New To The Site

speeddemon_383 · November 30, 2011

Hello All,

I am new to this site. It looks like there is a ton of good information here. I just recently traded my 2003 Silverado SS for a 2011 Silverado 1500. Still debating whether that was a good move or not, I loved that truck. It was getting some miles on it and with those miles problems were beginning to arise. I have a few questions, maybe you guys can help.

Will the fuel economy get better once it is broke in? I just broke the 200 mile mark and it does not seem to be getting the 21 highway mpg the dealer sticker said it would. The active cylinder management hardly ever kicks in.

I like to drive unique vehicles and at this time my 2011 is about as far from unique as it can get. I am looking to make it stand out and wanted to start with a leveling kit. I just dont care for the slant that it has. My first question is will it void my warranty? The dealership said they were sure that it wouldnt but after I signed the paperwork they said it might....Imagine that. Also how does it affect the MPG? Will it cause pre-mature wear? How does it affect the ride? The last question is what style is better the torsion keys or the strut blocks?

Right now I am working on a rhino lining, vent shades and mud flaps. Not "stand out" material by any means but it will make it a little better. Anybody else got any ideas for some upgrades on the new ones? Still doing my research, I am planning rims and tires, cold air intake, and cat back exhaust for the future.

I would really like to lift it and go with 33's. I know that will affect warranty and mpg but I was curious as to whether anyone here has done it and how bad it affected both?

Sorry for being so long winded and thanks ahead of time for any replies....

Stevens03 · November 30, 2011

Congrats on the new truck. No leveling kit voids the warranty. 2" RC Kit will do the trick for cheap and alot of dealerships actually install them. Depending on what gears you have, I wouldn't count on 21 mpg at least in town. You may see that on a trip. Also 33" tires won't effect the warranty either.

A wheel swap is always a good choice to express your personality and make your vehicle stand out

And welcome to the site!

cparks555 · November 30, 2011

Welcome, good luck with the mods!

MikeNH · November 30, 2011

The lift can void parts of the warranty. It seems like early upper balljoint failure is a common issue with the lifts and the dealer could rightfully refuse to warranty the work though some have managed to get it done.

My 2011 with the 5.3 has 10,000 miles on it now and I've never averaged anywhere near 21 even on mostly highway trips. My overall average was 16-17 up until recently (it's dropped quite a bit with using the remote start to warm the truck and a few uses of 4WD. I track my fuel usage using a program on my phone and it's been like this all along. If I reset the trip computer on a straight highway trip I might see 18 or 19. But the real issue is that the sticker shows EPA numbers that are all but useless. The test they do doesn't reflect real life at all. Highway tests are done at 55 or 65, nevermind that most people are doing 75-80 around here. In my Subaru I beat both city and highway numbers all the time, by significant margins too. My Tacoma beat the city number but never got the highway number.

AFM only activates in 6th gear under light throttle.

Big Whiskey · November 30, 2011

AFM activates in all gears on my 6 speed, under light throttle. However, you'll seldom see that 21 mpg highway, unless you have the cruise set at 55 mph, on a flat road, with the wind behind you, lol.

For the leveling kit, your truck doesn't have torsion bars, so don't even look at torsion key lifts. You'll want a leveling that mounts under the strut/spring assembly, or above it. Rough country 2" kits are very popular. I chose to go with the Zone Offroad 2" kit because it came with rear blocks as well. The design is very similar to the RC kit.

You can plan on the level and 33's dropping your gas mileage by 2-4 MPG, depending on your driving habits.

speeddemon_383 · December 3, 2011

Thanks for the input. Im starting to get my truck planned out in my mind....now just have to start the new truck parts fund...

At this time I am planning on....

rancho 4" suspension lift

Pro Comp 20" wheels

Toyo 33x 12.5 tires

Cat back exhaust and cold air intake

Westin Bull bar with kc daylighters

It will prob be next summer until I get this done...the total for just the lift and tires/wheels is about $5500...Until then I am still looking to level it. I have read that to make the new silverados level you need a 2.25 kit. Is that correct? And which one is better just the spacers or the spacers with differential drop?

I have also heard that a piped silverado sounds stupid when afm kicks in? Anyone have experience with that?

Thanks again for any replies...

travishale84 · December 3, 2011

on my 2011 when i installed the RC 2" i had a slight "cali lean" so i installed 2.5" blocks in the rear and that put about .75" of rake back on the truck.

leg7228 · December 4, 2011

Hello & welcome!

Big Whiskey · December 5, 2011

Height wise, all trucks seem to be a little different. My '07 had a 2" skyjacker leveling kit in the front, and it sat perfectly level. Some guys still have a slight rake with a 2" front kit. For others, like Travis22, a 2" is too much. You'll just have to measure your fenders to see how much rake it has from the factory, and plan accordingly.

I removed my muffler and resonator, and ran dual 2.5 tail pipes behind the 3rd catalytic converter. When AFM kicks in, it does change the exhaust tone, but I wouldn't say it sounds stupid...just different. I have heard that some mufflers seem to make it more noticable than others.