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My AV Saga!!!

bjf102106

SM 2007
Full Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2007
Messages
213
Location
Grand Rapids, MI
I'm new around here and I am so glad I found so many like minded people!

I'll start with a little background ......name is Jeff........... originally from Los Angeles, CA now living in Grand Rapids, MI.  I have been working on cars since I knew the difference between 3/8 and 7/16.  I have had lots of hot rods and CHEVY trucks.  I have been on several off road racing teams and built hot rods, off road trucks and sand rails.

In January 2005 I bought a 2004 Avalanche.  I was looking for a 4WD Silverado but the dealer showed me this slightly used Avalanche (600 miles).  I had never seen one with out the cladding.... I was instantly in love.  To say the least, I bought it. My payment was high but I planned to abuse it.

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I bought my 2004 Z71 on a Sunday and the follwing Saturday (that's 6 days) I set off to hit some dirt.  I custom fabbed a flag for my rear bumper and I was off.  The trails were awesome and there was plenty of mud to get dirty in.

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I went with a friend of mine (who is crazy) and I had to pull him out three separate times...... I couldn't have been happier.  I kicked in the 4WD and pulled him around with no problem.  I hit hills, slopes and deep mud puddles.  I had my brand new AV up to door handles in muddy water.... kicked it in 4 Low and powered right out.  We decided to stop and have some lunch and my buddy told me there was fluid leaking from my rear end.  I got under the truck to discover there was an pinkie size whole in the diff cover.

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I'm not some sally tow truck!!!  I told my buddy to give me a ride to the local auto parts store so I could get a new cover.  We went to all three auto parts stores and none on them had cover for my rear end (not even a crappy chrome one).  So I decided I would pull the cover and take it to a muffler shop to get it welded and just change it out when i got home.

I went back and wrenched for a good 45 minutes (stupid sway bar).  When I pulled off the cover, it was like a hockey player after a fight; pieces of the gears fell out like broken teeth.

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I quickly put it back together!!!  I had a fellow off roader pull me to a self car wash and sprayed off all the mud.  I called my On star and had a tow truck come out.  I was soooo worried I was going to have to pay for a whole new rear end.  It was towed to a local dealer that was two hours from my house.  I went home and waited for Monday.  I called first thing in the morning and spoke to the service manger.  He told me the whole differential housing was cracked and it was going to cost $1700 to repair and they were unable to determine if it was my fault.  After a few hours of anguish I called the service department again and they told me that it would in fact be warrantied.

I got my truck back and I couldn't have been happier but that wouldn't be the last time my truck would see the shop....

I'm going to cut this story short............

There was about $4000 in additional damage done between the previous story and the following story...

My girlfriend and I (my wife now) set off for her hometown of Billings, Montana.  It was beautiful and she introduced me to a lot of great people.  One of her friends family had a farm.  I told him I had never been stuck and that I wanted to see what my AV could do.  He took me to his family's farm and told me that if I got stuck they had a 2006 Duramax that could pull me out (how can you lose).  He took me out to this "pond" that turned out to be a reservoir.  I went through it 5 or 6 times at about 35 MPH.

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On my last try I got stuck about half way.  I thought that the starter had just shorted out and called for the Duramax. Unfortunately, it was back at the farm so I had to drink a few beers and wait.

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.... and wait....... and wait ...... and wait...

When the big Chevy Diesel showed up to pull me out, I couldn't have been happier that I had finally pushed my AV to the limit.

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I finally cleared the water and my girlfriend (now wife) said there was oil leaking and I had a swimming pool in the cab.

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I reached up and tightened my oil filter and tried to start her up............. nothing.  I had the duramax pull me back but ripped off my air damn (the plastic where my fog lights are).  I made it back to the house and tried to start it again ... but no luck.


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I had it towed to the local dealer where they advised me that I had hydro locked the motor and shot a rod through the block the size of a quarter. .......  warranty wasn't going to cover it.  I called my insurance and told  them I had driven off the road into a ditch and sucked up water in the  motor.  My week long trip to Montana turned into a month.  Luckily I had brought my tools and picked up a job pulling parts at a scrap yard.  I finally got my truck back but they charged me $800 for betterment!!!!  I didn't even know that was a word!!  My soon to be wife and I headed back to CA and will forever have memories about our trip to Montana. .................. There are many more stories to tell but these are the ones I have pictures of.

Hope you all enjoyed

:B: :B: :B:
 
That was two years ago and it still looks and runs like its brand new........ I drove from CA to MI last summer 36 hours straight with no probles (accept for that stupid trailer)
 
Impressive story. ?Why don't you come join us at Music City Mayhem in May. ?We will be doing a little Off-Roading during the Event. ?You might be able to win the Muddiest Avalanche Award that we will be presenting. ? :love:
 
trAVelingman said:
Impressive story. ?Why don't you come join us at Music City Mayhem in May. ?We will be doing a little Off-Roading during the Event. ?You might be able to win the Muddiest Avalanche Award that we will be presenting. ? :love:

When and where??
 
Sirshopolot

I would love to go but I just put a down payment on a duplex........... I'm tapped out for a long trip like that ......... maybe next year................ how about an of road trip in MI????
 
geesh... great story with pics....

I don't think that I have the heart to do that to a vehicle.
 
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