My 1998 sierra z71 build thread

[98sierra4x4]

So here is my truck it is a 1998 sierra Z71 with the "push button 4x4" and the 350. This is my first vehicle and will be my daily driver so I'm not going crazy on mods, I want to keep it stock tires for now until these wear out, I am selling the ladder racks and tool box and I am going to get a normal wider tool box. I also want to put lights on the toolbox and wire them up to the blinkers and break. I plan on puting in some LED headlights and a brush guard eventually.

Also since I just got my license I don't want to get a loud exhaust I just want a little louder than stock, is there any good ones for that?

And what are some mods I can do to boost the mpg? I know I won't get 20 mpg with the truck but I would like 16-18 mpg.

Here it is:

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[twomanymontes]

Truck looks good, once you pull all that contractor stuff out of the bed, you will get better MPG because of the less weight. Also, Make sure your tire pressures are good, all filters are clean and the spark plus are not worn. And compare your mileage when you get gas from different stations, you'd be surprised at the difference you can get between brands.

 

[98sierra4x4]

Truck looks good, once you pull all that contractor stuff out of the bed, you will get better MPG because of the less weight. Also, Make sure your tire pressures are good, all filters are clean and the spark plus are not worn. And compare your mileage when you get gas from different stations, you'd be surprised at the difference you can get between brands.

Thank you for all the advice, do cold air intakes and exhaust help mpg? Also do you know of a muffler that is a bit louder than stock but won't get me pulled over.

 

[twomanymontes]

I don't believe in cold air intakes for anything other than they look good. Maybe they do, maybe they don't. I'm just not sold on them. I run a K&N drop in filter, mainly because when it's dirty, I can clean it and not have to run to the parts store and buy one every year. And I run a Dynomax cat back on my truck. Sounds decent, not loud at all, but has that little rumble when you get on it. I can't say for sure if I picked up any MPG.

Just my opinion and what I have done to mine. I'm sure one of these other guys will chime in with their findings.

 

[ChristGilley]

I'm not 100% on the cold air intake side of things but real duel exhaust can help boost performance and slight mpg increase. The motor doesn't have to work as hard with two places for exhaust to be pushed out instead of one


Sent while pulling out a Ford

 

[98MNChevy]

I'll trade trucks in heart beat if that's Pewter! That's one of my favorite colors for these trucks. How you drive will make a big difference in gas mileage too. I know when I first got my 98 Silverado, I was getting maybe 18 with a tailwind going down hill... 15-16 was pretty common. Now that I've done a bunch of mods to my truck I'm pulling in anywhere from 11-16 mpg. Usually 13-15 on average.

But I was in New Mexico this summer and averaging anywhere from 19-23 mpg. Don't know what to tell ya..

Edit: MB TKO rims all the way!

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[95C1500]

nice looking truck! I recommend the Spintech Sportsman 3000 muffler. That's what I run and some days I wish it was way louder and others I think it's sounds great! But it's not overly loud.

 

[SwampHound]

Just my $0.02 on cold air intakes:
I they think they work. I pulled an extra 1.0 mpg after installing the K&N unit. Also noticed a good boost in throttle response.
Like Montes said, make sure everything else is up to spec. New spark plugs, wires, cap rotor fuel filter etc, will help you gain back any mpg you may be losing due to worn out parts. You can also look into getting a custom tune for your truck, will wake it up and most people see a 1-2 MPG increase.
As far as exhaust systems increasing gas mileage? No truth to it on a stock truck, if anything you will probably lose some from pressing the skinny pedal to hear it

 

[Torchred]

Flowmaster 40 or 44 are good mufflers, nice and deep sounding, not to loud. Plenty of knockoff brands that sound nearly the same if you don't want to pay $80 for a muffler. My truck has no cats and a Full Boar single chamber which is like a Flowmaster Super 10, but would probably be a bit loud for your taste, but they are only like $30 a piece. The 2 chamber ones they sell (Nearly identical to the Flowmaster 40 or 44) are like $35-$40. I can send you some links to those mufflers if you'd like. I like the truck man, it looks sweet. Love those wheels with the pewter and black rockers!

 

[98sierra4x4]

Truck looks good, once you pull all that contractor stuff out of the bed, you will get better MPG because of the less weight. Also, Make sure your tire pressures are good, all filters are clean and the spark plus are not worn. And compare your mileage when you get gas from different stations, you'd be surprised at the difference you can get between brands.

Thank you for all the info, the truck will look way nicer when I remove the ladder racks lol