If you like super-sized trucks with plenty of attitude, we're sure you enjoyed the feature on Justin Veit's wild '09 Chevy Silverado 3500 on page 58. It's easy to see a completed truck and really like it, but in this story we'll show you what it took to go from dealer lot to SEMA show floor. It's only after you see the hard work put into a ride that you can fully appreciate it and in the case of this hard-hitting HD, all of the parts added functionality, style, and in the case of the Bully Dog GT tuner, it added power and increased mileage to the dualie.
With a truck this tall, getting in and out of if it can be precarious, but ingress and egress is a breeze with Amp Research's power retractable steps. The best thing about these steps is their virtual invinsibility-that is until you open a door and they motorize down! Another stealth addition was Recon's lineup of smoked LED lights. Blacked-out projector headlights add style to the front end, smoked LED cab lights and side fender markers give the dualie's big-rig looks some attitude, and out back, Recon's smoked LED tail lights are the perfect finishing touch to the brute. Keeping with the form meeting function theme, Bell Auto Upholstery, in Phoenix, pulled almost every panel from the interior and wrapped it in black suede and completed the elegant look by cutting up the factory leather seats and stitching in grey suede inserts. The look screams luxury with an understated voice you could also hear asking for the Grey Poupon. To get the most out of the '09 Duramax turbo-diesel, we installed a Bully Dog GT tuner and its installation was as easy as plugging it in and driving, only with extra power on tap. Keeping that extra power cooled, we addded a Mag-Hytec diff cover and swapped in new Royal Purple 75W-90 gear oil for the ultimate in style and protection.
To help us install the parts while we snapped the pics, we drove the '09 Chevy Silverado 3500 Crew Cab to Desert Rat Off-Road Centers, also in Phoenix, where lead installer Reuben handled the wrenching. These easy-to-do mods made a huge difference in the truck's appeal without sacrificing daily drivability. Check out the story and give the companies a call if your truck is in need of added form and function.
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Arriving at Bell Auto Upholstery in Phoenix, we requested a useable, yet luxurious interio
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As you can see, our Chevy 3500 LTZ came with black leather from the factory, but the light
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With the seat plastics removed and the seat disassembled, the leather covers were removed
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A small razor knife was then used to cut out the seat's center section. This piece was the
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Seen here going through the sewing machine, the new suede section was then attached to the
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After pulling the leather cover down over the factory foam, it was massaged into place usi
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To remove the headliner, each pillar was pulled free and removed, the sunvisors removed, a
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Using automotive-grade spray adhesive, the headliner and black suede were given a coating
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Each pillar received a similar treatment. As a tip, when wrapping around corners or turns,
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After just a short few hours, the entire interior looked great thanks to Bell Upholstery.
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A quick drive over to Desert Rat Off-Road Truck Center in Phoenix, had our dualie ready fo
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First, the Amp Research motors were bolted to the pinch molding underneath the Chevy 3500
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Then the power boards were bolted to the motors, again using Allen hardware. As long as th
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Here, you can see the wiring for the motors ran through the factory wire loom and up into
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15. Amp steps use diodes to activate the motors when either door on one particular side is
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He then removed each door panel to access the brown plug connector and tapped into the gre
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The Amp wires were then fed into the engine bay and connected to the Amp control module. I
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It was now time for a test. With the door closed, the Amp Research power steps were barely
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And with the door opened, success! The dualie was now much easier to get in and out of, wi
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Moving onto the Recon LED parts, we began out back with the smoked LED tail light install.
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If you can use a screwdriver, you can install these lights. Reuben used a standard Phillip
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After unplugging the factory light bulb sockets, the new Recon lights were plugged into th
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And just like that, the new smoked LED tail lights were in place and looking great.
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For all you dualie owners out there, this mod should be on your to-do list. These LED cab
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As you can see, the bright orange doesn't exactly fit the dark theme of the truck build. N
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Again, simply using a screwdriver, Reuben removed the factory lights and swapped them in f
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Much, much better.
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Another simple mod, these LED marker lights for dualie fenders will add some much-needed s
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Bright orange = not cool.
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But after simply using a plastic pry tool to free up the lights and unplugging the wiring
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...Reuben was able to install much sexier smoked lights on the dualie.
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Safety is important and all the Recon LED lights are DOT/SAE compliant, including this LED
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We were now ready for the Bully Dog GT tuner. This new tuner simply plugs into the OBD-II
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Perfect for towing, increasing mileage, or for just hauling the mail, the Bully Dog GT tun
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To maintain cool running temps for our one-ton gears, we added a Mag-Hytec diff cover to t
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As an added bonus, the Mag-Hytech cover also looks burly and with the external fins, it lo
FROM THE DRIVER SEAT
Each of these installs can easily be done in your driveway in just a few short hours. The interior can be tricky, but with good material and some patience, it's actually really easy. Recon's lights fit perfectly and provide the sinister look we were going for. The smoked LED tail lights are world-class and really look great at night. Getting in and out of the lifted truck is safe and easy with the addition of the power steps, but there are a great deal of steps to follow and taking the interior apart was a chore. All in all, it was money well spent and after a day's worth of work later, our '09 Chevy dualie was ready to roll in style.
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Time Spent Working: 8 Hours
Degree Of Difficulty: Beginner
(with the exception of sewing the suede seat inserts)
Tools Needed:
Phillips screwdriver, plastic pry tool, assorted Allen wrenches, razor blade, spray adhesive, wire crimpers
Parts Used:
Amp Research power steps 75126-01A $1,209.54
Bell Auto Upholstery full interior suede wrap CALL FOR PRICING
Bully Dog GT diesel tuner 40420 $699.99
Mag-Hytec 14-bolt differential cover Maggm-14-10.5a $254.99
Recon smoked projector headlights 264195BK $499.95
Recon smoked LED third brake light 264125BK $99.95
Recon smoked LED cab roof lights 264156BK $99.95
Recon smoked LED dualie fender lights 264133BK $99.95
Recon smoked LED tail lights 264175BK $349.95
Total: $3,314.27
(prices do not include tax, shipping, or the cost of installation)