> 1. 6-speed automatic transmission
> 2. Electronic "fuzzy logic" shift control
Don't know. Sounds like a good idea. It is really just the switch pitch
converter from the mid '60s though. Apparently, the trans fluid can get
really hot in the high stall mode. The fuzzy logic has timers to prevent
you from staying in the high stall mode for too long, but that is really
not going to help you too much. If you needed the high stall mode, just
because you run out of time does not mean you don't still need the high
stall mode. It seems like the high stall mode could get you half way up
the hill and then you might end up in low stall even though you are not all
the way up yet. A real "6 speed" trans would not have this limitation.
If the timers give you enough time, though, the converter method might
still be a good alternative.
> 3. Power Drive 3.50
I've already given my opinion on the 3.42 final drive. I don't think it is
a good idea for a non-towing application. I'm really not even sure it is
that great an idea for towing applications. I really think we should all
just use 2nd gear a little more. Others disagree, however, and consider it
a great improvement.
I see the power drive as possibly even worse than the final drive upgrade.
It is going to increase the torque going through the trans and to the final
drive instead of reducing the load on the trans like a higher ratio final
drive would. It does allow the trans to spin a little slower than it would
with the higher ratio final drive, but I don't know if this is a good thing
or not since this will also slow down the fluid flow. This would, however,
probably result in a little better MPG than a similar ratio final drive.
> 4. 3-bearing front hubs
These haven't been out very long as far as I know. I don't see the
problems with the stock bearings, so I would have to advise against
"upgrading". From Patrick's stories about someone with "upgraded" bearings
losing a wheel, I would tend to stay away from any new bearing designs
until they have really proven themselves on someone else's GMC. I guess if
everyone felt this way, we would never get anywhere though would we!
> 5. Rear suspension twin stabilizer bars
We have these. This kit is very well made. How much they actually do, I
can't say for sure. They do seem to work pretty good for us. We put these
on with their shocks and have been pretty happy with the performance.
The parts we have seen from Caspro have been very well made and look very
strong. They also bolted on as advertised. There are very few things for
the GMC that are actually "bolt on" applications, but Caspro's products (at
least the ones we have purchased) are.
We have purchased things as simple as a fuel selector valve from Gateway
and numerous small things from Cinnabar that were not even close to being
simple replacements or bolt on items even though they were supposedly
"exact" replacements for the GMC. These simple things turned into major
projects because these suppliers sent us parts that performed the same
basic function as the original but did not fit like original, did not
perform the function as well as the original, and did not have any
instructions or mounts for adapting to it from the original setup. I
really don't know how Gateway expected the normal GMCer to have any use for
the fuel selector valve they sent us. We actually ended up fabricating a
mount for it ourselves. It turned out to be a waste of time though,
because we ended up taking it out after only 1 trip. We didn't like how
much it reduced the fuel flow when compared with the original.
Caspro's rear-sway bar kit, on the other hand, fit well enough and had
enough instructions to turn a major project into one that was fairly
simple. IMO, you can't ask for much more than that.
These are just my opinions,
Zak
> 2. Electronic "fuzzy logic" shift control
Don't know. Sounds like a good idea. It is really just the switch pitch
converter from the mid '60s though. Apparently, the trans fluid can get
really hot in the high stall mode. The fuzzy logic has timers to prevent
you from staying in the high stall mode for too long, but that is really
not going to help you too much. If you needed the high stall mode, just
because you run out of time does not mean you don't still need the high
stall mode. It seems like the high stall mode could get you half way up
the hill and then you might end up in low stall even though you are not all
the way up yet. A real "6 speed" trans would not have this limitation.
If the timers give you enough time, though, the converter method might
still be a good alternative.
> 3. Power Drive 3.50
I've already given my opinion on the 3.42 final drive. I don't think it is
a good idea for a non-towing application. I'm really not even sure it is
that great an idea for towing applications. I really think we should all
just use 2nd gear a little more. Others disagree, however, and consider it
a great improvement.
I see the power drive as possibly even worse than the final drive upgrade.
It is going to increase the torque going through the trans and to the final
drive instead of reducing the load on the trans like a higher ratio final
drive would. It does allow the trans to spin a little slower than it would
with the higher ratio final drive, but I don't know if this is a good thing
or not since this will also slow down the fluid flow. This would, however,
probably result in a little better MPG than a similar ratio final drive.
> 4. 3-bearing front hubs
These haven't been out very long as far as I know. I don't see the
problems with the stock bearings, so I would have to advise against
"upgrading". From Patrick's stories about someone with "upgraded" bearings
losing a wheel, I would tend to stay away from any new bearing designs
until they have really proven themselves on someone else's GMC. I guess if
everyone felt this way, we would never get anywhere though would we!
> 5. Rear suspension twin stabilizer bars
We have these. This kit is very well made. How much they actually do, I
can't say for sure. They do seem to work pretty good for us. We put these
on with their shocks and have been pretty happy with the performance.
The parts we have seen from Caspro have been very well made and look very
strong. They also bolted on as advertised. There are very few things for
the GMC that are actually "bolt on" applications, but Caspro's products (at
least the ones we have purchased) are.
We have purchased things as simple as a fuel selector valve from Gateway
and numerous small things from Cinnabar that were not even close to being
simple replacements or bolt on items even though they were supposedly
"exact" replacements for the GMC. These simple things turned into major
projects because these suppliers sent us parts that performed the same
basic function as the original but did not fit like original, did not
perform the function as well as the original, and did not have any
instructions or mounts for adapting to it from the original setup. I
really don't know how Gateway expected the normal GMCer to have any use for
the fuel selector valve they sent us. We actually ended up fabricating a
mount for it ourselves. It turned out to be a waste of time though,
because we ended up taking it out after only 1 trip. We didn't like how
much it reduced the fuel flow when compared with the original.
Caspro's rear-sway bar kit, on the other hand, fit well enough and had
enough instructions to turn a major project into one that was fairly
simple. IMO, you can't ask for much more than that.
These are just my opinions,
Zak
