| Hidden Hitch and spare tire lowering kit. |
| Westin step bar |
| This is a switch I made to shut off the torque converter when it started giving me problems at about 140,000 miles. Before that I had tried changing the transmission fluid and filter, but that didn't help. So I cut one of the purple wires in the brake switch wiring harness (the lower one on my harness; the other one shuts off cruise control when the brakes are activated) and wired it to a switch. This fools the torque converter into thinking the brakes are applied, which automatically shuts it off. The downside is that the engine runs a couple hundred RPM's higher while cruising down the highway. This modification would also be useful when pulling trailers, where you don't want the torque converter constantly locking and unlocking on uneven terrain. I don't have to use the switch anymore, after I changed the transmission oil again at about 180,000 miles and the torque converter magically started working perfectly. But it's there if I need it. |
| Transportation |
| Synergy Offroad 2-inch shackles |
| Hotratz Secondary Safety Latch - tire carrier |
| Latch open |
| Latch closed |
| Pulling on the latch handle |
| This what happens when the latch unexpectedly releases - the secondary latch takes hold. |
Somehow, throughout my entire adult life, the only automobiles I have ever owned have been various GM S-series vehicles. Why? I'm not
entirely sure, except GM always seemed to have a vehicle that suited my needs, and those needs were met by S-series trucks. Their
compact pickup trucks were perfect as motorcycle haulers and daily drivers. The "work truck" version of the GMC Sonoma was available as
a regular cab 4X4 with a 7-foot bed, which was long enough and wide enough (barely) to carry two dirt bikes with the tail gate closed. The
4.3 liter V-6 engine had decent power and torque, and gas mileage was close to 20 mpg on the highway.
My first truck was a 1993 Sonoma 4X4 regular cab long bed. Hardly any of these ever showed up on dealer's lots, since most people
interested in a 4X4 small truck were also attracted to extended cabs. I wanted the long bed for hauling dirt bikes, and four wheel drive
because two wheel drive trucks pretty much suck in the snow. Also, I didn't want to be one of those guys always having to be pulled out of a
muddy staging area at dirt bike races. There wasn't any other way to get the long bed, 4X4 combination, other than to order up the work
truck version with a regular cab. Once I saw the 1993 brochure and its "centerfold" photo of a black truck with red stripes and white-letter
tires, that's what I had to have. My truck ended up pretty close this photo (below). I did forgo the P235-75R Uniroyal tires for a set of 205
entirely sure, except GM always seemed to have a vehicle that suited my needs, and those needs were met by S-series trucks. Their
compact pickup trucks were perfect as motorcycle haulers and daily drivers. The "work truck" version of the GMC Sonoma was available as
a regular cab 4X4 with a 7-foot bed, which was long enough and wide enough (barely) to carry two dirt bikes with the tail gate closed. The
4.3 liter V-6 engine had decent power and torque, and gas mileage was close to 20 mpg on the highway.
My first truck was a 1993 Sonoma 4X4 regular cab long bed. Hardly any of these ever showed up on dealer's lots, since most people
interested in a 4X4 small truck were also attracted to extended cabs. I wanted the long bed for hauling dirt bikes, and four wheel drive
because two wheel drive trucks pretty much suck in the snow. Also, I didn't want to be one of those guys always having to be pulled out of a
muddy staging area at dirt bike races. There wasn't any other way to get the long bed, 4X4 combination, other than to order up the work
truck version with a regular cab. Once I saw the 1993 brochure and its "centerfold" photo of a black truck with red stripes and white-letter
tires, that's what I had to have. My truck ended up pretty close this photo (below). I did forgo the P235-75R Uniroyal tires for a set of 205
black-walls, and I chose the
long bed version. Those
black painted rims were
also way cool. Whatever the
body color, the wheel colors
would match. I also got the
digital dashboard, which
was pretty awesome. This
was back in the days before
daytime running lights and
headlights that came on
automatically at night, so
that digital dashboard
sometimes made me forget
to turn on my lights when
driving in town on well-lit
streets.
The coolness of a black
truck quickly wore off after
driving in the snow (or rain
or any other type of weather
besides warm and dry). The
photo below on the left was
taken during its first winter.
The truck also lost its luster
when salt ate away the paint
long bed version. Those
black painted rims were
also way cool. Whatever the
body color, the wheel colors
would match. I also got the
digital dashboard, which
was pretty awesome. This
was back in the days before
daytime running lights and
headlights that came on
automatically at night, so
that digital dashboard
sometimes made me forget
to turn on my lights when
driving in town on well-lit
streets.
The coolness of a black
truck quickly wore off after
driving in the snow (or rain
or any other type of weather
besides warm and dry). The
photo below on the left was
taken during its first winter.
The truck also lost its luster
when salt ate away the paint
on the wheels. Then the fuel injection problems began....this was the most unreliable nearly-new vehicle I've ever known. For the 3 years I
owned it, I never really knew if the engine was going to start when I turned the ignition. The "enhanced" V-6, with an extra 30 horsepower
over the regular V-6, was the only engine configuration that year with central port fuel injection. On my truck, anyway, it was a failure. In the
winter and spring of 1994, the Sonoma was parked in the dealer's garage almost as much as at my apartment's parking lot. Without the
warranty, I might have been forced into bankruptcy.
owned it, I never really knew if the engine was going to start when I turned the ignition. The "enhanced" V-6, with an extra 30 horsepower
over the regular V-6, was the only engine configuration that year with central port fuel injection. On my truck, anyway, it was a failure. In the
winter and spring of 1994, the Sonoma was parked in the dealer's garage almost as much as at my apartment's parking lot. Without the
warranty, I might have been forced into bankruptcy.
The day I took delivery of the new Sonoma, I drove across the street to the motorcycle dealership and picked up a new Suzuki RMX250
(above right). That was a good day. Fuel delivery on the 1996 Sonoma was sequential fuel injection, a definite improvement. Despite the
1993's fuel injection problems, it did have a very peppy engine and was actually the best of 3 different versions of the 4.3L V-6 that I've
owned. The 1996 version was still pretty good, although the fatter 235 tires took away about 2 mpg.
When I ordered this truck, I had my eyes on a new style of S-series called Highrider (or ZR2 for the Chevy versions). These came more
suited for off-road use and had wider tires and a wider stance. They were built a little stronger and just looked exceptionally cool. If the
Highrider Sonoma had been available in a long bed version, that's what I would have bought.
(above right). That was a good day. Fuel delivery on the 1996 Sonoma was sequential fuel injection, a definite improvement. Despite the
1993's fuel injection problems, it did have a very peppy engine and was actually the best of 3 different versions of the 4.3L V-6 that I've
owned. The 1996 version was still pretty good, although the fatter 235 tires took away about 2 mpg.
When I ordered this truck, I had my eyes on a new style of S-series called Highrider (or ZR2 for the Chevy versions). These came more
suited for off-road use and had wider tires and a wider stance. They were built a little stronger and just looked exceptionally cool. If the
Highrider Sonoma had been available in a long bed version, that's what I would have bought.
Most of the Highriders
were ordered with
extended cabs, so the
photo from the Sonoma
brochure (left) was a rare
vehicle - almost as rare as
a long-bed 4X4 regular cab
Sonoma. In the late 1990's,
with the Supersizing of
America well underway
and gasoline prices cheap,
apparently nobody wanted
a regular cab truck as a
daily driver. Instead, crew
cabs became the norm
and bed sizes shrank
faster than an Obama
campaign promise. When I
started seeing S-series
trucks with 4 doors and
55-inch beds, I knew my
next vehicle would not be
an S-10 or a Sonoma. By
2004, when I began
looking at new vehicles,
were ordered with
extended cabs, so the
photo from the Sonoma
brochure (left) was a rare
vehicle - almost as rare as
a long-bed 4X4 regular cab
Sonoma. In the late 1990's,
with the Supersizing of
America well underway
and gasoline prices cheap,
apparently nobody wanted
a regular cab truck as a
daily driver. Instead, crew
cabs became the norm
and bed sizes shrank
faster than an Obama
campaign promise. When I
started seeing S-series
trucks with 4 doors and
55-inch beds, I knew my
next vehicle would not be
an S-10 or a Sonoma. By
2004, when I began
looking at new vehicles,
the S-series was nearing its end of production and the only long bed option was a 2-wheel-drive model.
The 1996 version of the Sonoma was, overall, a pretty reliable truck. As I approached 150,000 miles, I'd replaced many of the usual parts
such as the battery, alternator, universal joints, shocks, water pump, oil cooler lines, etc. The only two lingering issues at that point were
the air conditioner, which lost its refrigerant every winter, and the torque converter, which lost its ability to figure out when it needed to lock
and unlock. The torque converter problem was a $5 fix by wiring a switch into the brake pedal electronics to fool the torque converter into
thinking the brakes were on all the time (and thus forcing it to stay unlocked). I gave up a couple miles per gallon by having it run about 200
RPM's higher on the highway, but at that point I didn't care. Soon, it wouldn't be my daily driver anymore.
The 1996 version of the Sonoma was, overall, a pretty reliable truck. As I approached 150,000 miles, I'd replaced many of the usual parts
such as the battery, alternator, universal joints, shocks, water pump, oil cooler lines, etc. The only two lingering issues at that point were
the air conditioner, which lost its refrigerant every winter, and the torque converter, which lost its ability to figure out when it needed to lock
and unlock. The torque converter problem was a $5 fix by wiring a switch into the brake pedal electronics to fool the torque converter into
thinking the brakes were on all the time (and thus forcing it to stay unlocked). I gave up a couple miles per gallon by having it run about 200
RPM's higher on the highway, but at that point I didn't care. Soon, it wouldn't be my daily driver anymore.
In the Fall of 2004, the Sonoma was nearing 9 years old and 150,000 miles, so it was time to add a new vehicle to the fleet. I had no
intention of trading off the Sonoma - it was far too valuable to me as a dirt bike hauler and made trips to Home Depot much more
enjoyable. Since no car manufacturers were producing a small truck with four wheel drive and a 7-foot bed, I decided my next auto would
not be a pickup truck. I could have traded the Sonoma for a full-sized pickup truck, but I didn't feel the need. My little Sonoma was just fine
for hauling my dirt bikes and whatever else. I almost bought a Pontiac Grand Prix, but when GM began offering steep discounts for its
remaining 2004 inventory, the Chevy Blazer ZR2 suddenly became very affordable.
intention of trading off the Sonoma - it was far too valuable to me as a dirt bike hauler and made trips to Home Depot much more
enjoyable. Since no car manufacturers were producing a small truck with four wheel drive and a 7-foot bed, I decided my next auto would
not be a pickup truck. I could have traded the Sonoma for a full-sized pickup truck, but I didn't feel the need. My little Sonoma was just fine
for hauling my dirt bikes and whatever else. I almost bought a Pontiac Grand Prix, but when GM began offering steep discounts for its
remaining 2004 inventory, the Chevy Blazer ZR2 suddenly became very affordable.
In 1994, GM redesigned the S-series to keep up with Ford, which had redesigned its Ranger pickup trucks the year before. Gone were the
boxy front ends, as well as central port fuel injection. When the warranty on my 1993 Sonoma ran out in 1995, I decided to trade it off and let
it be someone else's problem. I took a chance on GM once again and ordered up a new 1996 Sonoma. The truck was almost identically
spec'ed to my 1993 version, except this time I got the bigger white-letter tires.
boxy front ends, as well as central port fuel injection. When the warranty on my 1993 Sonoma ran out in 1995, I decided to trade it off and let
it be someone else's problem. I took a chance on GM once again and ordered up a new 1996 Sonoma. The truck was almost identically
spec'ed to my 1993 version, except this time I got the bigger white-letter tires.
| Downtown St. Louis, 1999. This is the US Bank tower, where I worked for 7 years. |
| St. Louis in the early 2000's at my house in Shrewsbury. |
I'd always liked the look of the ZR2 Blazers, and after 12 years of owning S-series vehicles, I knew what to expect (mechanically, anyway).
The slanted bodywork reminded me of the Nissan Hardbody trucks and Pathfinder SUV's of the 1980's. This one came from a dealer in
Wood River, Illinois near the end of my days in St. Louis. The red one had just been sold, otherwise I would have probably bought it, but the
yellow was pretty sweet too, so that's what I drove home.
The slanted bodywork reminded me of the Nissan Hardbody trucks and Pathfinder SUV's of the 1980's. This one came from a dealer in
Wood River, Illinois near the end of my days in St. Louis. The red one had just been sold, otherwise I would have probably bought it, but the
yellow was pretty sweet too, so that's what I drove home.
I was never one to modify my vehicles very much, but
that changed with the Blazer. When I couldn't find a way
to play my MP3 player through the stock audio system, I
ripped it out and installed a complete aftermarket
system. When I saw a unique addition of air horns on
ZR2-USA.com, I did the same to my Blazer. I also did a
few other things, such as lowering the huge spare tire
mounted to the back of the Blazer so I could actually
see something out of my rear view mirror other than a
large tire. I added some Synergy 2" shackles to the leaf
springs, to rid the Blazer of its rear end sag. I also
installed a Hidden Hitch and Westin step bars, as well
as a Hotratz secondary safety latch to the spare tire
carrier.
The whole idea behind buying an SUV instead of a
passenger car was to maintain some level of "utility" to
my transportation. If the Sonoma met an untimely
death, I still wanted the ability to transport dirt bikes or
pull a trailer. I got that with the Blazer. It pulled a trailer
and tons of gear on a dirt bike trip to Colorado in 2007.
That same year, it also did a 3,500-mile trip to the East
Coast and back, carrying a dirt bike, a mountain bike,
and 10 days worth of gear.
One of the best add-ons for the Blazer was the Ultimate
MX Hauler. This hitch-mounted carrier is a way to
transport a motorcycle without a trailer. As the Sonoma
has aged, I've used the MX Hauler as a back-up plan
on a couple of occasions when the Sonoma was
behaving badly. Other times, I used the Blazer to haul
dirt bikes when I traveled long distances and didn't
quite trust the Sonoma enough to drive so far. After
nearly 10,000 miles of driving with the MX Hauler, it's
been an excellent investment.
that changed with the Blazer. When I couldn't find a way
to play my MP3 player through the stock audio system, I
ripped it out and installed a complete aftermarket
system. When I saw a unique addition of air horns on
ZR2-USA.com, I did the same to my Blazer. I also did a
few other things, such as lowering the huge spare tire
mounted to the back of the Blazer so I could actually
see something out of my rear view mirror other than a
large tire. I added some Synergy 2" shackles to the leaf
springs, to rid the Blazer of its rear end sag. I also
installed a Hidden Hitch and Westin step bars, as well
as a Hotratz secondary safety latch to the spare tire
carrier.
The whole idea behind buying an SUV instead of a
passenger car was to maintain some level of "utility" to
my transportation. If the Sonoma met an untimely
death, I still wanted the ability to transport dirt bikes or
pull a trailer. I got that with the Blazer. It pulled a trailer
and tons of gear on a dirt bike trip to Colorado in 2007.
That same year, it also did a 3,500-mile trip to the East
Coast and back, carrying a dirt bike, a mountain bike,
and 10 days worth of gear.
One of the best add-ons for the Blazer was the Ultimate
MX Hauler. This hitch-mounted carrier is a way to
transport a motorcycle without a trailer. As the Sonoma
has aged, I've used the MX Hauler as a back-up plan
on a couple of occasions when the Sonoma was
behaving badly. Other times, I used the Blazer to haul
dirt bikes when I traveled long distances and didn't
quite trust the Sonoma enough to drive so far. After
nearly 10,000 miles of driving with the MX Hauler, it's
been an excellent investment.
As for the Sonoma, it's still running after 14 years and 190,000 miles as I write this in January 2010. I've had
to revive it from the dead a few times over the past couple years, but somehow it still keeps going. During the
summer of 2009, I almost gave it to the salvage yard after the transmission became nearly unusable.
to revive it from the dead a few times over the past couple years, but somehow it still keeps going. During the
summer of 2009, I almost gave it to the salvage yard after the transmission became nearly unusable.
With one last act of desperation, I changed the transmission oil and filter (for only the second time in its life...maybe there's a lesson there).
Like magic, the transmission came back to life and has been perfect since.
Someday, I'll be forced to buy an automobile that does not have an "S" in its designation. GM sold a few Blazers in 2005, but that was it for
the 20+ years of S-10's, Sonomas, Blazers and Jimmys. From 1982 to 2004, these trucks were found all across the U.S. Today, they have
been replaced by the Canyon, Colorado, Trailblazer, and Envoy. These models are bigger and heavier, and designed for a seemingly
never-ending supply of buyers who want trucks to ride like cars. Long live the S-series.....
Like magic, the transmission came back to life and has been perfect since.
Someday, I'll be forced to buy an automobile that does not have an "S" in its designation. GM sold a few Blazers in 2005, but that was it for
the 20+ years of S-10's, Sonomas, Blazers and Jimmys. From 1982 to 2004, these trucks were found all across the U.S. Today, they have
been replaced by the Canyon, Colorado, Trailblazer, and Envoy. These models are bigger and heavier, and designed for a seemingly
never-ending supply of buyers who want trucks to ride like cars. Long live the S-series.....
| In December 2009, I decided the harsh winters of Northwestern Illinois called for better snow tires. I didn't want to discard the stock tires, since they work pretty well on the road and had plenty of life left in them. Instead, I picked up a set of lightly used stock rims from eBay and mounted them to BF Goodrich AT tires. These have always received good reviews by the Internet crowd, so I took advantage of Farm & Fleet's 4-for-the-price-of-3 sale and now have a pretty nice set of winter tires. When the snow melts, the old set will go back on the truck. The only disadvantage of these tires is that they reduce the gas mileage somewhat on a vehicle with pretty poor gas mileage to begin with. The stock tires give me no more than 16 mpg, and these drop it closer to 15 mpg. |