| 2007 Chevy Silverado before Work
We got a hold of an '07 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Vortec Max during our ongoing efforts to bring you examples of quick and easy bolt-on modifications. The new Silverado is the latest example of how manufacturers are making trucks look and perform better than ever. We've shown you several new Chevys lifted, but this time the Bow Tie gets dropped. We went to 714 Motorsports in Westminister, California, to shoot the installation of a K&N cold-air intake, Borla aftercat exhaust, Belltech drop spindles and leaf-spring shackles, Toyo Proxes tires, and 24-inch Echelon Rolexx wheels. Read on for the details.
| This was what the truck looked like after we installed everything. It's A street-savvy change from the factory look, With a 2/3 drop on 24s.
From the Driver Seat:Intake: It's an intake, so this part of the job was pretty simple. The only somewhat annoying aspect was having to slide the rubber padding onto the heat shield, and there seemed to be a few more steps involved with putting the kit together than we had anticipated. Other than that, the whole setup looks pretty good and benefits from the strong reputation of the brand.
Exhaust: Exhausts are simple affairs. While most of the kits we install don't require welding, as this one doesn't, we often weld the exhaust pipes together to ensure that the pipes are strongly fitted. We chose not to do this with the Borla kit, instead we clamped them together as Borla had intended.
Suspension: Way easy. No cutting, few parts, ‘nuff said. Wheels and tires: This package of low-profile tires and big chromed wheels looks great on this truck.
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED: Time Spent Working: 4 hours (intake, 1 hour; exhaust, 30 minutes, suspension, 2 hours; wheel and tire mount, 30 minutes) Mechanical Difficulty: Intake, easy; exhaust, easy; suspension, easy to intermediate;
wheel and tire mounts, easy with pro equipment. Tools Used: Basic handtools, lift, impact tools, and tire mounting machinery
PARTS USED: Belltech drop spindle set for the {{{2007 Chevrolet Silverado}}}, {{{Tahoe}}}, {{{Suburban}}}, {{{Avalanche}}}, 2WD and 4WD, 17-inch wheels or larger PN 2509 $338 Belltech 2- to 3-inch shackle set for 2007 GM 1/2-tons, PN 6401 $65 Borla Performance Industries aftercat exhaust for the {{{2007 Silverado}}} 1500 4.8L/5.3L 2WD and 4WD PN 140230 $699.99 Echelon Rolexx 24x10-inch wheels PN 305241061393578C $1,996 ($499 each) K&N 77 Series air intake PN 77-3058KP $450 K&N High Flow air filter PN RF-1042 $65.55 Toyo Proxes S/T 285/40R24 tires $1,599.96 ($399.99 each) Total Cost: $5,214.50 (Not including labor)
