SS-GTP

I would have the shop focus on the front diff, and front wheel bearings. These trucks are notorious for "whines" from those areas.

I used Dorman 2 piece shields - 924 - 222. There are 1 piece options but you would need to pull the axles for those. For the rotors you need the 330 diameters ones, not the 325 option.

I'm in Waterloo. Got the SS, and a 98 Daytona Edition grand prix. The GTP mainly just has headers and a 3.5 pulley. I'm frequently monitoring 3800 sites for some lightly used performane parts in addition to monitoring sites for SS goodies.

Welcome, from another Iowan. For the heated seats it's most likely you have a short in one of them. I would check the drivers side first since they get the most ware and tear. The first test is to see if you can operate just the passenger side without it shutting down, then try just the drivers side. If one side won't stay on that will narrow down where to investigate. The trucks BCM is monitoring the current draw and if it exceeds limits it shuts the system down.

When I lost my passenger side cat, it was breaking into chunks and sounded like rocks being tumbled in a can and still wasn't throwing any codes.

You say it's just a 4 cyl, but I'm guessing its a Ecoboost 4 cyl (2.0L), so that means its a 4cyl capable of making the same power as a small V8 over a very wide speed range and weighs less.

You probably already know that the front diff's are notorious for failing in this AWD platform. But I don't think there is much out there to make them better. Mainly you just have to make sure the preloads, backlash, gear mesh are set right. Now don't think that just because the front failed, the rear may be due to expire soon too. I believe there is no correlation between the 2 systems. The rear may go another 100K without issue (assuming your changing the fluids). I would quote a rebuild-factor in the shop repretation and compare it against the price of new when making a decision on how to proceed.

Do you still have the original air box with filter restriction gauge? If so you could find a way to re-install the filter restriction gauge into the intake tube. That will quickly tell you if the air filter is too restrictive.

The 4L80e is a popular swap to beef up the transmission, but read through the swap threads as there is some additional work that goes along with the swap such as modifying the cross member, different driveshafts, wiring for speed sensors, etc.

As Richard says, something not adding up. Your profile shows your AWD, which means from the factory you had torsion bars. I haven't fully researched aftermarket options but I wasn't aware of a coil spring option that maintains the AWD capability. There are people that have switched from 4WD to 2WD and done a coil conversion. The one thing that comes to mind is if you have some sort of narrow coil that acting as the shock.

If you can post a side view pic. I'm sure many people here could quickly tell you how much drop you have. From your description it sounds like your in the 4/4 region. Upfront: 2" from spindles + 2" from keys. No springs up front, instead you have torsion bars. As you said getting stock keys should allow you to go up the 2" your after. Have you tried adjusting the current keys? You may be able to get it to raise ~1". Rear: You probably have 2" from shackles, and 2" from hangers at a minimum. I'm not aware that SS leaf's are different then other Silverado's. It looks like 1-3/4" may be the standard (1500lb) setup, but other thicknesses are available to change the load capacity. But changing back to either stock shackles or hangers will allow you to get the 2" raise. You should have a shock on each corner. There are plenty of discussions on what everyone prefers for shocks within the forum pages.

I'm not aware that a factory remote option was ever offered in these vehicles. I thought that didn't start until after the 2007 body change. Therefore I'm not aware of a factory plug-n-play harness. I ended up going with an aftermarket setup and splicing wires into the vehicle harness.

I think we need more definition on what vehicle your doing exhaust on. Is this going on a 96-99 Silverado (or whatever other years the 5.7 Vortec was offered)?

To my understanding original OEM ones just have 1 cutout for prying the cap off. Your's have 2 notches suggesting to me there aftermarket (but maybe that was a design change)

While disassembling my HVAC controls to replace some of the lights I guess I got too aggressive with the passenger side knob and instead of the knob sliding off the post, the entire post pulled out of the socket. While I can re-insert the post back into the socket and it still adjusts the temperature there is no longer any retention. Anyone else experience this and found a solution to correct it?

I put Dorman 924-222 - Brake dust shields on last year. You can get brake dust shields in either 1 piece or 2 piece. The 2 piece allows install with the axle in place. For the 1 piece you would need to pull the axles

Thanks for the gauge photo...now I can do better calculations: So each hash mark is a 6.25degF. For John, you went from 187 to 160F - a requested change of 27F. Based on your photos you measured a ~24F change. You dropped about ~4 hash marks. 6.25*4 = 25F Now mixing angle rotation and liner measurements: assume each hash mark is 1/8" wide you shifted about 1/2" For Ssfan60, you went from 187 to 180 - a requested change of 7F. So in your case you should of dropped 1 hash mark or about 1/8" as I originally guessed.

So you only went from 187F (86c) to 180F (82c). To go to 160F would take a 71c. So your temps should of dropped some, but it would be pretty hard to see a 7deg change on our analog style gauge. I would have to look at the increments on the gauge but 7 deg is probably about the width of the gauge needle so your needle may only shift 1/16-1/8" between the 2 stat's.

I've run them for about 2 years now. I picked them over the 420's because I needed some snow capability. I have been real happy with them in all weather conditions.

That axle disconnect does not even fit on a silverado, nor would it convert a it to 2WD. This is just a service replacement part for whatever vehicle it does fits (does not fit silverado).

Yes, you will get CEL for P0420 & P0430 - loss of catalyst efficiency in banks 1 & 2. I'm running no cats on a magnaflow muffler and above about 1/2 throttle it gets poppy/raspy. I'm considering installing high-flow cats to see if it will reduce that.

Can someone tell me what device/gizmo is attached to the blue 90deg elbow in the intake system?

Normally that sensor sets about right above the drivers head. It's bundled into the main harness so I doubt anyone would of de-loomed the harness just to remove it. At the top of the A-piller the harnesses splits. One section goes along the front of the headliner (gets center console, XM, Onstar). The other section runs along the drivers side towards the rear of the cabin (gets center dome light, third brake light, cargo light, and the temp sensor). If I recall correctly that temp sensor connection would be within the first 2 ft of the split before it branches off to get the center dome light. My other thought is did the vehicle originally have the non-digital climate control and did those vehicles get a different harness that removed that plug?

I'm assuming this SS is a recent purchase and you don't know the service history or is this a vehicle you have had awhile and this problem has just recently developed? If you just recently acquired the truck with the issue I would probably start with taking to someone that has a Tech2 or similar device that can do the anti-lock bleeding procedure. This procedure can't be done with traditional brake bleeding methods.

Welcome, I grew up in CR, but currently living in Waterloo