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2000 Chevy Silverado 1500 2WD - Walking The Line

Can Your Street-Legal Truck Do This?

By Kevin Blumer, Photography by Kevin Blumer
2000 Chevy Silverado 1500 2Wd Front Left View
  • Kartek Comp seats and Crow five-point harnesses ensure everyone stays safely put inside the cab. The shoulder harness belts are mounted to a roll cage tube that's installed just a little lower than the harness slots in the seats. This method is a textbook example of mounting belts the right way.
    Kartek Comp seats and Crow five-point harnesses ensure everyone stays safely put inside th
  • The factory brake booster was in the way, so it was ditched in favor of a CNC manual brake system. The brake light switch was plumbed and wired into the new master cylinder system.
    The factory brake booster was in the way, so it was ditched in favor of a CNC manual brake
  • The low-slung door bars make it easy to get in and out of this truck.
  • Key parts of the 'cage bolt on and off for easier maintenance. Weld quality is exemplary throughout.
    Key parts of the 'cage bolt on and off for easier maintenance. Weld quality is exemplary t
  • If there's an Achilles heel to this truck, it's the stock steering rack. We don't know what GM was thinking on this one, but half of the rack's housing is steel and the other half is aluminum. Even worse, there's an unreliable rivet holding the whole works together. Rex welded a support tab to each end, and then tied the tabs onto a common mounting plate. He also built a gusset to reinforce the input shaft area. These are slick fixes that help, but the ultimate solution is to mount a Howe power rack and pinion unit in place of the stock stuff. The Howe rack is in the works, but wasn't yet reality when we met Rex and his Chevy.
    If there's an Achilles heel to this truck, it's the stock steering rack. We don't know wha
  • The gas tank's vapor canister is tucked up out of the way, hidden behind a removable bracket.
    The gas tank's vapor canister is tucked up out of the way, hidden behind a removable brack
  • The lower trailing arms are simple and strong. They're fitted with grease zerks at the frame end for easy maintenance and squeak-free running. The stock rear axle was retained in order to cut costs. Welding to a cast iron centersection isn't for the inexperienced, but it can be pulled off successfully if you know a couple of welding tricks.
    The lower trailing arms are simple and strong. They're fitted with grease zerks at the fra
  • Sol Teck lights are always a solid choice, but the big news here is the visor under the lights. Light glare reflecting off the hood is a major hindrance to seeing well after sundown. Mr. Rajewski understands this, and built this visor for optimal night running.
    Sol Teck lights are always a solid choice, but the big news here is the visor under the li
  • There's a lot hidden behind the fiberglass, so this was the best way to reveal what's usually unseen. The frame is notched above the rear axle, garnering extra inches of bump travel.
    There's a lot hidden behind the fiberglass, so this was the best way to reveal what's usua
  • Instead of chopping off the back half of the frame, Rex built on top of the rails. A Fox coilover works in concert with a King bypass shock to produce 28 inches of rear wheel travel. The boxed plate rear shock mounts are simple, yet elegant.
    Instead of chopping off the back half of the frame, Rex built on top of the rails. A Fox c
  • The rollcage was connected to the cab with unobtrusive tie-in plates. There's a Mag Lite stashed out of the way yet still within reach. You can never have too many zip ties along for the ride.
    The rollcage was connected to the cab with unobtrusive tie-in plates. There's a Mag Lite s
  • The stock steering knuckles and the unit-bearing hubs within them are both weak points. The stock hardware was replaced with this owner-built steering knuckle. Rex turned to Blitzkrieg Motorsports for a bolt-on Dana 44-style spindle and a matching BMS hub.
    The stock steering knuckles and the unit-bearing hubs within them are both weak points. Th
By Kevin Blumer
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