The Beast - Mods to My 4WD GMC Sonoma HighRider

THE BEAST: My 1998 GMC Sonoma Highrider

Added 17 January 2000, Revised 16 April 2001

This page is mainly designed for folks on the ZR2 discussion list, to show what mods I have made to my truck. You can join the discussion list by sending the word "Subscribe" (without the quotes) to mailto:zr2@zr2hr.org.

removing my wheel flares (the subject of much controversy on the ZR2 discussion group) WARNING: This page has a lot of pictures on it, so it takes a while to load. Added 17 January 2000
Auxiliary Back-up lights - I installed some 55 watt driving lights to my receiver hitch to give myself a little more light when backing up or for camping and unloading gear. They also help gate openers with gates at night. Added 17 January 2000
Helwig EZ-1000 Helper Spring I often haul a great deal of weight in my truck, so I installed helper springs to reduce sag. Added 17 January 2000
U-Haul receiver hitch Again, because I sometimes tow trailers for work, I got a Class II receiver hitch installed.
Radio Shack Model #502 CB I added a CB Radio to my truck, mainly for four-wheeling to communicate with friends in other vehicles, and in case of emergency. Finding places to mount CB's in new trucks can be difficult. Here's a pic of where I installed mine. Added 30 October 2000
Daystar Rear Leaf Spring Shackles - The complete installation guide! Added 2 February 2000, Revised 27 June 2000
Smittybilt Bumper Thumper - with some installation tips. Added 12 April 2000
Eclipse 100 Watt off-road lights - Added 12 April 2000
An experiment with 33" tires - Added 19 April 2000
An Emergency Gear Storage rack for the inside of my Vista camper shell - Added 27 June 2000
All Pro Offroad rear wrap-around bumper!! - This is the one I've been waiting for! This bumper is designed for Toyota 4-Runners, but with a little body panel trimming and frame drilling, I got it to fit my truck. This is a trick bumper. Added 14 October 2000
Front Air Dam Trim - I decided to trim my front air dam for two reasons: one to be able ot fit the tow hooks back on after the body lift, and two to increase my approach angle for wheeling. Here are some before/after pics. Added 15 October 2000
Pro-Comp front pre-runner bumper and Hi-Lift Jack mounting - I couldn't keep the Bumper Thumper with the body lift, so I replaced it with the pre-runner. Added 14 October 2000
Surco roof rack - I mounted the 40X48" Surco roof rack on my Vista fiberglass shell, mainly for a place to store one of my spare tires. Added 5 April 2001
Rear Track Bar Quick Disconnect - I installed a quick disconnect for my rear trackbar to improve my articulation while wheeling. Added 16 April 2001

longer shocks
Front receiver hitches
Rocker panel guards
Multi-mount winch
Some sort of suspension lift
Revolver Shackles
Roll cage

If you're planning on making some mods to your truck, check out M&M Specialty products (owned by a Z-owner!) at: http://www.zr2.vista.com/main.php3?communityPath=content/73329.

If you're in the Tucson area, drop me a line and we can go wheelin' sometime.

Speaking of which, if you own a Highrider/ZR2/BlaZeR2, or want to find out more about the best little 4X4's around, check out these great sites:

http://www.zr2.com and http://www.zr2hr.org

There is also a ZR2 discussion group, which is very fun for talking about our special trucks and in getting ideas, help, and useful information. I have learned a great deal from the list. You can join by sending an e-mail to mailto:zr2@zr2hr.org with the word "SUBSCRIBE" (without the quotes) in the subject line.

ENJOY!

ZR2 - Site Number 4
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