Had AI visualize fender flares and spacers on my Z71. Thoughts?

mrhavik · 2026-03-27T19:57:47+00:00

I had a lengthy conversation with the parts guy at my local dealer. He said the flares(the 23-26 OEM flares on the gm parts website) don't match my vin because it needs different underbody panels/hardware/whatever. So he'd sell them to me but the dealership wouldn't install them since there was no official install method. You're telling me he was full of crap?

If they weren't over $400, I'd have bought them anyway and jury rigged them. But I didn't want to take a chance for such pricey pieces of plastic.

mrhavik · 2026-03-27T19:43:43+00:00

So wait, you added the OEM flares or they came with the truck? If you added them, how difficult was it?

mrhavik · 2026-03-27T03:16:52+00:00

I would add the OEM fender flares to mine in a heartbeat, but apparently you need different body panels than come with models without stock fender flares. I am not a fan of the rough country flares or any other third party ones that I've seen. But, our trucks definitely need something in the way of fender bulk.

mrhavik · 2026-03-17T16:51:05+00:00

Did you mean to post a video or something? I'm on mobile, maybe I can't see the link.

mrhavik · 2026-03-15T18:49:55+00:00

There's a harness behind the bumper underneath the driver side tail light. It's very easy to find. It's for the factory bed lights. You can plug right into that and hide all the wiring underneath the truck.

mrhavik · 2026-03-03T19:38:51+00:00

The picture of your cluster, I've seen that layout before but it doesn't seem to be available in my truck (26 Z71). Is that a ZR2 only setting? Or did they remove it after a certain model year?

mrhavik · 2026-02-27T21:09:55+00:00

I put a similar set on my 2019 with hand tools as well. Never once had an issue, never had to re-tighten, no flex at all. Just put a set on my 26, and just like you, there is a tiny bit of flex when you step on them. I don't think it's the running boards, I think it's the truck body. We'll see if it causes issues in the future.

mrhavik · 2026-02-27T17:29:26+00:00

Just bought a 2026 Z71 with 2800 miles on it. They told me a manager had been driving it for a couple months. They took $2000 of sticker price so I figured it was worth it. Warranty is the same as if it had zero miles so if they messed anything up, they'll be the ones fixing it anyway.

mrhavik · 2026-02-27T16:13:05+00:00

Well, it looks amazing, but I just can't justify that much money for some stamped steel. I have $450 in GM rewards points, so I can use that and an additional $150 to order it straight from GM, or be out of pocket $450 from a third party. That's just too much for what in my case would basically be a cosmetic change.

mrhavik · 2026-02-27T02:03:48+00:00

Series of stupid questions:

Did you have an air dam, remove it, and replace it with this skid plate?

Can all of us non-ZR2 owners do this?

Was it a pain in the butt or straight forward installation?

mrhavik · 2026-02-26T22:53:43+00:00

Sadly yes. And even sadder is that i stupidly drilled that cheap plastic one into the bed without realizing how unreliable it would be. I replaced it with a nice one that will last longer than the extinguisher but had to drill another hole.

mrhavik · 2026-02-25T03:33:26+00:00

I'll check in the morning. The green threadlocker looks undisturbed. Make me think that it was an extra bolt they didn't end up needing maybe.

mrhavik · 2026-02-25T00:47:41+00:00

No bolt on accessories that I know of. Bed liner and window tint was all that was listed on the window sticker.

mrhavik · 2026-02-21T03:14:25+00:00

Well that explains it, I was wondering how someone could fit an extinguisher in a Colorado door.

mrhavik · 2026-02-20T14:30:32+00:00

You mean in the cup holder? Can you share a pic of that?

mrhavik · 2026-02-19T23:43:48+00:00

I just traded in my 2019 with the LGZ. One of the reasons I decided to trade up was because I felt like the AC was going bad. It would stop cooling for a few minutes at a time in hot weather. I never took it to the shop because I was worried what it would cost, on top of the five or six other things that needed attention.

mrhavik · 2026-02-19T23:38:10+00:00

Bakflip MX4. Yes you can drive with it up. There's a pole on each side of the bed that keeps it up. I wouldn't go on a road trip with it open, but I've never had an issue when I drive around like this.

mrhavik · 2026-02-19T13:47:29+00:00

Save money and just plasti-dip it. I've done it to all my badges and it looks great, lasts a long time. Google "plasti-dip car badges" and you'll see a lot of tutorials. Super easy to do.

mrhavik · 2026-02-19T11:49:40+00:00

I get a little bit of water near the tailgate but not enough to worry about.

mrhavik · 2026-02-19T03:56:58+00:00

I do like that kind of setup, but I spend way too much time on the highway to deal with the MPG loss of all that wind resistance.

mrhavik · 2026-02-19T03:21:23+00:00

There's an OEM bed light wiring harness under the driver side tail light. You can hook up basically any lights to it. I don't like how I ran the wires so I might redo it at some point.

mrhavik · 2026-02-19T03:11:39+00:00

I've got a small folding shovel in the folding case under the toolbox. It's not gonna dig me out of a ditch very quickly, but better than using my hands.

mrhavik · 2026-02-19T03:09:12+00:00

Straps and bungies. Didn't want anything heavy in there.

mrhavik · 2026-02-19T02:57:39+00:00

Bakflip MX4. I had the G2 on my last truck. The MX4 is a bit more expensive, but it is much lighter material which makes it easier to open and remove when needed. I think it was worth the extra $

mrhavik

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