Its ther eturn to come out with a redesigned 1/2 ton truck. Since Ford raised the bar so much. What do you think they are going to do?

 

Its hard to say. They made a big mistake going with the Avalance frontend on the half-tons. It helped the looks of the HD pickups, but it still looks terrible. GM is probably coming out with something new in the next couple of years, considering that every other brand has changed signifigantly in the last few years.

I suppose that the displacement-on-demand may be used, as well as hp increases. I did hear somewhere that GM was going to begin building a light duty 5 or 6 speed automatic, but at the time it going to be used in a car so it may or may not be used for pickups. Quadrasteer was definitely not a success, probably because it cost so much.

 

I think they've got a few irons in the fire. GM is just now releasing a true 1/2 ton 4dr crew cab with a fullsized short bed which is something Ford and Dodge don't have.

Also I expect them to have left themselves alot of room to play with the hp/torque ratings on the Vortec engine series. Some of the GM sites have had claims in the past that the 5.3L can be easily hopped up to 325hp/350lb-ft, albeit at high rpm.

As far as the styling, it's easy to change the grills and hoods. They'll probably stay the same for a year or so longer though.

Also have heard they will have a new Z71 package which will be offered as a trim level (similar to Ford) with some real offroad items like manual lockers, higher-than-normal clearance, high-grade tires etc.

 

The displacement on demand will be on the lots for '06, a 3.9L 60 degree V6, which if I remember correctly will be in the Malibu family of cars.

Recently, Chevy has changed their frontends everytime a new competitor has come out. The last front end change came almost at the same time of the new Rams. When Ford released the V-10 in the SD series, Chevy released the 8.1L.

They're playing a game of chess with the other trucks and their designs and features.

Chevys can't have manual hubs, they don't have a straight axle to hook it up with.

 

Chevy did not introduce the 496 bb until the new HD pickups were introduced 2 years later.

 

I think the avalanche lights look tight on all the trucks and even work great on the vans IMHO

 

That was their direct repsonse, RELATIVELY close.

 

I have heard that an optional solid front axle may be available in 2006 or so for the 3/4 and 1 ton GM pickups. I question this because there is really no evidence except unreliable rumors. Also, I just do not think that GM would do it.

 

Yes, that would be out of character for GM. Plus, that would drive already high production costs even higher. If they do that, that means that they have acknowledged that Ford and Dodge their solid axle/coil-solid axle setups are better for heavy work load applications.

 

I dont see why they would, what they have now works perfectly fine and costs them less than a SFA

IM sure they like the system anyway their hummer H1 uses it also only 4 wheel

 

Hook a heavy snow plow on the front of a Chevy or GMC truck, even a HD, and tell me the IFS works fine. They may ride better and work decent for light duty 1/2 tons, but for a 3/4 or 1 ton, SFA is the way to go. I sell and install snow plows at my business, and I can tell you for a fact that Ford and Dodge trucks handle plows much better than GM's trucks.

The only thing the H1's suspension has in common with the GM trucks is that it is independent. That is where the similarities end.The Hummer's is way more heavy duty and it uses coil springs at all 4 corners instead of torsion bars. The systems are so much different from one another, you really can't even compare them.

 

Yeah, with my experience from 4-wheeling, the stupidest thing that I have ever heard is having an IFS in a Heavy Duty truck. That's just silliness, IMHO, and I don't know how Chevy engineers kept a straight face when they actually told people that idea.

 

Solid front axle under a H.D. Chevy pickup. Chevy would surely gain a ton of sales if they did that. The biggest reason lots of people don't buy these trucks is because of that I.F.S. I have seen some of these trucks lifted in the truck magazines and to do that it is quite a job and expensive. The hardware needed to do this was unreal. if you tried to take this truck off road and pushed it hard.How long would that last. Not long the way that looks. Granted there is not much of a market for lifted trucks but still a market out there. These I.F.S. trucks on the road arn't very stable either. If you don't have your load balnced out right the sway in these trucks can be terrible. Not so with SFA. It wouldn't surprise me if G.M. put a solid front axle on their trucks. To ever hope of taking market share away from ford they are going to have to. Too many applications out there where I.F.S. isn;t going to cut it. Solid axle the only way to go. The biggest reason why Chevy owners are trading in their H.D. pickups for superduties.
G.M. realiazes this. If this happening in my area itis happening all over the country. More sales lost to ford. They will have to stop the bleeding.

 

All I can say about the IFS on Chevy is it isn't nearly as easy to service. We have a '97 and there are two zerks I can't get to to grease. They also require a lot more grease and maintance. We haven't beat it up much but I don't think the IFS would stand up to a lot of abuse. Even heard a big chevy guy complaining about the IFS. It does ride smoother empty however. Pulling a trailer though the chevy likes to bounce back and forth with any bump. Another thing I don't like, you have to run it up on ramps to fit under it for service, and I'm a pretty skinny kid.

 

Works perfectly fine? Ok.