Finishing Touches On Sinister Silverado

Today on trucks, we'll roll sinister Silverado back into the truck shop to give it a new exhaust system and do a little power tuning while we're at it. We'll also put some finishing touches on the exterior of our Chevy truck. After that, we'll take you to Phoenix Arizona for the first annual truck and nationals before heading back to the shop for some sport truck tire tech. That's all today on trucks.

Welcome to this week's show everybody in the past few weeks, you've seen us turn our stock Silverado into a sinister looking bow

top with a six inch lift and heavy duty bumpers, front and rear.

Today, we're gonna do some power tuning on our five point

3 L vortech

until a few years ago. A new exhaust system always meant a trip to the muffler shop.

Well, that all changed with the new cat back systems.

Now you can bolt on the sound and the look you want in your driveway without any special tools

the system we're gonna use is from Flow Master and comes complete with the resonator assembly, the muffler tail pipes and ends, not to mention all the brackets and hardware you'll need to complete the job. And the best part is this system won't void your warning.

Of

course, we need to lose this stock Chevy system. It unbolts right here at this flange behind the catalytic converters,

the systems held in place by these rubber hangers that run all the way back. Now, if you don't have access to a lift like we do, it's a lot easier if you cut the pipe here behind the muffler and take the system out into pieces. This makes it a lot easier to take this part out here over the axle.

Now, that states has a stock system removed, I can go and bolt on the resonator assembly. Now, not every kit comes with this piece, but what it's gonna do is give us that sound. We're after

once the resonators in place,

we can go ahead and install the muffler.

There we go.

Now, one of the biggest mistakes that people make with mufflers is that they let them just dangle there when they're rigging up their hanger system.

Now, if you leave this much weight unsupported,

you stand a good chance of cracking your exhaust manifolds.

So make sure that your muffler is supported either by a hanger

or put a floor jack up underneath it,

the mounts for your tail pipes

bolt right to the frame using this existing hole. Now, you can take the right side tail pipe, run it over the axle

and into the muffler

after that,

just hang it from the bracket

you've already installed.

Now, the left side goes in just like the right, except you need to put on this special bracket that supports the weight of the muffler.

Now, at this point, all the clamps and brackets should still be loose for final adjustments later on.

Now it's time for these slick looking M pipes. The neat thing about these is they're stainless steel so they won't rust and instead of running straight out the back, these have a 90 degree bend, so they'll dump out right behind the back tires.

Once you have everything in place, adjust your pipes and your muffler to where you have at least three quarters of an inch of clearance around your shocks and your undercarriage. This allows for suspension travel and vibration.

And once you have it all where you want it, go ahead and tighten down your clams, don't play Hercules on these and overtighten these bolts because all you'll do is bend the pipes and that can cause leaks. Now, we told you before, this system won't void your warranty. But if you install it in such a way that a hot tail pipe comes in contact with a brake line or wiring,

you will be on your own.

So make sure you wire tie all your lines out of the way and that you have plenty of room for your spare tire. If you're running one under here, now

it's time to see what this sounds like. Let's do it, man.

Well, now that we're happy and the EPA is happy, we need to take a break. Don't go away. We got more trucks for you right after this.

Ha.

Later in the show, we'll take you to Phoenix Arizona for the first annual Truck in Nationals. But up next, we need to do some tweaking on the computer as well as the exterior of Project Sinister Silverado.

Welcome back to the shop. Everybody. Now that we have a Flowmaster exhaust system on our Silverado, we thought we do some power tuning to it

with hypertext power programmer

that done over there. Yeah, we're clear. All right.

But before we can dive under the hood for some of those little tweaks, we thought we'd change the hood completely.

Let's face it. If we're gonna pick up some extra horsepower might as well grab some extra attention while we're at it. That's why we had Choo Choo custom send us this brand new cow induction hood. It's made of hand laid fiberglass with a fully finished and detailed underside as well as a 2.5 inch scoop that was molded from a 69 Camaro.

Now, the stock hood comes with insulation underneath it and you can reuse that on the new hood if you want.

We're not going to for a couple reasons. First of all, it's not really that necessary. And second of all, the new hood looks so much better without it.

And that's one of the great things about using a place like choo choo customs. They'll custom match your paint and they'll guarantee the shipping to where you don't end up with a scratched up piece of junk.

Also, the hood bolts right to the stock hinges and hood latch. So the fit is perfect. Oh, man, this is one sinister looking hood. This is cool. Well, now that we have the hood on, we can dive underneath it and start tweaking the computer.

That's where Hypertech comes in with their power programmer. Three. You know, on these late model motors like our vortech, there's really not a whole lot you can do and still be legal. So the power program is about the only way to go if you're looking to squeeze out maximum performance. Hypertech also offers the power stat thermostat that'll lower your temperature and I'll go ahead and install that while Stace plugs into the computer.

Here you go, man.

Thank you.

Like Mel said, all you have to do is plug the programmer into the data link connector here under the dash, turn on the key

and hit the start button.

Now, Hypertech says you can get up to 20 horsepower using their program.

Well, since we've uh added a few things to our truck like a lift kit, bigger tires, not to mention bumpers and a winch. We're gonna go ahead and customize our program to fit our application better.

First, we're gonna select the type of fuel we're using,

decide where we want a rev limiter to be,

then set our speed limiter. So we won't shut down at 90 miles an hour.

Then we need to input our tire size,

a rear axle ratio

and finally our shift points.

Now, by customizing your program, you can ring out as much performance and efficiency out of a late model motor as you can get

legally.

Now that we know we're emissions legal in 50 states, we also need to make sure we're cool when it comes to the tire laws. And since you can't have your rubber hanging outside of the fender wells in most states, we're gonna put on these fender flares from Bush whacker. Now they're molded perfectly to fit our Chevy and they pop right into existing holes in the fender. Well, so there's no drilling necessary

since we're going for a more evil look on our Silverado. These big oversized chrome Mars just ain't gonna get it.

That's why we're gonna put on these black cow view mirrors that we got from street scene equipment.

Now, a lot of times an upgrade like this can be kind of a pain because you gotta take the door panel off. That's not the case with our truck.

All you have to do is pop off this panel,

unplug it,

then unbolt the old mirror

and pull it out.

Now take the new piece

and put it right in the factory holes,

then hook up your new wiring harness,

put on your old panel.

You've got a much better looking truck. Yeah, that definitely makes a big difference. But we're not done with this door just yet. These vent Pfizer help reduce wind noise, keep the sun off you and even allow you to crack the window when it's raining.

Installation is a no brainer. All you have to do is prep the door frame with a supplied alcohol pad,

pull the adhesive straps

and stick them in place.

Well, it wasn't too long ago that we rolled this stock Silverado into the truck shop. But as you can see a lot has changed since then.

But one thing's for sure, this thing is now one sinister Silverado don't go away. We'll be right back after this

up next on trucks. We're going to one of the hottest West Coast trucking events of the last millennium.

Welcome back everybody.

You know, a few months ago, truck and magazine invited us to their first annual Truck and Nationals in Phoenix Arizona. The idea was simple, put on a show that anyone who loves trucks could get fired up about. The result was one of the hottest West Coast truck events of the last millennium had almost 25,000 Spectators.

That's a nice four

look at that was there.

The venue for the first annual Truck and Nationals was Firebird International Raceway

that boasts an N hr A sanction drag strip along with enough acreage to please truck enthusiasts of all kinds. And believe us, they had all kinds at this two day event. As more than 400 trucks of all shapes and sizes were

the

spit shined and shone then hammered on the rocks.

The biggest draw of the weekend was on the drag strip where an army of weekend warriors took their shot at turning the fastest reaction times and quickest ETS in everything from bone stock, light trucks to modified drag trucks.

But without a doubt, the most amazing sight was Roger Ren

broke in his lifted Toyota.

Much to say his burnout caught our attention. His launch in et guaranteed at least 15 seconds of fame

lead that hard

and carry the wheel as far as it did.

It was, it was a rush. I mean, I've never had that feeling before. I've had this truck for seven years

and it's never done what it's done today, especially in the,

in the temperature. I thought for sure. I was gonna run a lot slower

and I do 1117

and I need to be a good pass. It's, uh,

it's in the tent.

I would think the motor

and the nitrous on 225

I would think it'd be making

probably about 675 horse and it's got the potential to go away a lot bigger. Now,

of course, the Yoda's performance on the quarter mile was more than impressive. But when the sun set in the desert on Saturday evening, there was no need to flick on the track light.

Instead it was time to grab a set of beer plugs and check out the fireworks.

It's like another day in the office.

I mean,

you get in it, you fire it up, you do your show, you do your run, you come back. I mean, it's,

I enjoy the, you know, the acceleration and the, the burner pops and the making the truck rock and the smoke and all that. And

that's, you know, it's fun. Like I said, it's just entertaining the people. I, that's where I get the thrill out of is making sure they had a good time and they enjoyed it.

So, are you trying to convince the viewer that

this is nothing more than a cup of coffee in the sports page of a trip to the office with a computer? Well, this is my, my office. I mean, this is what I do.

Ok, Michael, a Dodge Dakota Jet truck. We can understand

but a 37 Chevy school bus,

what the heck's that all about? Well, somebody asked me if this was a lot like driving a barn door and I said, no, not at all. It's like driving the whole barn.

I wouldn't say you'd be considered your average normal guy getting in a school bus with a jet motor. Uh, what kind of a person really does this?

What kind of a person jumps out of a good airplane

just for fun. Right.

It all depends on what winds your clock. I mean, look at bungee jumping. You want to tie a rubber band around your waist and jump off a cliff. I don't,

you're sitting next to an engine that's designed to run for a couple of 1000 hours at 100% power.

I can't say that for a top fuel motor I wouldn't want, I wouldn't sit next to one of those. But, uh, I feel very comfortable with this.

Don't get the wrong idea here. This event was more than just hanging around a drag strip

on Sunday afternoon. A group of hardcore rock crawler found their way to the pit

and tried to find their way through a nasty maze of logs, tires and rocks

and if that wasn't brutal enough,

they also had to beat the clock

bottom line as far as we can tell this show should continue to shine for years to come.

Thanks to the folks at mcmullan Argus, who know how to put on one smoking

if you want more trucks, check us out online at trucks, tv.com.

Thanks for staying with us. Now, there's no doubt nothing quite sets the attitude of your truck

like a right set of wheels and tires. Now, last week we took you off the pavement with some tips on off road tires. This week,

we're gonna give you some tips on how to pick the right fit for a street truck. You know, picking the right combination for your truck can be a lot like choosing a spouse

while Stacey and I got real lucky in that area. We do know that if you choose the wrong one, you're gonna suffer for a long time. Now, we can't help you with choosing that spouse, but hopefully we can shed some light on what can be a very confusing subject.

Now, the trick has always been to run the biggest fattest tires that you possibly can without slicing them up on the fender.

Now, on the rear, you need to measure the width of the fender. Well, if you want the tire to tuck up inside,

then subtract at least a half inch from either side of the measurement. And this will give you the widest tire you can possibly run.

Just keep in mind a half inch of clearance on either side of the tire is cutting it real close

for most people to get the look and the stance they're after in the front, they usually go with a tire that's not quite as tall and a little more narrow. Of course, this is an extreme example on our Harry Haller, but the concept is the same, you need to make sure you're not gonna have any rubbing on your suspension pieces or brake calipers and you always have to have plenty of room for your fenders.

Now, backspacing is where a lot of people tend to screw up and it's easy to do when you're trying to stick as much rubber as you can into the wheel wells.

A good rule of thumb is to measure from the hub face to the inner fender

and then subtract at least an inch. You should never go any tighter than that.

As you can see on our sports Sierra, the maximum back spacing is about eight inches

While we're on the subject of wheels, we know a lot of you guys out there, find some great deals on them used, but you need to know how to measure them for back spacing and lug pattern.

And to get your back spacing, lay a straight edge across the wheel and measure from the mounting surface to the edge. The back spacing on this wheel is 5.5 inches

for an even numbered lug pattern measure from the center of one hole

to the center of the opposite hole. Now, in an odd numbered lug pattern measure from the outside of one hole

to the center

of the opposite hole.

Now, one of the hottest trends out there is to use a larger diameter rim and a lower profile tire, but

still keep the same height the stock and this is what is known as plus sizing.

Let's say you have a P 2 45 65 R 16 tire

and you wanna go to a 17 inch rim

in that case you need to go to A P 2 55 55 R 17. Now what that gives you is a one inch taller rim while lowering the side wall of the tire.

And this example would be a plus one size. You can get plus two or three sizes using the same formula.

Now, don't kid yourself, this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to changing the attitude of your truck with the right wheel and tire combination.

But hopefully, this gives you a good idea about where to start.

Now, we've all seen show trucks that have chrome everywhere.

But before you go nuts at the plater, here's something to think about.

The chroming process causes a phenomenon called hydrogen embrittlement.

And like the name suggests, the metal gets brittle and it can crack if it's under stress. Now, there are methods of heat treatment that can lessen the chance of this. But the best rule of thumb is for anything that's under stress like suspension pieces, use stainless steel like we did here or paint the parts don't have them plated.

Everybody knows that Jeep was the first production off road vehicle. But our question is what came next? The Ford Bronco or the International Scout. We'll have the answer for you later in the show.

So what did come first? The Scout or the Bronco?

Well, in 1961 the International Scout 80 was introduced to the public five years later Ford unleashed the Bronco

and now truck gear, parts, tools and equipment for pickups and sport utilities.

Everybody knows there's nothing worse than overheating

and that can be a major problem on the trail or the street Royal Purples come out with this brand new additive called Purple ice that pours right into your radiator and not only allows the coolant to transfer heat more efficiently, but also lubricates your water pump. Royal Purple also claims it'll reduce your operating temperature by as much as 20 degrees. Keep things cool with a bottle of purple ice for about 10 bucks.

If you're working on an early model truck. Well, the grill is what gives it its personality

since these don't just grow on trees, you usually have to have one custom made.

Well, here's what we sent h er, grills in Houston, Texas.

What we got back

was this custom stainless steel insert pretty much speaks for itself.

And these guys can literally make a grill for any application. All you have to do is send them some measurements.

The best part is h er, grills started about 200 bucks.

That's gonna do it for truck gear. Here's a look at next week's show.

The guys have already dropped their 66 Ford three inches all the way around

next week. They'll take care of the backside of their classic blue oval with a bed liner tunnel cover and roll pan.

After that, they'll take you for a ride in the All new Dakota quad cab.

Then it's back to the shop to show you how to port and polish your heads.

That's all next week on trucks.

Well, it's gonna do it for this week's show. We appreciate you hanging out with.

Yeah, we got more trucks rolling at you next week.

That's good,

man.

This thing is done. Fine

trucks is an RT M production.