Ordered Some Love for my K1500

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Redbone

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Brimley in Michigan's U.P.
I have been neglecting my trusty 1998 GMC Z71 for a couple years so I finally broke down and picked up some parts for her. She will still need a little more work after the front wheels get their love but since she's my second vehicle used mostly for haulin' trash, supplies for various projects around the homestead, two track fun and last but not least hunting. I screwed up and only ordered one each of the shocks so they will be on order shortly. I need to inspect the rear axle brakes and bearings still but the front right wheel bearing had bit the dust and she need brake rotors and pads badly so that's where I'm starting. I'm not too worried about the body as she is mostly solid and she will see many a tree narrowed two tracks that any body work would be wasted after one season. I also use it as a backup for my Terrain on those winter days when lake Superior like to dump 2'-3' of snow on us, which 'ol Black and Tan just motors on through.
Here is a couple picture of the girl and parts I picked up:

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Love my Silverado, Brian. And she's had new wheel bearings up front. I went with Timkin this time, because there is a lot of stress on them. They take care of us if we take care of them. Chevy LS motors rock. My Jeep GC struggled up big hills towing a trailer with my bike in it. The Silverado doesn't know it's even there.

Steve-o
 
The odometer reads just under 150k and she pulls my trailer (13x7 enclosed) easily as she should. This is the first time I've had to replace the wheel bearings although I replaced both of the Cv axle shafts, the LF twice. I had the transmission rebuilt at 65k and still going strong.
 
245 k on my '00 Z71 Tranny rebuilt at 165 k. No other issues of note.
 

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That's awesome Paul, I can only hope to get another 100k out of my truck. At the rate I'm putting miles on it now it would take me 20 + years to get there! Two motorcycles and a daily driver Terrain, she only gets used once or twice a week. It's handy to have around though, those deep snows and hunting trips would be hell on the Terrain or Vmax!:rofl_200:
 
Brian's got to get ready for that long MI winter. I was just in the lower peninsula for a weekend, it was cool and rainy, but the day I left, Sunday, was pretty-nice. It was the weekend of the Woodward Ave. Dream Cruise.

Some internet info for you 4-wheel drive Bowtie boys:

The Chevrolet K1500 is Chevrolet’s four-wheel-drive (designated by the letter K), half-ton (designated by 1500) pickup truck. It was Chevrolet’s bestselling vehicle during the years it saw production. Introduced in 1989 as the first Chevrolet truck that wasn’t simply known by a number; the Silverado replaced the model line after the 1998 model year.

The Chevrolet K1500 is known as a rugged, durable truck for transporting cargo and passengers. The K1500, a four-wheel drive model (the two-wheel drive model is designated as the C1500), has the ability to tow cargo no matter what road conditions lay ahead.

Three cab sizes are available: regular cab, extended cab, and crew cab (in 2500 and 3500 trim levels). The K1500’s four-wheel drive allows the driver to maneuver over rough terrain as well as transport passengers.The truck bed is available as a short box, regular box,or long box, offering sufficient cargo space. It is designed to haul a payload of up to 2040 pounds.

The maximum towing capacity on the Chevrolet K1500 is 5000 pounds. Purchase the Camper/Towing package to take full advantage of the towing capability the truck provides. To note, it's important to consider the weight of passengers, cargo, and optionally installed equipment to determine how much the truck can safely tow.

Chevrolet K1500 Features
After choosing which cab is right for your light-duty truck needs (regular, extended, or crew), and after choosing the box (or pickup bed) you need?short, standard, stepside (not available on the Work Truck), or long?you can select the trim level you want. The 1998 Chevrolet K1500 offers Work Truck, Cheyenne, and top-spec Silverado trim levels.

The Work Truck package offered a standard 4.3-liter, 195-horsepower engine and a five-speed manual transmission, as well as power steering, power brakes, 15-inch wheels, four-wheel ABS, driver and passenger front airbags, a front split vinyl bench seat, intermittent wipers, daytime running lights, and an AM/FM audio system.

Optional engines included a 5.0-liter V-8 or a 5.7-liter V-8. The optional locking differential allowed the driver to easily switch from two-wheel drive to four-wheel drive when road conditions called for it. The optional Camping/Towing package included improvements to the suspension to accommodate towing needs. Other options included power door locks, camper mirrors, a chrome step bumper, alloy or chrome wheels, an AM/FM/Cassette audio system, a four-speed automatic transmission, a sliding rear window, a power driver’s seat, cruise control, a tilt steering wheel, and air conditioning.
The Cheyenne package offered the same 4.3-liter, 195-horsepower engine and a five-speed manual transmission (and has the same optional engines as the Work Truck package). Standard equipment included 16-inch wheels, four-wheel ABS, driver and passenger front airbags, front vinyl bench seat, power steering, intermittent wipers, daytime running lights, and AM/FM audio system.

Optional equipment on the Cheyenne included bucket seats, camper mirrors, Camper/Towing package, chrome step bumper, locking differential, rear step bumper, skid plates, bed liner, sliding rear window, four-speed automatic transmission, alloy wheels, cloth seating, front split-bench seat, cruise control, tilt steering wheel, airconditioning, and power door locks.

The Silverado trim package came equipped with the same 4.3-liter, 195 hp engine and a five-speed manual transmission (and has the same optional engines as the Work Truck package). Standard equipment included a chrome step bumper, power brakes, power steering, power door locks and windows, 16-inch wheels, four-wheel ABS, driver and passenger front airbags, front cloth bench seat, tilt steering wheel trimmed with leather, airconditioning, daytime running lights, power exterior mirrors, and AM/FM/Cassette audio system.

Optional equipment included skid plates, AM/FM/Cassette/CD audio system, keyless entry, locking differential, bucket seats, Camper/Towing package, center console, two-tone paint, alloy wheels, front split-bench seat, and leather seating.

Optional engines included a 5.0-liter V-8 and a 5.7-liter V-8. The more powerful engines are a good choice when towing an RV or another trailer. The optional locking differential allows the driver to easily switch from two-wheel drive to four-wheel drive when road conditions are indicated. The optional Camping/Towing package includes improvements to the suspension to accommodate towing needs. Other options include power door locks, camper mirrors, chrome step bumper, alloy or chrome wheels, AM/FM/Cassette audio system, four-speed automatic transmission, sliding rear window, power driver’s seat, cruise control, tilt steering wheel, and airconditioning. Note that some of this optional equipment comes standard on the Silverado.

Chevrolet K1500 Evolution
In 1990, Chevrolet introduced the Scottsdale and Base trim levels with options for engine and transmissions. The line saw no major changes from 1991 to 1993. Then, in 1994, the exterior front end was redesigned. A turbodiesel engine was offered on the vehicle, which was the first in vehicles weighing less than 8500 pounds. Rust corrosion protection is also enhanced and "easy entry" added to the front passenger seat on Extended Cab trucks.
In 1995, Chevrolet introduced a revised interior. Shift interlock prevented shifting out of park without pressing the brake pedal, and four-wheel ABS came standard.

The 1996 model year saw the introduction of a 4.3-liter V-6 Vortec engine to the line, as well as a 5.0-liter V-8 and a 5.7-liter V-8.

On the 1997 Silverado, an alternative fuel version of Vortec 5700 engine was available. However, Chevy discontinued the K1500 trucks at the end of the 1998 model year. They were replaced by the completely redesigned Silverado.

I had a 1993 C1500 GMC that I bought from one of my friends, who had bought it new. When I traded it in, it had ~170K miles, and I was looking at dropping a couple of grand or more into it to fix a bunch of things, nothing that was keeping it off the road, but I was resigned to spending the $$$. It was a C1500 WT standard cab Work Truck, w/the 4.3 liter V6, a commercial 'stripper,' as-far as accessories besides AC. It wouldn't break 80 mph unless you were downhill-headed, and 15 mpg.

My wife said, "why don't you buy a new pickup? Don't spend the money on that, it's sixteen years old!" Cosmetically, the body was near-perfect, just a faded paint job, and a cheapie job would take care of that for a few years. The AC needed replacement, a must in south FL. Anyway, this was the time of the Cash for Clunkers deal, and the C/K1500's were on the list of eligible vehicles to trade-in, so I did. Obama gave me $3500, which was probably twice what I could have sold my truck for, as-is. I decided to downsize, and I got a mid-size, I stayed with GMC and got a crew-cab Canyon pickup, fully-loaded, no 4WD, as I don't have any use for it. It gets 23 mpg on the highway, and has a 5500 lb tow rating (more than the C/K1500!), and came w/a 7-pin trailer hookup for electric brakes, a limited-slip rear differential and a 2" receiver hitch. Power everything, tilt, cruise, bucket seats and a console, mag wheels, and a running board set. A much better truck than my C1500, which served me well for many years, but the 355 Twin (the Chevy Colorado is its brother) is much better handling, and much faster. Guys who bypass the speed limiter with a new computer program and with the same engine and rear axle claim a bit over 125 mph. It's got an Atlas all-aluminum engine, five cylinders, 223 cubic inches, and has >1 HP/cu.in., 242 HP and the same # for torque. The only problem is that it apparently is a magnet for idiots as I've been tagged in the rear more than I want to recall. Here's the last damage: ($4K+) I just got it back this week.
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The entire left side of the bed was replaced, and the tailgate. I was stopped on I-95 in gridlock and a Ford F150 driver wasn't paying attention, and rear-ended me pretty-good, he pushed the bed into the cab. I was able to drive away, but his F150 needed a flatbed to remove it. I don't notice any issues w/the repair, the truck drives fine, and it didn't take much on the frame machine to get it straight. I'll keep it. I've had it a bit > 7 years, and it's got 86K on the odo now. Tires and brakes only to now, other than crash damage.

I haven't had occasion to haul more-than 4,000 lbs w/it, when we were working on the house. It did fine. (first attachment)

Here's a pic I took of a 'noteworthy' C/K1500 I saw here in Miami FL (second attachment):
 

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Michigan U.P. winters are not for faint of heart and a good 4 wheel drive vehicle can get you around on those heavy snow days. I enjoy the snow and some of the winter sports but mostly of the non-motorized sort. Nothing better that skiing through a pine or hardwood stand of trees and hear the roar of silence. I drive past more trees than people on my travels through the beautiful Upper Peninsula. Only 39,000 in our entire county, Chippewa, which has a total area of 2,698 square miles (6,990 km2), of which 1,558 square miles (4,040 km2) is land and 1,140 square miles (3,000 km2) (42%) is water.[It is the second-largest county in Michigan by land area and fifth-largest by total area. Per the last census, the population density was 24.7 per square mile (9.5 square kilometers). There were 21,253 housing units at an average density of 13.6 per square mile (5.3 square kilometers). No urban congestion here!
 
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