Couple cool things and first 400 miles, impressionable thoughts of the 24' HD

Jettech1 · May 24, 2023

1 hour ago, 64BAwagon said:

Honestly, I love my 21 3500. Had it not been for someone who offered me a ridiculous amount of money for it I would still have it. The only downside was that the balance of my loan on it was at 2.99% I got a decent rate on my new one but nowhere near that.

Even with a ton of money down my payment is stupid.

I was able to get that 2.99 on my 22. Picked it up the last day it was offered August 31st..lol I did the same thing, put a ton of money down and my payment is still high, well more than what I've had in the past.

Pryme · May 24, 2023

5 hours ago, Jettech1 said:

I was able to get that 2.99 on my 22. Picked it up the last day it was offered August 31st..lol I did the same thing, put a ton of money down and my payment is still high, well more than what I've had in the past.

What’s better. Poverty models paid in full or luxury models with big monthly nuts?

Jettech1 · May 24, 2023

2 minutes ago, Pryme said:

What’s better. Poverty models paid in full or luxury models with big monthly nuts?

Definitely your model. I hate car payments with a passion.

Jettech1 · May 24, 2023

30 minutes ago, Pryme said:

What’s better. Poverty models paid in full or luxury models with big monthly nuts?

Although it's hard to put a dollar amount on the bling I have on my instrument cluster that you don't have. No telling how much that is worth.

KARNUT · May 24, 2023

When it was my nickel I usually went CPO. With my work vehicle, not my nickel left over. Maybe 3 exceptions.

64BAwagon · May 25, 2023

I greased the front end then washed the truck properly and got my tonneau installed as well as my fifth wheel hitch in it. Still only a hundred miles on it but so far am loving it. The steps come next week so I wont have to jump to get into it.

Forgot, I also got the stainless exhaust tip on it. This time I cut the stock exhaust to square it so the tip would go back about an 1 1/2 farther than my other one. It tucks it in a little better IMHO.

Edited May 25, 2023 by 64BAwagon

Pryme · May 25, 2023

2 hours ago, 64BAwagon said:

I greased the front end then washed the truck properly and got my tonneau installed as well as my fifth wheel hitch in it. Still only a hundred miles on it but so far am loving it. The steps come next week so I wont have to jump to get into it.

Forgot, I also got the stainless exhaust tip on it. This time I cut the stock exhaust to square it so the tip would go back about an 1 1/2 farther than my other one. It tucks it in a little better IMHO.

Looks great.

How much grease did you have to pump in? You check the diffs?

Edited May 25, 2023 by Pryme

64BAwagon · May 25, 2023

Both the diffs and the amount of grease in the fittings seem to be frequent topics here. I am waiting for something official as to the diff level. They come from American axle already filled and assembled to GM. From what I am told they are not checked as a matter of course other than a vendor quality check occasionally. My hope is that I can obtain some document that shows exactly what AA says they should have in them. I have never encountered a unit on any of my trucks that I feel was underfilled although I have read other who have said they felt theirs were. I do recall in the past reading that AA specs that the fill level should be within 20mm/3/4" of the fill plug, however I cannot produce that document. I will likely change the rear out at 5k miles since I am a believer in getting the break in material out of the diff (this used to be a recommendation in previous years but it no longer appears anywhere). I dont share the concern of them being underfilled like some others do. The action of the ring gear pulling fluid upwards and slinging it toward the pinion allows a diff with a low level to migrate fluid out to the bearings at the wheels. As soon as I get anything I will be sure to share it.

The grease in the front end parts is another similar issue. These parts are lubricated when they are assembled. The fact that the boots are not bulging is not, in my opinion, a sign that they are not adequately greased when new. Could they be fuller? yes, I believe they could but it is not necessarily required. I am not one of the people that believe in filling the parts until they push grease out of the seals. I did note however that some of the parts were changed. On my 2021 I changed the fittings on the pitman arm and the drag link to a 90 degree fitting to have easier access without removing the front splash pan (plastic) I still had quite a few of them and when I went to change the ones on this truck they would not fit. It would seem that in the past they used SAE threads on the fittings but are no longer that way. I believe the new ones are metric and I didnt have the correct size in a 90 so I left them as they were. They also no longer use a grease fitting on the inner tie rod but I believe that goes back to the chassis changes in 2019 since my 2021 was without them also. I did notice that the lower ball joints were much easier to access than all the others I have had. Although they are hard to visualize there is more room to get to them on this truck and the ball joint is visually different that my previous trucks. That is a plus since I struggled at times to get to the lower fitting on my other trucks.

I will post when I have more info

Scott

64BAwagon · May 25, 2023

I have come a long way from this Chevy 46 yrs ago

Edited May 25, 2023 by 64BAwagon

Pryme · May 26, 2023

6 hours ago, 64BAwagon said:

Both the diffs and the amount of grease in the fittings seem to be frequent topics here. I am waiting for something official as to the diff level. They come from American axle already filled and assembled to GM. From what I am told they are not checked as a matter of course other than a vendor quality check occasionally. My hope is that I can obtain some document that shows exactly what AA says they should have in them. I have never encountered a unit on any of my trucks that I feel was underfilled although I have read other who have said they felt theirs were. I do recall in the past reading that AA specs that the fill level should be within 20mm/3/4" of the fill plug, however I cannot produce that document. I will likely change the rear out at 5k miles since I am a believer in getting the break in material out of the diff (this used to be a recommendation in previous years but it no longer appears anywhere). I dont share the concern of them being underfilled like some others do. The action of the ring gear pulling fluid upwards and slinging it toward the pinion allows a diff with a low level to migrate fluid out to the bearings at the wheels. As soon as I get anything I will be sure to share it.

The grease in the front end parts is another similar issue. These parts are lubricated when they are assembled. The fact that the boots are not bulging is not, in my opinion, a sign that they are not adequately greased when new. Could they be fuller? yes, I believe they could but it is not necessarily required. I am not one of the people that believe in filling the parts until they push grease out of the seals. I did note however that some of the parts were changed. On my 2021 I changed the fittings on the pitman arm and the drag link to a 90 degree fitting to have easier access without removing the front splash pan (plastic) I still had quite a few of them and when I went to change the ones on this truck they would not fit. It would seem that in the past they used SAE threads on the fittings but are no longer that way. I believe the new ones are metric and I didnt have the correct size in a 90 so I left them as they were. They also no longer use a grease fitting on the inner tie rod but I believe that goes back to the chassis changes in 2019 since my 2021 was without them also. I did notice that the lower ball joints were much easier to access than all the others I have had. Although they are hard to visualize there is more room to get to them on this truck and the ball joint is visually different that my previous trucks. That is a plus since I struggled at times to get to the lower fitting on my other trucks.

I will post when I have more info

Scott

I took newdudes info as the official numbers of at the plug to 1/4 under or their abouts. With that said, I’m sure a half inch or 3/4 isn’t going to cause issues because as you say, that fluid is being flung all over the place even going 20mph so it’s constantly coating everything.

does your 24 have a drain plug?

nice old school wagon. Are you the young one or the older one? I’m guessing the older since you implied ownership of said wagon.

Edited May 26, 2023 by Pryme

64BAwagon · May 26, 2023

Yeah thats me on the right, just before I got my driver license. My Dad had a friend in our neighborhood that painted cars on the side. I used to work for him in the summers sanding and taping cars. I conned him into letting me prep this car and then he painted it for me. It was 20 yrs old at the time and rusty from Michigan winters. It came out looking okay but I did a sketchy job on the rust repairs and it didnt hold up well. Straight 6, three on the tree, no PS or PB and a heater that just barely worked. I paid less for that car than my monthly truck payment is now.

Funny story, the little girl standing next to me was the guys daughter. She ended up married to a friend of mine (since divorced) and they have 3 adult kids, the youngest of which is in college. Darn that makes me feel old.

Edited May 27, 2023 by 64BAwagon

Dunn · May 27, 2023

On 5/24/2023 at 7:22 AM, 64BAwagon said:

Honestly, I love my 21 3500. Had it not been for someone who offered me a ridiculous amount of money for it I would still have it. The only downside was that the balance of my loan on it was at 2.99% I got a decent rate on my new one but nowhere near that.

Even with a ton of money down my payment is stupid.

Mine as well but shorter term....was able to get 3.9% last month....its total coat that matters....could have smaller payment but would pay more overall....

Love the 23....no regrets whatsoever

64BAwagon · May 27, 2023

4 hours ago, Dunn said:

Mine as well but shorter term....was able to get 3.9% last month....its total coat that matters....could have smaller payment but would pay more overall....

Love the 23....no regrets whatsoever

Yeah, I cut a year off my previous 2021 term to save .25 percent. It all adds up.

Leonardo Willi · May 27, 2023

1 month down, 600 miles and first wash today. I'm VERY impressed with how well it washed up with whatever that magic potion paint protectant is they charge ridiculous money for, absolutely admit, it does something. Kind of impressed.

Wifey actually drove it, she had to haul some copper pipe to a friends. I had crashed, dog woke me up, she was gone I grinned!!! Sent her a txt "Do I need to come get you?" she replied back "bite me" LOL! ~ She had the seat jammed up to the ceiling and into the steering wheel but she did it.