02 gmc history

lowslowlb7

New member
Sep 9, 2016
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western mass
New to posting anything on here. I have been using the search button for over two yrs and have not really had much to post about.

In 2014 I had a 99 24v cummins 5speed. Kid at work had to have it. Told him my price thinking he would move on and I could continue with adding stuff to the truck. Needless to say he came with a check and the truck was gone. So bad to my 06 tdi for a daily driver.
I had that truck for two yrs and never got it where I wanted it. I was looking to go fast and that 5spd was work to run with anything quick. So before that kid even asked if the truck was for sale I was always looking around for a cheap dmax.
Well after it sold I found a 02 gmc ccsb with 80k. The main things I was looking for is crew cab leather, not beat on and next to no rust(new England). Truck was used to tow an RV and had tasteful things done(cai, exhaust, gauges, and a 10k reese). He ran a banks tuner on it for 5k and took it off. So I figure he limp the trans, after all why else would he remove it. So I test drove the truck and couldn’t get the trans to limp. Only rust was the driver rocker but its new England. I figure it worked for me for 14gs.
After getting it home i did a few things(clean it up, brakes all around, new shit stock shocks, and speakers) Drove the truck for 2 months and almost 8k miles and had to replace a front wheel bearing.
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lowslowlb7

New member
Sep 9, 2016
80
0
0
western mass
I was driving in a snow storm and had to put it in 4wd, after making it up a hill I put in back in 2wd(love to slide around). After stopping to get fuel my gear selection display started acting up and would not go into gear. Unhooked batteries and the truck finally went into gear and was in limp all the way home. After reading on here I found out about the nsbu. Im sure it got wet in the storm, my guess would be when it was in 4wd and front tires kicking snow and ice. I use the truck for work so needed a fix quick. The dealership had on for over $300. Merchant auto had the same one for like $89. I decided to go that route and also added a set of tierod sleeves for when spring comes around.
 

lowslowlb7

New member
Sep 9, 2016
80
0
0
western mass
I work a lot so its hard to get time to work on the truck but on dec 23 2014 I decided enough is enough I need efi live. I was nervous to mess with the ecm because the truck has an aftermarket alarm/remote start and have heard of ecms being locked out. Evan@limitless is less then a hour from me so I called with hopes he could get me in before xmas. I was thinking I was dreaming but he said yeah stop by. So on the 23rd I got out of work and headed over. He was loading some tunes kory willis and sure eno my ecm locked. Turns out Evan has the same truck as mine(down to the color) and swapped the ecms and I was good to go. I can say enough good things about Limitless, what shop can you roll in to 2 days before the holidays at 4pm and get that kind of treatment. Great guy.
 

lowslowlb7

New member
Sep 9, 2016
80
0
0
western mass
Day after xmas I found was on here for some used qa1s for upfront right after. Think I paid like $300 for the pair. Was really happy with them and impressed with the quality. Sucks I live in mass with the snow and salt, so these stayed in the garage till summer.

Rest of winter I did some more research and ordered a DHD allseason brace to round out the end and leafspring clamps for the rear with 3” drop shackles off ebay.
When Spring came my front end was smoked. So started to change the tierods and noticed my other wheel bearing was bad. So replaced inner/outer tierods with autozone stuff and tinkin front hub/wheel bearing along with sleeves/qa1s/dhd brace and drop shackles in the rear. I also dropped the front end almost all the way and snagged some 20 xds with 285/55 nitto terras off craigslist.
Truck was amazing with this set up. Having a nice tuned truck is fun, but having one that put the power to the ground is a world of difference. I have done only 2 4wd boosted launches in the truck even to date(trans is not a fan) but this set up just works. Even just decent ranchos in the rear, qa1s keeping the front down and leaf clamps this thing launchs good in 2wd. Had a old drag race say it been awhile hes seen something squat like that and just take off. Just have to save for the trans.



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lowslowlb7

New member
Sep 9, 2016
80
0
0
western mass
Drove the truck issue till winter. In November 2015 I was driving up a decent grade and temps were sub zeros when I heard a pop and white smoke all over. Thought maybe popped an ic line as I have in my cummins a few times. After a quick look and not seeing anything I limped it the mile home. When I get their I see oil in exaust. Rip the intake off the turbo horn and theres oil. Say screw it its too cold out and I need somewhere to work on it. Had it towed to a buddies exhaust. Was a nightmare to get started on the project cause everything was covered in oil and cast chips. heated garage and sure enough the turbo blew, dumped so much oil and crap in the intercooler and out of the
Didn’t have a lot of money laying around but really wanted to do something better then stock. I decided
to buy a stock ihi off craigslist, a rebuild kit, and wetzler wheel. After 10 days was back on the road. I can say I hate the ihi design with the water cooled turbo. I don’t see it being great in the cold. All on that turbo shaft you have exhaust gas temps, water temps and oil temps. 3 things that do not warm up or cool down the same. If I had the money I would have def got away from this.
 

lowslowlb7

New member
Sep 9, 2016
80
0
0
western mass
Feb 2016 time to do steering again. Swapped out the inner and out at autozone(reason for not stepping up to a larger tierod deal is availability. Say I wanna go race or sledpull on a Friday and break something, next day I can have the replacement on the truck.)

May2016 had some front end noise. Ended up being pitman/idler arms.
Dec2016 someone hit my truck in the homedepo parking lot. Ruined my bedside. Decided it was time to have her shined back up. Then the trans…..
Jan2017 Having a buddy do all the body work to make her look new again. Didn’t want to do patch kits and bondo and be back again in two yrs. I wash my vehicles everyweek and oil everything atleast every 2 months to keep the rust off. This truck had the usual spots, rockers, cab corners and wheel arches behind the flares. Also adding a roll pan welded in and seemless and a cowl hood.
So replacing both bedsides rather patching 2inches of rust. Plus bedsides save a little in labor compared to having the rust cut out and patch panel put in.
Having both full rockers done. Also could have gotten away with slip ons as only the lower outside was bad and only the drivers side was bad. Passanger was just starting to bubble so screw it. Do it once and be done I hope.
Both cab corners.
Both front fenders
Cowl hood and roll pan in the rear. Only need to figure out how to get an ss front bumper on a 02 gmc. Ive seen pics of them but have not found a site that say it will fit a 2500. So that’s where we are at.
Future places are to have the frame sand blasted and por15 it. Then undercoat it.
Then paint.
Then this summer over to see evan for a trans, lift pump and a max effort tune.

Things I am trying to get done this spring,
-all body work
-some race line wheels-most likely 18s to keep them somewhat light(rims 30lbs ea) and a street tire.
-Energy bushings all over.
-thinking about running djm lca for a 3inch drop and keeping just the 3” shackles in the rear. I don’t want to go crazy with the 3/5 kit but would like to get the front lower and be able to get some more space front the bump stop up front. So I am happy with the height now with just the decranked but the ride isn’t amazing in new England.
I want to run those drop lca and crank the front up to get some more travel.
Anybody ever run these djm lcas in the front and only the drop shackles in the read? I like a little rake but don’t want to go crazy. The rear I would go lower but 1. I like having all the leafs. 2. I would like to be able to run cal tracs so doing the front hanger would kill that.

Any input.. thanks and sorry this is so long. Its just 2 and ½ yrs of the history.