Minimax Upgrades

Improving Strength and Performance on the Colorado and Canyon Diesel Trucks

- CHRIS TOBIN

When we first drove the 2.8L LWN Duramax-powered Chevrolet Colorado midsize pickup, we loved it. It is a great little truck, and anyone who wants a truck, but doesn’t need a full-size, should seriously consider the Colorado or its General Motors corporate sibling, the GMC Canyon. Of course, the trucks are nice, but they are not perfect. That’s where the aftermarket comes in to make upgrades and improvements.

Like their larger full-size siblings, the Silverado and Sierra, the Colorado and Canyon feature a smooth-riding independent front suspension design that rides well but has a serious weak point: small tie rods that are prone to flexing under power and bending in extreme cases off road or at the track. To beef up the tie rod issues, the team at Merchant Automotive in Zeeland, Michigan, developed a set of threaded stainless-steel tie rod sleeves that replace the factory jam nuts with machined stainless steel sleeves that will prevent the rod from bending or breaking in most situations. Since the sleeve must be loosened to properly align the truck, the MA team chose to use stainless steel and includes anti-seize compound to prevent the sleeve from rusting into position on the rod as could happen with less expensive metals.