[SaltyZ71]

Hey everyone!
I recently purchased a 2016 Colorado from my local dealer and as one would expect, I needed a forum to join... So here I am!
So far, I'm loving the truck and have no complaints after putting about 2K miles on it. However, I've always subscribed to the "Never Keep It Stock" lifestyle, so as you'd guess, this truck won't be an exception!
My question to all that care to read this: What are the "must do" mods/upgrades? Been reading on catch cans, intakes, tunes, etc. I'm not independently wealthy, so I'll be modding one thing at a time as funds allow. I'm curious on your thoughts as to what is more important or what should be a priority.

First, a little info on what I'm driving:
2016 Colorado Z71
2.8 DMax Diesel
4x4 Crew Cab/Short box

How I'll be using it:
Mostly for work. 20-100 miles/day depending on where I'm going (mixed highway/city). Occasional longer trips (400-800 miles) for work and/or camping trips a few times a year.
Light-Moderate off-roading. Nothing too intense. Mostly unmaintained fire roads and the occasional trip out into the desert or the forests in Northern CA. Mud will probably find it's way onto/into this truck. It can't be avoided, even if it's completely avoidable. Not planning on doing rock-crawling. Had a Wrangler once as a daily driver and got into enough trouble with that...

What I'm looking at doing eventually:
1) Remove the damn air-dam!
2) Remove side-steps and install low-profile rock-sliders (I'm tall, but the stock steps make me feel like a toddler climbing out of a high-chair every time I get out...)
3) Locking tonneau cover (To keep my surfboards/camping gear safe)
4) Bike rack for Mountain Bikes (Thinking of the Full Metal Jackrabbit Tonneau w/ integrated rack system. I think i'd rather go with the Retrax Pro, but I don't know if I could get a bike rack on it as well. Thoughts??)
5) Leveling Kit or subtle lift
6) Method Rims
7) Tint

Anyway, sorry for the long intro. I'm just excited about the truck as you can probably tell... Any input is greatly appreciated! Thanks all! (and btw, if this is posted in the wrong place, please let me know where I should post this kind of thing!)

Pics or it didn't happen:
http://coloradofans.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=268585&thumb=1
http://coloradofans.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=268593&thumb=1
http://coloradofans.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=268601&thumb=1

 

[cgiddens6]

Congrats on the new purchase!! Have had my Colorado for 2.5 years now (48k miles) and I love it the same as the day I bought it. I am still adding things to my truck as I can afford much like you stated. Probably will never stop adding until I trade/sale one day. But here is my bigger upgrades/mods, hope it helps you!

My must haves when I first started were:
1. 1.25 leveling kit (I hate pitched trucks, OCD I guess).
2. Window Tint
3. Remove Air Dam
4. WeatherTech Floor Mats
5. mud flaps

My favorite things I have done:
1. BFG KO2 Wheels 265/70/17
2. Brush Guard (I see deer from Sept-Jan. almost daily).
3. Plasti-Dip all the chrome I could find.

Other stuff:
1. Black UWS Toolbox-currently debating replacing this with tonneau cover.
2. Step Side - like you, thinking I want to replace these with Rock Sliders, but my wife is short so idk.

Wants:
1. Considering the black fender guards, but unsure.
2. Really want LED headlights but not sure it is worth my time/money
3. More I think about it, I really want rock sliders lol

 

[SaltyZ71]

3. More I think about it, I really want rock sliders lol

See? I just got here and I'm already getting people in trouble with their wives... :shock: lol
But really, thanks! I checked out those tires and I like them a lot. And it's not OCD. I'm not a fan of pitched trucks either!
My thoughts on LED headlights: I installed some VLED high-output LED lowbeam headlights in my last vehicle (Subaru Outback) because it's a HUGE pain in the ass to change bulbs on those cars, so I though the LEDs would be brighter and last longer. The first set lasted about a year before the transformers burnt out. Purchased a new set (newer "fanless" version) and those did the same thing, only this time it only took about 4 months. Maybe it could be the brand or an issue with Subaru in general, but it ended up causing more headache than it was worth (every time, I had to dismantle the whole front end of the car to get to the bulbs). But hopefully someone here has tried some LEDs and had luck with them lasting. I really did love how they looked when they were running.
Thanks for the info, btw!

 

[JBT]

Welcome to the forum. This is a fun place to see what different people did to their trucks in the last three years. Good luck with your mods.

 

[Slywun]

Welcome aboard...
Definitely a catch can.

 

[The 530 Postman]

Welcom


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[The 530 Postman]

Welcom


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Welcome correction


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Paul Bassel]

The single biggest upgrade you could do for improving the drivability and capability of this truck would be DuramaxTuner. It makes a hugely satisfying difference. For me it has been worth the slight warranty risks.

 

[SaltyZ71]

Thanks for the welcome, all! I'm definitely looking into a catch can. Lots of mixed opinions on brands though it seems. I'm also considering a tune, but I'm a bit worried about warranty risks. Not sure if that's something I'm ready to start getting into just yet

 

[Leon O]

I'm also looking to enhance my new truck. Being a middle aged guy from the 'burbs, I plan to start with practical (& cheap items) first.
- Mud Flaps to protect the paint
- Bull Ring Bullet retractable tie downs
- bungee cord / strap kit
- bed mat for the knees

If Santa thinks I've been really good this year:
- hard tonneau cover
- trailer brake controller
- nerf bars or assist steps (for the children & seniors in the family)

Oh and since I have a Canyon, I'll be needing Chrome Polish :smile2:

 

[CaryBosse]

I'm also looking to enhance my new truck. Being a middle aged guy from the 'burbs, I plan to start with practical (& cheap items) first.
- Mud Flaps to protect the paint
- Bull Ring Bullet retractable tie downs
- bungee cord / strap kit
- bed mat for the knees

If Santa thinks I've been really good this year:
- hard tonneau cover
- trailer brake controller
- nerf bars or assist steps (for the children & seniors in the family)

Oh and since I have a Canyon, I'll be needing Chrome Polish :smile2:

I remember when I could claim to be middle aged.:frown2:

There is a certain responsibility that comes with truck ownership. Once you purchase a truck, you assume a duty to be the "trucker" to all your friends and family. You will be called upon to do TRUCK stuff. Haul furniture, move people from home to home, deliver appliances, make the big box lumber yard/landscape yard trips, etc. As such, these responsibilities come with certain requirements.

1. Ropes, bungee cords, straps, etc. to secure these loads.
2. Personally, I think you need some moving blankets, old quilts: You will tell people this is to protect their precious cargo, in reality, you are trying to protect your truck from their crappy cargo. (Bed mats and bed rugs can fulfill some of this requirement.)
3. Bull Rings or other tie down points are helpful. Sure, I have owned trucks and made do without them, but they help.
4. A bed cover is nice. This is first truck I have ever owned with one, my wife was skeptical, we are both believers now. Easy removal or roll up in my case allows to transition to moving truck more easily.
5. Some of these places you have to go in your truck are nasty. (Some of you live in nasty places, like where it snows many days of the year.) All weather floor mats are nice. My Wrangler was the first time I owned any, my wife the skeptic has inquired about some for her new car.
6. Assist steps are one of those personal choices. I find them inconvenient on the truck, on my Wrangler they were great. If you really need them, then you really need them I am sure.
7. Trailer brake controller - first truck I ever owned with one, first time I have owned a trailer of any kind rather than rent/borrow. Great to have, wish I had the built in one, but this can have an unintended consequence: Now you can haul bigger, heavier trailers, so your responsibility to your family & friends may go up. Without it, you can say I have this teensy weeny little mid-size truck, I can't haul that big, heavy trailer with trailer brakes, you need to call Cousin Bruce with the monster truck. With the brake controller, your excuse is gone. Tread carefully.
8. Mud flaps can be nice, but I haven't really seen a specific set designed for our trucks that solves the mud slinging problem.

A lot of the items people do to their trucks are window dressing. It's a truck. Sure, they may be prettier than a lot of cars out there, but it is a truck. Give me practical over purty. (Now, if I could only find my pet pig's lipstick, where did I put it?)

 

[.boB]

Changes from stock always depend on what you plan to do with it, how you drive it, and what you like. And, of course, what you're willing to trade off. A stock vehicle is generally a middle of the road compromise, made to appeal to thousands of buyers across the country/globe. If you add/subtract parts, you add/subtract features/capabilities. That's not a bad thing at all, just an observation. And, really, kinda the whole point.


Nothing wakes up a modern engine better than an aftermarket tune. It's a little bit expensive, but usually worth it. But, it always voids the warranty of the entire drive train. It's a trade off. I'd love to put a tune on mine; not for more power, but to improve efficiency, improve driveability, and improve the transmission feel. But I do want to keep the warranty; a new transmission is pretty expensive.


I'v had tannou covers and I'v had caps. I much prefer a cap. I can carry more stuff protected from sticky fingers and bad weather. And I can sleep in it. But, it is more expensive, and it adds more weight. It's harder to remove if you want to carry a load of dirt or a 'fridge.


Along with a cap, a bed drawer is indispensable. I'm way to old to be crawling in there every time I want something from the front of the bed. One of the best inventions for a truck.


Running boards are nice to keep all the dirt, mud, snow, and slush, off the side of the truck, and therefore off my pant legs. Nice when I'm going to work on a snowy morning. I installed the Go-Rhino boards because there's no gap between the body of the truck and the board, and they fit up high, close to the body. I don't do any real off roading, just fire roads and such. So ground clearance isn't a huge issue for me. And they fit well with the Husky mud flaps.


I have not installed a catch can yet. I vacillate back and forth about that one. I should ... I shouldn't.


Tie down rings in the bed are really handy. I haul around all kinds of stuff, and I'm kinda OCD about unsecured loads.


My next big investment will be a grill guard. Not a lot of choices for these trucks, though. Probably end up with a Westin.


Once that's installed, some better driving lights will go on that. LED light bars are all the rage these days. But think some high quality H4 lamps might be a better choice. They seem to be better focused and have greater range than the light bars. The light bars I'v seen on the road seem to have a lot of scatter. I'll have to research that more.


As far as LED headlights go, I'v heard of too many people having problems with durability. I think an upgraded H4 bulb would be a better choice. The technology is well known, and it's pretty reliable.


The reason that the back end of a pick-up is higher than the front, is so that it will not be nose high when loaded or hauling a trailer. A leveling kit is nice if you prefer the look AND you never plan on hauling a load any distance. Since I do both, - haul a load and tow a trailer - I'll leave the suspension stock for now. At 45-50K miles, I'll probably replace the stock shocks with something like Eibach or Koni. I'm not a Bilstein fan.

Fortunately, the diesel truck comes with the trailer tow package as standard equipment. Including the trailer brake controller. Works pretty well, too.


Tires are a whole 'nother conversation. Do a search on that one.

 

[MaineMan]

..........Tires are a whole 'nother conversation. Do a search on that one.

Tires? Stay away from that search! I just did a Gen 2 Colorado Canyon search. Currently there are 143 threads with the word "Tires" in the title. And to think, we only need 4 and one spare. .............. Hmmmmm. wonder what the best spare tire is? Time to start one more "Tires" thread.


Gusto!

 

[Leon O]

I remember when I could claim to be middle aged.:frown2:

There is a certain responsibility that comes with truck ownership. Once you purchase a truck, you assume a duty to be the "trucker" to all your friends and family. You will be called upon to do TRUCK stuff. Haul furniture, move people from home to home, deliver appliances, make the big box lumber yard/landscape yard trips, etc. As such, these responsibilities come with certain requirements.

1. Ropes, bungee cords, straps, etc. to secure these loads.
2. Personally, I think you need some moving blankets, old quilts: You will tell people this is to protect their precious cargo, in reality, you are trying to protect your truck from their crappy cargo. (Bed mats and bed rugs can fulfill some of this requirement.)
3. Bull Rings or other tie down points are helpful. Sure, I have owned trucks and made do without them, but they help.
4. A bed cover is nice. This is first truck I have ever owned with one, my wife was skeptical, we are both believers now. Easy removal or roll up in my case allows to transition to moving truck more easily.
5. Some of these places you have to go in your truck are nasty. (Some of you live in nasty places, like where it snows many days of the year.) All weather floor mats are nice. My Wrangler was the first time I owned any, my wife the skeptic has inquired about some for her new car.
6. Assist steps are one of those personal choices. I find them inconvenient on the truck, on my Wrangler they were great. If you really need them, then you really need them I am sure.
7. Trailer brake controller - first truck I ever owned with one, first time I have owned a trailer of any kind rather than rent/borrow. Great to have, wish I had the built in one, but this can have an unintended consequence: Now you can haul bigger, heavier trailers, so your responsibility to your family & friends may go up. Without it, you can say I have this teensy weeny little mid-size truck, I can't haul that big, heavy trailer with trailer brakes, you need to call Cousin Bruce with the monster truck. With the brake controller, your excuse is gone. Tread carefully.
8. Mud flaps can be nice, but I haven't really seen a specific set designed for our trucks that solves the mud slinging problem.

A lot of the items people do to their trucks are window dressing. It's a truck. Sure, they may be prettier than a lot of cars out there, but it is a truck. Give me practical over purty. (Now, if I could only find my pet pig's lipstick, where did I put it?)

Great list, hope you saved it somewhere so you can share it with other newbies.

The drivers license says otherwise, but currently I feel a couple decades past middle aged. Fatigue and aches seem to be adding new perspectives and more wisdom to my recent decisions. I got off-roading out of my system in the 80's and had my fill of car audio in the 90's.

Coming from a 2011 F150 SuperCrew, I'm used to hauling stuff for others. Now my Father-in-Law's F150 SuperCab will be the family moving vehicle.

Last year the yard tractor died and we hired a landscaper. There's no going back to hauling grass & sticks to the town dump every week. My Father-in-law will have the "dump sticker" even if I buy it and stick it to his windshield myself >

While I have no intent to build the truck for show or off-road, I hope to keep it in clean condition.

 

[madcratebuilder]

DuramaxTuner and a quality catch can would be 1-2on my list for a oil burner.

 

[SaltyZ71]

Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone! A little update on my tonneau cover:
I'm pretty set on the Retrax Pro. The biggest issue is that the canister will take up just enough space in the bed that my mountain bike won't fit, even with the use of a tailgate pad. I like the retrax because it can lock in any position (When i have my longboard in the bed, it makes it that much harder to steal), but also because it just feels like a durable and much higher quality product. My thoughts on solutions are:

1) mount Yakima rails along the length of the retrax pro, then use thule crossbars and bike racks. Went to a shop nearby and it CAN be done and actually looks quite nice. Almost factory even. The downside: added cost and in order to be secure enough for heavier loads, holes would probably have to be drilled through the frame of the bed and secured with bolts and backplates, etc. The result would book the best and be the most functional I think.

2) Install Retrax as-is, but add collapsible bed-extender. The downside: One that simply folds back would take up too much room in the bed, meaning I couldn't fit my shortboards (surfboards) inside and lock shut. I see there are some collapsible extenders, but they look a little lighter-duty. If I'm camping or taking rough terrain with a mountain bike strapped down and hanging over the extender, I'd feel nervous with a $4,500 bike bouncing and pulling on the mounts or the extender itself breaking. I feel like the rattling from off-road terrain would just bee too much for one of those. Any thoughts on how durable these are?

3) Get a camper shell/cover instead. The downside: it wouldn't fit in my tiny and low Californian garage.... so that's out.

4) Get the Retrax, then just get a tow-hitch mounted bike rack. This might be more practical, but then it kind of defeats the purpose of having a truck in the first place!

5) Get a bigger truck. The downside: This truck only fits in my garage with about 3 inches to spare! So even the longer box Colorado wouldn't have worked. (and parking on the street in this part of CA is a pain in the ass. So F that...) Oh, and dem MPGs!

6) ???? Suggestions???

There is a certain responsibility that comes with truck ownership. Once you purchase a truck, you assume a duty to be the "trucker" to all your friends and family. You will be called upon to do TRUCK stuff. Haul furniture, move people from home to home, deliver appliances, make the big box lumber yard/landscape yard trips, etc.

LMAO.... this is the FIRST thing my brother told me when I got this truck! He said, "You realized you just signed yourself up for a lifetime of helping people move right?" My response: "I already help all you friggin' people move anyway! This can just carry more of your crap than my Subaru!"

 

[Garrettb189]

My sig. has everything I would recommend.

I could not be happier with my truck, hopefully you will be as well!

 

[SaltyZ71]

My sig. has everything I would recommend.

I could not be happier with my truck, hopefully you will be as well!

Thanks! Those are exactly the rims I was looking at. How's the offset? How far out do the wheels stick out from the fenders?

Also, loving my truck, but having this little issue: http://coloradofans.com/forums/226-diesel/367817-loud-squeak-while-decelerating.html

 

[Garrettb189]

The tires are just about flush with the fenders.
They are 00 offset 17x8.5 grids, with the 265/70r17 Falken AT3s I had slight rubbing on the plastic fender liners in front so I added the body lift instead of trimming.

 

[Garrettb189]

Thanks! Those are exactly the rims I was looking at. How's the offset? How far out do the wheels stick out from the fenders?

Also, loving my truck, but having this little issue: http://coloradofans.com/forums/226-diesel/367817-loud-squeak-while-decelerating.html

Could it be brake squeak?? Never mind just watched the video...
Sounds like a belt to me.