New Guy in Buffalo NY

[awhite0420]

Hello everyone,

I am new to the site and to trucks in general. I picked up an 03 ZR5 with about 140k on it. It came with a newish plow and brand new tires. Already having a couple issues with it making noise , ive been lurking and investigating them but all in all it seems like a decent truck that needs a little TLC. Plow works well which is good for this area lol hopefully with a little maintenance this truck will have a long life. Id like to get a bit more power out of her but for now i will focus on getting her in tip top shape and maybe a hitch. any suggestions would be awesome. thanks a ton guys and im glad to be here.

Aaron

the paint is in great condition it just looks funny because its still wet from the wash.

[_STUCKY]

I have this hitch. Google the part number and click on shopping. I paid much less than what it is priced at on their site. I also have their wire harness, which is plug and play.

http://www.curtmfg.com/part/13132

If the plow has been on very long, I'd guess its gonna need a lot of new front end parts. Also, a tranny guy once told me that it is common to rebuild auto transmissions in trucks that see a lot of mud, and trucks that have a snow plow. The reason is people shift from reverse to drive, and from drive to reverse, before the transmission is fully stopped.

Keep us updated, and keep posting pictures!

[awhite0420]

thanks Stucky i was looking at one like that for around 120. looks like a good strong hitch. but i looked under the truck and couldnt really see where that type would hook up. I was on another site for s10s and searched the whole site a bunch of times trying to find someone with a ZR5 that put one in and nada. hard to find anything on the ZR5s on that site. so i jumped ship and came over to here.

The plow wasnt on for too long according to the last owner. his son was 17 and only used it to plow thier driveway and thier neighbor and grandparetns but it has been on for atleast a year suposedly that is. Yeah im hearing some front end noise, clunking and such and i think the vacuum switch on the transfer case is toast or i have a vacuum leak. gunna tackle that as soon as the temp climbs higher than 20 lol It came with some spot light for the top of the truck i might put on since i have them but i want to keep the $$$ i spend going to toward maintanence and the hitch.

[_STUCKY]

That hitch just mounts between the frame and the bumper brackets. I had to pop the plastic cover off of the bumper, don't remember why exactly, maybe to move the bumper brackets out slightly. I did it by myself and it was kind of a pain. I'd suggest getting a helping hand. It all just bolted right on, though. If you plan for a body lift, I'm not sure how easy it would be to raise the hitch also. It may look tacky.

Edit: Do I see some slightly mangled sheet metal? More specifically, right above the exhaust in the 3rd picture, and the front passenger side corner.

[awhite0420]

oh ok i gotcha, i thought it went were the bumper bolts the the frame but i didnt know it went in between them. sounds good ill make sure i have my bro near by for slave labor. the other ones i saw were talking about drilling the frame and stuff so ill definitely look into ones like the one you suggested instead. thanks again

[HenryJ]

Welcome

If you plan on the body lift in the future (good idea), look for a three piece hitch. The OEM hitch is this design and moves up easy. The OEM kit with wiring was $120. Used hitches can be picked up under $50 if you have a good local yard.

[awhite0420]

I wasnt planning on the lift but i am open to it, especially if needed. Why is the lift a good idea? and can i use the stock hitch from any s10 truck or blazer from 98-04 or does it have to be a zr5? thanks for the heads up $50 sounds nice lol

[HenryJ]

ZR5 is just an appearance package. Flares, side bars, rails and a roof rack. No differences in the drivetrain , chassis or body panels. The standard stuff fits the same on crew cabs from 2001-2004. There were some earlier models that were conversions. Those have several differences.
The frames are mostly all the same though.

Lots of reasons the bodylift is a good idea for these trucks. Everything from servicing the plugs to engine cooling. Lots to read about that. It is not just about tire clearance and look.

[awhite0420]

I started reading up on it after you mentioned it. so much info lol Not too pricey of a mod either especially for what you get in return. just dont want to lift it too much but 2 inch lift doesnt seem to be much.

[ApproachMedium]

Welcome to the forums! Nice truck, you dont see that color too often, esp in the ZR5 package.

I am not crazy about the plow though, seeing how quickly these trucks burn up front end parts as it is, I can see the plow not being any help in that dept. Hopefully you dont see much trouble there, just make sure you use the best front end parts when you do replace anything so that you can have that assurance that you wont have any issues, or more clunking noises.

[HenryJ]

I started reading up on it after you mentioned it. so much info lol Not too pricey of a mod either especially for what you get in return. just dont want to lift it too much but 2 inch lift doesnt seem to be much.

Very true. Mostly it turns the soccer grannies car into a mild mannered truck.
I think you will grow to really like the little truck. Even bone stock they were pretty capable.