Chevrolet Silverado 1500 HD Parts & Accessories

I'm going on a long weekend camping trip with my buddies at work, and I'm planning to get and install a winch in my Chevrolet Silverado 1500 HD for the said trip. How do I know the right capacity of the winch that will work best with my vehicle?

There are various winches available in the market today, and they have different towing capacities for different types of vehicles. Full-size trucks like your Silverado 1500 HD will usually need winches with a capacity of at least 12,000 pounds. To get a more precise figure, double the weight of your vehicle—the resulting weight would be the winch capacity for your ride, more or less. Remember, however, that capacity is not the only factor you should be looking at. You also need to determine how you want your winch powered, how it will be installed, and what type of winch line you want to use in your auto. These will all help you find the winch that will work with your ride best.

I bought a new set of nerf bars last weekend and tried installing them on my truck. I don't have much automotive experience, but the installation looked easy enough without having to pay someone to do it. However, when I tried installing it yesterday, the brackets would not line up with the holes in the bar. What could be the problem?

One of the first things you need to do is ensure that you have purchased the correct nerf bars. Once you've made sure that you have, check whether you simply interchanged the left bar with the right bar, or vice versa. Sometimes, solving this problem is as easy as switching the two bars. Another thing you need to do is to double check the installation manual to see that you have properly mounted the brackets in your truck. If there's at least one bracket that's improperly mounted, the bar will not fit.

I usually carry cargo at the back of my Chevrolet Silverado 1500 HD, and it's not unusual for me to find the stuff on the truck bed all messed up after a drive because of the truck's movement. I'm thinking of getting toolboxes or some sort of cargo organizer on my bed so that I won't have to deal with the mess anymore. I'm just not sure which toolbox will work best for my truck. Any thoughts?

There are different types of cargo organizer for truck bed mounting. What you decide to get should depend on the types of cargo that you carry. For tools and small stuff, there are storage boxes that you can simply install on the bed with brackets. There are also simpler soft sports bags that can accommodate extra stuff and you can place anywhere in your truck bed—mounting and removal can be done in seconds! For large cargos, you can invest on a stabilizer bar to keep the cargos in place and prevent them from sliding and moving around while your truck runs.

Chevrolet introduced the Silverado 1500 HD in 2001 as a response to the stiff competition from Ford’s F-150 Supercrew and Dodge’s Ram 1500 Quad Cab. It has basically the same chassis like the Silverado 1500, but has a more powerful engine. Although the Silverado 1500 HD lasted only for 6 years, it’s still highly regarded for its size, power, and functionality that can haul just about anything from furniture to Jet Skis.

2001 – 2003: The ultimate response to the competition

The first Chevrolet Silverado HD came in 2001 as a four-door cab pickup truck with a short box that measured six and a half feet. In that same year, the Silverado HD was also the only trim line among the Silverado models that was available with a rear-wheel or four-wheel drive. Apart from that, the HD was the only model to have a 6.0L Vortec V8 and a 4L80E four-speed automatic transmission. The engine, which had 300 horsepower and 360 pound-feet of torque, was specifically designed only for the Silverado HD.

Although the base trim line Silverado 1500 was the smaller version of the 2500, the difference has been redefined with the arrival of the HD. With a 153-inch wheelbase and an extended cab, the Silverado 1500 HD exceeded its predecessor’s capacity. The 1500 HD’s size was controlled with the help of GM’s innovative Quadrasteer technology. This additional option reduced the risk of “tail waggle” by allowing the control of the rear wheels opposite from the front wheels. This reduced the turning radius which also helped in parking the long pickup truck.

2005 – 2006: The final year of the HD

After three years from its release, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 HD went hiatus in 2004, but it came back in early 2005. There had been complaints about the ineffective breaks of the pickup which eventually led to a brake-related recall earlier in its release, and later in 2006. It was redesigned by GM with front and rear brake discs and ABS until its final year. The Silverado 1500 HD didn’t have any significant upgrades in its final two years. Despite of that, it still remained as one of the sought after pickup trucks because of its size and functionality. In 2007, the Silverado 1500 HD Classic was shortly released, which had the 6.0L V8 engine with 300 horsepower. That same year was also the final production period of the HD trim line, and the pickup was sold between $30,000 and $35,000.