Expedition Overland interviews AEV on the new Bison ZR2 Colorado

[great08]

No. The 34” tires in the video are not going to be an option sadly. They would have to get re-certified for ratings on towing (effects both acceleration and braking), crash, etc. Plus the larger tires would likely put more strain on things like the CV joints( entire drive train actually), ball joints, steering components, etc. that would increase wear on those items as well. Lots of reasons to keep the tires stock size. I shall be doing that as well most likely on my Z71. Staying stock unless it gets annoying.

It was cool to hear that 33” tires would bolt up with that new bumper though.

 

[Boostpowered]

265 70 17 tires will fit without trouble, it will give you 31.5" tires on the z71 if you swap out the 255 65 17. Ive planned on a 3" lift with the 265s eventually. when i end up high centered on something until then im staying stock .

 

[obrianmcc]

That is fair.

GM does not make their airbags I am sure. So they likely already switched to a different mfr by now. I have heard about that too. I wonder if it was a sensor or the airbags themselves. I will do a little looking around in internet land to see what I can learn about this.

EDIT:

I just found a thread on coloradofans.com about the subject. Around 10 ZR2s a Z71 and a LT had this happen. Always when off road. Usually when on a bumpy slope/or bumpy and steep incline. I subscribed to the thread since it is active to see how it ends up. There was talk of Tacoma guys having a switch to disable the airbags when off road because they were having issues as well (on some trucks at some point anyways). So some Colorado guys are getting switches installed just in case. Others are pulling the curtain airbag fuse when off road.

Most owners have been putting their ZR2s through the ringer and not having any issue. Some guys were chiming in and saying that out of very large groups going through crazy stuff nobody had an issue. It may end up being only on some trucks through a certain build date range. So everyone is coming together to figure it out. Gotta love the internet for things like this!

For now they suspect it has something to do with a rollover protection mode/sensor. Apparently there is two types of sensors in the system that can set them off. When their bags deploy(saw some pics and the bags were massive)... their seatbelts also permanently lockup... and ONSTAR calls their vehicle thinking they were in a wreck. Suggesting it is not the bags but the truck thinking it is rolling over. They typically get ringing ears from the impact, sore shoulders, and it takes a minute to get around the massive airbags.

GM has been pulling their crash data to try and figure it out. It is crazy how much the trucks actually record. Things like %throttle, rpms, speed, %torque, was cruise control on?, was the brake applied?, etc. Saw some pics of that data as well.

Not surprised about the data record keeping really. I get a report card/email every week telling me how good my driving is and things I can do to get better fuel economy or be safer. lol

Nissan had this issue with the Frontier ... had something to do with the roll over sensor. About a year ago they sent out an update to have the dealers re-flash the computer updating the sensor parameters. Fine line balance between on road safety and off road capability. The most contention wasn't around the airbags deploying .. it was Nissan not covering the repair/replacement in a vehicle that clearly had not rolled nor had it been impacted. I'd imagine that the people who have had this happen are dealing with similar challenges with Chevy?

 

[Desert Runner]

Once the manufacturers went to side curtain air-bag systems, their off-road vehicles have been susceptible to this occurring. Luckily this is much more rare today. I remember complaints of this happening with on-street vehicles also, and people that had curbed their vehicles. Nowadays, it is not as likely a happenstance, as they have been able to fine tune the sensors to be less sensitive to false input. However as stated above, fixing a false deployment is big $$$, and also time consuming. I know if a front bag is deployed, the vehicle is immobilized, I believe this is also true on a side curtain deployment. Bad news, let alone exasperating as the parts to fix this type of malfunction, are not standard in the parts bin. Then you have the cheap skate (small shops) who use a non-deployed junk yard replacement, and you have to wonder why it never deployed in the first place.

 

[great08]

Nissan had this issue with the Frontier ... had something to do with the roll over sensor. About a year ago they sent out an update to have the dealers re-flash the computer updating the sensor parameters. Fine line balance between on road safety and off road capability. The most contention wasn't around the airbags deploying .. it was Nissan not covering the repair/replacement in a vehicle that clearly had not rolled nor had it been impacted. I'd imagine that the people who have had this happen are dealing with similar challenges with Chevy?

One dude was. After they pulled his data and realized he was going pretty slow with light throttle... they finally fixed it. Then suggested he not off road anymore. lol

The funny thing is that I have seen a great many videos of these trucks doing crazy things off road. None of them have had any issue. I am starting to suspect that in the end it will be a software/harmonic issue. Get the frequency just right... and boom.

Seems like most (not all) deployed while @ speed on a slope... with bumps. I have seen many crawling sideways up a steep/rocky hill with not issues.

The only other thing they seemed to have in common was that they were all white trucks for a while there. lol

I know I got mine in white to hide scratches. So most of the more aggressive off roaders get theirs in white too I bet (Not me yet).

 

[great08]

Just found a YouTube video of a ZR2 owner talking about the subject.

The curtain airbag issue appears to be an issue for all makes and models of vehicles. I subscribed to him in case he puts out a future vid on the subject.

Pretty much stated that GM (all mfrs really) are liable for being sued if they disable airbags or provide a way to do so. Said that most ZR2 owners have not had an issue. That it is pretty darn rare.

One of the commenters down below the vid stated that Tacomas used to actually come from the factory with a disable switch... and that they no longer do that. I assume it is also so they wont be sued by owners who disable the airbags and then roll the vehicle.

 

[great08]

Airbag Update:

I just got some great news on the airbag issue that some folks were experiencing (mainly in ZR2s). GM is officially updating the software!

I just saw the news on the TFL truck YouTube channel. The title of the video is "Are Chevy Trucks Back or Busted?" Talking trucks #23

I would provide a link but cannot watch YouTube @ work. Saw it on my phone. lol

So far GM has reimbursed 11 owners and is putting out a software upgrade for the fix. Can't get much easier than that for an upgrade. Good to hear! Good job getting a fix n GM.

 

[madcratebuilder]

I'm surprised at how quickly GM addressed the side air bag issue. There has been about a dozen ZR2's that had deployments, but by all the crap online you would think every other one had a deployment. GM screwed the pooch by releasing the info before telling the dealer service departments.

My thoughts on tire size is anything over a 32" needs a gear ratio change and the only other set from the stock 3.42 is 4.56. I would like to see a 4.11 set avaliable. 33" and 4.11's would be a great match.

A 32.2 tire shouldn't cause that much more stress on axles and joints.

 

[great08]

Looks like the starting price for the Bison will be around $48k for the extended cab and $49.5k for the crew cab allegedly. Not bad!

https://jalopnik.com/the-2019-chevy-colorado-zr2-bison-will-start-at-48-045-1830343229

 

[great08]

Here is one of the many vids showing that the ZR2 can take a beating.

 

[Terex]

Here's my Bison knockoff. I call it the "Burrito", because heating a burrito is the only thing the cell phone charger in the Colorado is good for. ;) I've got the 589 Fab skid plate package, cab mounted the spare for extra clearance, and have no interest in much bigger tires or a bumper modification. I tow a small, off-road trailer with it and I'm super pleased with the performance. And yeah, added the Hi-Lift jack before I knew it wouldn't work on the ZR2. Works on the trailer though, so I'm keeping it. PS: I'm waiting to have the airbag fix done until other owners "road test" it.

 

[Boostpowered]

Ive been calling my z71 the donkey

 

[Boostpowered]

I was guessing around 5k, so $5750.00 for the Bison package I don't feel is that bad as it's coming from the dealer, full warranty and crash tested. No it's not a deal, but IMO not bad.

Plus the add on options of the duramax engine and the snorkel pretty sure the snorkel is around $500

 

[great08]

Here is a video list of factory available suspension upgrades you can get for the ZR2!

These are the exact parts used on the Hall race/Baja truck. Nice... but $21k total. Some side items were added in there with Overlanders in mind. Just watch... these are all bolt-on items that can be bought separately.

 

[madcratebuilder]

Here's my Bison knockoff. I call it the "Burrito", because heating a burrito is the only thing the cell phone charger in the Colorado is good for. ;) I've got the 589 Fab skid plate package, cab mounted the spare for extra clearance, and have no interest in much bigger tires or a bumper modification. I tow a small, off-road trailer with it and I'm super pleased with the performance. And yeah, added the Hi-Lift jack before I knew it wouldn't work on the ZR2. Works on the trailer though, so I'm keeping it. PS: I'm waiting to have the airbag fix done until other owners "road test" it.

I agree on the taller tires, if go over 33" you need to look at a gear change, do that and you stress the front axles. The charger fits my S8 just fine. If you still have the hi-lift get the tire lift-mate, only $30, works great.

 

[Delkat]

I put 33 inch E rated K02s and it feels fine from a gearing standpoint. Still very responsive. It feels less responsive under braking. The issue is tire clearance front and rear. The front can be trimmed without too much of an issue. The rear has an issue due to the arc of the axle on the leaf packs as it reaches full compression. The tires hit the front of the wheel well, but only under heavy load. That is why GM is offering the rear leaf pack with a relocated axle. I heard someone is working on a relocation mount for the stock leaf pack that will save big $s. Using the new GM 1.25 level and 1.5 inch body lift will help significantly with tire clearance issues.

I would like to know if you can use the front level, high articulation A-arms but not have to spend the $4K on the half shafts.

Truck has been great so far. Extremely capable out of the box.

 

[great08]

And… another video review of the Bison!

This time by the TFL Truck channel on YouTube.

 

[great08]

OK... guys are already out there dropping the 6.2L V8 in their Colorados. lol

 

[Boostpowered]

If hes racing he will be the first off the line but i think there will be trouble in the corners due to weight displacement . I have a feeling though this is a look what i can do, guning at every stoplight scenario or sema show type deal. Id like to see it off road and not in a desert to see what it will do.

 

[great08]

Real World Bison Test Run...

This video just came out this morning. I just want to share. Saw both sliders and the front bumper get tagged at least once during this vid.

I really hope the skids are reasonably priced when they become available via aftermarket next month or so!

If nothing else I will be going with the super skidz for the main sections... and AEV skids for the fuel tank & diff. For the sliders I have narrowed it down to either AEV or Old Man Emu... price being the main factor. Not forgetting the shock mount skids since they are cheap insurance and an easy install.

​