Last good z71

15 Z71 · July 16, 2018

So was just sitting here thinking about my 06 z71 silverado. Is it me or does it seem like after 2006 the z71 don't seem to be as good? I mean my 06 had no traction control, real skid plates better shocks. Not that I don't like my 15 z71 just seems that my 06 was a little better. What do you guys think about the older ones to the newer ones?

KARNUT · July 16, 2018

My 04 Z71 was the only truck I put 185K miles on. I traded it in 07. With the exception of the failing of the speedometer it was flawless. Still had the original plugs and brakes.

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Donstar · July 16, 2018

My '09 was a Z71 . My '15 is a 4X4 bus doesn't have the Z71 package. I also owned a '00 Silverado so I'm familiar with the recent generations of GM's. I believe each model has features we prefer over subsequent versions but overall I think the most recent is the best. The most outstanding features of the latest version are the fuel consumption, power, payload and ride quality. I would not trade back!

dmorrisL86 · July 17, 2018

Traded my ‘03 z71 Silverado for my ‘17 Sierra All-Terrain. Miss the ‘03 every day. Something that really pisses me off is how easily the rear end lets loose on wet pavement. Thought it was the factory tires, so I upgraded to some ridge grapplers and still have the same issue.

Mike GMC · July 17, 2018

I still have my 00 Z71 Sierra. I fixed the power deficiency, so both it and my 15 are pretty equal in acceleration. In some ways I like the old 4 speed better and others I like the 6 speed. The new on rides better , is quieter inside and looks better inside and out. But that old one feels like more of a "truck". It's easier to see out of and feels a bit smaller when you drive it. I trust the drivetrain more in the new one since the old one has a worn out 10 bolt and a mostly worn out 4L60. Once I rebuild the rear end and either swap in a 4L80 or a modified 4L60 it should be just as bullet proof as ever. I love both of them and don't plan to get rid of either anytime soon. I may even let my son drive the old one once he gets a license next year until he gets his own vehicle. But I get it back!

Edited July 17, 2018 by Mike GMC

KARNUT · July 17, 2018

Traded my ‘03 z71 Silverado for my ‘17 Sierra All-Terrain. Miss the ‘03 every day. Something that really pisses me off is how easily the rear end lets loose on wet pavement. Thought it was the factory tires, so I upgraded to some ridge grapplers and still have the same issue.

Probably more HP and gearing has a lot to do with it

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dmorrisL86 · July 17, 2018

Probably more HP and gearing has a lot to do with it

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Ha I wish horsepower was the reason. But when I’m coasting around a corner at 15-20 mph on wet pavement and start to fishtail, horsepower isn’t the culprit. Took a while to get used to. I had my ‘03 for over 10 years, drove the same roads in the same conditions, and never had an issue. So I had to adjust my driving habits after I traded. Are the K2 trucks that much lighter out back than the GMT800’s?

15 Z71 · July 17, 2018

Yeah I see what you guys are saying, I miss my 06. I had it 9 and a half years. When i sold it it had 108,000. Prob should have just keep it. I'm sure it would have made it another 100,000. My 15 5.3 has a lot more power and gets lot better gas mileage. I just hope the 15 holds up as good as my 06 did. A set of front pads and a left front wheel bearing in 9 and a half years I'd say is pretty good.

pm26 · July 17, 2018

I still have my '06 Z71 crew cab. In my opinion, this year truck was the last more solidly built 1/2 ton Z71. It has torsion bars in the front instead of struts, it has the old style recirculating ball hydraulic steering (still retained on new 2500 and 3500 series trucks), and the paint is definitely of much better quality. The truck has no AFM on its 5.3 engine. Overall, I think pre- 2007 trucks were heavier and better built, except for the relatively weak 4 speed 4l60 auto transmission. But with proper maintenance and sensible use, even that transmission will last a long time. The best part is they are reliable and have very few issues. Same for the pre-2007 full size SUVs like Tahoe and Suburban. They can be driven hundreds of thousands of miles with regular maintenance. I routinely see pre- 2007 Tahoes and Suburbans for sale in great shape with well over 200k miles on them.

Edited July 17, 2018 by pm26

Mileguru · July 17, 2018

For one thing, Z71 used to mean 4X4 Off-Road. Now it just means a crappy "off-road" suspension and some other upgrades like hill descent. They aren't even automatically 4X4s.

I had an '06 Sierra Z71 4X4 5.3L 4-speed 4.10 gears with a Magnuson MP112 supercharger (295 stock hp). Now I have a 2017 Sierra 2wd 6.2L 8-speed 3.23 gears with a Magnuson TVS1900 supercharger (420 stock hp). I'm not convinced that the 2017 is faster than the 2006 in city driving and off the line performance...highway driving is another story because of the transmissions. The 2006 did what you asked it to do throttle-wise. The 2017 runs your right foot command through a computer and does what it thinks it should do.

Comfort and luxury-wise though, the 2017 wins hands down.

NWI Denali · July 17, 2018

Z71 is a sticker and rancho shock package...

Mileguru · July 17, 2018

2 minutes ago, NWI Denali said:

Z71 is a sticker and rancho shock package...

Exactly.

qwank · July 17, 2018

99-07 trucks are my favorite. They're just all rotted out around here now

Nasty · July 17, 2018

2 hours ago, dmorrisL86 said:

Ha I wish horsepower was the reason. But when I’m coasting around a corner at 15-20 mph on wet pavement and start to fishtail, horsepower isn’t the culprit. Took a while to get used to. I had my ‘03 for over 10 years, drove the same roads in the same conditions, and never had an issue. So I had to adjust my driving habits after I traded. Are the K2 trucks that much lighter out back than the GMT800’s?

Mine 16 regular cab does that. No issie with it becauee its fun. ive had 4 sets of wheels and tires on the truck and they all did it these trucks are more powerful then thr nbs trucks. So in my opinion thats a big part of it