2011

I have a 2009 crew cab z71 all terrain, and even though it has a bunch flaws, off roading is not one. Last summer in Colorado I was driving to a trailhead that I had been to many times before and is about 2 hours from Pagosa Springs. I decided to trust Google and go a different way which was my first mistake. Google basically sent me a "road" that was a fire road in some distant decade.

That truck with only a leveling kit was getting us over boulders and all kinds of stuff, including some pretty deep water. We had to keep going because on one side was a cliff down and on the other a cliff up, it was actually quite frightening but we really had no option. It was bad enough that my passenger was calling out lines to take over rocks like a Jeep event but eventually we were both so scared he just shut up and let me drive. It was a hell of an ordeal but after coming out alive I will never question the off road ability of a modern truck. I was absolutely amazed.

My buddy caught a lot of it on his flip cam, I will see if I can get it from him. I sounds like an exaggeration but it was some serious negligence on Google to send us up that.

Here is the route:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source...atoro+Reservoir