ill be heading home off this deployment in 8 months or so (iraq) and im in the market for a 03-05 silverado ss. i have a 96 cummins now and really dont like dd it. loud rattle bangin diesel and 16mpg (4.10s, 4in lift, 33s). im wanting to calm it down with a ss. im nat looking for speed or power i got 2 other toys for that. wanting a few questions and info about these.

what are some common problems with these trucks? small stuff, big stuff. dont want a money pit.

i know with few (minor) modifications and tuning you could probably get better mileage with these? whats feasable over the rating of 13/17 (averages ive seen) is 20mpg average feasable (with mileage tune)

what are the common prices these are going for now? im seeing 12k-20k. could i find one for around 12k with 100k mi? i know some may be thinking "hes out of his mind" but on the other hand, it is a used truck, economys in the crapper, not many people are in the market for a truck that gets 15mpg (guess here....), and ive seen some people selling stuff at crazy low prices (especially ls1tech)

ill give it a few months to make up my mind, its not a big deal to find the right one over here, i got people to check it out for me.

thanks in advance guys!
zach

 

The most common problems with an SS with a 100k on it are the front diffs. , trans. , steering shaft (clunk) . check the for sale section at silveradoss .com there are plenty there to get an idea what the price range is... chris

 

Common problems....

front diff
guage cluster
steering shaft
transmission

Most will be priced anywhere from $12,000 to $24,000 depending on condition and mileage. With a CAI, custom tune, and cat back, it is feasible to get 20mpg on the highway.......I get 20mpg on a good highway trip with the mods in my sig......

 

Whats the front differential problem? Noise? My SS has just over 70K and I am planning on keeping it well over 100K.

 

A groan/growl, the front diff bearings have the uncanny knack of going bad prematurely. Only a handful have been lucky and have not had to rebuild theirs......

 

I am a lucky one AND haven't been easy on the thing by any means. I have done regular fluid changes though.

 

The common problem I've seen with the front differential is, the locking tang for the side bearing adjuster(carrier) breaks off, then the adjuster backs off, and then all hell breaks loose.

Also common is worn out inner tie rod sockets.

 

If you decide you want an SSS and you prefer AWD look for an '05 as it already has electric fans from the factory. That's one less upgrade you'll have to do.

 

Yea mines already growling a bit. I put a good 500 to 600 miles a week on my SS right now so I guess I need o get this looked at ASAP.

 

Yeah, I've never had to change mine either!