OR VietVet Is Still Throwing $$$ at 2005 Z71

[Sam Harris]

Excellent stuff! Keep up the good work brother! This stuff is what it’s all about.

 

[OR VietVet]

I really got to see the difference today on how my rig handles with the Hellwig sway bar kits on there. I had just made a right turn and was accelerating faster than the average Joe, as usual, and a guy in a red coupe about 100 to 120 feet down on the right was pulling out of a gas station lot and he must have looked at where I came from around the corner and thought I was gonna slow poke it and he was looking to his right, away from me and he started to go ahead and pull out to turn left. Luckily there was a center turn lane, because there was no way I was gonna be able to stop to keep from plowing in to him. I accelerated to reach his front impact point as quick as I could so he would not be at the center turn lane yet and I did the hard left and hard right around the front of his vehicle. My rig handled like I could not believe. Newer tires and a solid mechanical rig with those sway bars did the trick. The guy that was behind me, he had turned right after I did, had to slam on the brakes because by that time the red coupe was well out in the lane and half way across the center turn lane. The only choice that guy would have had was to hit the guy or turn right as fast as he could in to the gas station lot. Get the effin' hell out of my way.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Gotta love those Hellwigs. Every time that I go to my shop, my mechanic looks at those Hellwigs, and says, 'Geeze, those bars are HUGE!.'

 

[iamdub]

Safety and fun and they've already paid for themselves.

 

[OR VietVet]

Safety and fun and they've already paid for themselves.

Don't I know it. It was a quick quick quick decision for me to do that and if I had not accelerated, I would have reached that center lane too late and his car would have been further out and then if I did the quick left/right swerve, I would have been in the oncoming lane. That particular intersection, and coming up to it, with a Fred Meyers gas station just before the intersection, is very iffy and you have to pay attention. There is another way to get to my taco place but that requires many stop lights. I go this way because it avoids the stop lights. So, coming and going around that intersection is a challenge, especially with the way some people drive and not looking as they should. I expect the idiots to mess up and am prepared. I count on them to mess up and sometimes they do not let me down.

I don't want this Tahoe hit and have to start all over building what I have accomplished with my rig.

 

[OR VietVet]

Something I did not mention. As you come up to that intersection, the gas station has two separate in and out places to get in and out of that station. The center lane gets crowded coming up to it because of this and then idiots will stop in the ongoing traffic lane and wait for an opening in the center turn lane. When I leave the taco place and turn right, like I did in the almost accident, you have those two enter/exit spots on the right and have to watch for people pulling out of the gas station as well as people making the right, as I did, and then hitting the brakes to turn right again into the station. It is a mess and I will be slowing down a bit after all this. I think of that place like being on the highway in two lanes heading the same direction, and passing on the left of a slower vehicle, and getting on by quickly. I don't hang there going 1-2 mph faster and eventually getting around. When I pass, I get the hell around them, especially if is an 18 wheeler. I treat that wreck area close to the taco place, the same way. As I go thru that place, I get the hell out of there.

 

[iamdub]

I expect the idiots to mess up and am prepared. I count on them to mess up and sometimes they do not let me down.

"Always expect them (the other drivers) to do the wrong thing." This is Rule #1 in my driving lessons.

I don't want this Tahoe hit and have to start all over building what I have accomplished with my rig.

Hell naw! Like many of us here, our rigs' values far exceed an insurance payout.

 

[iamdub]

Something I did not mention. As you come up to that intersection, the gas station has two separate in and out places to get in and out of that station. The center lane gets crowded coming up to it because of this and then idiots will stop in the ongoing traffic lane and wait for an opening in the center turn lane. When I leave the taco place and turn right, like I did in the almost accident, you have those two enter/exit spots on the right and have to watch for people pulling out of the gas station as well as people making the right, as I did, and then hitting the brakes to turn right again into the station. It is a mess and I will be slowing down a bit after all this. I think of that place like being on the highway in two lanes heading the same direction, and passing on the left of a slower vehicle, and getting on by quickly. I don't hang there going 1-2 mph faster and eventually getting around. When I pass, I get the hell around them, especially if is an 18 wheeler. I treat that wreck area close to the taco place, the same way. As I go thru that place, I get the hell out of there.

Sounds like every Chick-Fil-A since their popularity exploded ~10 years ago. Some restaurants are being paid to relocate while others are having the roadways modified to help with the lines that wrap around the restaurant and extend out into the streets.

I just saw they're building a Buc-ee's "near" to me in SW Mississippi. It'll be among their largest stores. The first step they're doing is widening I-10 to accommodate it.

 

[Sparksalot]

Gotta love those Hellwigs. Every time that I go to my shop, my mechanic looks at those Hellwigs, and says, 'Geeze, those bars are HUGE!.'

Bar envy.

 

[adventurenali92]

The upgrades that keep these rigs moving safely down the road are so worth it. Why I upgraded brakes. I’m gonna upgrade suspension a bit before I power upgrades for reasons just like this so I can maneuver myself out sticky situations. Bigger and longe roasting brakes have kept me from several could be serious accidents had I not had good brakes and stopped in time.

 

[OR VietVet]

My hydro-boost brakes are soooo much better than vacuum.

 

[iamdub]

My hydro-boost brakes are soooo much better than vacuum.

Agreed! I put hydraboost on my S10. 3/4-ton brakes on a 1/4 ton truck

 

[OR VietVet]

Agreed! I put hydraboost on my S10. 3/4-ton brakes on a 1/4 ton truck

Weight in the back so you will not nose dive.

 

[adventurenali92]

My hydro-boost brakes are soooo much better than vacuum.

Hydro boost brakes and the electric cooling fan set ups were two of the biggest reasons I wanted a 2005 or 2006 GMT800.

 

[iamdub]

Weight in the back so you will not nose dive.

Removed the fuel tank that was in front of the axle and on the driver side and installed a Blazer tank that is centered behind the axle. Also relocated the battery to just in front of the axle on the passenger side. Kept a stout nearly-zero-profile fiberglass bed cover on it. A modified Class 3 (or was it 4?) receiver hitch added reinforcement, fuel tank mounts and extra weight at the far rear end of the frame. Oh, and I converted to rear disc brakes and had a proportioning valve adjusted to make it squat really well when standing on the brakes. Stainless steel flex lines. Rotors were cryo-tempered PowerSlots with Hawk HPS pads. I could stand on 'em from triple digits and they never faded or warped in the 10+ years I ran them.

Had 285s in the back with plans and clearance for 315s. It was being built to have a half-decent chance with a high-compression, cammed LQ9 (~450/450 conservatively) and FLT Level 6 moving it.

 

[Tonyrodz]

Removed the fuel tank that was in front of the axle and on the driver side and installed a Blazer tank that is centered behind the axle. Also relocated the battery to just in front of the axle on the passenger side. Kept a stout nearly-zero-profile fiberglass bed cover on it. A modified Class 3 (or was it 4?) receiver hitch added reinforcement, fuel tank mounts and extra weight at the far rear end of the frame. Oh, and I converted to rear disc brakes and had a proportioning valve adjusted to make it squat really well when standing on the brakes. Stainless steel flex lines. Rotors were cryo-tempered PowerSlots with Hawk HPS pads. I could stand on 'em from triple digits and they never faded or warped in the 10+ years I ran them.

Had 285s in the back with plans and clearance for 315s. It was being built to have a half-decent chance with a high-compression, cammed LQ9 (~450/450 conservatively) and FLT Level 6 moving it.

That would've been a sick S10.

 

[OR VietVet]

My 20,000th post:

As you can see by the date, it has been a long time since I posted anything here about my Z71. I went thru it and did quite a bit of work and it has never ever let me down and still runs and handles fantastic. I was looking to buy a 2004 K2500HD Silverado but that fell thru and if I bought it, I was likely gonna sell the Tahoe. The road test did not impress and the ride was jarring. Then I remembered that the K2500's ride on the bump stops. It was a crew cab with a short bed and therefore, longer. In my usual traffic, it was gonna take some getting used to with it being longer. I then decided that I did not want it, lots of fluid leaks, and I decided that I cannot replace the Tahoe because I love that truck.

I have "made like new" from the front to back. There are only the a/c system, differentials, engine and transmission, that I have not opened up for work. I have done the maintenance but no repairs. At 165k, it looks and drives better than new with the Black Bear Tune and the Hellwig bars, front and rear. I have decided that if it needs an engine down the road, I will replace it. If it needs a transmission further down the road, I will replace it. If it needs gears, I will replace them and if it needs a/c work, I will gut it and fix it. I love working on that Tahoe. Crawling under it, is a joy. Pulling up in it, reminds me of the work that has been done and that it is beyond reliable.

There is only one thing I do not like about it, The sun/moon roof. I am religious about the seal cleaning and lubing and making sure drain is clear but I feel that one day it will be a PIMA and cause me to make up new curse/swear words. No sweat there, vets know how to pontificate with profanity.

Anyway......at 20,000 posts and hope to be around for 20k more.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

My 20,000th post:

As you can see by the date, it has been a long time since I posted anything here about my Z71. I went thru it and did quite a bit of work and it has never ever let me down and still runs and handles fantastic. I was looking to buy a 2004 K2500HD Silverado but that fell thru and if I bought it, I was likely gonna sell the Tahoe. The road test did not impress and the ride was jarring. Then I remembered that the K2500's ride on the bump stops. It was a crew cab with a short bed and therefore, longer. In my usual traffic, it was gonna take some getting used to with it being longer. I then decided that I did not want it, lots of fluid leaks, and I decided that I cannot replace the Tahoe because I love that truck.

I have "made like new" from the front to back. There are only the a/c system, differentials, engine and transmission, that I have not opened up for work. I have done the maintenance but no repairs. At 165k, it looks and drives better than new with the Black Bear Tune and the Hellwig bars, front and rear. I have decided that if it needs an engine down the road, I will replace it. If it needs a transmission further down the road, I will replace it. If it needs gears, I will replace them and if it needs a/c work, I will gut it and fix it. I love working on that Tahoe. Crawling under it, is a joy. Pulling up in it, reminds me of the work that has been done and that it is beyond reliable.

There is only one thing I do not like about it, The sun/moon roof. I am religious about the seal cleaning and lubing and making sure drain is clear but I feel that one day it will be a PIMA and cause me to make up new curse/swear words. No sweat there, vets know how to pontificate with profanity.

Anyway......at 20,000 posts and hope to be around for 20k more.

You BETTER be around for 20k+ more posts. You presence on this Forum is invaluable to many of us. And, what would we do without your unique sense of humor?

 

[OR VietVet]

You BETTER be around for 20k+ more posts. You presence on this Forum is invaluable to many of us. And, what would we do without your unique sense of humor?

Yea, old/crotchity/kiss my ass/eff you, unique sense of humor......got it.

 

[SirReal63]

Yea, old/crotchity/kiss my ass/eff you, unique sense of humor......got it.

I like it as it matches mine. Congratulations on a huge milestone.