New Guy Here

GQ-01 · April 7, 2009

Hi there. Another new guy here. I've never done anything except change my oil and air filter. I've got some questions, though, and this seemed like a good place to check in. I've got an '02 Sierra 1500 with an extended cab and a 6'6" fleet-side bed. It's 2WD with a 5.3 L V8. I got it in '03 with 36,000 miles on it; I was up to 114,018 miles at my last fill up. I did most my driving to and from New Mexico to Lubbock, TX, and now I travel from Phoenix, AZ to Lordsburg, NM and back. However you look at it, it's all pretty much highway.

Sometimes I haul things in the bed, but I don't have any trailering equipment - the heaviest thing I've hauled is my 676-pound Harley, plus equipment, but I'm still getting pretty good gas milage (from Phoenix to Lubbock I averaged 21 mpg). But I get off on towing ability, no off-road ability. Don't get me wrong, I like the Z71 package, but one day I want a big dually.

I have a K&N stock replacement air cleaner, but no FIPK or nothing. I use a K&N oil filter and Pennzoil full synthetic 10W-30. I've got a spray-in bed liner and molded bed caps, as well as the tubular bed extender for my bike. I think I get the most horsepower gains from my rubber Harley-Davidson floor mats, though. Got to be at least 8-10 horses, each.

It's not lifted at all. I had larger tires on it at one point, but they're back to stock now. I got them almost right away because the tires were almost bald when I got the truck. The oversized tires looked good, but they threw off my speedometer. After getting a flat and getting another chance to see what the stock size looked like on my truck, I decided on OEM tires ($600 for four at a local shop). They were a little pricey, but I like them.

The truck's been in a couple incidents, but most of my damage has been repaired. It has some scratches from brush and some from shopping carts, and hail damage on the roof. Also, and I forget the milage for certain, but at about 60,000 miles, I had the transmission rebuilt because I threw a tooth off one of my gears on my way down to Fredericksburg, TX as I was pulling out of a rest stop. Luckily, I was just a few miles from town. I also have Sony speakers in the front because the magnet in the right 6" speaker cracked.

What I like most about my truck is it is a really smooth ride. I've ridden in my uncle's Dodge Ram 2500, and even going down new roads, I feel like I'm going to be car sick from the violent jostling. I was not impressed even a little bit.

Things I would like to have one day: a trailering kit, an LCD touch screen/navigation system, a crisp but hard-hitting sound system, a new, darker paint job (it's metallic pewter right now), a sun roof, and possibly a different grille. Actually, there's a quite long list, but definitely those things.

nick44 · April 7, 2009

Welcome to the site!

pennzoil29 · April 7, 2009

Welcome aboard

bigredmariner · April 7, 2009

Welcome to the forum.

99silveradoz71 · April 7, 2009

Welcome

VR021302 · April 7, 2009

Howdy Gray, welcome to this here fo-rum, it shure is a great place to find info-mation, and to get some ad-vice on these here pick-em-up trucks, yep shure is