Hey all, just signed up yesterday and i must say im glad i did! Ive been doing a lot of reading on the site today looking for advice/suggestions on upgrading my truck. I have a 04.5 LLY Ext cab SB fully stock right now and im finally ready to start tweaking with it! Im looking for suggestions from everyone on products, such as exhaust, chips, lifts, wheels/tires.... so pretty much all kind of mods! lol All suggestions and opinions are welcome and thanks to everyone in advance!

It all depends on the amount of money you want to spend. If you have enough money for and transmission upgrade, then do that and get it out of the way. If not, you can research alot of different threads on mods. You may want to upgrade your tire size, but think if you tow anything heavy or not. If you are towing anything heavy, I would only go up to the 265's. If not towing anything near the 10000lbs range, then go with the 285's. I have the Bridgestone Revos and they are great. Plus you can go to any Firestone tire place and get tire rotations for free, saving me money. I also got a lifetime alignment done when I bought the tires. So, now they check my alignment everytime I have the tires roatated for FREE.

As far as programmers and chips go, several of us are happy with the Predator Diablosport programmer. Price is good and it allows you to read diagnostic codes and clear them. It also allows you to make the necessary speedometer calibration changes for different size tires. You have a choice of several different loads and the 65 and 85 hp settings should be good. I run the 65hp setting and love it. If you do the 100hp setting, you may limp your tranny. Keep it in mind, the tranny, when playing with mods.

If you like the chip, then the edge would be good with the attitude monitor. There are some issues with the edge but it is a good product overall. Edge is working on fixing any issues and is good with customer service.

With any mods, you should go ahead and get some guages, pyrometer and boost mayber. But if you buy the edge products, the attitude takes place of your guages.

As far as exhaust goes, you can read several threads realating to this. It all depends on what you want to do or hear. The first improvement would be to remove the cat and your turbo will spool up better. There is really not much difference between the 4 or 5 inch exhausts, in my opinion. Your main goal with exhaust is to lower the EGTs.

As for intakes, the AFE stage II is a good one. But keep in mind, all it adds is the ability to hear the whistle of the turbo better. The AC Delco filter is the best in regards to filtration. There are other air filters you can use with your stock box that are reusable washable filters. I use the K&N as I run over 70k a year. Lots of highway driving and off road as well.

I hope this information is helpful but there are several threads that can go into different mods. You may have to sit downa nd spend endless hours of reading in order to come up with an educated decision for yourself.

Mods for Durability:
1. Add Bypass oil filter system of your choice. ie. Amsoil BMK17 Dual Bypass for Duramax
2. Use high quality engine oil, ie Schaeffers Supreme 7000 15x40
3. Add Pre Oem Fuel filter/water separator. ie. Nictane, Dahl, Baldwin
4. Replace Differential fluids with Synthetics, add recommended gm additive.
5. Add deep sump tranny pan, Flush tranny fluid , Replace with Allison spec oil

Mods for Power
1. Install your choice of Mandrel bent Exhaust system, either cat-back or turbo-down pipe back.
2. Installl your choce of Intake system.
3. Install Fingers stick, and Egr blocker plate if you have lly and have done 1 and 2.
4. Install your choice of Programming power enhancement.
5. Install your choice of guages to monitor your engines reaction to your mods.
6. Install your choice of Propane fumigation
7. Stack programmers if you still aren't satisfied.

Mods to handle power mods 4-7
1. Either keep a soft shoe on right foot or
2. Reach deep in your pocket and modifly your tranny


I have had a blast reading this forum and listening to the experts and then making my own mind on the brands and forum sponsors to purchase them from.
good luck
Joe