2025 deleted member
Well-known member
I have a few 3/4 and 1 tons. You need to shop a different insurance co.
Opinions on GMC
- Thread starter Bombsight
- Start date
I hear you. My 7 year old son keeps telling me we have to lift the truck and put bigger tires on it.
If you're eligible for USAA, there's no difference and no additional charge to add the camper.
Amen to that brother. My truck came with 20s and the first thing I did was swap them out for 18" wheels. Kinda wish I'd gone with 17s now. More sidewall is better.
Bombsight
Observer
Rubber bands are only good for sports cars .... and some of those even suck. My wife had low profiles on her G35 for a SHORT period of time.
18's on 36's sound like the ticket?
I don't know what is on the pic I posted but they won't be no less than that!
What gears do you plan to use with those tires? I'm running the stock tire diameter, 33" and have the 3.73 gears. It's OK for how I use it and better for fuel economy than the 4.11 would be.
I would think you'd want 4.11 for sure and maybe re-gear it to 4.56?
Bombsight
Observer
I havent put much thought into that to be honest. Tell me more.
Is the 4.11 or 4.56 available when ordering the gasser? I think I read where the 4.11 was OEM on the diesel only?
I think the 4.11 (or 4.10, can't remember which one GM uses) is available with the 6.0L gas engine. The 4.56 is definitely not a standard option with that engine. Are you planning to buy off the lot or special order? If you special order you should be able to get the 4.56 as GM shows a current RPO code for that gear ratio.
Denali 4x4 version comes standard with the G80 locker in the rear, so you're good there if you like the G80. I think it does a reasonable job for my level of off-roading, but some people think it's a POS.
Maybe I'm just not as 4x4 sophisticated as others, but I have no complaints about 2013 Chevy 3500 and its rear locker and 4x4 set-up. I'm a believer in the automatic and its traction controls. Soft sand, mud, and steep climbs/descents haven't been an issue.
99Discovery
Adventurer
3.73 is all that is available on the duramax. I highly recommend the 4.10 and 3500HD. I own a 2011 2500HD 6.0L (possibly one of the best GM blocks ever made) and my biggest regrets are going 3/4 ton and keeping the 3.73 (also I'd prefer a long-bed, but the truck isn't my overlander).
Differences?
The 3500HDs come with the same heavier duty rear axle as the diesels. (I believe the 4.10 3/4-tons come with it too). You can tell if you have the big harmonic balancer at the input into the diff. I don't have it on my 3/4-ton.
The extra capacity of the 3/4-ton is an overload spring. It doesn't even engage until a certain amount of weight is added to the bed. I cannot see how an unloaded 3500 will ride any worse than an unloaded 2500, but a loaded 3500 is going to be much better.
I'm a GM guy through and through, but there are a few gripes I have with over landing one. The front bumper is a snowplow, and it's tough to get nice looking aftermarket ones. No amount of lift is going to fix that approach angle, and MPG is going to necessarily suffer because of it. I've given up trying to off-road mine, it's basically a trailer hauler.
I'm not a fan of chevy IFS for off-roading, they have a reputation for breaking half-shafts and tie-rods. That said, my dad's H2 has a sweet front suspension, but even it needed heavy duty tie-rods. My 2011 has pretty beefy tie-rods, but I'd upgrade them anyway if I off-roaded it.
In the end, I would have done a couple of things differently:
1) If I wanted to stay under 9k towing, I would have got a Ram Power Wagon which keeps the solid axles, adds lockers, winch, and front disconnects and called it a day.
2) If I wanted to go above 9k towing, I would have gone 1-ton and looking into the duramax over the 6.0 (although the 4.11 on the 6.0 is a pretty formidable spec.)
At the end of the day, I probably would have gone Ram. Again, I love the chevy, but it's tough to argue that I could have got a Cummins 1-ton dually for the same price I spent on my 3/4-ton gassers. The Chevy/GMC premium is getting too high to ignore considering both Ford and Ram make decent trucks too. I wasn't getting nearly the discounts on the chevy that I was being offered on the Ford/Ram. Basically for the money it cost to get a 6.0 gasser I could get a Ford/Ram diesel, or if I wanted a Duramax, I was $10k+ higher than the other two brands.
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Differences?
The 3500HDs come with the same heavier duty rear axle as the diesels. (I believe the 4.10 3/4-tons come with it too). You can tell if you have the big harmonic balancer at the input into the diff. I don't have it on my 3/4-ton.
The extra capacity of the 3/4-ton is an overload spring. It doesn't even engage until a certain amount of weight is added to the bed. I cannot see how an unloaded 3500 will ride any worse than an unloaded 2500, but a loaded 3500 is going to be much better.
I'm a GM guy through and through, but there are a few gripes I have with over landing one. The front bumper is a snowplow, and it's tough to get nice looking aftermarket ones. No amount of lift is going to fix that approach angle, and MPG is going to necessarily suffer because of it. I've given up trying to off-road mine, it's basically a trailer hauler.
I'm not a fan of chevy IFS for off-roading, they have a reputation for breaking half-shafts and tie-rods. That said, my dad's H2 has a sweet front suspension, but even it needed heavy duty tie-rods. My 2011 has pretty beefy tie-rods, but I'd upgrade them anyway if I off-roaded it.
In the end, I would have done a couple of things differently:
1) If I wanted to stay under 9k towing, I would have got a Ram Power Wagon which keeps the solid axles, adds lockers, winch, and front disconnects and called it a day.
2) If I wanted to go above 9k towing, I would have gone 1-ton and looking into the duramax over the 6.0 (although the 4.11 on the 6.0 is a pretty formidable spec.)
At the end of the day, I probably would have gone Ram. Again, I love the chevy, but it's tough to argue that I could have got a Cummins 1-ton dually for the same price I spent on my 3/4-ton gassers. The Chevy/GMC premium is getting too high to ignore considering both Ford and Ram make decent trucks too. I wasn't getting nearly the discounts on the chevy that I was being offered on the Ford/Ram. Basically for the money it cost to get a 6.0 gasser I could get a Ford/Ram diesel, or if I wanted a Duramax, I was $10k+ higher than the other two brands.
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rotti
Adventurer
Back in 2012 when I got my 2500HD with the 6.0 gas the 3500HD had the larger rear axle and transfer case also.
Very happy with my Chevy and FWC Hawk, great combo. Fully loaded for extended camping I still have 600 lbs of payload left.
Personally, I would pass on the lift also. Had em before, expensive, tires, rims, step ladder to get in, problems and well, expensive.
On edit:
The first thing I did on mine was to remove the bottom 4" plastic snow plow on mine. I do a lot of 4 wheeling with mine (nothing crazy) with no issues....yet.
Very happy with my Chevy and FWC Hawk, great combo. Fully loaded for extended camping I still have 600 lbs of payload left.
Personally, I would pass on the lift also. Had em before, expensive, tires, rims, step ladder to get in, problems and well, expensive.
On edit:
The first thing I did on mine was to remove the bottom 4" plastic snow plow on mine. I do a lot of 4 wheeling with mine (nothing crazy) with no issues....yet.
Last edited:
2025 deleted member
Well-known member
6.0's and duramax have a different rear diff, at least on the outside. 2500hd or 3500hd doesn't matter.
Bombsight
Observer
rotti
Adventurer
Loss of power from larger diameter tires, vibration problem, bearing wear, alinement issues, driveline angles, etc.
Don't get me wrong, I love the look and ground clearance but I'm not going through that again for a big truck with a camper.
Maybe stay with a smaller 4" lift or just a level? Or just go for it, hopefully you'll have better success than me.....I do love the look.
Don't get me wrong, I love the look and ground clearance but I'm not going through that again for a big truck with a camper.
Maybe stay with a smaller 4" lift or just a level? Or just go for it, hopefully you'll have better success than me.....I do love the look.