Grumpy Bears 2015 Silverado 2WD

Grumpy Bear · December 6, 2017

3 minutes ago, nowicksl said:

Grumpy, how are you going to protect the finish on those beautiful shocks this winter?

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Park it! Honest. While Pepper sits outside year around I don't drive in salt or slush and rain only if I'm trapped in it. Most of my miles come in the summer months. Our Buicks get the garage. The ones we rarely drive. I know. I/we don't make much sense. I have a 210K salt Honda for that work.

nowicksl · December 6, 2017

Park it! Honest. While Pepper sits outside year around I don't drive in salt or slush and rain only if I'm trapped in it. Most of my miles come in the summer months. Our Buicks get the garage. The ones we rarely drive. I know. I/we don't make much sense. I have a 210K salt Honda for that work.

I'm with ya. My 99 sits outside in the driveway once the salt is applied as well....seen 3 weekends in snow as I had to toe the rally car to sno drift. Washed the bottom all 3 times.

I get your suspension setup but just can't see it on my truck $$$$.

Glad the weather is as it has been.

So....what kind of buicks get the garage?

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Grumpy Bear · December 6, 2017

Very low mile extra clean and rust free loaded 2009 Lacrosse CXL Even the bottom gets waxed LOL Under 45K miles. My back loves this car. The wife's 2014 Verano. About 17K miles. It gets out once in awhile like trips to dinner 500 miles away or her brothers. 30 mpg + at 70 mph all day any day.

Think I mentioned in on one post but I bought this truck cheap enough the suspension upgrades still haven't got it to list price. It didn't cost me anymore than someone buying the truck as factory delivered. IN fact every mod I've done hasn't touched list price yet. Getting close though.

Grumpy Bear · December 9, 2017

I imagine to many the modifications I do to this truck don’t seem all that exciting but I’m tickled pink. Tonight I spent some time aiming the headlamps.

Before the level I had been looking at perhaps some lighting upgrades say from Halogen to HID projectors. I was not impressed with the factory light output, light color nor the punch out although the ditch spread was actually adequate. The dealership aimed them at the delivery by the machine method that attaches to the lens. I had a squirrel hunter after the level even after the shop aimed them by the wall method. Got flashed regularly by oncomers. Read up a bit and took it for a drive after a rough set of down 1-1/2 turns both sides. Out to dinner actually. Huge improvement in every aspect but now a hair low and a bit uneven.

Up with the hood and up a quarter click driver’s side and up an eight passenger side. Bingo!! Punch out is as good as it gets down the road near a thousand feet. Low enough to stay below the package shelf of the average car when behind them far enough to see their rear contact patch. Color looks whiter when it’s not buried in the pavement. Good contrast. No one is flashing me and the ditch light…well…I can see a deer coming quite far off. Pattern is very even with no patching. If I have a wish left it would be for a bit whiter light still but it’s darn good. As good as my dad’s 67 Galaxy sealed beam system which I’ve not see bettered by anything short of aircraft landing lamps.

Pretty surprised I hit the perfect alignment that quick but I confess I had a bit of help from this site reading about headlight aim after levels. I found a single post that noted 1-1/2 turns down put his on the money.

I had three shots at wheel alignment to get the lowest rolling resistance and most even tread wear and now four hits to get the lights perfected. It’s this sort of fine tuning that I believe separates pretty good trucks from ones you will remember fondly for life. Hey and I saved a ton of money tweaking to the same results as hammer blow buy and try the most popular modifications going. Well, and personal satisfaction of a job done right.

Edited December 9, 2017 by Grumpy Bear
Grammar correction

KARNUT · December 9, 2017

   I imagine to many the modifications I do to this truck don’t seem all that exciting but I’m tickled pink. Tonight I spent some time aiming the headlamps.
   Before the level I had been looking at perhaps some lighting upgrades say from Halogen to HID projectors. I was not impressed with the factory light output, light color nor the punch out although the ditch spread was actually adequate. The dealership aimed them at the delivery by the machine method that attaches to the lens. I had a squirrel hunter after the level even after the shop aimed them by the wall method. Got flashed regularly by oncomers. Read up a bit and took it for a drive after a rough set of down 1-1/2 turns both sides. Out to dinner actually. Huge improvement in every aspect but now a hair low and a bit uneven.
   Up with the hood and up a quarter click driver’s side and up an eight passenger side. Bingo!! Punch out is as good as it gets down the road near a thousand feet. Low enough to stay below the package shelf of the average car when behind them far enough to see their rear contact patch. Color looks whiter when it’s not buried in the pavement. Good contrast. No one is flashing me and the ditch light…well…I can see a deer coming quite far off. Pattern is very even with no patching. If I have a wish left it would be for a bit whiter light still but it’s darn good. As good as my dad’s 67 Galaxy sealed beam system which I’ve not see bettered by anything short of aircraft landing lamps.
   Pretty surprised I hit the perfect alignment that quick but I confess I had a bit of help from this site reading about headlight aim after levels. I found a single post that noted 1-1/2 turns down put his on the money.
   I had three shots at wheel alignment to get the lowest rolling resistance and most even tread wear and now four hits to get the lights perfected. It’s this sort of fine tuning that I believe separates pretty good trucks from ones you will remember fondly for life. Hey and I saved a ton of money tweaking to the same results as hammer blow buy and try the most popular modifications going. Well, and personal satisfaction of a job done right.

Whatever rings your bell, it’s your ride. I personally am amazed at the detail and perfection to detail you require out of your mods.

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Grumpy Bear · December 9, 2017

2 hours ago, KARNUT said:

Whatever rings your bell, it’s your ride. I personally am amazed at the detail and perfection to detail you require out of your mods.

Thank you Stan. Truly. My father use to tell me that true talent is the ability to recognize an others talent so you give me quite a compliment with such a thought. It deserved more than a like. I really do enjoy the feel of a thing personally perfected an take joy in the process of exacting it. More in sharing it with those that appreciate it as well. Again, thank you.

Grumpy Bear · December 12, 2017

Local Marathon station has a recreational fuel pump. Only means a supply of 90 octane with no alcohol; the later pretty rare in Illinois. Good opportunity me thinks to check the alky content percent meter in my Flex Fuel capable system. ($3.66 a gallon).

Second time I’d run the tank near zero in preparation of fixing this pesky spring squeak and that thwarted again and near empty with the meter showing 9%, I add 6 gallons of alky free. Within a few miles I watch the meter decline to 1%. Cool, it works!

I also notice that the knock sensed retard is not showing any reduction at all from my normal 87 octane fills that I can perceive. ($2.39 a gallon) Odd. So I run that six gallons off over a few days and try again with 93 octane E-10. ($2.99 a gallon) Alky meter climbs to 7% and we head for some hilly terrain. Not once over the two hours did I see one event of knock triggered spark retard. What I did notice was the AFM was on more which may or may not indicate an increase in fuel efficiency. I also noted that torque management induced spark retard can actually go negative by a good amount. I saw registry of -14 degrees on decal once with -7 more common over the crest of a hill. Weird.

No need to get excited at the price spread between 87 and 93 which is 20%. I’m sure relieving knock retard will not add 5 MPG to the equation even with a tail wind falling down Mt. Evans. The amount required for a break even in cost per mile justification.

I also did not by the seat of the pants ‘sense’ any difference in drivability, throttle response or note a reduction in acne, low back pain, hemorrhoids or anything else I hear claims for from running higher octane fuels.

I make three conclusions from this. The trucks base low alcohol tune is for something in the area of 91/92 octane. The ECM is working like a charm. What many describe as feeling the AFM cycle is actually the converter clutch lock up cycling. They feel identical.

This needed a bit of investigation anyway as I plan on a gear change in the spring. What I needed to know was how much tuner would I require? Seems less than I thought.

Grumpy Bear · December 19, 2017

Winter is taking a fuel toll 13% off the summer peak 5,000 mile averages. 28.5 summer 25.3 winter. No sir, I do not idle Pepper to warm her up. But it takes awhile to warm her up.

nowicksl · December 19, 2017

I thought you park that thing during corrosion season. Didn’t you get hit in Illinois yet?

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Grumpy Bear · December 19, 2017

2 hours ago, nowicksl said:

I thought you park that thing during corrosion season. Didn’t you get hit in Illinois yet?

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Been 40's and partly sunny for a week here. We had one snow that stuck hard enough to get the county to salt. Then it rained. Then it dried up again. Fickle this year.

Grumpy Bear · December 20, 2017

Reviewing GM"s load and tire pressure information and came to this conclusion. Values are based on the maximum load that CAN be carried. That is interesting when I review the inflation tables of 110 load rated P metric tires. I ran my finger down the table and find that even at 30 PSIG I'm well within any load I will ever carry by nearly double on the spur of the moment without a compressor and tire gauge. Still north of 2200 psig per tire. So....30 it is. That's minus 5 psig.

Long term evaluation on things like tire wear and fuel efficiency will take a while to quantify but short term I can comment on a few things that would be evident on the spot. Road holding is uncompromised at the speeds I drive on the roads I run. Does the Five Points double Esses at ten over the markers without a whisper from the tires. Not a hint of wallow. Feels firmly planted and mountain goat sure. Ride is remarkably compliant. Still firm but less so, controlled and very comfortable even over the rough stuff.

nowicksl · December 28, 2017

On 11/22/2017 at 2:34 PM, Wish I kept my 2000 Z71 said:

... mine is a 2017 with a max towing package ( I ordered after getting bad information on it's ride characteristics) and he hadn't heard of anyone who has tackled the issue, and I don't know how similar my 2017 4x4 suspension is to the suspension on your 2015 two wheel drive Silverado. ....

Ex GMT800 owner "...2000 Z71", can you elaborate on your "ride characteristics" on the Max tow package? Not to hijack this thread, but I currently have a 99 Sierra - non Z71, and am considering giving it up for a 2018 Crew Cab STANDARD bed with perhaps the 6.2, but surely the Max Tow package....but you are scaring me with your screen name (Yikes!) and concern on ride characteristics. When I bought my truck in 99, I quickly added Edelbrock shocks, which are still on the truck but likely need replacement this next season if I keep the 99. The back end dances on the washboard dirt roads around my house when empty, and I recall that is why I purchased these shocks when the truck was virtually new. Spending 50 large ones on a new truck and regretting the decision seems to be something that you are familiar with?

Sorry Grumpy, now back to your regularly scheduled forumming......

Grumpy Bear · January 4, 2018

I was hoping you would get some feed back to your question nowicks. Try PM'ing him?

Every ounce of data I have supports that cold fluids hinder fuel efficient operation. Not exactly a state secret. Neither is the fact that warm motors produce lower emissions levels. Add to this that no manufacture outside GM has this 0 degree F block heater restriction and it becomes pretty easy to call BS on 'it's and EPA" thing. It's a GM engineering thing. Complaining about it isn't going to get it fixed and fixed it must get. What it needs is a work around. It's been hovering the zero mark here for over a week and everything on the property is cranking slow.

I'm digging in to it but bottom line is, the best work around might be a different manufacture. I've used one sensor to 'fake' out another to get a desired result before, but then I had access to the full mapping and line logic of the ECM. Read this HD Race Tuner. Just a look see at the mapping mind you. I didn't buy one. I was allowed access from a dealer I befriended. In the end the solution to a five percent richer mixture was to lower the oil temperature 40 F via duel coolers to lower the cylinder head temp below the trigger point of full run lean. I got the effect of a free Stage 1 kit for the price of a cooler I also needed. Bet something like that is possible here too.

Grumpy Bear · January 20, 2018

This block heater thing is going to be a much longer term project than I thought. Getting a peak inside the PCM code is being passively discouraged. Now there's a surprise. Patients grasshopper, patients.

Well that doesn't prevent other forms of address.

http://www.ipsco.org/Custom Services/Remote thermostat housing 133.htm

Wish I had seen this before I installed the Jet and limited my options. Summit and Jegs have similar items for sale that utilize the good old SBC Stant thermostats.

Grumpy Bear · January 24, 2018

Pepper is hibernating. She does this like a chipmunk. A day or two a month when it's dry enough and salt free she gets up, stretches her legs, wipes her face, gets a drink and goes back to bed. Rex and I both are going mad.

Edited February 13, 2018 by Grumpy Bear