Have a ‘18 ZR2 Diesel with 90K miles and just tuned the engine/trans and it’s amazing. I get about 30mpg at 70-75mph. Haven’t had any issues with the truck.
I have a 2020 Bison diesel w/ tune and I get 21 around town driving conservatively, 26 (max 27) freeway doing 75. I get ~11 towing 5k travel trailer but have heat problems in a head wind. Tune : Optimized stock
I have deleted the truck recently and to note I live in Houston so mpg will be different. But now I'm getting 30 mpg around 80mph and around 600 miles per fill up. I drive mostly highways to work.
I have a 2019 Bison, just about the twin to Chris's. I went with a diamondback bed cover and frontrunner rack instead of the spare tire carrier and cab height rack. Always cool to see other ideas and setups. Really can't go wrong with BD lighting, it costs a premium but it can't be beat.
Just bought me a 22 bison a week ago. Love it so far. Have the S&B intake in the mail as well as the peak performance tie rod sleeves, level kit, and trim kit. Oh and the trifecta tune. Can't wait to get it all on and get some 33s when I save up for them.
I bought my zr2 2017 new and its still as good as it was new.i still love it just as much too.if I got a new truck it be another zr2..but nvr a diesel I hate any diesel...
I have a 2021 Colorado LT 4x4 with the 3.6 and 11,500 mile. Like you, I have trip meter set from mile 1 and the fuel mileage computer says I'm getting 18.3 mpg. When I did my own fuel mpg I calculated 17.2 mpg. My truck has no mods on it. No problems so far. Love the Colorado!
@@JasonExplainsThings I do the same. I think tires are playing a part. I have Goodyear Wrangler Fortitude HT 265/60/18. MT or AT will very your mileage.
Would Chris get a Roof Rack again? Also wonder how the wife's feel about Drilling Holes in New Trucks lol. I waited a solid Year before installing a Snorkel that was easy for sure not looking forward to the roof rack holes I have to drill hence why I still don't have one. Probably another con of the Colorado, It should come with pre drilled holes ready to go from the factory for a Roof Rack like Toyotas. Also good take on the Bison Package, If you like the bumpers and don't plan on changing definitely worth the Price difference over standard zr2. Also you can supercharge the v6 down the line when you add 33's. That's my plan anyways also a re -gear.
With the bed rack I'm getting, I think I should be alright without the roof rack. I did love it though, Prinsu makes great stuff. I'm dreaming of putting a GFC V2 Platform tent on top of it, we'll see.
I have an 18’ Colorado with 72k miles. Not a single issue. I even towed a bunk house RV from Coast to Coast and have done a lot of off roading in the outer banks, Moab, and around the Glacier National park area in Montana. For two 8k mile tests for commuting… I averaged 23.4mpg and 23.2mpg. The lesser was with the air dam removed. Did towing and such on both. Oh, and I averaged 14.5mpg on the +10k mile towing trip doing mostly 60mph
@@PNW_Bison No. The V6, 8spd, and 4x4 in a Z71 package. Most of the hwy speeds on my commute are 60mph. Which my truck gets around 28 to 30mpg. The 70mph and around town is what kills that. Falls to about 21 to 22mpg @ 70mph with the air dam removed.
I love my ZR2 Midnight edition. same year 2021 I have the sports bar. I have 7775 miles to date. I average 16.7MPG with the Best MPG 22.3 447 gallons tracked with total fuel cost of $1,454.12 and total service of $449.99 which is basically just me adding parts I didn't want to do myself. I put a K&N air filter and then upgraded to the Midnight Cold Air Intake from K&N. stock exhaust and only added a subwoofer under the rear seat. I just went 1 year on June 19th 2022. If I were you I would get the K&N drop in air filter as that did help with performance and MPG according to my records I gained 1.8 MPG constantly and with the cold air intake it increased another 1mpg on top of that.
I’ve had an 18 and 20 ZR2 and really love the Bison in the satin steel metallic. So much I ordered one. It never did come in and I ended up in a Toyota 4Runner trd pro. I unfortunately had horrible luck with both my ZR2’s. I’m happy your having good luck and good fun. Great vid , truck looks awesome !!
Leaking shocks , 2 steering shafts , new radio head unit , leaf springs installed incorrectly at factory , bad wheel , ect…. Don’t get me wrong I’m so tempted to buy another one , but I drive a lot and having to run back to the dealership all the time was really an inconvenience.
@@Mjr1348 Yes for reliability you can't really trust in chevy from what I've seen from people on here and also friends that have them. Especially their V-8's have been going down in record numbers at very low mileage.
@@Mjr1348 wow man that's rough, totally understandable why you wouldn't go with another one. Thanks for watching, and hope you're enjoying the 4Runner!
@@mnyhomie do some research, even in the colorado forums they get a lot of hate for being extremely unreliable. I mean, there's a reason it's the least sold midsize. Not counting the ridgeline or gladiator since they're basically in different categories. But yes they're horrible if you're planning on long term ownership. I mean just look at what happened to the old colorado, they're mostly in junk yards or being sold for dirt cheap with mechanical issues .
Wow I was convinced I wanted some KC HILITES on my roof for max lighting but now I’m completely intrigued by the amber fog lights. Thanks guys. Just got a 2021 Bison two weeks ago and it has some mods already but I was looking for the first thing to do to make it mine. I chose some lights and this is going to be it. One question though, I thought the rear bumper lights were only in reverse. Does that require special wiring to make them following lights? I’m a moron and wish I knew more but I’m trying. Respect to the families, thanks for your time fellas.
No worries dude! We actually have a full install video on those lights if you're interested. Yes the lights can be spliced into existing fog light wiring in the front and reverse lights in the back, so you can utilize factory buttons and functionality. I'd like to have a little more control, so I ran my own wiring so I can turn them on whenever I'd like. Even when the truck is off. Cheers!
Hi Chris! I’m the new owner of that Z71! Nice work on the truck, I get many compliments. She’s sporting canopy on the bed of the truck these. Funny thing is, the rack was not leaking for an entire year, until I watched this video. Looks like I have a project for the winter 😜
Great video! I would love to see the bed rack install. Is you next overland video out on Section 2 of the WABDR? I ran that last week and didn't see a single soul while I was out there.
Back on the winch. It is the Smitty built 9.5 ton with rope and works great. I do not get to use it much as I have to use a walker to walk, so not too many trips into the high country. My wife and I go to Montana when we can and shoot dogs, lots of fun. And that would be the non domestic type.With the winch, I had to lay it on it's side to make it work. I mounted the electrical under the hood on the passengers side by the radiator. It comes with a remote and a cord controller. Very nice set up. I am 81 and plan some more things to make it nice and fast. Greenman
Great video! I’m loving my ‘21 ZR2 gasser. Have you changed the headlights to LEDs? If so, which ones? Thx! Your channel is a wealth of info! More ZR2 videos, please…😉
Hey Scot. I'd suggest reaching out to Chris on Instagram and he can fill you in (pnw_bison) on the headlights. I'll just say there's a reason we didn't (couldn't) include that in a video. And more ZR2 stuff is coming. We just filmed a winch install that'll likely get published in October and we have another really cool Colorado video we're filming in a few weeks. Also, we filmed several this summer that haven't got many views yet so please check the playlist to see if you missed any (oil change, air compressor install, snorkel install and a reaction video to the 2023 Colorado announcement).
I have a 2020 Bison that I got brand new. I put a winch on it a Smitty built and it fit on with no mods and much cheaper than warn and works great. I would like to know how you got the leveling kit for your truck, as they told me that that kit will not work on the Bison ? That was GM . I also put the GM cold air and the exhaust and it is a fun truck, but it needs a supercharger to make it a great truck. Greenman
Definitely! This was a ton of fun. The 4Runner rolled over 10k miles yesterday. We got it in early February so I’ll make the video around then next year.
@@JasonExplainsThings That's awesome! I got a 2022 4Runner SR5 Premium w/ XP Predator package after having a 2019 Chevy Colorado base package so interested to see what you guys think of the two. Thanks again for the awesome videos!!
Valid question. We're raising the front for two specific reasons. One is to help accommodate a little larger tires when it's time to upgrade, and two is to help compensate for the extra weight that'll be added to the front when I add a winch in the future. I've heard the DSSV shocks tend to sag a bit with the added weight. Thanks for watching!
@@PNW_Bison Fair enough...maybe adjusting the spring rate might be preferable if you’re worried about sag, but I’m definitely no Bison expert. Sweet rig!
I was seriously considering a Colorado, because I previously owned a 2005 Z71 Colorado for 10 years and loved it. I ended up getting a Gladiator. My mpg is slightly better than this (16.3mpg) which is surprising.
@PracticalAutos I have not experienced death wobble on my Gladiator. I have 35" tires and a 3" lift. I upgraded my track bar and steering stabilizer. All of this was done at around 700 miles. I now have around 10,000 miles.
i had a 2016 colorado too, it was great up until year 3 and 50k - 55k miles. First trouble was the electrical system at about 50k then engine trouble at 55k miles. After doing some research i saw many many others having the same issues with the 16'. I got rid of it. Never again chevy.
I had a pretty decent experience with a 2008 Colorado I kept for 8 years/105k miles. My dad still has a beautiful 2000 Silverado that is going very strong. But I’m definitely not a GM fanboy. For a couple years my wife drove a 2005 Malibu. Bleh, that car kinda stunk.
Chevy is know to be complete garbage, specially as the cars age. Seriously some God awful reliability compared to the ranger and specially the tacoma. Chevy was even having such garbage transmissions that they used ford 10 speeds for a minute there until they screwed ford over and now they have garbage transmissions again.
@Roger T Jones it's a ford transmission. Ford engineered it, and Chevy was supposed to engineer the one for the cars and crossovers, but as per usual, the one gm made where garbage. It was supposed to save them money as each could focus on just building one transmission as opposed to 2.
Any thoughts on the leveling kit and voiding the warranty on the DSSVs? I want to do it as well, but a little hesitant with the known reliability issues with the shocks. Great video - love hearing other owner's thoughts!
Nope, not worried about it. These are GM performance parts, but your right. It does state that if they are not installed by a gm certified technician it will void your warranty. My understanding is that Chevy would have to prove that the part in question caused whatever hypothetical problem occurs and this is a very minor mod, so it's a risk I'm willing to take. Good question!
@@PNW_Bison interesting, good to know. Thanks. Oh and please do the 589 outboard shock mounts so I can see how it works out for you before I go that route. Haha!
You are the right person to answer my question between Z71 and ZR2 because you have experience both Chevy only bring Z71 not ZR2. When I test drive Z71 on normal road, front seat is comportable and good but rear seat is not that comportable. (I know rear suspension structure) so I am a little worried about rear seat feeling if I buy Z71 and take my children in the rear seat. First question is ZR2 is focus on off-road but it has a great suspension so I guess onload feeling is more comportable than Z71. Is that right? Second question is what is opinion about inch up upgrade after I buy Z71? because we cannot get not various suspension as you. I can get rough country 2 inch up package or people do 2 inch block installation on suspension in here. 2 inch up will be more comfortable for rear seat or it will make more rolling when I drive? Please tell chevy to bring ZR2 into Korea ^^ it will be more popular than Z71
Hello, thanks for the comment! My kids haven't complained onece about comfort in the back seat. My 9 year old boy and 4 year old twin girls regularly sit back there with no issues. The ZR2 drives very comparibly to my Z71 when it had its original suspension, but is vastly superior off road. The rough country kit will make the truck look better and give you some better clearance, but the truck will drive stiffer. Hope those answers help! Cheers!
I have the 2021 Colorado Z71 long bed duramax diesel with offroad/towing packages. If you were budget constrained to do them over time again, would you repeat the order of upgrades or do them in a different order? Are there other things you would do first instead and see as more critical? Looking to start kitting out my otherwise stock truck! So far it handled the couple trails I went on beautifully, but there weren't too many technical parts
Good question! First thing I'd do is the shock skids. Then, on the Z71, I'd do tires and underbody protection. If you haven't looked already, we have videos on the stuff we did to my old Z71 long bed! Upgrading the tires made a huge difference on that truck offroad.
There are a few guys that have installed a Warn Zeon 10S on their Bison and it fit perfectly, there are a few other types of winches that work as well. I'm baffled as to why AEV insists the only two winches that work are the 9.5XPS and the Come-Up. I plan on installing a Zeon 12S Platinum on my Bison. Both the 10S and 12S have identical measurements.
@@JasonExplainsThings Not sure about that but the 9.5XP is basically old technology and is not waterproof whereas the Zeon is waterproof. I spoke with Warn awhile back and they told me kind of cryptically that the 9.5xp is going away.
I was curious of why not get the AEV upgrades for your old truck? I think what I'm really asking would it be viable to buy the non ZR2 and then add the AEV upgrades and icon suspension vs the package?
That’s honestly what I suggested to Chris before he bought the newer truck. But you wouldn’t be able to make it as capable because of the longer wheel base, lack of a front locker, etc. But adding AEV’s stuff after is still a great option.
Hey Charles, yes! Adding those AEV parts and suspension upgrades to the Z71 is totally viable. It was just kinda a right place right time thing for me with the Bison, along with the other things Jason listed above.
@@cstout1634 yes, I would because it's a better fit for me personally. All depends on use cases. The Z71 was an awesome truck in its own regard, and has a substantial amount more towing capacity (7,000 vs. 5,000). But for what I want out of the truck, the ZR2 Bison is perfect. Also, neither the Bison or the ZR2 existed when I bought the first truck, so there's that, lol.
Without your original DIY video installing the Icon stage 5 kit I probably would have never gotten it. One thing I have been curious about. Does Chris utilize the front locker often? Maybe we should do a Colorado vs Colorado video collaboration. 😂 Great work as always! Did I hear correctly a Tacoma will be replacing the 4Runner?
4Runner isn't going anywhere! IF it works out I might sell my GTI and get a Tacoma. I live near a dealership that is selling vehicles at MSRP. With any luck that might happen in the coming months. I have a truck on order but haven't received a build date officially yet. Chris can talk about the front locker, but I think it has come in handy a few times. I can remember him using it when we crossed a snow drift. I was able to do it in the 4Runner also but I think the ZR2 just did it easier.
@@JasonExplainsThings Pretty sure I cut the trail for you, but who's counting? 😉 Lolol but no, not much need for the front locker with where I've been so far, but always aiming to change that!
So far so good. Chris has had zero issues with it. Last we chatted he's at 25k miles. His previous truck (2016 Z71) also never had transmission issues.
I really don't plan on doing too much lift with this guy. I think the rest of the lift will be in bigger tires for now. But who knows what wild hare I'll get in the future!
No reason in particular, those are both great options. I had Rago stuff on my last truck and really like the way the company did things. Good community.
Update for anybody finding this comment: As of right now, the Rago offers the best coverage of all the skid plates. Additionally, it is a no-drill install, but it DOES require trimming a tiny tab on your ebrake mount. Not 100% sure how I'll do this since I don't have anything with a cutting wheel but I'll figure it out.
Quick question on the upcoming Chevy Performance leveling kit and high angle control arms. I notice on the control arms on chevy’s website it has this note: “Not compatible with: ZR2 Front Long Travel DSSV Shocks (84402367)”. So will they work with a zr2 bison? Thanks!
Yes. I had the same question for Chris actually. So there's another version of the DSSV shocks that are a long travel upgrade. The ones on the ZR2 and Bison will work. We have already filmed the installation. Just need to shoot the rest of the video and a review portion. But the install went smoothly. We'll probably have the install video ready in January.
I have a 2020 bison 13k miles been with the dealer 3 times, it is there now. Replaced TCM first time, 2nd time replaced the main wiring harness, now it is throwing TCM and PCM codes and antilock brake codes. I wont by a Chevy again.
Crazy. Not my experience with a 2008 Colorado. Beyond a few leaks that got fixed under warranty, I had 105k on it before I sold it with little to no issues. Chris has had good luck too. It's a bummer you're having such a bad experience.
Welp, you can't make em all happy, I guess. I do mention however, that I traded my 2016 in for this that I owned for 5 years with no issues, so, maybe that helps? 🤷
Feels almost useless to talk about reliability for a 1 year old truck…. Reliability starts meaning something after 5 years or 50k miles. Obviously hard to do for a YT car but first couple years youre not going to have problems. You think manufacturers having warranties that last 5 years a coincidence? They know thats when problems are bound to arise
i have a 2015 colorado z71 and it’s got about 110k miles, i love it like it just came off the lot. i can tell you that it’s very reliable for me. only thing i noticed is that every 55-60 thousand miles there’s a electronic valve at the top of the engine that gets stuck open or closed and it makes the emissions system freak out, but after a $40 part the truck is fine. (it starts cranking funny and after a full tank of gas the truck starts idling funny plus CEL) aside from that no issues and a lot of hard wheeling and heavy petal. my transmission has a very light “chevy shutter” but it’s one of those things that is pretty much just bad programming and allegedly can be fixed by a transmission tune, probably one of those things that annoys other people but doesn’t actually affect reliability is my best guess
Have a ‘18 ZR2 Diesel with 90K miles and just tuned the engine/trans and it’s amazing. I get about 30mpg at 70-75mph. Haven’t had any issues with the truck.
What did you tune? Ecu chip tuning? Horse lower? Nm torqe?
I have a 2018 ZR2 Diesel with 115k miles on it.
Cheese and rice, my '16 Tacoma gets 13mpg hauling a dirt bike going 70-75😭
I have a 2020 Bison diesel w/ tune and I get 21 around town driving conservatively, 26 (max 27) freeway doing 75. I get ~11 towing 5k travel trailer but have heat problems in a head wind.
Tune : Optimized stock
I have deleted the truck recently and to note I live in Houston so mpg will be different. But now I'm getting 30 mpg around 80mph and around 600 miles per fill up. I drive mostly highways to work.
Love the candor and joking of how some take this stuff a little to serious.
I have a 2019 Bison, just about the twin to Chris's. I went with a diamondback bed cover and frontrunner rack instead of the spare tire carrier and cab height rack. Always cool to see other ideas and setups. Really can't go wrong with BD lighting, it costs a premium but it can't be beat.
Just bought me a 22 bison a week ago. Love it so far. Have the S&B intake in the mail as well as the peak performance tie rod sleeves, level kit, and trim kit. Oh and the trifecta tune. Can't wait to get it all on and get some 33s when I save up for them.
Not wasting any time, sounds great!
@@PNW_Bison yeah I can't drive stock
More info on your mods! Just ordered my bison today!
I bought my zr2 2017 new and its still as good as it was new.i still love it just as much too.if I got a new truck it be another zr2..but nvr a diesel I hate any diesel...
I have a 2021 Colorado LT 4x4 with the 3.6 and 11,500 mile. Like you, I have trip meter set from mile 1 and the fuel mileage computer says I'm getting 18.3 mpg. When I did my own fuel mpg I calculated 17.2 mpg. My truck has no mods on it. No problems so far. Love the Colorado!
Chris does mostly in town driving so I think that explains the difference.
@@JasonExplainsThings I do the same. I think tires are playing a part. I have Goodyear Wrangler Fortitude HT 265/60/18. MT or AT will very your mileage.
Great video.
I have the 2019 Bison Diesel and love it. My average is 26.3 mils
Awesome! I really need to drive a diesel. Thanks for watching!
Hi kris!
Just met you today, I am from Yakama Reservation!
I have a 2018 diesel Colorado.
It was great to meet you.
So great to meet you my friend! Your truck is killer, love the diesels. Happy trails!
Would Chris get a Roof Rack again? Also wonder how the wife's feel about Drilling Holes in New Trucks lol. I waited a solid Year before installing a Snorkel that was easy for sure not looking forward to the roof rack holes I have to drill hence why I still don't have one. Probably another con of the Colorado, It should come with pre drilled holes ready to go from the factory for a Roof Rack like Toyotas. Also good take on the Bison Package, If you like the bumpers and don't plan on changing definitely worth the Price difference over standard zr2. Also you can supercharge the v6 down the line when you add 33's. That's my plan anyways also a re -gear.
With the bed rack I'm getting, I think I should be alright without the roof rack. I did love it though, Prinsu makes great stuff. I'm dreaming of putting a GFC V2 Platform tent on top of it, we'll see.
I have an 18’ Colorado with 72k miles. Not a single issue.
I even towed a bunk house RV from Coast to Coast and have done a lot of off roading in the outer banks, Moab, and around the Glacier National park area in Montana.
For two 8k mile tests for commuting… I averaged 23.4mpg and 23.2mpg. The lesser was with the air dam removed. Did towing and such on both.
Oh, and I averaged 14.5mpg on the +10k mile towing trip doing mostly 60mph
Thanks for the reply! Diesel?
@@PNW_Bison
No. The V6, 8spd, and 4x4 in a Z71 package.
Most of the hwy speeds on my commute are 60mph. Which my truck gets around 28 to 30mpg. The 70mph and around town is what kills that. Falls to about 21 to 22mpg @ 70mph with the air dam removed.
I just got me a 2022 ZR2, can't wait to take it off road
Yeah buddy, congrats, enjoy!
I love my ZR2 Midnight edition. same year 2021 I have the sports bar. I have 7775 miles to date. I average 16.7MPG with the Best MPG 22.3 447 gallons tracked with total fuel cost of $1,454.12 and total service of $449.99 which is basically just me adding parts I didn't want to do myself. I put a K&N air filter and then upgraded to the Midnight Cold Air Intake from K&N. stock exhaust and only added a subwoofer under the rear seat. I just went 1 year on June 19th 2022. If I were you I would get the K&N drop in air filter as that did help with performance and MPG according to my records I gained 1.8 MPG constantly and with the cold air intake it increased another 1mpg on top of that.
Good idea. 👍
I’ve had an 18 and 20 ZR2 and really love the Bison in the satin steel metallic. So much I ordered one. It never did come in and I ended up in a Toyota 4Runner trd pro. I unfortunately had horrible luck with both my ZR2’s. I’m happy your having good luck and good fun. Great vid , truck looks awesome !!
Just curious what horrible luck you had? Looking into maybe getting a ZR2/bison
Leaking shocks , 2 steering shafts , new radio head unit , leaf springs installed incorrectly at factory , bad wheel , ect…. Don’t get me wrong I’m so tempted to buy another one , but I drive a lot and having to run back to the dealership all the time was really an inconvenience.
@@Mjr1348 Yes for reliability you can't really trust in chevy from what I've seen from people on here and also friends that have them. Especially their V-8's have been going down in record numbers at very low mileage.
@@Mjr1348 wow man that's rough, totally understandable why you wouldn't go with another one. Thanks for watching, and hope you're enjoying the 4Runner!
@@mnyhomie do some research, even in the colorado forums they get a lot of hate for being extremely unreliable. I mean, there's a reason it's the least sold midsize. Not counting the ridgeline or gladiator since they're basically in different categories. But yes they're horrible if you're planning on long term ownership. I mean just look at what happened to the old colorado, they're mostly in junk yards or being sold for dirt cheap with mechanical issues .
Wow I was convinced I wanted some KC HILITES on my roof for max lighting but now I’m completely intrigued by the amber fog lights. Thanks guys. Just got a 2021 Bison two weeks ago and it has some mods already but I was looking for the first thing to do to make it mine. I chose some lights and this is going to be it.
One question though, I thought the rear bumper lights were only in reverse. Does that require special wiring to make them following lights? I’m a moron and wish I knew more but I’m trying.
Respect to the families, thanks for your time fellas.
No worries dude! We actually have a full install video on those lights if you're interested. Yes the lights can be spliced into existing fog light wiring in the front and reverse lights in the back, so you can utilize factory buttons and functionality. I'd like to have a little more control, so I ran my own wiring so I can turn them on whenever I'd like. Even when the truck is off. Cheers!
Hi Chris! I’m the new owner of that Z71! Nice work on the truck, I get many compliments. She’s sporting canopy on the bed of the truck these. Funny thing is, the rack was not leaking for an entire year, until I watched this video. Looks like I have a project for the winter 😜
Hey Tanya! That’s awesome… that you’re the owner. Not that the rack we installed started leaking. 😂
Hi Tanya! Ooohhh noooo! Sorry! It was Jason's fault, I swear. Hope it's an easy fix, and glad you're enjoying the truck. Take care!
I have a 2021 Colorado z71 diesel and put on 40,000km on it already and I haven’t had any issues with it and I’m doing 8L/100 witch is around 29mpg
Very nice!
That diesel man, I'm a little jealous! 👍
Great video! I would love to see the bed rack install. Is you next overland video out on Section 2 of the WABDR? I ran that last week and didn't see a single soul while I was out there.
Yes sir. It should be out on Monday. Just a bunch of playing in the mud and other shenanigans.
Back on the winch. It is the Smitty built 9.5 ton with rope and works great. I do not get to use it much as I have to use a walker to walk, so not too many trips into the high country. My wife and I go to Montana when we can and shoot dogs, lots of fun. And that would be the non domestic type.With the winch, I had to lay it on it's side to make it work. I mounted the electrical under the hood on the passengers side by the radiator. It comes with a remote and a cord controller. Very nice set up. I am 81 and plan some more things to make it nice and fast. Greenman
Great video! I’m loving my ‘21 ZR2 gasser. Have you changed the headlights to LEDs? If so, which ones? Thx! Your channel is a wealth of info! More ZR2 videos, please…😉
Hey Scot. I'd suggest reaching out to Chris on Instagram and he can fill you in (pnw_bison) on the headlights. I'll just say there's a reason we didn't (couldn't) include that in a video. And more ZR2 stuff is coming. We just filmed a winch install that'll likely get published in October and we have another really cool Colorado video we're filming in a few weeks. Also, we filmed several this summer that haven't got many views yet so please check the playlist to see if you missed any (oil change, air compressor install, snorkel install and a reaction video to the 2023 Colorado announcement).
I just picked up a 22 colorado zr2 3.6 L, where should i start? Was looking at sliders, cold air intakes, exhausts, maybe even superchargers lol
Dude… just binge the old videos. We’ve got tons of videos on maintenance, suspension, fitting 35’s, all sorts of stuff.
I have a 2020 Bison that I got brand new. I put a winch on it a Smitty built and it fit on with no mods and much cheaper than warn and works great. I would like to know how you got the leveling kit for your truck, as they told me that that kit will not work on the Bison ? That was GM . I also put the GM cold air and the exhaust and it is a fun truck, but it needs a supercharger to make it a great truck. Greenman
Nice! Any pointers on the winch install?!
Also, we have a leveling kit install on the channel now. It works perfectly on the Bison.
Loved the video and the highlights!! Are you planning to do a review on your 4Runner in the same format?? Thanks!!
Definitely! This was a ton of fun. The 4Runner rolled over 10k miles yesterday. We got it in early February so I’ll make the video around then next year.
@@JasonExplainsThings That's awesome! I got a 2022 4Runner SR5 Premium w/ XP Predator package after having a 2019 Chevy Colorado base package so interested to see what you guys think of the two. Thanks again for the awesome videos!!
Mind if I ask why you’re messing with the truck’s suspension? Have you had problems with clearance, or are you just modifying it for “mod’s sake?”
Valid question. We're raising the front for two specific reasons. One is to help accommodate a little larger tires when it's time to upgrade, and two is to help compensate for the extra weight that'll be added to the front when I add a winch in the future. I've heard the DSSV shocks tend to sag a bit with the added weight. Thanks for watching!
@@PNW_Bison Fair enough...maybe adjusting the spring rate might be preferable if you’re worried about sag, but I’m definitely no Bison expert. Sweet rig!
@@BlueLabelDrinker Absolutely, that'll be an option if needed.
I was seriously considering a Colorado, because I previously owned a 2005 Z71 Colorado for 10 years and loved it. I ended up getting a Gladiator. My mpg is slightly better than this (16.3mpg) which is surprising.
That’s is surprising! Congrats on the gladiator
@PracticalAutos I have not experienced death wobble on my Gladiator. I have 35" tires and a 3" lift. I upgraded my track bar and steering stabilizer. All of this was done at around 700 miles. I now have around 10,000 miles.
The 589 Fab shock relocation is infinitely better than any shock skid. I can't recommend it enough.
It’s gonna happen.
i had a 2016 colorado too, it was great up until year 3 and 50k - 55k miles. First trouble was the electrical system at about 50k then engine trouble at 55k miles. After doing some research i saw many many others having the same issues with the 16'. I got rid of it. Never again chevy.
I had a pretty decent experience with a 2008 Colorado I kept for 8 years/105k miles. My dad still has a beautiful 2000 Silverado that is going very strong. But I’m definitely not a GM fanboy. For a couple years my wife drove a 2005 Malibu. Bleh, that car kinda stunk.
Chevy is know to be complete garbage, specially as the cars age. Seriously some God awful reliability compared to the ranger and specially the tacoma. Chevy was even having such garbage transmissions that they used ford 10 speeds for a minute there until they screwed ford over and now they have garbage transmissions again.
@@alexgarcia3900 The 10 speed was a joint venture between GM and Ford and GM is still using it in their trucks and cars.
@Roger T Jones it's a ford transmission. Ford engineered it, and Chevy was supposed to engineer the one for the cars and crossovers, but as per usual, the one gm made where garbage. It was supposed to save them money as each could focus on just building one transmission as opposed to 2.
@@ZR2plowboy Google car and drive. Ford and chevy transmission collaboration
Any thoughts on the leveling kit and voiding the warranty on the DSSVs? I want to do it as well, but a little hesitant with the known reliability issues with the shocks. Great video - love hearing other owner's thoughts!
Not sure… what do you think Chris?
Nope, not worried about it. These are GM performance parts, but your right. It does state that if they are not installed by a gm certified technician it will void your warranty. My understanding is that Chevy would have to prove that the part in question caused whatever hypothetical problem occurs and this is a very minor mod, so it's a risk I'm willing to take. Good question!
@@PNW_Bison interesting, good to know. Thanks. Oh and please do the 589 outboard shock mounts so I can see how it works out for you before I go that route. Haha!
@@dylanjames2213 ooooh I want to so bad, we'll see.
I just found your channel and I'm in love with it. I have a 2021 GMC Canyon Elevation V6 and I want a Trifecta Tune. :)
Awesome! Enjoy the back catalogue!
You are the right person to answer my question between Z71 and ZR2 because you have experience both
Chevy only bring Z71 not ZR2. When I test drive Z71 on normal road, front seat is comportable and good but rear seat is not that comportable. (I know rear suspension structure) so I am a little worried about rear seat feeling if I buy Z71 and take my children in the rear seat.
First question is ZR2 is focus on off-road but it has a great suspension so I guess onload feeling is more comportable than Z71. Is that right?
Second question is what is opinion about inch up upgrade after I buy Z71? because we cannot get not various suspension as you.
I can get rough country 2 inch up package or people do 2 inch block installation on suspension in here. 2 inch up will be more comfortable for rear seat or it will make more rolling when I drive?
Please tell chevy to bring ZR2 into Korea ^^ it will be more popular than Z71
Hello, thanks for the comment! My kids haven't complained onece about comfort in the back seat. My 9 year old boy and 4 year old twin girls regularly sit back there with no issues. The ZR2 drives very comparibly to my Z71 when it had its original suspension, but is vastly superior off road. The rough country kit will make the truck look better and give you some better clearance, but the truck will drive stiffer. Hope those answers help! Cheers!
@@PNW_Bison I wish GM korea will bring ZR2 with or without Bison
Thank you for your answer
Yay, provision for the snorkel!
I have the 2021 Colorado Z71 long bed duramax diesel with offroad/towing packages. If you were budget constrained to do them over time again, would you repeat the order of upgrades or do them in a different order? Are there other things you would do first instead and see as more critical? Looking to start kitting out my otherwise stock truck! So far it handled the couple trails I went on beautifully, but there weren't too many technical parts
My avg mpg as a daily driver is around 22-23, but long freeway trips can touch 30 which is nice for distance.
Good question! First thing I'd do is the shock skids. Then, on the Z71, I'd do tires and underbody protection. If you haven't looked already, we have videos on the stuff we did to my old Z71 long bed! Upgrading the tires made a huge difference on that truck offroad.
There are a few guys that have installed a Warn Zeon 10S on their Bison and it fit perfectly, there are a few other types of winches that work as well. I'm baffled as to why AEV insists the only two winches that work are the 9.5XPS and the Come-Up. I plan on installing a Zeon 12S Platinum on my Bison. Both the 10S and 12S have identical measurements.
I’ll let Chris know. I believe the Zeon 10s and the 9.5XP cost the same.
@@JasonExplainsThings Not sure about that but the 9.5XP is basically old technology and is not waterproof whereas the Zeon is waterproof. I spoke with Warn awhile back and they told me kind of cryptically that the 9.5xp is going away.
Great video can’t wait for the next one
There will be another fun off-roading themed video on Monday hopefully.
I was curious of why not get the AEV upgrades for your old truck? I think what I'm really asking would it be viable to buy the non ZR2 and then add the AEV upgrades and icon suspension vs the package?
That’s honestly what I suggested to Chris before he bought the newer truck. But you wouldn’t be able to make it as capable because of the longer wheel base, lack of a front locker, etc. But adding AEV’s stuff after is still a great option.
Hey Charles, yes! Adding those AEV parts and suspension upgrades to the Z71 is totally viable. It was just kinda a right place right time thing for me with the Bison, along with the other things Jason listed above.
@@PNW_Bison In retrospect with the knowledge and experience you have now would have bought the Bison in the first place?
@@cstout1634 yes, I would because it's a better fit for me personally. All depends on use cases. The Z71 was an awesome truck in its own regard, and has a substantial amount more towing capacity (7,000 vs. 5,000). But for what I want out of the truck, the ZR2 Bison is perfect.
Also, neither the Bison or the ZR2 existed when I bought the first truck, so there's that, lol.
Without your original DIY video installing the Icon stage 5 kit I probably would have never gotten it. One thing I have been curious about. Does Chris utilize the front locker often? Maybe we should do a Colorado vs Colorado video collaboration. 😂 Great work as always! Did I hear correctly a Tacoma will be replacing the 4Runner?
4Runner isn't going anywhere! IF it works out I might sell my GTI and get a Tacoma. I live near a dealership that is selling vehicles at MSRP. With any luck that might happen in the coming months. I have a truck on order but haven't received a build date officially yet.
Chris can talk about the front locker, but I think it has come in handy a few times. I can remember him using it when we crossed a snow drift. I was able to do it in the 4Runner also but I think the ZR2 just did it easier.
@@JasonExplainsThings Pretty sure I cut the trail for you, but who's counting? 😉 Lolol but no, not much need for the front locker with where I've been so far, but always aiming to change that!
Really glad our video helped you make your decision on the Icons! Hope you like it!
How's that 8 speed transmission holding up? Love the truck, but heard bad things about these transmissions.
So far so good. Chris has had zero issues with it. Last we chatted he's at 25k miles. His previous truck (2016 Z71) also never had transmission issues.
Tires are 31.6” and closer to the rolling diameter actually measured of a 15x11.5x32”
Trifecta tune is a great upgrade
I have a 2017 ZR2, It has 61k on it. Lifetime miles so far 17.9 MPG. I’m guessing it has to be the xtra weight.
Enjoying the content and thanks for sharing. Just hard to see all the Sounders gear. lol. #RCTID
I'll try to tone it down for the next video, but no promises! #EBFG
Would you ever consider putting a 4" BDS lift on this beast?
We're working on the front leveling kit/high angle upper control arms right now actually. I'm thinking that will be it for lifts for the time being.
I really don't plan on doing too much lift with this guy. I think the rest of the lift will be in bigger tires for now. But who knows what wild hare I'll get in the future!
Any reason you went with that shock skid over 589 Fab or Dating Fab?
No reason in particular, those are both great options. I had Rago stuff on my last truck and really like the way the company did things. Good community.
@@PNW_Bison I ask because its on sale... :)
Update for anybody finding this comment: As of right now, the Rago offers the best coverage of all the skid plates. Additionally, it is a no-drill install, but it DOES require trimming a tiny tab on your ebrake mount. Not 100% sure how I'll do this since I don't have anything with a cutting wheel but I'll figure it out.
Great post!!
great video. earned a sub
Many thanks!
To help with fuel economy, I would recommend to use premium once in a while.
Might try it, normally run midgrade.
Agreed. I run premium as well. The engine also is rated for higher horsepower that way.
Direct injection engines love premium.
@@JasonExplainsThings I use premium as well in my ZR2, it's just seems happier.
Love the look
I have the same problem with B pillar on my 18 gasser ZR2!!!
Lame!
Quick question on the upcoming Chevy Performance leveling kit and high angle control arms. I notice on the control arms on chevy’s website it has this note: “Not compatible with: ZR2 Front Long Travel DSSV Shocks (84402367)”. So will they work with a zr2 bison? Thanks!
Yes. I had the same question for Chris actually. So there's another version of the DSSV shocks that are a long travel upgrade. The ones on the ZR2 and Bison will work. We have already filmed the installation. Just need to shoot the rest of the video and a review portion. But the install went smoothly. We'll probably have the install video ready in January.
Great question sir. I'll make a note to include this in our install video.
@@JasonExplainsThings thank you after further digging I realized it was a dumb question on my part!
Not at all. I asked Chris the same thing when I was reading the install instructions.
I have a 2020 bison 13k miles been with the dealer 3 times, it is there now. Replaced TCM first time, 2nd time replaced the main wiring harness, now it is throwing TCM and PCM codes and antilock brake codes. I wont by a Chevy again.
Crazy. Not my experience with a 2008 Colorado. Beyond a few leaks that got fixed under warranty, I had 105k on it before I sold it with little to no issues. Chris has had good luck too. It's a bummer you're having such a bad experience.
That mpg blows my mind, considering Colorado’s usually do much better than 15.
That’s an average (mostly around town). We just did a road trip and he gets 17-18 highway.
People forget to mention the cost of the additive that comes with the Diesel engines .
What motor do you have?
3.6L Gas. We do a follow up review of a modified diesel Bison about a month after this video published.
Thank you, it said right after I sent 🤦
Where’d you get the front bumper?
It's from AEV, part of the Bison Package. But they can be purchased for a ZR2 from AEV directly.
It's a clip show! 🤣 Wooot!
Sponsored by our day jobs got a sub from me lol
Keep the 4Runner! 😪🥲
Big misunderstanding! By car I mean my VW Golf that's in a few videos. My wife daily's the 4Runner and I want to be cool like her. ;-)
What about the CV boots
Not sure what your question is, but they haven't had any issues.
Subscribed be you're a Washingtonian
Supercharge it!!!
🤘
😂😂😂😂😂 the memes to what they said!!
Trust me, 33's well rub off road with a level. The AEV trim kit fixes that.
Thanks, I’ll pass that along to Chris.
If I get one its going to be a diesel.
You can get the dual gas tank with the diesel.
Do you have a link?
12000 miles in a year. You hardly ever drive it. How is supposed to show any reliability?
Welp, you can't make em all happy, I guess. I do mention however, that I traded my 2016 in for this that I owned for 5 years with no issues, so, maybe that helps? 🤷
Joe, you go have yourself a great day. Merry Christmas!
Did you say 15mpg??? That’s worse than my 1500 Silverado. I’ve seen other people claim 30mpg. What did you do to get 15mpg. That’s terrible.
Jason is heavy on the pedal...I get 21mpg.
2 bad the company is trash & treats its employees like hell
Whiner
Feels almost useless to talk about reliability for a 1 year old truck….
Reliability starts meaning something after 5 years or 50k miles. Obviously hard to do for a YT car but first couple years youre not going to have problems. You think manufacturers having warranties that last 5 years a coincidence? They know thats when problems are bound to arise
You are correct, sir. That's why we spent so little time on the subject, just a quick check in. Hope you enjoyed the rest of the video!
i have a 2015 colorado z71 and it’s got about 110k miles, i love it like it just came off the lot.
i can tell you that it’s very reliable for me. only thing i noticed is that every 55-60 thousand miles there’s a electronic valve at the top of the engine that gets stuck open or closed and it makes the emissions system freak out, but after a $40 part the truck is fine. (it starts cranking funny and after a full tank of gas the truck starts idling funny plus CEL)
aside from that no issues and a lot of hard wheeling and heavy petal.
my transmission has a very light “chevy shutter” but it’s one of those things that is pretty much just bad programming and allegedly can be fixed by a transmission tune, probably one of those things that annoys other people but doesn’t actually affect reliability is my best guess