Professional Grade Engineering at it's best with GMC!

[hammersley]

My neighbor is a huge GM Fan, other than that, he's a great guy. His mom works for the local GM dealer, and he does seem to get good deals for the poducts he likes. He has a new 2003 1/2 ton Silverado, loaded 4x4. It has the "oversize" P265x75R16 Tires. I used the term "Oversize" because from the Factory Manual, they tell you that with these tires "Chains are not Recommended!" According to him - That's all it says. It doesn't say on the front end, Type "S" only - NOTHING ELSE.



I was down at my local Les Schwab Tire dealer the other day, and I was telling this to one of the managers, who has an 01, Dodge Diesel, when he told me Yep - that'a a problem. In fact his wife has a new Tahoe and they can't put chains on it due to clearance.



Now since I, and I'm sure a lot of others do as well, live where in the winter we encounter roads that "REQUIRE" chains - you're SOL with this rig! That must go over great with the Latte, Starbucks Swirling crowd at the local Ski Lodge - BUT Wait - these clowns probably have never read an Owners Manual in their life - let alone know where to begin to put chains on.



Now if you go to http://www.gmc.com/ you'll see a couple of catchy phrases that the Advertising Boys are making sure you see:



INNOVATIVE ENGINEERING

We Are Professional Grade



Help me understand - Exactly which one of these Two - Does this Chain Problem Fall into???????????????????

 

[Sticks]

Originally posted by hammersley



INNOVATIVE ENGINEERING

We Are Professional Grade



Help me understand - Exactly which one of these Two - Does this Chain Problem Fall into???????????????????

These are the office dwelling desk jockeys that have not been out of the concrete jungle for decades. The owners and designers of the UAV (Urban Assault Vehicle) marketed towards the soccer moms and the weekend warriors whose idea of adventure is a trip to the burbs. They exist in a temperate climate and the concept of snow (or mud for that matter) over 3" is completely alien to them. Have you watched the commercials for these trucks and the engineers? Test tracks and salt flats. Not exactly hurting for traction there are they.



I was behind a GMC truck the other day... 1500, oversized tires, sporting the 4x4 logos and the axle... oh my gawd... could not have been much bigger than 2" in diameter. It would look small on a Toyota. The 1/2 steel rod pointing out and down for the shock mount hanging as low as the differential, just waiting to be smacked by a rock.

 

[rbattelle]

Re: Re: Professional Grade Engineering at it's best with GMC!

Originally posted by sticks

The 1/2 steel rod pointing out and down for the shock mount hanging as low as the differential, just waiting to be smacked by a rock.

I will never understand that. Ford does it too.

 

[BigMike]

In the State of Washington, chains required does not usually apply to all wheel drive vehicles. The following came from the WSDOT website:





"All Vehicles – Chains Required – Except All-wheel Drive

In extreme weather conditions, the Washington State Patrol will require all vehicles (except all-wheel drive) to chain tires for safety. However, the patrol can require chains on all-wheel drive vehicles as well, if conditions warrant their use"



I for one have never put chains on a 4x4 and I've owned them since 1984.

 

[Bill Lins]

"Professional grade"?



From Car & Driver: "What were they before? Amateur grade?"

 

[hammersley]

Well Big Mike - when you move to Central Oregon - they aren't so generous. AND Last Week - for 2 days - Chains were REQUIRED on the Interstate in PORTLAND! 1st time ever, as I understand. If you owned one of these GM products - you would be SOL - or drive and if you get in an accident - be at the mercy of the Attorneys if they want to shift blame to you. In reference to Oregon:



http://www.tripcheck.com/Winter/ChainLaws.htm



Look at this in the aforementioned:



With this - if you have a wonderful GM product - I guess you don't go!



EXEMPTIONS



The following vehicles are exempt from the chain law; however, in very bad winter road conditions all vehicles may be required to use chains regardless of the type of vehicle or type of tire being used (this is known as a conditional road closure).

 

[BV]

That would be a bummer if someone on the East coast got most of the way across the nation only to get stopped because an engineer didn't think their rig would ever have to wear chains to cross over the Cascades :-( .



I have to say that it probably wouldn't happen or if it did, it wouldn't be required for very long. Even this last snow and ice blast didn't require chains on everything - If you had AWD or 4x4 or traction tires they let you go.

 

[hammersley]

But what I think is worse is discovering

such a limitation on your vehicle AND then bragging about it Being Professional Grade! What a Joke!

 

[98rammer]

does anyone want to talk about the horrible styling on just about every chevrolet model or the fact that the frames sit about 2" off the ground..... sheesh, gm, get a clue

 

[rbattelle]

Originally posted by 98rammer

does anyone want to talk about the horrible styling on just about every chevrolet model or the fact that the frames sit about 2" off the ground..... sheesh, gm, get a clue

Ok. About the Silverado front facia. I think I finally figured out why they made it so ugly. First Dodge makes the raised-center hood design. This results in huge praise and popularity for Dodge trucks. Later, Ford copies this design for the new Superduties. Again, praise and popularity come to Ford, but along with that comes rumblings of "you guys just copied Dodge".



So Chevy sees all this, and thinks, "well, if people like the raised center hood so much, maybe we'll break into a new market with a DEPRESSED center hood!". Voila, in 2003 (or was it 2002?) they start making their trucks with the headlights sitting higher than the center hood section! My opinion: ugly.

 

[RustyJC]

I got behind a Quadrasteer (4 wheel steering) GMC this morning on the way to work. Because of the rear fender blisters required for clearance, these things have to run the dually marker lights. The "professional engineers" at GMC and their suppliers use tie rods on the rear wheels that are about 1/2 the size of my little finger. How'd you like to have one of those babies snap at 80 MPH on the Interstate?



Rusty

 

[Billy Diesel]

I'd love to have the Quadrasteer. Unless you do some hardcore off roading and are bashing them into rocks, I don't see them breaking. I would be more concerned about how the automaic return to center works if something were to happen. I don't like putting that much faith into a computer. Still though, it would be nice to have the Quadrasteer.

 

[BigMike]

Hammersley, I repeat. In twenty years of owning 4x4 vehicles and living in the northwest, I have never put chains on whether on a highway or off road. I actually do carry them, just never needed them or been required to put them on. It's not one of those things I choose to lose a lot of sleep over.

 

[WadePatton]

"Professional Grade" for the likes of the chick that I encountered while ago.



I was driving along a rural highway when a State Patrol car pulled out behind me. I was leading him by 3/4 of a mile--he was obviously shooting radar at oncoming traffic. I flash my lights at chickie and she just blasts right on by and then STANDS on the brakes when she sees the patrol car.



Professional!

 

[mgoncalves]

Originally posted by BigMike

In twenty years of owning 4x4 vehicles and living in the northwest, I have never put chains on whether on a highway or off road.

You must not have bad weather there.



Matt

 

[BigMike]

We have lots of bad weather up here Matt, especially this year. Our Cascade passes get well over 600 inches of snow/year on average. One year they got 1000 inches. My point is that if you have a 4x4, 99. 9% of the time you are not required to put on chains in Oregon or Washington. The law basically says that a 4x4 is as good as having chains. Works for me. I carry chains just in case I need them in the mud when I'm hunting. So far, haven't had to use them. Tow strap sure has come in handy a couple of times though!

 

[mgoncalves]

I got ya!!



If there's a chance you'll need chains, I put them on ahead of time. That way I'm not in a mudhole trying to put them on. I don't run very aggressive tires on anything though.



Matt

 

[rbattelle]

At the risk of jumping on the pile and kicking the General when he's down, I thought I'd bring this thread back up and note that Quadrasteer is no more. It was such a wonderful idea that it didn't sell and GM stopped making it.



-Ryan

 

[nickleinonen]

ouch... reading this thread hurt... i am a chevy man myself [driving a dodge, go figure?] i have grown to like very much the new chevy front ends... i like my dodge too, and the ford SD's... my purchase of a dodge was the first non gm product in the family in like 20 years...

 

[dodge cummins]

chevy to me isn't very appealing but if i was in the market for a gasser i would buy a chevy though. since 1989 dodge has the best diesel. i am wondering if ford goes with john deere diesel in 07 if it will take some cummins consumers.