2004 Silverado most bang for my buck?

[Diesel_Dave]

As far as the smooth hubcaps, I've though of (but not built) covers attached by coupler nuts to the wheel studs. Many wheel studs, including mine, stick out past the lug nuts. I'm thinking you should be able to attach the covers that way without removing the lug nuts. If you couldn't get coupler nuts you probably could use regular nuts and some threaded rod. Might want to use some loctite too, to make sure they don't come off.

[oil pan 4]

I would like to build thin clear plexi glass rear wheel well covers that can be used in road trips and could be removed for driving around town. They would attach with magnets or something so they could be installed and removed with in about a minute.
My suburban makes a lot of wind noise in the back and I think its coming from around the rear wheels.

Clear wheel covers would help for highway trips also. I would like to make some that attach and detach very fast too (maybe with magnets).

Diesel dave, since your truck has the 6 speed I am guessing it has the 6.7L?

[BamZipPow]

Magnets are not strong enough to hold the covers on. You want something that locks it in place...Dzus fasteners, screws, bolts, etc...

[oil pan 4]

I am thinking lots of little rare earth magnets set in epoxy.

[Lethedethius]

Bam with all respect intended you are absolutely wrong. Have you ever seen the magnets used in computer HardDrives? If you got an old broken hdd go ahead and take it apart, take one magnet and put it on your palm, take the other and put it on the back of the hand. It will be a pain to remove, or for fun put it on the tips of your fingers and watch how much skin will be torn off before you can get the magnets to release.

I thought of that actually, attachable/detachable rear wheel covers, except my concept was of ones that were plastic and matched the truck, much how the Honda Insight has them. I also thought because you don't want someone jacking them you would have to cut slits in your fender wells, and then install 3 locking mechanisms such as these:

http://www.yaotek.com/store/Assets/P...es/2050033.jpg

Or many wall lockers have ones that when turned a long pole is extended through a hole in the top and hole in the bottom, I think this would be ideal.

Also Bam take a magnet like that and put it on your oil pan, most newer vehicles (I know mine does) have magnets on the drain plug to collect metal shavings, if you put that on the oil pan of an older vehicle it will do the same, so when you drain the oil you get more bang for your buck.

If someone made fender well covers that looked good on my truck, and fit as well as the honda insight I would pay for them, I think I would pay as much as $100, maybe a little more.

[Diesel_Dave]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

Diesel dave, since your truck has the 6 speed I am guessing it has the 6.7L?

Yes, I have the 6.7L engine, although some 5.9L's came with a 6-speed tranny (although it's different than the one that came with the 6.7L).

[darcane]

Originally Posted by Lethedethius

Dar, can you send me detailed pictures and descriptions on what you did? I want to add your mod to my truck-with an addition, I'm going to try to paint it the same color as the truck ;-)

Well, at first I made a grill block out of black, corex (Corex is basically the same stuff as coroplast, and is typically used for political campaign type signs. You can buy corrugated plastic from most any plastic supplier or sign shop for $15-20 per 4'x8' sheet. It comes in a wide range of colors, probably even a close enough color to your truck) sheet and attached it to the back of my grill using zip ties and small metal plates I had lying around for reinforcement:

I just started with cardboard, made a template, and then used it to cut out the plastic version. Pretty simple to do, really. It wasn't terribly effective behind the grill, I believe this was because it deflected and allowed air past it.

My second version was simply moving it to the front of the grill, which was more effective. And then adding a block to the lower part of the grill (leaving a hole for the tranny cooler):


I also built a belly pan. First, I made a pattern from cardboard, transferred to the corex sheet:


Made a metal framework, held together with 1/4" screws, fender washers, and speed nuts:


And, using more of the same hardware, mounted it in place:


I also want to build panels similar to #3 here:

But I haven't found the time. This will be a little trickier since there isn't much to attach to right there.

[Frank Lee]

You did a very nice looking job with that metal framework!

[darcane]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

You did a very nice looking job with that metal framework!

Thanks. It was simple, effective, and reasonably priced.

Durable too. Two years later and it's holding up great. My wife scrapped a curb with the lower part of the bumper and belly pan a little while back and it buckled just slightly, but nothing got ripped off or anything. It's not really a problem, and nobody but me would notice.

[Lethedethius]

Hey Darcane, I did accomplish making the top piece, I'm going to work on the bottom tomorrow. Hey I have a website called houston-domestic.com; pretty much it focuses on domestic vehicles, would you mind registering and posting that how to there too? That is stupendously awesome stuff!