What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

2004 Silverado (GMT800) advice...

Keitha

Keitha

1/2 ton status
 Premium
Joined
Oct 13, 2008
Posts
1,027
Reaction score
75
Location
Costa Mesa, CA
I just picked up a 2004 Silverado 4x4 w/ the 5.3l for my Son. It only has 47,000 miles on it but could use some love. I want to dial the truck in and freshen it up for him, but am not too familiar with this era of trucks and could use some advice. I don't want to lift it much - maybe 2-3" max.
I've got to fix some issues with the front end. It is generally grimy and some things were installed questionably (brake lines for example running through the A-arm and up over the ball joint, missing sway bar link...)
- The front end is a bit clunky. I was thinking about a full rebuild kit - all ball joints, tie-rod ends, pitman arm/idler... The truck has a leveling kit. Is that just raising it in the front? Any recommendation on what to get for the front end? Is it worth it to spend up on the Moog kit (that's what I use on my '91 Suburban). I see Detroit Axle a lot - are they reputable?
- What's the situation with the upper A-arms? I see a lot of kits with those - any advise?
- Should I be looking into bearings or hubs? Are they easy to service on the independent suspension trucks?
- Recommendation on shocks: I was thinking 5100's. Would I need longer than stock with the minor lift or leveling kit?
- Would a 33' or 275 tire fit? currently has 265/70/17
- I want to add a good Trans cooler - any recommendation?
- Any other advice on what to look at on these trucks? What are some popular improvements?

I know I will have lots of other questions,
Thanks guys,



front suspension.jpg
front suspension 2.jpg


add 1.jpg
 
Last edited:
Jack up the front end and start trying to wiggle the wheel/tire. Straight up and down wiggle would indicate a worn wheel bearing hub assembly. Then pivot the tire like you are trying to turn it by hand. Back and forth turning it left and right. If you feel slop or clunkiness, you have something worn out in the steering assembly. Then try pushing/pulling the top and bottom of the tire, giving it negative and positive camber pressure. Any wiggle there I think comes from ball joints, but not 100% on that one. Basically, any wiggling and clinking when manipulating the tire when it's off the ground means you have some worn out joints somewhere. Basically go grab every piece of link and try to wiggle it. Have someone turn the steering wheel back and forth just a bit while you watch the joints move and look for slopping connection. Run your fingers around every grease boot to check for cracked boots. Then replace as needed. If half are worn and the rest are all just old, i'm the type to replace the whole dang mess with new parts for peace of mind.

Upper control arm replacements that come with leveling kits are to correct the geometry that changes when you crank the torsion bars up and raise the front end. You are dropping the natural position of the control arms when you do this. It's not 100% necessary unless you do more than level the truck by raising the front 1" from factory settings. If you use proper new torsion keys to lift the front 2-3", you should change the UCA's with it.

5100 shocks come in different lengths. Go to Bilsteins site and type in your truck. It'll ask if you have the truck lifted or stock height and give you the correct part numbers.

Definitely replace that missing sway bar link.

With the front end lifted I think you can run 33's. Look at the sites like cognito or kryptonite. They tell you what size tires work with their various lift kits. It'll give you a good idea. I've got ~32" tires on my '02 burb and they are about a half inch from rubbing the wheel wells at full turn on a flat surface.
 
I have an '04 2500HD with the 6.0. I run 285/75-16 tires on the stock PYO aluminum rims. Flatbed on the back. Front tires clear, no rubbing. No extra room, its maxed out on tire size.
 
HankScorpio said:
I have an '04 2500HD with the 6.0. I run 285/75-16 tires on the stock PYO aluminum rims. Flatbed on the back. Front tires clear, no rubbing. No extra room, its maxed out on tire size.
Click to expand...
Good intel: I'm thinking a 275/65/17 should be an easy fit. Maybe step up a size...
 
P.S. My 265/75-16 tires will rub when turning and the wheel gets shoved up into the well by a good sized obstacle. It's barely noticeable but it happens. That's about a half inch bigger than 275/65-17 so you'll be fine with those.
 
It's 0.5" shorter, but 0.4" wider, so probably same ballpark.
 
Thanks for all the advise so far. I ordered Inner/outer tie-rods, pitman arm, and the idler arm & bracket. I hope to have those installed this weekend. I don't want to get into the ball joins yet, but the seal boots are a bit torn.
I will go with some 5100 shocks, new tires, and an alignment and see how it drives then.
 
So far: New Tie rods (inner and outer), new Idler arm & Idler bracket, new upper ball joints, new stabilizer bar links, new steering shaft bearing. It is so much better - any clunking and slop is gone.
Now need new shocks, tires, and alignment.
 
Replacing a dozen worn out wobbly things that aren't supposed to wobble so much is a great way to make a vehicle feel good again!
 
What kind of life did it live to have those parts worn out at 47,000 miles?
 
All it takes is one overzealous jiffy lube tech to go full auto with a grease gun and blow out the boots. Joints go bad pretty quick when they start eating dirt.
 
47000 miles , it’s still 20 years old. With a leveling kit that somebody has obviously used. Mileage doesn’t always tell the whole story. I’ve had gmt800 trucks come into the dealer with twice the mileage and half the age, but 100% stock still running oem front end parts. The driver was a patient old man that never drove off pavement too.

In my opinion the leveling kit in this case would have me looking at all the moving parts in the front end for repair.
 
Last edited:
Leveling kits will kill your ball joints faster than you expect on these trucks due to bad angles. Definitely get upper control arms that correct for a leveling kit.
 
I don't think it led a tough life. 1,000 miles/year for 1st 17 years, then 2nd owner put 30k on it. He was an older guy, but just didn't do things right. He had the brake line wrapped around the upper ball w/ no stand-off, so the line cut into the boots. Other than that, I don't think the tie rods ever saw a grease gun. They looked dry. The parts are fairly inexpensive and easy enough to replace, so I just did it all.
He put some upper control arms on it. It was a bitch to find the right ball joints (from previous generation bolt-in joints) and took a bit of trial and error.

Interior is very clean, body is very straight w/ no rust at all. Motor runs like a 5.3l should. This thing should be good for another decade or so...
 
I worked on a '95 light duty 2500 the other day and thought that pic you shared looked like the older gen stuff but I couldn't remember what the newer ones looked like.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom