2011 Chevy Silver A Dough build

Today my LED headlights came in so I took a few minutes to install them. I'll get some pictures of how well they project onto the road tomorrow morning. Needless to say these things seem bright! My cold air intake should arrive Thursday and my co worker is considering trading his exhaust system for my stock one.

 

My cold air intake was delivered on Thursday. Installed it yesterday morning. The truck sounds a little bit better. More growl when you hit the gas and slightly better throttle response. I have a spare sheet of reflective heat tape which I'll put on the heat shield later on.

 

Never used blue magic but looks like you achieved good results. So far I have only used mothers metal polish at I have gotten good results so far. I have an arsenal of cleaning and detailing stuff. I'm one of those that enjoys going through the entire process.

 

I also enjoy the process but sometimes on a vehicle this big it can get old. Detailing the Miata takes only 2-3 hours max where this truck in it's current condition takes probably 8-10 hours.

Since my last post I have done a few more things. The first aftermarket head unit I got was defective. It just wouldn't power on. I sent that back and got a working replacement. I installed a backup camera that's part of the tail gate handle. It'll make it easier to connect to a trailer.

I found a large adhesive backed sheet of heat shielding in the garage. Decided to use it on the shield for my cold air intake. It looks good! Not sure if it's really doing anything but I like to think it does.

Next on the list is the following repairs.

Fix/figure out the issue with the drivers door lock actuator. It works but RAP doesn't cut off. I used my scan tool and found that the door ajar indicator isn't working for the LF door. Probably a broken wire somewhere.

Fix a small exhaust leak at the exhaust manifold where a broken bolt is.

Valve cover gaskets and oil change.

 

Finally got to figuring out why the RAP was acting up. The door ajar signal wire was broken in the door harness. Got that fixed so now I don't have to worry about a dead battery occuring.



Here's a picture of the adhesive backed heat tape I added to the CAI shield



And here's a pic of the new radio. I also got some stickers to fix the worn out HVAC panel buttons.

 

Been a while since I updated. I have the replacement rear sliding window regulator but haven't installed it yet. I just got back from a vacation in Virginia where I went camping, shooting, etc. Had a lot of fun.

I have also been saving tires from work. The current size on the truck is 275/65R18 which is the same tire size as most of the new Silverado trucks with the Goodyear Wrangler Duratrek tires. So far I have 5 total but two of them are pretty worn on. Just waiting on one more decent one then I'll upgrade these crappy all seasons to something that should do better in the mud/dirt.

I'm also going to buy HPTuners so I can begin tuning this thing and hopefully tune it before HPTuners locks out DTC removal. If not I'll probably just end up adding converters to whatever headers I decide on if I go that route.

 

Installed the rear sliding window regulator today after work. Fuck doing that job. The brace that the rear middle belt slides on was a pain in the ass to get the regulator cable by. I got it done but I was pissed. Always hated doing those.

The cable was binding up. My mom had told me her mechanic said that the cable just needed to be reattached. I knew it doesn't work that way. From a lot of other things I found on the truck those guys were hacks. I'm glad I can fix this thing properly.

 

If it was a ford the window would have just kept working

 

Not if it was the sunroof. I've replaced a bunch of F150 panorama frames because the track breaks.

 

Alright new update!

My truck is the Z71 model which came with Rancho struts/shocks from the factory. The truck also had a 1.5" leveling spacer on top of the strut which is aftermarket.

These had been on the truck for years. Probably all 176000 miles of it. Well my co worker did a lift kit on a new 2022 model truck and I figured why not see if these fit.

Turns out they do! Well sort of. These struts are longer that my factory Ranchos by 2" so if you take the 1.5" spacer into account then it's a difference of a half inch.

I only had to remove the upper control arm bump/stop which is welded on the frame. A cut off wheel made quick work on that.

The rear shocks were a direct fit without any modifications. I need to do the alignment however I wanted to drive it home so things can settle.

The truck rides a lot better now! Plus the fact these were free. Here's some pictures of the setup and difference.

 

I get that it's the easiest way to get 4wd but it annoys me to no end when a vehicle with unequal length a arms for front suspension also has a strut

 

I also agree. I wish it had torsion bars as adjusting ride height would be much easier.

I'm going to have to get aftermarket control arms. I checked and performed an alignment today which I got mostly into spec however the upper ball joint is at a slightly aggressive angle. In order to prevent failure of it I'll need a control arm with better geometry.

 

Got my rear blocks installed over the weekend. I also installed a new set of speakers in the truck as well. Now I just need to order the lower ball joints and control arms. I figured if I'm doing upper ball joints I might as well do the lowers as well.

Here's what the old stock blocks look like



Here's the new blocks



Comparison of old vs new



And last is the new Kicker 6 3/4" speakers



Replacing these

 

Been a minute since the last update. I was able to get a 10" sub with built in amp for fairly cheap. The truck was lacking bass in the sound system and this makes up for it. I was also able to get a set of Weather Tech floor mats from a used truck that was traded in. Only downside is that it was an extended cab and not a crew cab so the rear mat doesn't exactly match up. The fronts fit perfect.

The next things I'll be picking up are new front UCAs to correct for ball joint angle and finally getting the HPTuners system. My transmission is starting to hit a little hard in a few gears. It has 180k on it so it's rebuild time. Still drives good but I know the pump is probably on its way out. I'll be grabbing billet internals for it as well as a shift kit

 

New update.

Purchased HPTuners and unlocked the ECU. So far I've made some simple changes to the idle, turned off the DOD (cylinder deactivation), power enrichment, spark, and tuned the transmission.

Trucks driving more better. A lot better actually. GM is targeting an insane rich condition during WOT or even regular driving mostly for safety of the engine. At WOT it was trying to see 9.5-10:1 and now I have it dialed back to around 12.3-12.5

 

New update! I purchased a set of TSE (Texas Speed & Engineering) Long Tube Headers as well as a Flowmaster FX series 3" exhaust. Also picked up an oil catch can, a new instrument panel (since the current one is cracked) and new forged UCA's. Even with the purchase of all that stuff I have about 2k left over from GM parts money to spend. Debating on getting either a Truck Norris camshaft or the Chopacabra cam with LS7 valve spring upgrade.

The exhaust sounds awesome with the headers. I was able to delete the rear O2 sensors with HPTuners and can begin the proper MAFCal procedure since the airflow has been changed quite a bit. My STFT's are still within 5% so it isnt far off but I know getting it a little more than that will be beneficial. If I get the cam upgrade I will need to repeat that process so I dont know if I should wait or what.

Still coming in the mail is a solar panel kit for the hood of the truck. I managed to snag a dual battery wiring kit off a trade in the dealership wanted removed. Just need to add a good AC/DC inverter into the truck and I can have a good start at an overland build.

Factory Exhuast


Flowmaster FX series




Headers




Oil catch can

 

That's a civilized spot for the occ

 

Got around to installing my Lensun Solar panel system on the truck today. This thing is pretty sweet.

I decided to get one so when I go camping I can have additional security of knowing the battery won't go dead or I can charge my electronics.

The install was simple. Install the vinyl, add 3M double sided tape to the panel and install the panel, mount the charge controller and connect to the battery.

I am going to install a second battery soon but I need to get proper terminals for it. I was able to score a battery isolator and cables off a trade in truck which I'll be using for the dual system.

Here's some pics of the panel

 

Nice work so far man.

This has got to be the smartest thing you have done so far. Saved the block and trans in one little swoop.

I hate GM with a passion. However, I work at an Automotive Recycling Center and have learned everything is better than a Ford, and GM is... dare I say... *whispers* "king" in the longevity and reliability of an automobile. Full size trucks and SUV's only of course and anything with and LS, everything else they make is absolute crap.

That being said. SOOO much potential for aftermarket modifications and upgrades.

 

Buying a GM you will get one of two things. A colossal piece of shit that needs constant repairs to get to 100k miles or a vehicle that will run forever no in-between