RedAF Truck/SUV/SUT thing...

LBarr2002

LBarr2002

LIFETIME
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#1
#1
The Gladiator is a polarizing vehicle. You love it or you hate it. Some will say its not really a good truck or a good Jeep. I've wanted one for a while, but I couldn't see spending $50-$60k on one. So what have I done?

I bought a much cheaper polarizing vehicle that's not really a good truck or a good suv or whatever the hell it is :ROFLMAO:

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Welcome another GMT800 to the fleet. The kids have already named it Clifford. A very red 2006 Z71 Avalanche, factory 4.10 truck. Torsion bars have been turned up a little to clear the 285/70/17 KO2s. Sorry @jimbo92 black letter out.

I'll have to take some interior pictures tomorrow. This thing is seriously the cleanest 15 year old interior I've ever seen. It even still has all the writing on the radio buttons.

I've already ordered a few things for phone mount, coms, etc. A front receiver will be on the list for this too.

In their natural habitat.

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I'll be putting together details for a for sale add for the blue truck.
 
matth_85

matth_85

SUPPORTER
#2
#2
I’m with ya man. Some of the best trucks GM put out there.

I have an 03 Tahoe we purchased basically for a swap and part out that the wife decided she loved. I’ve had it in the shop since Christmas and it’s gonna roll out looking pretty damn good for a few grand. New front seat covers, headliner, lights, new to it carpet, cut and buffed, and some new 20’s. Still going to need the hood painted to be perfect but it will do for now.

We bought this thing from Shannon’s boss for $2k back in 2019 (I think) and have put about 25k on it. Had a fresh GM trans and brakes when we got it. Engine is still a tad leaky, needs a rear main…but I had oil pan, and valve covers done and all exhaust gaskets replaced in December.

Good looking rig for 4 payments on a new one….

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jimbo92

jimbo92

SUPPORTER
#3
#3
Damn Ol Larold buying up all the clean GMT800s so he can ride around all smug knowing he the most comfortable person at the intersection. To this day those are still the most comfortable trucks.
 
LBarr2002

LBarr2002

LIFETIME
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#4
#4
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Can read all the buttons!
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My only complaint so far is the previous owner chopped off the perfectly good factory muffler and put on a super40. I'm old and that's not cool anymore. It's not obnoxious, but I don't think I'm going to leave it. I said something about it and he went behind the building and brought it to me...
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The last time I talked to my exhaust guy he said he was probably going to call it quits at the end of 2021. I need to swing by and see if he's still there.
 
LBarr2002

LBarr2002

LIFETIME
SUPPORTER
#5
#5
This has a new parts store Gold series battery in it. I want to run cables for the quick disconnect winch like I did on the 2500, but I don't have dual posts and I don't want to go buy a new battery to replace a perfectly good new battery.

Is there a good way to connect a winch to side terminal only batteries?
 
LBarr2002

LBarr2002

LIFETIME
SUPPORTER
#12
#12
Today I got what i needed to get underneath done. Changed the oil. Checked the tcase. It was full of fluid, but not the blue stuff. I guess nobody ever buys the right stuff? Front diff was either a little low or could have been because I had the front on ramps, but I went ahead and drained and refilled it. Rear diff has the plug on the housing and it was stuck and I was out of time.

Burgundy must have been bored and spent a little too much time cleaning the oil pan skid.
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I mounted the curt front hitch, but haven't cut the hole in the fascia yet. The center section of this one is bolt in and allows you to flip it like I did on the 2500 but with no cutting or welding.

Earlier in the week I did my phone mount. I have the Midland MXT-275 and brake controller still to mount. I feel like I've perfected the phone mount and brake controller the way I did it in the 2500, but I plan to do the radio slightly differently.

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LBarr2002

LBarr2002

LIFETIME
SUPPORTER
#15
#15
Third times the charm. With each gmt800 I've slightly revised the mounting of accessories. The quadrasteer buttons in the 2500 kept me from doing it this way, but with the blank there I was able to squeeze the rj45 jack and a magnetic mic mount on the same piece. The blank below will be the data connection to aftermarket radio when/if I do that.

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LBarr2002

LBarr2002

LIFETIME
SUPPORTER
#17
#17
With the hitch flipped to the high mount, the face of the receiver was several inches behind the facia. I got a 7 inch reciever insert to get the face out in front of the bumper. To keep the extension from rattling, I welded it into the hitch and used a grade 8 bolt for the pin.

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I thought i was going to get away with using the cables that were too short for the 2500 by connecting differently, but no go. Ill have to get another set of 5' cables.
 
LBarr2002

LBarr2002

LIFETIME
SUPPORTER
#18
#18
When I first started contemplating this, my hesitation was having a backup tow vehicle. A friend said "Larold, dem's first world problems" and they pretty much solidified my plan. Now that the blue truck is sold, this decision feels so good.

I could have traded truck plus $20k+ for the Gladiator I wanted or this route put $20k+ back in the bank. Now I need to get serious on a building to store all my crap and disassemble and rack a couple parts vehicles.
 
LBarr2002

LBarr2002

LIFETIME
SUPPORTER
#20
#20
We got spoiled with the assisted tailgate on blue truck. Every time Burgundy opens this one she just drops it and it slams. Amazon decided to recommend the Dee Zee tailgate assist kit. It said it fit 99-07 Chevy trucks but didn't say Avalanche. Someone in the comments said it worked on their Avalanche and the tailgate hardware kits are the same, so I decided to try it.

They lied. There is not as much gap between the body and tailgate in the Avalanche apparently, but with some cutting, welding, grinding, and different hardware it fit. The kit comes with a bracket that installs over the hinge plate, but i cut the bracket and welded the piece with the mounting stud to the hinge itself. In other words, more work than it was worth but I was determined.

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Tailgate Video
 
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