2005 Chevy Colorado Build Up

[opie]

I wasnt epxecting to find another Colorado on an expedition forum!! Much less to be in MI too.

Good job on your truck, it looks good. Ive got a 2005 Z85 as well. I had those Bubaloo shackles for about 2 years and 7 turns on the TB's. Just recently I returned the suspension to stock but went with some 31 10.5 15 tires on the stock Z85 wheels.

No big plans to lift the truck anytime soon...maybe someday though.

I saw you got the indexing keeys for the torsion bars...I dont think the ones you got are the same as the stock ones...What they should have accomplished was change the resting point of the suspension without having to crank the adjusters. Say if you kept the stock keys and turned the bolts 5 complete turns...the indexed keys should accomplish the same lift without touching the adjustment bolts.

A friend an I are heading up to Mounds ORV park tomorrow, last weekend before thye close until May. We should be able to get some pics and should be decent weather.

 

[BOSSVAN]

I was thinking the same thing as you ^^^^^ I didn't expect to find one on here either. I have a 2006 Canyon Z85. 2 Inch springtech spring up front and airbag helper springs in the back. 30x9.5 BFG At's. I don't want to lift it much more either....not yet....Next tires will be 31's for sure though!

 

[opie]

I was thinking the same thing as you ^^^^^ I didn't expect to find one on here either. I have a 2006 Canyon Z85. 2 Inch springtech spring up front and airbag helper springs in the back. 30x9.5 BFG At's. I don't want to lift it much more either....not yet....Next tires will be 31's for sure though!

The 31's (which is the equivalent to the 265/75/15 that come stock on the Z71) do look better. Much better footprint too.

I dont want to go crazy with lift...2" all around I was happy with. With 2" of lift Ive seen guys get 33's on their Colorado and Canyon.

 

[T.Low]

Excellent post

Excellent post. I have just read your entire years worth of fun with the truck, and may I say you've done a great job. Its the best looking Colorado I've seen. The H wheels look better on your rig than on the H.

I just bought my rig two months ago so your thread is hepful and timely.

When I was younger and lived in Michigan, I too mapped out a trip to James Bay but never went. I'll enjoy your trip report.

BTW, congrats on beating OSU in the playoffs. Say hello to #83 Matt Butcher, he's a great kid and Bellingham is proud of him.

 

[Northern Explorer]

Thanks for the complements. I plan on restarting work on my truck in April when the snow is out of my driveway.

T. Low... I updated post #44 with a link to my James Bay trip thread if you couldn't find it.

 

[PNWColorado]

Holy Cow!!! I never thought I would see another Colorado either. I bought mine to haul my ATV... nothing more really. Then I took it in the snow a few times and got bit by the bug to turn it more into a capable and reliable expedition vehicle wich I could rely on for personal recovery when I am going solo. That and digging and such to get out of the snow was not too fun last winter. Also courious where you found the rocksliders. I have a guy doing all my fab work off of my designs. Yours is looking pretty good.Here are the mods to my truck so far.

2004 Z71 inline 5 cylinder

Front light bar with winch stinger mount and shackle recovery
Rock sliders
Onboard air
Recovery kit... 2 30foot straps, tree saver, snatch block, 4 3/4 pin shacles, Chocker chain.
24" bar chainsaw
8000 pound winch with synthetic rope... will mount of front or rear of truck
32" full size spare
33x12.5 tires
4" Sky Jacker lift with torsion bars cranked for 1" more and 1" shacles in rear.

Next is the rear bumper with shacle recovery points and auxilary lighting, roof rack with more lights,

The G80 works really well. I have broken one already and replaced the complete axel. Unfortunately there is no other dif. avail. for the odd axle our trucks have. I will post another thread here for you guys to look over my build of my truck.

As for the parts being fabbed up. I had a guy doing stuff for me but has recently stopped doing it. I have another guy who is going to copy my bar and sliders and do the rear bumper for me so that I can start selling these items to fellow Colorado/Canyon enthusiasts.

 

[BCJC]

i'm pretty sure you guys have the same sliders, just from watching coloradofans.com and on here.

pnwcolorado (or is it sneaky?), looking forward to your build thread, and i'm in the market for a rear bumper as well, would love to hear your ideas.

 

[Northern Explorer]

PNWColorado

Yep....we have the same rock sliders. I followed your posts over at Coloradofans.com I should have them mounted in a few weeks. Nice truck by the way. You found a great web site.

 

[opie]

Holy Cow!!! I never thought I would see another Colorado either. I bought mine to haul my ATV... nothing more really. Then I took it in the snow a few times and got bit by the bug to turn it more into a capable and reliable expedition vehicle wich I could rely on for personal recovery when I am going solo. That and digging and such to get out of the snow was not too fun last winter. Also courious where you found the rocksliders. I have a guy doing all my fab work off of my designs. Yours is looking pretty good.Here are the mods to my truck so far.

2004 Z71 inline 5 cylinder

Front light bar with winch stinger mount and shackle recovery
Rock sliders
Onboard air
Recovery kit... 2 30foot straps, tree saver, snatch block, 4 3/4 pin shacles, Chocker chain.
24" bar chainsaw
8000 pound winch with synthetic rope... will mount of front or rear of truck
32" full size spare
33x12.5 tires
4" Sky Jacker lift with torsion bars cranked for 1" more and 1" shacles in rear.

Next is the rear bumper with shacle recovery points and auxilary lighting, roof rack with more lights,

The G80 works really well. I have broken one already and replaced the complete axel. Unfortunately there is no other dif. avail. for the odd axle our trucks have. I will post another thread here for you guys to look over my build of my truck.

As for the parts being fabbed up. I had a guy doing stuff for me but has recently stopped doing it. I have another guy who is going to copy my bar and sliders and do the rear bumper for me so that I can start selling these items to fellow Colorado/Canyon enthusiasts.

Ive got an itch under my skin right now to fab something. Its been awhile since I sat down with the welder. Last project was my 5x12 tandem trailer.

Ive got a good idea on how I want to build some rocker protection, with some scrap steel left over from my trailer project.

Next would be front and rear bumpers. Id like to mimic the stock bumpers as closely as possible, but tie them into the frame better with some dedicated recovery points. Id also like to build the rear hitch into the rear bumper. The stock one hangs so low...

Nice to see another Rado owner...

 

[PNWColorado]

that is the idea of the rear bumper for me. My reciever will be behind the plate. The plate will be on a stinger for removal. The tire will be moved as well so my rear departure angle will be greatly enhanced.

Never thought there woulds be so many guys here with these trucks. I always liked the Colorado/Canyon but thought it was looked at by most as a black sheep, such as most aftermarket companies. What's cool though is that things do have to be fabbed and it gives more oportunity for our trucks to be uniqe and not look like another truck to be coppied.

 

[opie]

that is the idea of the rear bumper for me. My reciever will be behind the plate. The plate will be on a stinger for removal. The tire will be moved as well so my rear departure angle will be greatly enhanced.

Never thought there woulds be so many guys here with these trucks. I always liked the Colorado/Canyon but thought it was looked at by most as a black sheep, such as most aftermarket companies. What's cool though is that things do have to be fabbed and it gives more oportunity for our trucks to be uniqe and not look like another truck to be coppied.

I agree.

Its bad for the tinkerers wife though!

I like how you worked your front recovery points/hitch into the existing tow hooks mounts. Ingenious.

 

[T.Low]

Whats this "aftermarket" you speak of?

that is the idea of the rear bumper for me. My reciever will be behind the plate. The plate will be on a stinger for removal. The tire will be moved as well so my rear departure angle will be greatly enhanced.

Never thought there woulds be so many guys here with these trucks. I always liked the Colorado/Canyon but thought it was looked at by most as a black sheep, such as most aftermarket companies. What's cool though is that things do have to be fabbed and it gives more oportunity for our trucks to be uniqe and not look like another truck to be coppied.

Ahh, no, don't know what you mean at all...Black Sheep? Fabbed? Hmm. (ha ha)

Just incase sarcasm doesn't traverse the internet too well, yeah, I know exactly what you mean. My new full size spare, at only 30", barely fits underneath. I want to mount it on the rear for a few reasons, one of which is to put a water tank underneath in that same location for an exterior shower, but talk about fab, sheash.

Your trucks are looking good.

 

[Northern Explorer]

A few small updates

I got my truck back from the body shop today. They fixed the hail damage from the hail storm last June 20th, the rocker panel that I crushed on a big iron pipe that was hidden in the tall ferns, and touched up the scuff marks from the plastic bed liner that I removed when I got the topper.

Tomorrow I will be calling the local off road shop to set up an appointment to have the 4.10 gears installed, color match rhino line the rocker panels/lower door/fender area, and have the rock sliders welded on. I may have the rock sliders rhino lined black as well.

For the last several days I have been driving my Dad's GMC Canyon (crew cab, red, off road package). It felt like a low rider compared to my truck. It's amazing how only a few inches make such a big difference. This truck was equipped with the newer 3.7 liter engine and being stock, it was properly geared (3.73:1 ???) for the tire size. The power difference between his truck and my truck was definitely noticeable. I can't wait till I get the 4.10 gears in my truck.

 

[Northern Explorer]

One more thing to add to my to-do list.

I will be taking the 2 inch lift shackles off and installing the Skyjacker add-a-leaf along with the oem shackles. The Skyjacker add-a-leafs will lift the back end by about 2 to 2.5 inches over stock. They should also help significantly with payload. I'm hoping this will be the only suspension modification I will need to make in order to carry my new camper!:gunt: Summit Racing forgot to send me the longer center pins that are needed with the thicker leaf pack. Not sure if that was Summit's fault or Skyjacker's fault.

The truck goes in Monday (April 28th) for the gears and rock sliders.

 

[opie]

One more thing to add to my to-do list.

I will be taking the 2 inch lift shackles off and installing the Skyjacker add-a-leaf along with the oem shackles. The Skyjacker add-a-leafs will lift the back end by about 2 to 2.5 inches over stock. They should also help significantly with payload. I'm hoping this will be the only suspension modification I will need to make in order to carry my new camper!:gunt: Summit Racing forgot to send me the longer center pins that are needed with the thicker leaf pack. Not sure if that was Summit's fault or Skyjacker's fault.

The truck goes in Monday (April 28th) for the gears and rock sliders.

I did the AAL thing about a month ago...Very nice. Not to stiff...

Here it is after install. Its settled in a little bit...

Here it is with about 2.5 yds of wet compost...