Some of my ideas to share with Colorado/Canyon owners.

[PNWColorado]

2004 Colorado Z71 extended cab
Inline 5 cylinder
82k on the odometer with not one issue... I did break the G80

4" Skyjacker with 1" added front and rear
17" wheels
33X12.5 Nitto Mud Grapplers
32" BFG Mud Terrain spare tire
Smitty Built 8000 pound winch, with synthetic line and safety thimble
Apropriate recovery gear
Custom light bar with recovery points and winch reciever
Power point in rear for winch
24" bar chainsaw
Onboard air
Hella 4000 metal 9" HID lights
HID headlights
Yellow HID high beams
100 watt H1 bulbs in stock reverse light housings
........................................................................................................

Future plans are a roof rack to mount 4 more HID lights to, and get the spare up and in. Then a rear bumper I am designing.

 

[PNWColorado]

 

[maximumrob]

That truck looks great! Of course, Grapplers make anything look badazz. Are lockers available yet for this platform...at least for the rear axle?

 

[PNWColorado]

Thanks for the compliment. As for the locker there is just the stock G80 made by eaton. It works great till it breaks like my last one did. Soon it will get a different rear axle where I can put and ARB in it and I will probably put a toyota axle in front as well and do an ARB. That is what I reallt want to do. Should be east enough just time and monet.

 

[maximumrob]

Is the G80 a real locker? I wasn't aware that GM offers this platform with a true locking differential.

GM has been calling their limited slip a "locker" for many years now, convincing a lot of men that they have a locking differential. I have a buddy with a 2002 3/4Ton Chevy who will swear on the Bible he has a locker in his rear axle because the window sticker says, "automatic locking differential." We've burned a lot of beer fighting about it.

 

[ntsqd]

If it is anything like the "Gov-Loc" of old, then it is a locking diff in the broadest sense of the term. It's actually a great idea with poor execution.

The concept is a clutch pack limited slip with a governor in it. When some pre-set speed differential between the tires occurs a mechanism causes a ring with a series of ramps on it to rotate. Those ramps radically increase the pre-load on the clutches, effectively locking the differential.

Most old school GM guys refer to them as "Gov-Bombs" for their tendency to blow up. The problem is the governor mechanism design is fragile.

 

[PNWColorado]

Locking is pretty instant on mine. Once one wheel spins while the other is stopped it will lock in. It doesn't even take the tire a full revolution to do it. When my last one broke it took it apart to see what happened. There is a weighted mechanisim like a counter weight in one side of the spider gears that is connected to a paul and spring mechanisim on the other side of the spider gears in the carrier. My guess that this weight when it senses the change in traction somehow with the right amount od rotation and rpm it will engage. Problem is that it seems like a weak design and not durable for continuous beatings. That is how mine broke just going up a snow covered hill trying to get traction to both wheels. It was very reliable untill then. Luckily I was able to drive the 75 miles back home with a small hole in the dif. cover. The weighted part just broke off. I still drove the truck several months till I bought a new axle.

 

[BCJC]

first off, that's a sick truck, i've been admiring it over on cfans for awhile.

have you had any contact with your rear driveshaft on the crossmember? i'm interested in a rear bumper, may get a local shop to fab one up. i'm interested in something like this member has:

also, we both live in the NW, and drive similar terrain, and i'm curious about why you traded your coopers in (other than size), i'm looking at a set.

thanks,
jackson

 

[teotwaki]

I like the front tubular work with the receiver mounted winch. It must save a lot of weight over an all-steel aftermarket bumper.

 

[mcm4090]

I just want to say that is one nice truck.

 

[PNWColorado]

first off, that's a sick truck, i've been admiring it over on cfans for awhile.

have you had any contact with your rear driveshaft on the crossmember? i'm interested in a rear bumper, may get a local shop to fab one up. i'm interested in something like this member has:

also, we both live in the NW, and drive similar terrain, and i'm curious about why you traded your coopers in (other than size), i'm looking at a set.

thanks,
jackson

No, never had any issue on the crossmember. Do a search over on the fans page. I have photos of the amount of clearence. As for the Coopers I absolutely loved them. They were great for all around offroading, especially in the snow at five pounds. I just may get another set when the tires I have now wear out.

As for the bumper... this is my inspiration for my design, It will be similar but I have a few ideas for making it a little better.

http://www.allprooffroad.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=102