Things you hate about our trucks

[oldyeller]

As you may have guessed, my only real complaint is the engine is too physically difficult to work on in the engine bay----the engine bay is too large which makes things difficult to reach.  Of course most pickup trucks probably have this problem.

i have some interesting solutions which i'll get into as soon as my other problem is taken care of.  And not the simplex idea either.

Really?  I think the large bay makes it easier to work on, better than some junky Japanese car where everything's packed together like a can of sardines....

+1

If you have trouble reaching, just crawl right up in there. I got footprints on both inner fenders.

Hahaha. This obviously is a controversial subject, of which I am conflicted about myself. I remember when I changed the sparkplugs when I first got my truck, it was the first thing I did really in the engine bay. I remember replacing the cylinder 8 plug and thinking "ok. This is about 4 feet back from the grill, and about 2 feet below the windshield. This has got to be just under 5 feet straight from where i am looking at it. And I'm only just under 6 feet tall..." All and all I'd say it's a mixed blessing. I will say that I much prefer working on my truck where I have to reach for everything than do ANYTHING to my Civic, where everything IS as aptly described as being crammed in like Rosie O Donnell in a wetsuit. Of course, I really don't ever NEED to do anything to the Civic. It's a pretty reliable car. It just doesn't have the benefit of being as bad as the truck, and unfortunately it has more than just the close relation between engine components in common with a can of sardines...the power is pretty comparable too 

That wheel stand is pretty bad butt though. Taking the hood off has some benefit also.

A couple of 2ft extensions are also helpful

I just crawl in the engine bay, but that is easy when you are 5'1", 125 lbs.   

[CreativeNotice]

The turning radius is my peve as well. I had a 94 f150 a few years back, and the wife has an 03 dodge durango currently. Both those vehicles can literally turn in half the radius as my c20. Just nutty.

I prefer the large engine bay. But what I really like is the high stance of the 3/4 ton front end. I'm 6'3" and a little large around the middle, being able to roll right up under the engine bay with plenty of room is sweet.

[eventhorizon66]

Turning radius issues can be resolved with a 500+ ft/lb engine under the hood.  Of course this may cause rear tire wear issues.

[FresnoK5er]

Dang, I think we picked it apart!!

[Ghazi67]

Vent window air leaks is a major headache . Bed wood in the stepside is the other reason U wanna kill yrself sometimes

[exilous]

that is a ridiculously long truck choptop... the dash lighting is nearly non-existant that gets annoying. and also if you dont have a dome light like my truck does and all you ahve is the floor light and you drop something the floor light only lights up the passenger side not the driver side. although i fixed that in mine and added 2 more lights its still annoying. that bolt for the door hinges how its up underneath the dash. thats annoying to take that one out.

as for dash cracks my dump truck doesnt have a single crack in the dash and all the parts trucks ive parted out didnt have any cracks in them either. my dads friend is a huge chevy guy and he bought all my uncracked pads from me and said in his 30 years of loving chevies and such he came across 2 dashes in good shape cause it was when the trucks were new. me in the year ive been into these trucks i got 4. he says im very lucky to have found so many.

[choptop]

Lol, its not as long as it looks. Its actually the stock frame

[exilous]

i didnt notice the 6ft bed either 

[406 Q-ship]

Putting gas in these truck can be a PIA, especially on a fleetside, the venting flat sucks on the shortbed.  I'm suprised no one has said this one.  It is my only really big pet peeve of the 73 - 87 GM Truck.

[friendlytruck]

http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=800.0
her is some thing i don't like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhmhNI0mtS8&feature=PlayList&p=97ED5FF40EA598AC&index=0&playnext=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=763WLispWXg
[youtube=425,350]dZKhsCZuAbQ[/youtube]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=763WLispWXg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlEegqUrjPo
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=Chevy%2FGMC+Fuel+Tank+Test&aq=f
but what i like is that thay are antiques that desdeserves good respect and thay are hard to get stuck but what gets my goat is that mr. gmc hid that problem for so long.

[Captkaos]

That is NOT a problem it is a joke.  If you look at the sequence between 7 and 8 seconds and 19 seconds you will see a flash INSIDE the cab BEFORE the impact.  It was rigged all of them were.

The wreck that started this whole fiasco was a truck that was hit on a railroad track, a train impacted it with the teenage driver (which was killed instantly on impact) and the train was trying to stop.  Anything hit by a locomotive will have the tanks burst, add that to the sparks from the wheels trying to stop and you are going to have a fire.  If I remember the truck was drug over 100 yards after the impact.  You could be in a Volvo and catch fire in this situation....

[t_graham11]

I honestly dont see a problem, the top view of the impact you can see the flash. The only problem I have with the sidesaddle is mine keeps on rubbing against this junky super speedbump they put ouside my bank and most the time its to busy for me to hit it on an angle. Guess its time for air-bags

[VileZambonie]

but what gets my goat is that mr. gmc hid that problem for so long.

 

[eventhorizon66]

I didn't realize I was driving around in something that couldn't withstand being T-boned by a locomotive.  Time to look for something new.

[friendlytruck]

i did a lot of work no this, and i will post my work soon, (senior project total over 32 hours) so can say it is non-bias, as SAE person i can say it very annoying that you doubt me, from Police reports ( in two states ID and UT over 50 tuck fatallys and no lorrys or trains) to seeing that type of cab impact the takes vary safe if the truck is made rite but is type of engineering is not! and National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing proofed that you walk a way from the crash!