Project Report: Front Torsion Springs Remove and Replace

[Another JR]

1 hour ago, Chuck FB said:

I am curious what your two trucks weights are on the front axle when typically loaded with the people in the cab normally driven with as well as whatever sits in the back seat ( and under it ) as well as whatever is carted around in the box. Like you said Jon, with your truck being a long wheel base its slightly heavier over all vs the short box but its that wheel base that transfers more of the rear weight onto the front axle due to the rear axle effectively slid further back.

 

I am guessing ( based on youtubers that show the weight stickers on trucks with my same wheel base and gas but with different trim levels and options ) that my truck is a little heavier than some due to the particular options. My factory curb weight is listed as 7687 pounds and although its a high country which means "so called" leather seats, I do not have the added weight of a sunroof. It has the factory base running boards so not the electric ones, the spray in bed liner and the trailer prep package which I imagine has a bit of heft to that metal assembly. But what my truck has which puts extra weight specifically on the front is the second battery and the two alternator setup. I believe my trucks weight rolling out the factory vs a low trim level truck without the fifth wheel prep etc is around 500 pounds lighter.

 

Then items I have added since I bought it have pushed the weight up such as a full set of kick back mud flaps, the GM rubber interior mats front and back ( the stock factory mats are a total joke as I found out ), added the full size under seat rear storage box and have it filled with items, and have a bakflip cover on the box as well as a GM rubber box floor mat and those certainly have some weight to them. The weight starts creeping up and that doesn't include tools and extra fuel I will be adding into the box in the near future. I weighed the truck the other day with the items added so far and with a full tank of fuel and just myself in it, I was 4475 lb on the front and 3615 on the rear.

 

Will I end up meeting or exceeding the 4800 lb at times with items forward in the box or with passengers, its very possible and yet I can't say I am too worried about it simply because its really a 6000 pound rated front axle component wise truck other than the torsion bar rating. And that also brings me back to what the heck is the size/rating of that cognito set of bars, I had heard some unconfirmed measurements of it being somewhat smaller in diameter then these 4800 rated bars but whatever it is, some guys are putting them under trucks that have the diesel engine and remarking how much better their truck rides over whatever bars their truck came with.

 

 

The most accurate thing to do is go to a truck scale and weigh each axle with the truck loaded as you want. CAT scales are a widespread chain, but I haven’t used them. My local truck stop charges $12 for a weighing and that includes a second weighing within 12 hours. Once you have done it once you will find it’s an easy process as long as there is a scale close by. 
 

My truck weights were as follows: 2021 GMC 3500 cclb srw gas SLT with leather buckets, no sunroof, second battery, single 220 amp alternator, factory sprayed bed liner, full gas tank, 200 lb driver, otherwise empty:

front axle 4420

rear axle 3300

 

The scale resolution appeared to be 20 lbs, so I assume it’s accurate to about that amount. 

[Another JR]

Here’s a picture of my weight stickers in case that’s helpful. 

 

Edited March 18, 2025 by Another JR

[Chuck FB]

I forgot to mention where I weighed my truck after purchasing it and had the added items put on the truck, it was at one of the two DOT scales in the area, these particular ones are not manned so no issues with some government employee getting any smart idea's of claiming there is something wrong with the vehicle. Accuracy wise any scale is only as good as the mechanics/electronics of the scale and they would have an outfit go around every so often with the scale truck to reset them or change out load cells as required.  

 

I don't know if the refresh interior added any weight but the main items I can think of that would be different between our trucks is the second alternator, tire/wheel size, and the weightiest item is that fifth wheel prep assembly. Interesting though that even with your extra wheel base, my unit still weighs an extra 241 pounds at the factory which makes mine a rather portly truck for only being a standard box and no sun roof. The listed payload ( and keep in mind my truck has the 11550 gvw ) is 3863 pounds. I had no way of knowing until I saw the sticker at the dealership but I suspected I would be somewhat below that 4000 point given the extras thrown at it when I chose what I wanted on it at the time of ordering ... more crap, more weight. As an edit since I just thought of this, the transmissions are different and the specs I have found say the 6L90 is around 245 lb with converter and oil where as the 10L1000 is around 360 pounds. Yes, that right there is adding weight to the 2024+ refresh gas trucks.

 

Very interesting comparison though and shows where my unit wouldn't take that much of passengers and something in the front of the box to get me up to my max rating for my torsion bars, where as your unit even with downgrading to the stock bars for a long wheel base gas truck, you have capacity from between 4420 to 5200 lb

 

I still have no idea if I would want to get a camper in the future and certainly debated about the box length because of that possibility but also for other general use this is already a plenty long unit to fit into parking lots. But I rigged it up factory wise with the what ifs in mind, the extra battery/alternator and the bed prep just in case I ever wanted to pull a small fifth wheel or for that matter if I ended up selling the truck that it had the option in it ( of course its not a diesel and everyone and their dog around here wants a diesel it seems )

Edited March 9, 2025 by Chuck FB

[Chuck FB]

Another JR, I was looking at your window sticker today ( GM gives access to the window sticker of some vehicles ) and I see you also chose some items that I suspect rarely come on a dealer ordered truck sitting in their lot, yes the 220 amp alternator and second battery as you had mentioned, but also the high idle, upfitter switches, trailer tpms sensors, items that ironically I ordered as well. Then as I was looking at my own window sticker it struck me as to one particular item you did not order which dealers around here always order on their stock vehicles and that is the block heater !. Just goes to show the conditions you don't have to deal with during the winter and wish I didn't either.

 

I was looking at both the GMC and Chev offerings before I ordered and realized that the SLT does not have the camera rear view mirror/HUD option like the sort of similar LTZ has available and that was something I wanted after seeing it in a friends refresh 1/2 ton. In the end I caved and bought the High Country but otherwise would have had to go AT4 or Denali with the GMC to get that option ( the games the vehicle companies do to suck one up the levels of trim as that is where they make the money ).

[Another JR]

At that time 2020/2021 the block heaters were known to be defective, and dealer service departments were literally cutting the cords off at the block to prevent them from being used. I would have ordered it but it wasn’t a practical option at the time. I don’t need it in the PNW, but it would have been good to have just in case. 

[Chuck FB]

2 hours ago, Another JR said:

At that time 2020/2021 the block heaters were known to be defective, and dealer service departments were literally cutting the cords off at the block to prevent them from being used. I would have ordered it but it wasn’t a practical option at the time. I don’t need it in the PNW, but it would have been good to have just in case. 

Now that you mention that I do recall some chatter about a block heater issue but might have passed it off as being a 6.6 Duramax issue as I am only guessing its a larger wattage block heater on it or at least it was said that it used to be fairly high in wattage. I don't even know what the exact wattage is for the gas block heater ( that may have been discussed on this forum ) but I suspect its probably pretty pathetic and so I have read I don't think they will come on until around 0 degrees f. On an older truck I have I installed a second block heater on the other bank of the V8 engine and so its a total of 1200 watts and that certainly does amazing things, that and an electric battery warmer blanket as when it gets down to near -40 or even colder, hell has officially frozen over at that point.

 

Speaking of expecting a block heater to come on a new vehicle, my brother had bought a new Jeep Rubicon summer before last and the local dealer sourced it out of Kelowna BC, turns out it has no block heater as my brother was looking for the cord and couldn't find it LOL.

[Another JR]

On 3/10/2025 at 11:39 AM, Chuck FB said:

Another JR, I was looking at your window sticker today ( GM gives access to the window sticker of some vehicles ) and I see you also chose …

On 3/10/2025 at 11:39 AM, Chuck FB said:

 

I was looking at both the GMC and Chev offerings before I ordered and realized that the SLT does not have the camera rear view mirror/HUD option like the sort of similar LTZ has available and that was something I wanted after seeing it in a friends refresh 1/2 ton. In the end I caved and bought the High Country but otherwise would have had to go AT4 or Denali with the GMC to get that option ( the games the vehicle companies do to suck one up the levels of trim as that is where they make the money ).

I would have liked to order the HUD and rear view mirror camera display but I would have been forced to go to the AT4 or Denali, as you noted. That was going to add more than $5k to the truck, and it would have forced me into painted plastic bumper covers. I keep my vehicles a long time, and I wanted chrome bumpers - not necessarily for the look, but for the resistance to scratches and other damage.  I didn’t seriously consider the Denali because I didn’t like the gaudy grill. I did consider the AT4 but went with the SLT with the leather buckets interior. We like it, and feel it was a good cost/features balance for us. With the GM supplier discount it was in the upper 50’s as I recall.  
 

A bonus effect of choosing an SLT is I feel it is a lot less likely to be stolen by professional thieves, put in a container, and shipped to the Middle East as happens to Denalis at a surprising rate.  I suspect nobody there tells their hot car broker “Just get me an SLT - a Denali is too flashy for driving to the Lamborghini dealer.”

Edited March 15, 2025 by Another JR

[Chuck FB]

It took me a little while in looking online at the GM vs Chev order option list groupings to realize that the SLT was missing that item while the Chev happened to offer it. Like I said, I know why they lay it all out like that as it keeps pushing up the trim level that one may end up choosing to be allowed to get just that one particular option one happened to desire. I wasn't sure ( and never test drove one ) if the so called upscale interior of the AT4/Denali was going to be a benefit or have issues as I was hearing about the complaint with the gear shift being in the line of sight when in drive for the infotainment screen and at the time I ordered I had not heard that it was even possible to get the upfitter switches in that interior layout. I went round and round with what seemed to make sense and actually my goal had been to NOT get the painted bumpers for the same reasons you laid out as I know they are stupid expensive to replace if damaged and I had a shop put PPF on both bumpers which I didn't even want to ask how stupid expensive that was as I had other items done as well. There were some other items which lead me to the High Country which make no sense in economic terms but the LTZ/SLT/AT4/Denali all had light colored headliners but the HC came with a dark liner and I prefer that although it makes it darker yet in the cab. Also had I gone for a Denali, they did not make the first choice color I was after for 2025 as they quit making that color with that trim in 2024 as it turned out ( but could have gotten it in a SLT or AT4 ). I liked some of the lines of the GM better, some items a bit better on the Chev but certainly around here there is this tendency to "Got to have a Duramax Denali or your Nobody" mentality ... well since I am a nobody I chose a Chev gas engine truck !. Having said that the GMC dealer I would have been dealing with has had a bit better reputation over the Chev dealer, however for some unexplained reason to me the GM dealer flipped a switch and instead of having any sort of factory discount or just a listed MSRP on their dealership site, they were jacking the prices of the trucks up above MSRP and the higher the trim the higher the cost above MSRP. I don't expect I was the only one that was pissed off by seeing that and this was just later last year they did that, that in itself pushed me to the Chev dealer and typically the Chev MSRP tends to be slightly less than what is a similar GM spec truck I have figured. I wish my truck had been in the price range yours was, unfortunately due to the insanity the last few years in price increases it was not. What I will call the dealers MSRP ( that is another topic ) on my truck amounted to close to 109000.00 before the Canadian GST tax of 5% on top of that ( Alberta has no tax ) as I shake my head, for a gas engine truck. However with what fell into place with the amount the dealer took off and then in Feb General Motors had put a 4000.00 factory discount on, it amounted to around 12500.00 taken off the MSRP. Of course this month I see GM upped the factory discount to 5000.00 but I could not see into the future as I could have waited a couple of weeks and then made the final deal on my order.

 

Isn't that something about thieves being able to steal vehicles and get them put into containers, the same thing is going on in Canada from what I hear with vehicles but I have never seen a list of what the most popular vehicles are to steal and ship off like that. Around here my truck doesn't look like anything special that stands out, not compared to the jacked up diesel trucks with big tires belching smoke at each intersection green light.

 

Of course I could have chosen differently and paid even more and bought a Ford Super Duty, then I wouldn't have to worry about it getting stolen as I would be contemplating life had I lived through it, having either flown off the road into the trees out of control or over a cliff due to high speed steering wobble

[Chuck FB]

I had posted a chart some comments back of the 2024 model 3500 single and dual wheel torsion bar ratings and their optional bar ratings for camper or snow plow prep package, I may as well post the other charts I have for the various 2500 series trucks of the same year. I think a lot of it matches up with the single wheel 3500 trucks other than the rear axle spring rating which makes sense given a 2500 and 3500 are virtually the same truck.

 

 

2024_Chevy_Silverado_2500_HD_VYU_New1 (5).pdf