GMT800 Talk, chime in

[kstruckcountry]

You can't complain about having to replace factory parts at 180k.... That's far longer than they usually last.

[gmtech4]

Dang, Serventsalesman and 02subarbanz71...you guys are making me feel better and better about my truck!

 

So while I was at the dealer they told me that they couldn't align my truck because I needed 1 new upper control arm and inner and outer tierods. SO, thats what I replaced. I figured with 180k on the clock (if all the parts were original) that the list would be much longer. I did that work and took it to a local Belle Tire for an alignment. They told me that they couldn't align it because it needed another upper control arm (passenger side this time) both lower ball joints, and Pittman/idler arm.

 

I 've been doing the work with a buddy that was an ASE mechanic. This has been the hugest pain in the ding ding Ive ever had. NOTHING comes apart. camber bolts are impossible unless you have an air hammer and you might want to just replace them like me because you boogered them so bad getting them out. The lower ball joints did not want to separate from the knuckle. I had to pound the shit out of them and broke a small ear on one getting it to split. That was after breaking my pickle fork. We took the lower control arms to a local shop to have ball joints pressed out. You definitely need to take a cutoff wheel to the flanged ring around the ball joint before you try and press them out. The press didn't work worth a crap so they were hammered out.

The Pitman arm was far and away the worst. Puller and an impact gun and a hammer didn't budge..Then the steering box gets chucked up in a vice. somewhere between squeezing the crap out of the steering box and beating on it with a hammer (not by me) we managed to crack the box or break a seal or something. Of course we didn't find that out until the end of a very very long day, hot as bawls, sweaty, dirty, exhausted...we got it all back together, poured fluid into the res and it gushed out all over the floor! Perfect. Now I own a new steering box. That is waiting to go in...

I called up the local parts store, to whom I give a lot of money to and ordered up a remand box last night. They asked me if my truck was sport or luxury. I said its a Z71 and it has leather seats. "Oh well, we keep one style in stock but it says on our computer that you need the other one because yours is luxury sport." ok, order it up. I was at the parts store waiting, with my core in had when the parts truck arrived an hour late. NOPE...its not the same Delphi box. Its larger. The mounts and shafts all look to be in the same places as mine but it is clearly larger and the case is a bit different. I told them to go grab the one they kept on the shelf...Boom! That was the correct box. I could of had it 3 hours sooner and might of had my truck back on the road today.

Didn't mean to go on a rant but damn... If you are going to attempt that work and your parts are original and you live in the rust belt... Have a set of torches on had. Heat would have saved us a ton of time. Make sure you have an air hammer to drive out those camber bolts. Make sure your dealer has some camber bolts in stock. Now I own one thanks to this little project. The $50 craftsman one is just fine. Have an angle grinder or a cut off wheel to get those ball joint rings out. Tighten up your pitman arm puller with an impact gun and then smack the side of the Pittman arm with a hammer...don't hammer the box and if you dont have torches soak that thing with PB blaster or something over night. Cant hurt.

Hopefully I get to drive it tomorrow.

BLOOD, SWEAT and BEERS

wow,not knowing how to cheat sure costs alot of money eh? but as long as its done right you're fine with it i bet lol,,,poor bugger

[Sinkhole]

So, what year GMT-800 do you have? 2005 RC/SB
What motor/trans? 5.3L Vortec/ 4L60E
What have you had to fix? Uhm.... Nothing outside of normal maint. Oh wait a washer pump because I was a knuckled head and forgot the winter blue juice, so it froze and cracked.
What do you still need to fix? Seat upholstery on drivers seat, tear just started like a month ago. Drivers sill plate is cracked, just noticed that yesterday.

How many miles do you got on the clock? 98,000

[absinthminded]

So, I've never been much of a fan of people taking newer OEM wheels and putting them on their older car/truck. But then I walked into the showroom and saw these on a new Sierra...

Now they have got me thinking about road tires. I wonder how they would look. There isn't much in the after mkt I really like for truck wheels but for OEM wheels I really like these. They are 22"...I wonder if they fit?

 

[zach1990]

Yeah they will fit

 

Sent from my LG-D800 using Tapatalk

[CaptWill]

Until 2 weeks ago, I haven't had a GM product for more than 20 years. Neighbor up the street was selling his 2000 4WD 1500 Sierra SLT, extended cab. He bought it new, and pretty much left it set in his garage, as he has a Yukon and Suburban. When I heard he was going to sell, I went up to take a look. Has only 20k miles; that's original. HD suspension; trailer towing package; lots more. I didn't really need another truck, but the interior, exterior, and even the under-carriage, all looks new. I bought it.

 

I put on a new set of Michelin's; though the old tires had plenty tread left, but they were 15 years old. The mounted spare has never been down. That's still under there. I changed oil and filter; rear brakes were dragging and overheating, so I replaced calipers, pads, and had the rotor/drums turned, then flushed the system. Brakes are good now.

 

Windshield washer doesn't work; probably a bad pump. Gonna check that this weekend. Everything else works as it should. What else should I be looking for, or concerned about?

 

I'd like to hear the good and bad about this model truck.

Edited October 10, 2014 by CaptWill

[kstruckcountry]

Definitely change the tranny filter, transfer case oil, differentials. At that age I would do a coolant change, as well as thermostat, hoses, and belts. I'd also make sure the front end has fresh grease.

[white1500]

A family friend also sold a 2000 regular cab Silverado with about 20k miles last year. He traded it in for flimsy 2013 regards cab Silverado, and I'm the dealer gave him pennies for it. Oh well.

A family friend also sold a 2000 regular cab Silverado with about 20k miles last year. He traded it in for flimsy 2013 regards cab Silverado, and I'm sure the dealer gave him pennies for it. Oh well.

[CaptWill]

Thanks fot the reply. I'll be changing the rest of the fluids next week, and will inspect the belt. Since I don't know much about these GM's yet, I'd like to know if mine (a 2000 Sierra, 5.3) has the dreaded AFM? I'm thinking that it came out in a later model year.

[02suburbanZ71]

Thanks fot the reply. I'll be changing the rest of the fluids next week, and will inspect the belt. Since I don't know much about these GM's yet, I'd like to know if mine (a 2000 Sierra, 5.3) has the dreaded AFM? I'm thinking that it came out in a later model year.

you do NOT have AFM.

[CaptWill]

you do NOT have AFM.

 

When did they first come out with it?

[kstruckcountry]

 

When did they first come out with it?

2007 when they switched to the new body style.

[Mike-1000]

I had an '03 1/2T 5.3L 4x RCLB that I sold last year to move to an HD truck. The truck had 93K and the only repair I ever had done to it was a 4x servo motor at about 38K miles. I tried to talk them in to fixing it under the newly expired warranty but they didn't budge. It was faithfully maintained but worked hard hauling tools every day. It was starting to get some lifter noise on cold mornings but never used a bit of oil. It was a pretty good old truck. Hell, now I'm wondering why I got rid of it.

 

Mike

[cobrajet84]

I've joined the GMT800 club with an 03 Tahoe with 110,000 on it. There is a dent in the back bumper, so i eventually need to replace that. The passenger side mirror has a cracked case and the mirrors don't fold in. There is a fog light missing and the single side of the split 2nd row bench doesn't want to fold down. So just a few minor things, its a really clean vehicle and good mileage and way easier for the wife to get into the back with the baby than the extended cab truck.

[Chris]

I've joined the GMT800 club with an 03 Tahoe with 110,000 on it. There is a dent in the back bumper, so i eventually need to replace that. The passenger side mirror has a cracked case and the mirrors don't fold in. There is a fog light missing and the single side of the split 2nd row bench doesn't want to fold down. So just a few minor things, its a really clean vehicle and good mileage and way easier for the wife to get into the back with the baby than the extended cab truck.

What mirrors? I have a nice set of DL8's on my garage shelf