My new daily driver.

[the ideaman]

Just bought a 1996 Silverado a couple weeks ago from a 92yo woman who bought it new. 124k on the clock. Had to change it a little bit because the running boards almost made me walk away. 5.7 vortec, 4l60, air, tilt, cruise and still smells new. Wanders around like nothing I’ve ever driven so it will get a borgeson steering shaft and a rebuilt front end.

[the ideaman]

Pictures.

[pjmoreland]

That's a sharp truck you've got there. Looks brand new. Looks so much better without the running boards. My parents had a Ford Econoline van in the 80s that had running boards like that. I didn't like them then either.

[Palf70Step]

Very nice looking truck. Way better without running boards.

[Boog]

Like a time capsule. Very nice.

[special-K]

Day 1, pull running boards ASAP!

I would bet your idler arm is worn out. I know on K2500/3500s they go every 80k or so. On the few I've had I replaced that 2 or 3x before any other front end work was needed.

[Palf70Step]

My 2wds were the same about 80 to 100 k they wouldn need replaced. Never did anything else on front end except shocks. Check ur carrier bearing and rear u joints. I didn't think about mine and they were dried out and failed.

[Just call me Sean]

Nice truck. I probably would take the cow catcher off the front too.

[1976gmc20]

Originally Posted by special-K

Day 1, pull running boards ASAP!

I would bet your idler arm is worn out. I know on K2500/3500s they go every 80k or so. On the few I've had I replaced that 2 or 3x before any other front end work was needed.

I had to have the idler arm and pitman arm replaced on my 89 K1500 a couple years ago. It needed it for a while but I put it off until I couldn't hardly keep it on the road in a crosswind. Over 200k and I don't know if it had been done before? The ball joint that I replaced had been done before because it was bolted and not riveted. I could have done the idler myself but you have to take the steering box loose and cant it to get the pitman off/on, so I paid the son of a neighbor who has a mobile repair business to do it right in my yard.

[Just call me Sean]

I've done my pitman and idler arms twice. I didn't remove the steering box.

[Ol Blue K20]

Wow! A very nice truck, I'm glad you didn't walk away. The running boards were terrible.

[special-K]

I have pulled more running boards from trucks than I can count. Now it's so-called "nerf bars" and other tube type steps. My buddy had an '06 K2500 long bed ext. cab with the aluminum boxed oval things that hang down enough to leave about 6" of daylight. I guess they make trucks for sissies now. The truck sat kind of low as it was. He told me he bought aggressive tires for winter because he kept getting hung up plowing snow. I told him he needed to pull those "pontoons" off He still laughs about that and tells everyone that's what I call them. He has them on his newer Chevy now.

[1976gmc20]

Originally Posted by Just call me Sean

I've done my pitman and idler arms twice. I didn't remove the steering box.

2wd or 4wd?

A very experienced and trustworthy GM mechanic (former small dealer for decades, until the purge in 2009) told me that's how it needed to be done. I would have had him do it but he is so busy that it would have taken six months and I would have to have stripped everything out of my pickup while it was sitting outside in town.

The mobile mechanic agreed that's how he needed to do it. It took him maybe a couple hours to do everything, with all his power tools run right off his service truck.

[Just call me Sean]

I missed that yours is 4wd. Yeah mine is 2wd.

[the ideaman]

Lowered a couple inches and an all new front end. Next will be 6.5 and 8” rally wheels with staggered tires.

[1971 GMC SHORTY]

What A Beauty

[Ironhorse]

Originally Posted by the ideaman

Lowered a couple inches and an all new front end. Next will be 6.5 and 8” rally wheels with staggered tires.

Nice looking truck. My middle son has a '96 Z71. Been a good truck for him. Are you referring to the older square body wheels when you mention the rally wheels? Recently bought a '99 2wd Tahoe for my daily driver and don't care for the choice of wheels from the previous owner. Been contemplating finding a set of the 15'' x 6.5'' or 7'' square body rallies for it. It also is a 5 on 5 wheel set up as is your truck.

[Myself]

Swweet truck. I'm a product of the 90's so I would be forced to find an old school set of 17" billet wheels myself.

[special-K]

Keeping it simple. I like the plan. Just a clean Chevy pickup with a personal touch.

[the ideaman]

Originally Posted by Ironhorse

Nice looking truck. My middle son has a '96 Z71. Been a good truck for him. Are you referring to the older square body wheels when you mention the rally wheels? Recently bought a '99 2wd Tahoe for my daily driver and don't care for the choice of wheels from the previous owner. Been contemplating finding a set of the 15'' x 6.5'' or 7'' square body rallies for it. It also is a 5 on 5 wheel set up as is your truck.

Yes, those wheels exactly. I was going to put them on my old C10, but I’m glad they are sitting in the shed.