Chevy ZR2 Build UPDATE 3 | I Need Your Advice

[@TheZR2Kid]

Hey man, I will suggest a KZbinr who just recently sold his 2nd gen Colorado zr2 bison which he had 37s. He seemed to do pretty hard wheeling. His KZbin is: “CarsCatsand canibis”. He does still answer if you comment on his video so you might could get ideas from him. Anyways, I personally think to help you do more obstacles you need a lift instead of 37s. I do think the high clearance rear bumper looks GREAT especially for you and what you do! Also, why don’t you get aftermarket bumper which you could add a winch and have plenty of room for bigger tires. Oh also, you might could ask a KZbin channel called exodus 4x4 for mechanical advise. They usually work on fords and jeeps but should be able to give you advise for strength. My thinking is, you should upgrade: cvs, and steering box/ tie rods, with your diff-drop. (I think the first upgrade should be the rear bumper, it would help the best till you get your 37s! Another thing, do you have the AEV skidplates? Lastly, I love your videos on the ZR2 and thanks to you we keep the content rolling! 10:10

[@OrrinLewis]

Thanks for the ideas man. I’ll check that guys channel out and see what he’s got going on!

[@scurdge2001]

I second this. I’d exhaust every way to increase wheel travel (lifts sometimes do this) and stick with 35”. I have a close friend with a Tacoma and what he went through has cost probably 10000 extra dollars to fit everything in a way that he could get his medal from merus adventure park. I see people struggle at Moab on 37”. You’ll still struggle in a new place. I look at wheeling as just going to struggle somewhere. If you build a rock buggy you’ll still head out to find a place to struggle. It’s kinda psychologically what we enjoy right. His whole front including halfshafts had to all be custom in order to keep them from breaking. We still aren’t sure it’s going to be reliable now. If you like financial bad decisions I’d say go for it. Lol

[@scurdge2001]

He went through at least 3 just off the top of my head in a year time before finding the half shafts he’s running now

[@scurdge2001]

I do have a question about your cruise control. Does it work and how did you get it to work? I have a 2018 and my regear made it not work because sensors at the wheels and transmission don’t agree now.

[@OrrinLewis]

@@scurdge2001 you’re right about the pursuit of new struggles. Kind of like lifestyle creep. I have a year to think about it.

[@lomosaltatho3008]

I have the same setup with the AEV fender flares and 35 inch tires. I put the add a leaf on the rear I also put the 589 fab shock relocation kit on it as well but I’m still running my original shocks

[@OrrinLewis]

Shock relocation kit would be nice. I’ve only hit my schock mounts one time though so it’s lower on the priority list

[@arvadaangler1984]

Hey man, I’ve got a 2022 zr2 bison. The first thing i would consider: you mentioned add a leafs increasing capacity. The bed capacity is not based off of suspension alone, the frame is a major factor. Colorado frames have the crush point weak spot, and more weight increases the risk of bending the frame. Badlands offroad makes good weld on frame support. This brings me to my next point, the entire 8 months of owning my truck I was never satisfied and constantly buying and researching upgrades, and one day I got rear ended, boom truck completely totaled. I’m glad I didn’t reinforce the frame yet, because if I had my back would be even more hurt and my concussion would be worse. Make sure to insure your mods, and consider how mods can make you get more hurt in a crash (like my steel bumpers) next point: peak suspension kit, lots of people have issues with the peak control arms, although the owner goes out of his way to actually lie about the CWF arms, lots of people have better luck with the CWF upper control arms. ChrisDZ has a video about it. I wish I enjoyed my truck more and stopped obsessing over mods. 37s would be cool, but they increase strain on basically every single component, drive train, suspension etc. just my opinion. I enjoy the videos, excited to see what you do with your truck.

[@arvadaangler1984]

I’m writing after having a concussion, hopefully what I said makes sense.

[@OrrinLewis]

Makes perfect sense. Sorry to hear about your accident. I was ejected from a car 10 years ago. Had some serious injuries. Appreciate the opinion too. I have looked at frame stiffeners as well. It’s low on the list though.

[@BobDeelan-u5n]

So, I also live in Colorado and make trips to Moab so I understand why you want 37's. Things to consider would be the new suspension you have planned for your front. Are the shocks going to not only compensate for the 37 fitment, but also offer additional down travel? I'm not as versed in IFS as solid front axle (I'm a Gladiator guy), but I would make sure you don't lose any down travel. I don't know if zr2s are as prone to cv breaks as Toyotas, but stronger cv's definitely wouldn't hurt especially if you plan on pushing the 37s over big obstacles. I would also check with some people on gear advice because 4.56s can definitely push 37s but being in Colorado you're going to push them up steep inclines often with the added weight of the overland gear. For my Gladiator I'm looking into 5.10s for this reason.

[@OrrinLewis]

I’m starting to think that the standard DSSVs will not be a good idea. The King 2.5 would be better but I’m not sure how much the coils will lift the front end. Honestly after everyone has commented I’m starting to think I should prioritize a better bumper that gives me more approach angle and work on improving the wheel travel up and down to allow for more stability on tricky lines. I think I will need to new CV axles if I want to make 37s work and they are 5K. And as far as gearing goes I don’t think make higher then 4.56 gears for colorados. I hear you about the steep inclines at high elevation though. Power just disappears

[@BobDeelan-u5n]

@@OrrinLewis Checkout RCV's axles, I think for the Zr2 they're like 2500 and incredibly strong. Hey man no matter what the Zr2 is a sick, capable rig!

[@OrrinLewis]

@@BobDeelan-u5n I’ve heard of those two! And heard good things. Will keep those in my notes.

[@dadsafrantic]

Split the difference. Do irok radial in a 36x13.5r17 from super swamper/interco. I have the high clearance bumper. It’s amazing how much clearance you gain. I run 33’s for the daily driving but have a set of 34x10.5/17 swampers for the mud and sierras. Never an issue with traction ever with the swampers. They do ride like lego blocks on the highway. The 4.56 gears will be just past their limit at 37”. The crawl ration with the gears is 57ish/1 which is just shy of the low end for rock crawling but with 2 feet driving you can make it work. Do you use the trifecta tune? That is a big help with the regear and tire size.

[@OrrinLewis]

Those tires look legit. And would give great traction on the rock. I don’t really want to wear tires like that though cause they’d be terrible in the snow/ice in the city. And I’m not set up to have two sets of wheels currently but it is an option to think about for the future. What kind of high clearance bumper did you get? I do have the trifecta tune which is nice cause you can keep changing it for whatever tire size you move up to. But that’s interesting about the gearing…they don’t a make gears bigger then 4.56 do they?

[@BowTied69]

Different perspective: What is the ratio of trails near you that require:don't require >35s? If the number of trails needing 37s+ are a lot less, by adding 37s you may have made a lot of trails that are otherwise fun with 35s and less, boring? I mean, slippery slope - in 2-3 years will you need 40s to keep having fun? Don't get me wrong, 37s are awesome. Cost + maintenance vs. number of new trails that you wouldn't try is a factor. There is has to be ~100 publoshed trails in the Moab area, are more than 20% requiring 37s? I do understand wanting to say that you took on the toughest trails there are and won or the fun is in the build process. If that is the main goal, then yes, 37s and beyond, go for it. If general fun over years to come while minimizing maintenance costs is the goal, then I say your rig is mint as is and there are tons of trails to have fun on with 35s. Good luck either way, enjoying the content!

[@OrrinLewis]

All very good points. I think that the “challenge” is what makes it fun and you’re right that alot of trails in CO would be less fun on 37s. Very good point

[@589garage]

I think 35s are perfect for these trucks. I'd skip the coil-over conversion and go straight to Kings up front to match the rears. Some other options for the front shocks would be Carbon Shocks. They have their front coil-overs (similar to kings) with a shorter lead time than King. Keep the lift height close to where you have it now and add in some upper control arms. I'm not telling you to remove your sway bar, but we don't run one on any of our trucks. Let us know if we can help with anything!

[@OrrinLewis]

Thanks for the advice! Do you know if the kings bring the front end up at all? It didn’t say if they did…granted you said I shouldn’t lift it much more. I do have the Chevy performance UCA currently. Pursuing a better approach angle and more wheel travel to increase rock crawling capability seems like a viable option that I didn’t consider.

[@589garage]

@@OrrinLewis I can't remember off the top of the my head, but I want to say Kings come pre-set between 1.25 - 1.5 inches of lift. So, they should be pretty close. The great thing about coil-overs is that they are adjustable for ride height. So, when you install a winch bumper and the front sags down a little, you can add a little preload to the shocks and get your height back. The biggest problem with the DSSV's (besides them leaking and not being rebuildable) is that they are a really small shock. So, once you start adding weight to the truck, they can't control it very well and you can't tune them to help. The bigger Kings and other aftermarket shocks have much more volume inside that helps them control the added weight. That, along with being able to tune them (even beyond the adjusters), makes them ride that much better.

[@OrrinLewis]

@@589garage they are very small. I didn’t realize that until I held them side by side with the kings. The kings have been amazing so far too. I feel a huge difference. I would prefer kings in the front as well. But the adjustable height on the dssv coil overs is nice too. Would having more tire droop cause issues with the CV axle angles?

[@tyleryork6071]

Looking to get rid of my Jeep on 35s to get a zr2 with 33s. I just got back from poison spider this week. Yes it's great on the trail but man it gets tiring on the highway to and from. I know you didn't want to hear about the highway driving but figured I'd say part of even why I'm watching this video haha. Not having driven all tire sizes, i feel like even the jku a 35 is as big as i want. I was with a group of experienced folks running stock rubicons. They were doing most jeep trails that week. Any way in my experience and reading is bigger wheels/tires are a huge trade off for a day of wheelin. The worse end of trade off is wear and stress on components and comfort. I think 35 is big enough for even upgraded components for solid axle Jeep, i feel like i wouldn't risk any bigger on ifs. Obv you can just throw money at bigger components. Like people do that on other trucks. Looking at the prospect of going the Colorado option myself I'm lowering my expectation on wheel size. Even if i do 35 I'll probably get thinner tires for weight reduction. Also i have 4.56 gears in current Jeep, after talking to some folks with different gears in tacos and jeeps, I'd probably go a size or two higher in the future. It's not just size/spin ratio there's more to the rotational weight of wheels. Not the mention camping gear weight. I'd bias towards higher size gear.

[@OrrinLewis]

I don’t think they make bigger gears for the Colorado than 4.56. It’s hard to compare ratios when you talk about different vehicles cause that ratio is just the final drive gear which then adjusts the 8 speed transmission (and all the other gears) so the transmissions need to be the same in order to compare final drive ratios. At least this is how I understand it to work. I could be wrong. That being said I think 4.56 would be fine for 37s on a Colorado based off of how much power I have now with 35s. I originally drove/wheeled 35s with stock gearing for 1.5 years so I know how they change things. If you go to a Colorado I would plan on 35s…they just can’t wheel as good as the jeeps cause of the approach and departure angles and those 35s will at least let you still have fun. I don’t think I could even do poison spider in my current state…I could be wrong though. I really just want to complete Moab rim. That’s what it comes down to haha if I can do that in 35s then I’ll strong consider not putting on 37s

[@tyleryork6071]

Watching your videos def the approach/departure angles would be biggest issue. Some of my group have method bead grip wheels including myself. We can lower pressure further than others and feel safe. Looks like you'd have way better grip if you can get tire pressure lower. I have mickey bajas with strong sidewalls so i feel comfortable getting even below 10 psi. Also the method wheels are really light which IMO helps all around with comfort. That'd likely be a first purchase for me if i went with zr2. Even before bumper mods. Also looks like you don't two-pedal it when crawling? Watched your top of world trip and you'd drop back after progress. Between that and maybe getting tire pressure right you might get smoother climbs. Can't quite tell when you have lockers engaged. Enjoy seeing how much you accomplish on the trail. Some of those obstacles are pretty crazy i wouldn't feel too bad about avoiding them haha. I do think you're doing better than you think on some of the obstacles. You can probably handle more.

[@OrrinLewis]

@@tyleryork6071 I’m glad you brought the two peddle thing up cause I’ve heard that before and thought it was a joke. But it’s real haha I’ll be doing it from now on. Should help me cruise up more smoothly. And I think you’re right about being able to do more. You don’t know until you try

[@NativeRT]

Well you already have the 4.56 gears which would be a must. Have you taken off your sway bar? I took mine off for 35s a couple years ago and it made such a difference. I have total chaos UCAs, 4.56 gears, 35’s, deaver expedition pack, level up suspension shackles, and I did a body mount chop and hammered/cut back the pinch weld a ton.

[@OrrinLewis]

I have not removed the sway bar…I thought about doing it for extended trips and then putting it back on for the drive home. How does it handle on the highway without it?

[@NativeRT]

@@OrrinLewis it’s my daily driver and I drive 60 miles one way to work and it has handled the roads perfectly. Even on the back country roads with sharps turns. Takes you a couple days to get use to the ride but mine was just a little bit pitchy but rides so smooth. Even better off-road. I live in SoCal and don’t take it on crazy rock climbing stuff just cuz I have to get home and work. I get way better articulation and the ride quality is better. I’m on fox 2.5 w/adjusters front n back. Another thing I’d recommend for comfort are the 589 bed stiffeners. It cuts out that bed rattle and stiffens up the back for a better ride. I have a rack on the back with my spare tire and it made it so much better.

[@NativeRT]

People say it leans a lot with the sway bar removed but mine barely does. You can tell the difference but I’m also not trying to drift my truck like a race car around corners. My other friends that have taken it off haven’t put it back on and they love it.

[@OrrinLewis]

@@NativeRT thanks for the info man. I’ve been thinking about removing the sway bar a lot and I just might do it next time. I didn’t know fox made shocks for the zr2?

[@OrrinLewis]

@@NativeRT I’ve taken some sharp turns going fast on I70 through the mountains but I think I should take it off and just see how it rides

[@Coyotezr2]

only thing i would say is gearing may be an issue. im not familiar with the 2nd gen Colorado's as i have a 3rd gen. but gearing may be something to think about

[@OrrinLewis]

I do have the 4.56 gears which should be fine for 37s

[@Coyotezr2]

@@OrrinLewis then sounds like your set my dude. Also level up sells a coil over conversion kit as well. That uses your factory dssv.

[@OrrinLewis]

@@Coyotezr2 sweet, I’ll check them out!

[@Coyotezr2]

@@OrrinLewis it’s what I plan on doing. I have wheels going in this weekend. Then looking to sell my stock wheels to fund 35s

[@OrrinLewis]

@@Coyotezr2 you’re gona love those 35s

[@marcgallant5270]

I would start with another inch or two of lift with high clearance front/rear bumpers that improve approach angles. Start with that and see how it goes before moving to 37s. My only concern with 37's, even with upgraded cv axles and steel driveshaft, is how long will the rest of the drivertrain last? (transfer case etc). Maybe look at a large 35 that measures true or 36. Is there any small 37 that's measures closer to a 36?

[@is6566]

Do you know anyone (KZbin, friends, whatever) with 37s on a ZR2 (the correct gen) wheeling trails with same difficulty level as you do? How do their axles holding up? Any other potential problems? Before going into the deep end you want to be sure the truck will hold up. As you said it’s a system. And you will need information from someone you can trust not just a random commenter telling you “oh it’s fine I wheel on 37s for years and all is well.” 😃

[@OrrinLewis]

I don’t know anyone haha it’s kind of uncharted waters you know?

[@TrashPandaGarage]

Don't do it! I don't think the steering can be reinforced to a level you'd be comfortable with on a tire that big. I get that there are dudes on IG rolling around on 37s and 40s, but that doesn't make it a good idea. It's still an aluminum front differential. You could get RCV CVs or something but then you're absolutely making the front diff your weak point. Especially if you're spending a lot of time in Moab. Lot of traction potential there. It sounds like you're pretty happy on your current tire. Stay on 35s and rent a built RZR or something for the harder trails in Moab. '22 Diesel Z71 owner chiming in, if that matters. I'm sitting on a set of 4.10s and I'm debating between a 33.5-34" tire. No way I would go bigger than 35s, diesel or gas.

[@OrrinLewis]

Appreciate the insight. Definitely some risk that comes with the bigger tire. I wonder if modifying the front bumper and getting more up and down movement from the tire would be enough to do some of the harder trails

[@TrashPandaGarage]

@@OrrinLewisBetter shock setup in the front would help. Those spacer lifts do limit uptravel a bit. If you've got the gears I would just get those installed and see how you like it. Going from a 3.42 to 4.56 is going to be a HUGE improvement in crawl speed and control.

[@TrashPandaGarage]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/aHeZoZubbrFoqcU

[@OrrinLewis]

@@TrashPandaGarage I got gears installed already

[@TrashPandaGarage]

@@OrrinLewis Hell yeah!

[@WestonsWanderings]

Just go 37s so we can see if it breaks anything before I do it 😆

[@OrrinLewis]

Hahaha yea yea

[@WestonsWanderings]

@@OrrinLewis if you study the Jeep forums, the consensus is that 35 is as big as you want to go with a Dana 30 diff which is essentially what we have in the front. The rear can probably handle it fine, but the front you would want to leave open as much as possible. There is the RCV ultimate axle that is stronger but I can't seem to find them for the ZR2 anymore.

[@OrrinLewis]

@@WestonsWanderings yea maybe the Chevy performance ball spline half shafts

[@lomosaltatho3008]

I think if you throw 37s you are going to have to rehear.

[@OrrinLewis]

I already have 4.56 gears. You don’t think that would be enough?

[@lomosaltatho3008]

@@OrrinLewis I also installed a frame stiffener

[@OrrinLewis]

@@lomosaltatho3008 thought about that too

[@lomosaltatho3008]

Re gear

[@a140215]

Have you considered trying to be a heterosexual male yet? A change of pace might be good for you? We all support you no matter what you do Orr Bear ❤

[@OrrinLewis]

Shut up Jake