It’s our pleasure to introduce our latest project, Wide Load. Over the next several months, we’re going to take this plain looking 2007 Chevy Silverado 3500 and transform it into a stunning work and play truck. We plan to focus not only on power and performance, but also styling and looks. In the end, we hope to have a competent tow rig that turns heads wherever it goes.
When it comes to utility, there’s not much in the private sector that can beat a crew cab four-wheel-drive dualie. They can seat an army, tow a house, have enough payload capacity to fill the bed with a midsize sedan, and—even in stock form—have a look that makes the saltiest farmer’s heart melt. But as good as these trucks are in factory trim, there is always room for improvement.
The newest vehicle to enter our project truck stable is a pristine 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. This truck came to us with just 60,000 miles on the clock, with a body and interior so clean we swear it was stored in the previous owner’s living room. Having such a clean slate to start with means we can easily mold it into exactly what we want, without worrying about previous modifications. Looking ahead, our desire for this truck is two-fold. While we plan to improve the capability of the 1-ton, we also want it to turn heads. Over the next several months we’ll take you through the process of adding more power and performance to the already-stout Duramax V-8. We will also be giving the truck a more aggressive stance by installing a lift kit and larger rolling stock. Finally, we will be digging into the interior to give our hauler a more luxurious feel.
With a solid plan in place, we wanted to start things off with a good foundation to build from. Because our plan involves adding 37-inch-tall tires, we turned to the experts at 4Wheel Parts to install a set of 4.10:1 G2 gears in our front and rear axles. This slight change in ratio from the factory-installed 3.73:1 will ensure the LMM Duramax remains in the proper rpm range when the larger rubber is installed. In addition to keeping the engine happy, the gear ratio change will also guarantee the truck’s six-speed Allison will continue shifting at the correct intervals.
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01: To kick the project off in the right direction, we headed down to the 4Wheel Parts store in Redondo Beach, California, where expert technician Adolfo Eudave set to work swapping in a set of 4.10:1 G2 gears for our Chevy HD. With plans to add 37-inch tires in the near future, this gear change will ensure our engine remains comfortably within its power band once the larger rubber is installed.
| 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 GM Gov Loc Differential
02: The rear of our dualie sports a full-floating AAM 1150 “14-bolt” axle. Behind the cover, we find an 11.5-inch, 3.73:1 ring gear and GM Gov-Loc differential.
| 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Outer Rear Wheel
03: Removing the outer rear wheel was necessary to access the wheel hubs. The axleshaft retaining bolts were then removed, allowing the unit to slide out of the differential. It’s not necessary to completely remove the shaft to gain access to the differential.
04: Eudave then marked each of the differential bearing caps to facilitate proper reinstallation, and then proceeded to remove the retaining bolts, freeing the differential from the housing.
| 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Housing Was Cleaned Up
05: With the differential, pinion gear, and bearing races removed, the housing was cleaned up and ready to receive the fresh ring and pinion set.
| 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Reassembly
06: Reassembly started with Eudave installing the pinion bearing races with his specially designed race driver. The races need to be driven in with equal pressure around the entire face to ensure a proper seat.
| 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Timken Bearings Were Pressed Onto The New Pinion
07: Next, fresh Timken bearings were pressed onto the new pinion, along with a set of new carrier bearings on the differential.
| 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 New G2 Ring Gear Was Bolted
08: Once the bearings were installed, the new G2 ring gear was bolted onto the Gov-Loc differential. Red Loctite was applied to all the bolts before being driven in and torqued to spec.
09: Setting the backlash on the AAM 1150 axle is quite easy. Using a small pick, Eudave set an initial backlash adjustment for the new ring and pinion by turning the differential adjuster nuts built into the housing.
| 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Gear Mesh
10: Thanks to his years of experience, Eudave was able to get a perfect gear mesh with minimal adjustment.
| 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 G2 Aluminum Differential Cover
11: A G2 aluminum differential cover wrapped up the rear end. Giving a mean look, these covers are high-strength heat-treated aluminum, built to withstand direct hits. They also feature a fill plug with an integrated dipstick, drain plug for mess-free oil changes, and a fully machined seal surface for a leak-free installation.
| 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Skidplate
12: Moving to the front, Eudave first removed the front skidplate and then the outer halfshafts. The differential was then removed from the truck and placed on the bench to be cracked open.
| 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Replaced The Factory Ring
13: Following the same procedure as the rear, Eudave replaced the factory ring and pinion gears with 4.10:1 G2 units. Fresh Timken bearings and races were installed and the gears were fitted back into the housing.
| 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Differential
14: With the case split, you get a good look at how the differential is oriented. The 9.25-inch ring gear and high-mounted pinion are a tight fit inside the aluminum IFS housing.
| 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Differential Case
15: Wrapping up the install, the front differential case halves were mated back together, and the entire unit was reinstalled in the front of the truck in the reverse order of how it came out.
