Posts Tagged ‘Chevrolet Silverado’
2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD
2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD Pick-up truck
On a recent validation drive of the new, 2011 Chevrolet Silverado heavy-duty trucks, engineer Brent Deep towed a 20,000-pound (9,072 kg) trailer for 245 miles (400 km) along I-70 between Denver and Grand Junction, Colo. – and he barely touched the brakes the entire way.
Deep relied on the Silverado’s new, smart exhaust brake system to slow the truck/trailer combination on descents, helping prove the new system is suitable for the most demanding conditions. It was a drive across the heart of the Rocky Mountains and some of the interstate system’s steepest grades, with altitudes ranging from Denver’s approximately 5,000 feet (1,525 m) to more than 11,100 feet (3,400 m) at the Eisenhower Tunnel.
‘It takes some courage to leave your foot off the brake, but the Silverado’s Duramax engine and Allison transmission perform the task with smoothness and confidence that really impresses,’ said Deep. ‘Better still, the exhaust brake system can help extend brake pad life and help avoid overheating the brakes on long descents.’
The exhaust brake system feature is just one of the elements that makes the new 2011 Silverado 2500HD and 3500HD models the most capable in the industry. They go on sale this summer.
2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD Towing Truck
‘We sought the input of our customers during the development of the 2011 Silverado HD to deliver a truck that meets or exceeds their every need,’ said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet general manager. ‘It offers greater strength and capability – including class-leading fuel economy, trailering and payload ratings – and has more power, accelerates quicker and has lower emissions. That sounds like the very definition of no compromises.’
The Silverado heavy-duty lineup is broader than ever, with 11 2500HD models and eight single- and dual-rear-wheel 3500HD models – including a new 3500HD Crew Cab with a 6.5-foot cargo box. WT, LT and LTZ trim levels are offered, and popular features such as the EZ Lift tailgate and rearview camera system return. All models bring greater capability, improved ride and handling and a greater feeling of driver control. Depending on the model:
• Segment-best fifth-wheel towing capacity of 20,000 pounds (9,072 kg)
• Segment-best conventional towing capacity increases up to 23 percent, with a maximum of 16,000 pounds (7,272 kg)
• Segment-best payload capability of 6,335 pounds (2,873 kg) on a complete vehicle
• Segment-best Gross Combined Weight Rating increases to 27,500 pounds (12,500 kg)
• Gross Vehicle Weight Ratings increases up to 17 percent to 13,000 pounds (5,909 kg)
2011 American Truck Chevrolet Silverado HD
Front Axle Weight Rating increases by up to 25 percent to 6,000 pounds (2,721 kg)
Snow plow capability is now enabled for all 4WD cab configurations
There are also enhanced powertrains, including a new Duramax 6.6L diesel/Allison 1000 six-speed transmission that offers the exhaust brake system, new front and rear suspensions, an improved brake system, hill start assist, trailer sway control system and more.
‘Along with all their heavy-duty equipment, these trucks are designed to be stylish and refined, inside and out,’ said Campbell. ‘We paid close attention to all the details, giving them a distinctive, muscular appearance on the exterior and a well-appointed interior with the comfort, convenience and safety features customers appreciate.’
Outside, the 2011 Silverado 2500HD and 3500HD models are distinguished by a power dome-style hood with a new, louvered design, as well as a new grille and full-width chrome steel front bumper. A new lineup of 17-, 18- and 20-inch wheel/tire combinations is featured, too (20-inch polished forged aluminum wheels are available on 2500HD).
2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD Interior view
In the quest to comprehensively redesign the Silverado HD chassis to improve durability and ride, while also supporting increased capability, engineers developed 11 all-new, fully boxed frame assemblies. The frames have increased cross sections and use more high-strength steel for greater durability, higher towing capacity and improved ride and handling; the front sections are hydroformed.
The bending and beaming stiffness of the frames is increased 92 percent and 20 percent, respectively, with the fully boxed sections enhancing torsional stiffness by a factor of five. Also, larger engine and transmission mounts, coupled with a 125-percent-stiffer front frame structure, provide greater vibration control, while hydraulic body mounts are incorporated under the cab section on extended and crew cab models for a more isolated feel inside.
Engineers addressed common customer and aftermarket uses when designing the new frames, including adding access holes to the rear frame section to enable easier installation of fifth-wheel/gooseneck-style hitches. Also, the frame-mounted hitch for conventional trailering is stronger, with a box-tube design. It supports up to 16,000 pounds (7,257 kg).
2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500.General Motors had the opportunity to do something really impressive with the Silverado Hybrid, but what we got instead is a vehicle that has all of the right bones, but none of the follow-through to be really worth it,” said Autoblog reviewer Zach Bowman. “While the drivetrain tech is right where it needs to be for this kind of vehicle, the rest of the beast is still a big, heavy, quarter-ton [sic] truck.”
2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500.GM seems to have dropped their 6.0L Vortech V8 from the engine line-up for the 2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 pickup trucks from normal production, but will continue to use the engine for their two-mode hybrid pickup-truck lines. The old 6.0L will also be available on GM’s heavy duty 2500 and 3500 series pickup trucks under the Chevy and GMC banners.
Other engine options for 2010 include a 4.3L Vortec V6, a 5.3L FlexFuel V8 and a 6.2L Vortec FlexFuel V8, along with a new 4.8L Vortec Flexfuel V8.
2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500.The Chevrolet Silverado is an iconic American vehicle, it’s one of the best full-size trucks. The Silverado 1500 is the “half-ton”, model in Chevy’s full-size pickup line-up. The 2010 Silverado 1500 is available with two-wheel or four-wheel drive; with a short, standard or long bed; with a regular, crew or extended cab, and in Work Truck, LT and LTZ trim levels. And for real truckers, the most exciting drivetrain is the Duramax turbodiesel that produces a prodigious 650 pound-feet of torque at 1600 rpm and is coupled to a six-speed Allison automatic. Maximum towing capacity is 10,700 pounds.
2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500.The 2010 Silverado’s has an excellent gas mileage, which is among the best in the class. Silverado is available with several different suspensions. The Z83 and Z85 versions are designed for ride comfort. The Z60 is a “street-performance” suspension, and the Z71 is for off-road use. The 2010 Chevrolet Silverado is available with two interiors, dubbed “pure pickup” and “luxury inspired.” A navigation system, remote engine start, and a wireless cell-phone link are among the available features. Price range: $24,090 – $41,775.
2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
2011 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD
2011 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD
2011 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD.Over the past century, they’ve built planes, trains and automobiles, but the people at General Motors always save their best for their full-size trucks. While the emphasis lately has been on small cars and advanced alternative propulsion technologies, GM’s 2011 heavy-duty pickups seem to prove this rule true once again.At first glance, it’s difficult to tell that much has changed from last year. The 2011 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 pickups look almost identical to the 2010 trucks, although sharp-eyed GM truck spotters will be alerted by the larger air intake in the front bumper, new hoods and grilles and larger optional wheels. Underneath, however, these rigs are virtually all-new, with fully boxed frames, re-engineered suspensions and the most powerful clean-diesel engine available in the segment.But it’s when you get behind the wheel and work the trucks that it quickly becomes apparent that GM’s engineers and product planners have delivered the goods, as we found out last week driving the trucks in the hill country of Maryland, West Virginia and Pennsylvania
2011 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD
2011 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD.2011 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD LTZ Crew Cab DRW With 6.6-Liter Duramax Diesel V-8 ($58,900) towing a 9,000-pound campeWaiting for us at Baltimore/Washington International Airport was a Chevy Silverado 3500 crew cab with a 9,000-pound, 35-foot camper that was conventionally hitched for a 135-mile road trip to the hotel where we’d stay for the rest of GM’s HD ride and drive program.The strongest HD pickups are 3500-class trucks. These 1-ton trucks add extra leaf springs compared with lighter trucks and often come configured with dual rear wheels to handle the heaviest trailers and payloads with maximum stability. In the Silverado’s case, it’s rated to tow up to 21,700 pounds and haul up to 6,635 pounds.
2011 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD
2011 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD.Only the 1.5-ton Ford F-450 pickup can out-tow the Silverado 3500, pulling trailers up to 24,400 pounds, but its maximum payload is only 4,920 pounds. The Silverado’s 13,000-pound gross vehicle weight rating (the maximum allowable weight for a fully loaded pickup, including passengers, cargo and trailer tongue weight) is only 50 pounds less than the F-450’s 13,050 pound GVWR.The Silverado’s big numbers wouldn’t be possible without its 6.6-liter Duramax V-8 diesel engine that makes 397 horsepower (at 3,000 rpm) and 765 pounds-feet of torque (at 1,600 rpm).
2011 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD
2011 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD.Turn the Silverado’s wheel, though, and you immediately start to appreciate all of the changes you can’t see. There’s a new recirculating ball steering box with a welcome 16-1 turn ratio, down from 24-1 in the 2010 Silverado 3500.It’s the best steering we’ve ever experienced in GM’s HD trucks and compared with other heavies, and it’s near perfect. The feel is firm but not too heavy, and there’s less play than we’ve felt in the 2011 Super Duty, which also features new steering gears and improved on-road feel.As we pulled out of a parking lot and onto the freeway, we immediately noticed another change. Even though the Duramax is stronger than ever, it feels like a mellower engine because power is evenly available throughout the accelerator pedal’s full stroke. In a separate conversation about the new pedal feel, Gary Arvan, chief engineer for the Duramax diesel, said we noticed the new throttle strategy that GM is using.
2011 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD
2011 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD.2011 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD LT Crew Cab DRW With 6.6-Liter Duramax Diesel V-8 ($50,715) towing about 10,000 pounds plus a 2,000-pound payloadThe next morning, we set off in a Silverado 3500 dually again, this time towing a Case Skid Steer Loader hooked to the truck with a pintle hitch plus 2,000 pounds of steel ballast in the cargo box.Without the large frontal area of a camper aerodynamically dragging the truck, we got a better feel for the power of the Duramax. The truck seemed much more responsive, even lugging an extra 3,000 pounds or so of weight. Having all of that weight in the bed also improved the ride quality by compressing the tall spring packs over the rear wheels but didn’t sag.Most of our driving was on backcountry two-lane roads and through small towns, so maneuverability was the priority over brute strength.We exercised the steering much more than we had on the highway and again found it to be very consistent throughout full turns, especially going around tight bends and hairpin curves. The truck always tracked where we expected it to go without requiring any corrective efforts. And the more we steered the Silverado, the more we appreciated its lower steering ratio compared with last year’s truck, and it helped reduce fatigue when the roads became really twisty and tight on the last several miles of the driving leg.
2011 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD
2011 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD.New for 2011 is an electrically controlled fan that can vary airflow depending on how much cooling is needed. It runs at the equivalent of up to 25 hp, but it ran at its highest speed only once during some particularly demanding turns heading uphill, where we were constantly on and off the accelerator. Other times we could hear it, but the noise was much less intrusive or distracting.Instead of the luxurious interior of the LTZ, our LT had the “pure pickup” insides. There were fit and finish issues with the stereo head unit and glove box that shouldn’t exist in a $50,000 pickup truck. The cloth seats should be improved to provide better lower back and hind support.
