# Educate me on GMC trucks



## Stunt Carpenter (Dec 31, 2011)

I'm looking to upgrade to a larger truck for my frontier and found a 2002 GMC 2500 

I've always owned imports previously so I'm not sure what to be looking for when test driving this truck common problems things like that. 

Any help would be great thanks


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## Stunt Carpenter (Dec 31, 2011)

This is the truck I'm looking at


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## ScipioAfricanus (Sep 13, 2008)

> Educate Me On GMC Trucks


They suck..

Andy.


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## kiteman (Apr 18, 2012)

I just got an '03 Chevy 2500. It's ok. Rear brakes make a funny noise. Has a 6L engine it's pretty gutsy. 4.10 gears are a little low for me. I don't know of any serious problems. What's the mileage?


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## Stunt Carpenter (Dec 31, 2011)

171000kms.


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## jlsconstruction (Apr 26, 2011)

Check the rockers and cab corners for rust, tranny lines will leak eventually, if it's not addressed you could blow a tranny. They are a rock solid truck. What motor?


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## kiteman (Apr 18, 2012)

Pretty good mileage (?) for an 02. 102k in miles. I like it. What engine?

I don't know how to say "mileage " in metric. Kilometerage doesn't sound right.


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## jlsconstruction (Apr 26, 2011)

kiteman said:


> Pretty good mileage (?) for an 02. 102k in miles. I like it. What engine?
> 
> I don't know how to say "mileage " in metric. Kilometerage doesn't sound right.



Klicks?


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## kiteman (Apr 18, 2012)

I guess that's what we said back in the war.


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## SouthonBeach (Oct 18, 2012)

Look for rust on the body. 
Feel how much play in the steering when driving down the road.
Over all condition. 
What would you look at when buying any vehicle?


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## J L (Nov 16, 2009)

If it has the duramax, find out when the injectors were replaced. Known issue with those trucks. 

I've got an 03 that is nearing 300k miles with the duramax/Allison combo. Other than injectors, no major issues.


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## Stunt Carpenter (Dec 31, 2011)

It's got a 6L gas. Felt good driving


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## BAREIN (Dec 26, 2007)

Like everyone said, rust is the big issue on those, well that and the knock some of them had. brake and fuel lines rust quick, I have also seen some pretty nasty frames on those trucks as well.


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## NYgutterguy (Mar 3, 2014)

I have a 2000 gmc 3500 cube van with 95,000 miles..Best truck ive ever owned and have done no major repairs in 15 years however the the amount of rust underneath is gonna present some major problems in the near future...Its real bad.. Also have chevy 3500 same year with no rust go figure


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## Dave in Pa (Oct 10, 2009)

I got a 2001 2500 hd 4x4 GREAT truck, 150,000 miles on it, with the 6.0 gas. 

bad things from my ownership on it. 

brake rotors/calipers/etc.
brake lines/rust
fuel pump/lines/rust
cab rockers/corners/rust

BUT on the truck, I love it, if needed a truck in the future, I would buy one again!

I do believe that this truck sat for a year or two, before I bought it, it was not a DAILY driver, I knew that at the time of purchase. Looking back, with the salt, crap, etc. that we can get here, played a factor I believe!

As to reply to ya! GET a 8' bed if you are going to work with this truck, I did, and it still was not enough!


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## Stunt Carpenter (Dec 31, 2011)

Thanks guys give me lots of things to take a look at. I didn't notice any rust but I'll take a closer look. 

As for the 8 foot bed instead of the 6 1/2 the 12 foot trailer looks even better


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## BAREIN (Dec 26, 2007)

The rockers rust from the inside out, pretty expensive job if done right, most get them fixed on the cheap to look better for a few years.


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## JAH (Jul 27, 2014)

Plan on getting new pins and bushings for the drivers door.


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## jlsconstruction (Apr 26, 2011)

JAH said:


> Plan on getting new pins and bushings for the drivers door.



That goes for every brand.


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## JAH (Jul 27, 2014)

jlsconstruction said:


> That goes for every brand.


Its never been a problem with my fords.


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## J L (Nov 16, 2009)

Fuel economy is subjective depending on the engine and gearing. 

The 2500 is better for daily pulling as it is built heavier. Imho


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## C&C Custom Trim (Apr 20, 2014)

I pull a 6x10 that weighs around that with my 2007 1500, gas milage drops pretty deep. Getting 10 currently since I put 33's on, I figure a 2500 would gain me a few mpg.


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## Stunt Carpenter (Dec 31, 2011)

C&C Custom Trim said:


> I pull a 6x10 that weighs around that with my 2007 1500, gas milage drops pretty deep. Getting 10 currently since I put 33's on, I figure a 2500 would gain me a few mpg.



What are you getting empty for Mpg's


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## C&C Custom Trim (Apr 20, 2014)

Stunt Carpenter said:


> What are you getting empty for Mpg's


15, think i got 18-19 empty stock. that was 200,000 miles and a couple sets of tires ago.


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

kiteman said:


> I just got an '03 Chevy 2500. It's ok. Rear brakes make a funny noise. Has a 6L engine it's pretty gutsy. 4.10 gears are a little low for me. I don't know of any serious problems. What's the mileage?


I have this truck, it blew an oil pump, I didn't take any chances on whether it did damage to the motor, because I'm not sure how long it was driven with very low oil pressure. So I put a Jasper engine in it. I also have a 2011 with the same 6.0 engine. They are great trucks.


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## GettingBy (Aug 19, 2010)

ScipioAfricanus said:


> They suck..


Can you be more specific? 

I guess the OP needs torque more than he needs hp.

As to fuel, somebody probably posts fuel economy vs. engine RPM and it's one or two more steps to answer your question.

BTW, one time the question was asked if hp or torque gives the best 1/4 mile time (or was it the time to get to 60 mph?). The experts didn't agree on this based on their experience.
Anyway, torque was slightly better correlated to this elapsed time than hp. The difference was so slight that I can understand why this question was controversial.

Anyway, in principle, with enough data from the web the fuel economy/trailer/gearing question can be answered and you can count the calculations as a credible second opinion but your driving habits are the loose wheel in this exercise.


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## GettingBy (Aug 19, 2010)

"for hauling anything more than 2,000 pounds you're going to need a truly tow-friendly vehicle. Ideally, a truck or an SUV is always a smart choice for towing that boat or camper. Even a compact pickup like a Ford Ranger or Chevy Colorado is going to be better than just about any car. For heavier loads (say more than 4,000 pounds) a half-ton truck like a Ford F-150 or Chevy Silverado will meet the needs of just about any of the trailer-towing basics we're discussing here. But even among half-ton trucks, towing ability can vary. For example, an F-150 with a 5.4-liter V8 will have a much easier time towing a 5,000-pound load than one with a 4.6-liter V8 because it simply has more horsepower and torque. "


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