Buyer's Remorse

Help me out here. I'm having some serious buyer's remorse. I bought a '05 GMC Sierra RCSB. 4.8/5spd/3.23 2wd with 58,000 miles. My other truck is a '90 RCSB step side with a 355/5spd/3.42 2wd with a 4/6 drop and a few minor mods. I drove it stock from Oct '99 until Mar '01 and it was pretty much OK. I started the mods when the engine needed a rebuild at 146,xxx miles. It gets 18-20 mpg and is fun to drive. It has become somewhat unreliable as it approaches 200,000 miles. So the wife has been on me to get something.

This '05 is the biggest pile of poo ever. I've driven it now for almost 1000 miles and hate it. It is a beautiful truck. The stereo really sucks, but I'll be taking care of that. I will be dropping it 3/5 or 4/6 at some point soon. I am disappointed I can't fit as much tire under it as I'd hoped, but oh well.

My problem is the drivetrain. WTF???? It can't get out of it's own way until you wind it up to 5000 rpm and then shortly after that it hits the fuel cutoff. I can't even think about driving it like my older truck. Through town @ 25mph don't even think about lugging it down in 5th gear. How about 3rd and then shift into 2nd to accelerate. On the highway it's even worse. In 5th gear I can maintain 70 mph, but don't even think about accelerating unless you pull it into 3rd. Then everyone keeps telling me "that's the price you pay to have a small engine and good fuel economy." BS!!!

My first tank of fuel was driving back from Indy where I bought it and a little around town after I got back. 417 miles/21.1gallons = 19.76mpg HMMMM

The second tank of fuel I drove like I always do. 296.4miles/20.9gallons = 14.18 mpg double HMMMM

Well I will have to get gas again tomorrow because it is almost empty. Guess what??? I've only gone 275 miles!!!

I've checked the engine over shortly after I got it. Changed oil, everything looks good. Air filter, GOOD. Fuel filter, replaced for the hell of it. Spark plugs, GOOD.

I know the tires are too tall. P265/70R17 - again, should help economy. NOPE

I guess I'll try CAI,LT headers, cat back. I need shorter tires for the drop.

WTF is going on here.

you need gears for that combo. 4.8s need gears PERIOD!!!!

Yeah the 3.23s are the problem. The truck will liven up with some 4.10 and it may get better gas mileage because the motor wont be straining as hard to get up to speed.

just ride the gears longer....


i'm suprised you didn't stall the motor with a 3.23 in 5th gear at 25mph...

my auto doesn't leave 2nd til 27ish when putzing thru town. i realize you have different ratios but not THAT extreme.

Trying to keep the r's down, but boggin motor is probably what's killing your mileage.

+1 on gears. Run a set of 4.10s or even 3.73s and you will see a difference. Get a tune with those other bolt-ons and I feel you will change your mind about the truck.

I hated my 4.8, period. It had 3.73s, but it also had ~32" terra grapplers on it and was a 4x4.

I had a 05 4.8 5 speed. Open exhaust helped it tons. I had 35's on stock everything. Thats poop. lol

But when it had the 265/70/17's (stock tires) it would light em up in first and chirp to second and third.

4.30 gears, tune, exhast, CAI

Your gears and the fact that your speedometer is off because of your larger than factory tires is what it killing your mileage.

Dude I have a 4.3/5speed/3.23's and don't hate on it that much, and I'm sure yours could pull better than a 17.9