New Chevy owner, making upgrades

Bill55AZ · December 4, 2004

Truck is 2002 Silverado extended cab, 5.3L, auto trans, 3.73 rear axle, 2WD.

I want to add rear swaybar, posi, trans cooler, and trans temp guage.

Any advice on any of that?

Also, I have the 40-20-40 front seats and the middle portion does not fold down.

Was there an optional center part that does fold down? If not, I will likely just remove it and put in some kind of box or something. Perhaps there is an after market item that would go in there, such as a beer cooler? oops, I mean soda pop cooler....

mcreyaufmiller · December 4, 2004

Truck is 2002 Silverado extended cab, 5.3L, auto trans, 3.73 rear axle, 2WD.
I want to add rear swaybar, posi, trans cooler, and trans temp guage.

Any advice on any of that?

Also, I have the 40-20-40 front seats and the middle portion does not fold down.

Was there an optional center part that does fold down? If not, I will likely just remove it and put in some kind of box or something. Perhaps there is an after market item that would go in there, such as a beer cooler? oops, I mean soda pop cooler....

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You can check Performance Suspension Technologies for the sway bar, the other stuff, just look around on the net or someone else may have suggestions.

Mike

hvac1000 · December 5, 2004

I installed a Hellwig rear sway bar when my 2002 EX cab 4x4 was new. Best improvement for the money. I do not feel the truck is going to roll over in a tight turn at speed any more.

budhayes3 · December 5, 2004

Hey, welcome aboard and congrats on the new truck Bill55AZ! To answer some of your questions: Hellwig and Hotchkis make good sway bars for these trucks. I'm not sure who makes the best posi, but I've heard Eaton mentioned alot. I have a Permacool 17,000 GVW trans cooler that I'm very happy with, and B&M makes a supercooler that's very popular. You have a couple different options on the trans temp guage. You can check around and get just the guage, or you can get an entire cluster from a Denali, or Heavy Duty truck...the Denali cluster has a 120 mph speedo too. Check ebay or JP Customs. I got my Denali cluster from JP Customs mainly because on a 99 the cluster isn't a direct swap, there are some necessary modifications that I didn't want to be bothered with and JP Customs offered it that way. Real nice looking...has white needles on black guage faces, a 120 mph speedo, a grey bezel around the guages, and it illuminates blue at night. (I'll be getting some pics hopefully within the next week)

You have alot of options for the middle seat also. There is one with a fold down console, they call it a jump seat. I'm going to be removing mine soon to install a full center console...if your interior's grey I'd be willing to sell you mine. PM me if you're interested. Your other option is to get a center console like I'm doing. I got the console on ebay, it's out of a 00 pickup, but consoles out of certain Tahoes, Yukons, etc. will also work.

There are a ton of appearance, suspension, electrical, performance, etc. mods that can be done to these trucks...it gets addicting (and expensive), but it's alot of fun!

carguru · December 5, 2004

The Helwig kits are bolt and play. I believe that you have to drill a couple of holes for the Hotchkis. I have both front and rear Helwig kits on mine. Best $ spent next to my BFG tires. Also, this may be a personal preference thing, but if you do only the rear bar, the handling can feel a bit funny. The front end will feel floaty and the rear will be real stiff.

budhayes3 · December 5, 2004

The Helwig kits are bolt and play. I believe that you have to drill a couple of holes for the Hotchkis. I have both front and rear Helwig kits on mine. Best $ spent next to my BFG tires. Also, this may be a personal preference thing, but if you do only the rear bar, the handling can feel a bit funny. The front end will feel floaty and the rear will be real stiff.

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That's some good info to know...I've considered possible sway bars in the future, but didn't like the idea of having to drill...bolt and play is the way!

Do the sway bars stay put or do you notice them shifting within the bushings at all?

03blackburb · December 5, 2004

One other other guys on the forum has some stuff for sale. Check this add out in the For Sale section:

http://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=34812

I bouth the K&N from him some weeks ago. Nice guy to do business with.

Bill55AZ · December 5, 2004

Don't all trucks and cars come with a front sway bar now? I know back in the old days that wasn't so, but by now it should be a standard option. Mine has one, a nice fat one...

There is a guy near me who has a factory trans cooler kit with hard lines for about $100. No hose splicing, allegedly.

mcreyaufmiller · December 5, 2004

Don't all trucks and cars come with a front sway bar now? I know back in the old days that wasn't so, but by now it should be a standard option. Mine has one, a nice fat one...

There is a guy near me who has a factory trans cooler kit with hard lines for about $100. No hose splicing, allegedly.

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Mine has a nice fat one as well, but it needs a fatter one. I have been looking at someonline and they are reasonable, but you need to do front and rear together. I may buy them and my shocks and put them all on at the same time. That way I can have the alingment done once.

gnutruk · December 5, 2004

The Helwig kits are bolt and play. I believe that you have to drill a couple of holes for the Hotchkis. I have both front and rear Helwig kits on mine. Best $ spent next to my BFG tires. Also, this may be a personal preference thing, but if you do only the rear bar, the handling can feel a bit funny. The front end will feel floaty and the rear will be real stiff.

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I have only the rear Hellwig on my 02 half-ton 4x4, and the handling improved tremendously. No funny or unbalanced feeling at all. Front is "floaty," as you say, but it was that way BEFORE adding the rear sway.

I bought the front Hellwig at the same time, but am holding off installing it until after I leave warranty.

gnutruk

gnutruk · December 5, 2004

Don't all trucks and cars come with a front sway bar now? I know back in the old days that wasn't so, but by now it should be a standard option. Mine has one, a nice fat one...

There is a guy near me who has a factory trans cooler kit with hard lines for about $100. No hose splicing, allegedly.

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Yes, the trucks do come with front sway bars now, but the oem bar is hollow. The Hellwig upgrade bar is solid, and therefore much stiffer. I haven't yet installed my front, but that's what everyone says who has.

gnutruk

carguru · December 6, 2004

Yep, just wait until you get the front one on. It will feel so much better. I had just the rear one on while waiting a couple weeks for my front one to get in. Adding just the rear does help improve the handling, but you do upset the handling somewhat and the front end dives too easily. Adding the front one will get rid of the front dive/body roll without being overly harsh. Of course that is subjective depending on what you are accustomed to. Then the limiting factor will be your tires.

Even though the front bar looks pretty large, once you remove it, you'll be able to tell that it is hollow. It is very light in weight. The Helwig one is about the same diameter, but solid, as gnutruk said. This bar will deflect less, thus controlling body roll better. The Hotchkis set are hollow also, but a thicker wall thickness and larger in diameter than stock. The only drawbacks of the Hotchkis bars are the higher cost and the need to drill holes in the frame for the rear bar. Also, FYI, the stock bar on the 4x4 are smaller in diameter than the 2wd models.

carguru · December 6, 2004

Don't all trucks and cars come with a front sway bar now? I know back in the old days that wasn't so, but by now it should be a standard option. Mine has one, a nice fat one...

There is a guy near me who has a factory trans cooler kit with hard lines for about $100. No hose splicing, allegedly.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Mine has a nice fat one as well, but it needs a fatter one. I have been looking at someonline and they are reasonable, but you need to do front and rear together. I may buy them and my shocks and put them all on at the same time. That way I can have the alingment done once.

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You don't need to do an alignment when you replace shocks and sway bars.