2003 Sierra Daily Driver Build Thread
04-26-2018, 07:12 AM
#31
Little update here. I have been doing a little more cleaning up the truck aesthetically.
I bought new OEM style headlight off Amazon to get rid of the yellowed lenses (I couldn't quite get it all cleared up just by sanding/buffing). I didn't care for the fit and finish on the amazon housings, so I swapped the amazon new lenses onto the factory housings and added some clear reflectors from klearz manufacturing to clean up the look a little bit. I also got clear turn signal lenses.
I swapped most of the lighting on the inside and outside of the truck over to LED except the headlights and foglights due to the fact that I am still running halogen housings. I also still have to do my gauge cluster and AC controls in LED. I did buy a used Escalade cluster from a member here to replace my factory gauge cluster. It had started blinking and the odometer wasn't working anymore.
I just about have done everything I want to do to the exterior except maybe color matching the handles and mirrors, removing the side molding, and tinting the windows. It'll take a whole new paint job to make it look much better that it does now, but that'll have to wait. It's about time to start on more performance mods.
I have included a 1 year "transformation" from when I bought the truck to now. Excuse the flipped GMC emblem on the original picture. I had to flip the picture to get the same point of view.
I bought new OEM style headlight off Amazon to get rid of the yellowed lenses (I couldn't quite get it all cleared up just by sanding/buffing). I didn't care for the fit and finish on the amazon housings, so I swapped the amazon new lenses onto the factory housings and added some clear reflectors from klearz manufacturing to clean up the look a little bit. I also got clear turn signal lenses.
I swapped most of the lighting on the inside and outside of the truck over to LED except the headlights and foglights due to the fact that I am still running halogen housings. I also still have to do my gauge cluster and AC controls in LED. I did buy a used Escalade cluster from a member here to replace my factory gauge cluster. It had started blinking and the odometer wasn't working anymore.
I just about have done everything I want to do to the exterior except maybe color matching the handles and mirrors, removing the side molding, and tinting the windows. It'll take a whole new paint job to make it look much better that it does now, but that'll have to wait. It's about time to start on more performance mods.
I have included a 1 year "transformation" from when I bought the truck to now. Excuse the flipped GMC emblem on the original picture. I had to flip the picture to get the same point of view.
Last edited by 97_ek; 04-26-2018 at 07:58 AM.
04-26-2018, 05:58 PM
#33
100% Redneck
For a second there I though somebody had stolen my truck when I scrolled down to the second pic! Yeah color matching the handles & mirrors and deleting the chrome spear moldings will really clean up the look.
07-30-2018, 07:09 AM
#35
Small update here. I went in last weekend and replaced all of the front steering/suspension components to help the ride. The truck was getting dangerous to drive due to the amount of vibration and stuff it had when hitting small bumps, etc. Kind of reminded me of "death wobble" that Jeeps have...
Anyways, got new upper control arms, inner and outer tie rods, sway bar end links, and both wheel hubs for the front end. Also ordered some Hankook Ventus ST in a 275/45/20. I had the 2015 Sierra factory tires on it before that were a 275/55/20. I like the new stance more with the slightly shorter sidewall, and the truck rides like night and day from before. The main culprit of the bad ride were the inner tie rods. They would rattle around by just shaking them once I got them off the truck.
Quick updated pic this morning.
Anyways, got new upper control arms, inner and outer tie rods, sway bar end links, and both wheel hubs for the front end. Also ordered some Hankook Ventus ST in a 275/45/20. I had the 2015 Sierra factory tires on it before that were a 275/55/20. I like the new stance more with the slightly shorter sidewall, and the truck rides like night and day from before. The main culprit of the bad ride were the inner tie rods. They would rattle around by just shaking them once I got them off the truck.
Quick updated pic this morning.
10-05-2018, 05:41 AM
#36
Well, this build has taken a big step quicker than I thought it would...
Rewind 3 weeks, truck spit, sputtered, and died on me going home one afternoon, and I chalked it up to a dead fuel pump most likely because the gauge was showing a 1/4 tank and it had been slow to crank the last couple of days. I went ahead and upgraded the pump to a Walbro 450 with a Racetronix hotwire kit to prepare for future mods. Turns out, after I got the new pump in it was actually just out of gas. Apparently the gauge wasn't working correctly, so now I have a whole new drivetrain due to running out of gas...what every normal person does in that situation.
I decided that "while it was down" I would just go ahead and start getting parts for a 6.0/4l80 swap that I had been planning for some point in the future. I figured I would go ahead and pull the 5.3/4l60 while they were still living so that I could sell them and make some of my money back. The original plans were to wait until the original drivetrain took a crap to swap it all.
Anyways, picked up a 150k mile LQ9 from a junkyard. Motor looked pretty good, so I swapped in a Texas-Speed Torquer V2 cam kit and put some new springs and seals on the stock 317s for now. Got a "freshly rebuilt" 99 4L80e from a junkyard too that I added an HD2 shift kit to last night, and it will be paired with a Circle D 3200 278mm stall. The trans actually did look to be very clean inside with new fluid, so I think it actually had been gone through recently. I am having Atomic remote tune the truck to get me going, and then I am going to play with the tune from there since I just got HPTuners from a buddy of mine to learn on.
I should have the new setup dropped in and running by midweek next week. Just finished the trans shift kit last night, and I'll be mating the motor and trans back up this afternoon. I've never messed with transmission stuff, so I'm hoping I did all of that correctly. Guess I'll find out. Plan is to drop it in the truck Saturday.
Goal is to have it running by mid-week next week. I'll update when it is running.
Rewind 3 weeks, truck spit, sputtered, and died on me going home one afternoon, and I chalked it up to a dead fuel pump most likely because the gauge was showing a 1/4 tank and it had been slow to crank the last couple of days. I went ahead and upgraded the pump to a Walbro 450 with a Racetronix hotwire kit to prepare for future mods. Turns out, after I got the new pump in it was actually just out of gas. Apparently the gauge wasn't working correctly, so now I have a whole new drivetrain due to running out of gas...what every normal person does in that situation.
I decided that "while it was down" I would just go ahead and start getting parts for a 6.0/4l80 swap that I had been planning for some point in the future. I figured I would go ahead and pull the 5.3/4l60 while they were still living so that I could sell them and make some of my money back. The original plans were to wait until the original drivetrain took a crap to swap it all.
Anyways, picked up a 150k mile LQ9 from a junkyard. Motor looked pretty good, so I swapped in a Texas-Speed Torquer V2 cam kit and put some new springs and seals on the stock 317s for now. Got a "freshly rebuilt" 99 4L80e from a junkyard too that I added an HD2 shift kit to last night, and it will be paired with a Circle D 3200 278mm stall. The trans actually did look to be very clean inside with new fluid, so I think it actually had been gone through recently. I am having Atomic remote tune the truck to get me going, and then I am going to play with the tune from there since I just got HPTuners from a buddy of mine to learn on.
I should have the new setup dropped in and running by midweek next week. Just finished the trans shift kit last night, and I'll be mating the motor and trans back up this afternoon. I've never messed with transmission stuff, so I'm hoping I did all of that correctly. Guess I'll find out. Plan is to drop it in the truck Saturday.
Goal is to have it running by mid-week next week. I'll update when it is running.
10-08-2018, 06:39 AM
#37
Quick question for those of you who have swapped a 4L80 into your trucks...I have mine installed in the truck and when I went to hook up the shifter cable to the actual shaft coming out of the trans the cable was too long. The transmission came with the shifter cable bracket that it clips into, but if I clip the cable into the bracket, the connector that goes on the shaft sticks out about an inch or so too long. Is there a way to adjust the cable to shorten it?
10-21-2018, 10:22 AM
#38
Couple of updates behind on this build. I have everything in the truck and running. So far, no leaks or anything major showing up. Richard (Atomic)has been working with me on the tune, and the tune file he sent originally started the truck perfectly. He made one small adjustment and on the second startup I was able to drive it down the road. Driveability wasn't bad at all. Still haven't had any issues that I have seen since I have been driving it the last two days.
I haven't gone WOT with it yet. I'm waiting to hear back from Richard with the latest log I sent him from that first drive. I'm kind of letting him tell me when to do what so that I can log what he needs to see.
After driving it for the first couple of days, and this being my first stalled auto, the 3000 Circle D stall isn't too bad. Sometime I feel like I'd like it to lock up a little sooner in 4th, so I'm going to talk to Richard and see if that is something he can adjust in the tune. If he can do it, I think that will be nice when I am towing the RZR (or whatever else).
I really would like to do a T56 swap in the truck because 1)I just like manual transmissions and 2) I think it would really make the truck stand out from a lot of other trucks around here. In reality, though, I know the auto is probably the better option overall.
I'll update when we get it fully tuned. Plan on taking it to the track soon to see what it'll run in this cool air.
I haven't gone WOT with it yet. I'm waiting to hear back from Richard with the latest log I sent him from that first drive. I'm kind of letting him tell me when to do what so that I can log what he needs to see.
After driving it for the first couple of days, and this being my first stalled auto, the 3000 Circle D stall isn't too bad. Sometime I feel like I'd like it to lock up a little sooner in 4th, so I'm going to talk to Richard and see if that is something he can adjust in the tune. If he can do it, I think that will be nice when I am towing the RZR (or whatever else).
I really would like to do a T56 swap in the truck because 1)I just like manual transmissions and 2) I think it would really make the truck stand out from a lot of other trucks around here. In reality, though, I know the auto is probably the better option overall.
I'll update when we get it fully tuned. Plan on taking it to the track soon to see what it'll run in this cool air.
