Here’s Why Silverado HD Has Bigger Windows Than 1500 Trucks
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For the upcoming mid-cycle refresh, the 2024 Chevy Silverado HD was granted the more premium interior from the Silverado 1500 (Light Duty, or LD). But, as we recently found out, there is more going on with the basics of the interior of Chevy’s HD trucks beyond the parts that are new.
First, let’s review the fact that the cabs of the current-gen Silverado LD and Silverado HD pickups are completely different from one another, with the only shared component being the roof. Some of the key differences for 2020 and newer trucks, including the 2024 model year refresh, involve the seemingly mundane, like the doors and windows.
“The doors and beltline is a key difference,” a GM interior designer told GM Authority Executive Editor, Alex Luft, during a recent GM truck media event. “Because we’re sitting higher in an HD, the belt line is about 25 mm [0.8 inches] lower than in the Light Duty.” This means that the windows are taller in the HD than they are in the LD in order to achieve better outward visibility from within the cabin.
As a reminder, the 2024 Silverado HD received a comprehensive refresh, boasting a revised exterior with an updated front fascia, as well as the aforementioned overhauled interior. Engine options include the standard 6.6L L8T V8 gasoline engine, rated at 401 horsepower and 464 pound-feet of torque, and the optional 6.6L V8 L5P turbodiesel Duramax engine, now rated at 470 horsepower and 975 pound-feet, up from 445 horses and 910 pound-feet of torque.
Regardless of engine choice, every 2024 Chevy Silverado HD features the Allison-branded 10-speed automatic transmission as standard, which replaces the GM six-speed equipped by gasoline-powered models prior to the refresh.
Production of the updated Silverado HD is slated to kick-off in the first half of the 2023 calendar year at the GM Flint Assembly plant in Michigan and the GM Oshawa plant in Canada.
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I get that the doors are different. What’s different in the rest of the cab?
The entire structure of the cab is different except for the roof, from what I understand.
The front Cowell, windshield, dashboard, rear doors, rear window. The rear doors appear to be a few inches longer. It’s all relative.
Why is Chevy limiting to only six colors for the updated truck where other models have several more choices?
Keep the Greenstone metallic.
They look at the colors that are selling. Making fewer colors is also easier on the customers. It makes buying easier.
Why aren’t panoramic sunroofs officed? Why are they so ill proportioned? Why are they high quality yet feel cheap? why is there BS articles. The heavy-duty trucks don’t fall under the same crash test requirements. containment of unbuckled passengers is less regulated in HD vehicles and thus larger windows! If you get thrown out, they don’t care as much!
I’ve found that the all weather floor mats fit both hd and 1500 trucks
The 1500 may fit in the 2500, but try the 2500 in the 1500. See how much space is between the edge ofnthe mats and the cab wall and center console.
I have the 3500/2500 mats in my 1500. They fit perfectly
A really dumb idea. GM used to be more efficient and use the same cabs for the 1/2, 3/4, and 1 tons just different chassis. Back in the 60’s and 70’s Ford used the same doors for F-100’s – F-600’ maybe even the same cabs except for different front fenders.
Well. Things change and this makes perfect sense. The 2500/3500 trucks sit higher from the ground up, and have a taller frame wall. If they kept the same doors, you would have a hard time seeing out of the side windows. The belt line would be really high up. So once you change the belt line, it also changes the location of the front cowel and windshield. The rear door is also a bit different, as well as the rear window. The HD is a larger truck now than the LD.
Welcome to 1999-2002, when tightening fuel economy standards meant every single manufacturer split off their non-CAFE >8500 GVWR platforms from the 1/2 tons.
Doesn’t look like the cab is sloped off as bad in the HD. I like the flatter top of cab of 19 and previous because it doesn’t direct air toward what ever your towing. Looks like it has less headroom in back seat because of sloped roof. Really stands out when a truck has been leveled. Back glass is taller in a hd also. Sure wish they would go back to old style mirrors also.
Pay close attention to the “Allison-branded” transmission – it’s not really an Allison, GM paid Allison for the rights to use the name, but GM manufactures it, NOT Allison. Small but very important detail.
You might be interested to know that Allison Transmission formally Allison is and has been a division of GM at least since the second world war. I suppose GM paid themselves for the rights to use their own name.
Exactly what they did… They do own Allison, but Allison used to manufacture all the Allison transmissions. Not the case anymore – GM makes many of the lighter duty transmissions now, hence “Allison branded”. The real truck transmissions are still made by Allison, but not for pick up trucks. They are definitely not the same.
Allison never made the transmissions in GM pickups. GM opened a new plant in Baltimore to build them, which closed with the new 10-speed being made in Toledo. Allison made their commercial transmissions in Indianapolis.
GM also made changes to the Allison 1000 in the pickups, things like the gearsets were modified to reduce NVH expected in consumer vehicles.
No, you’re way out of date. The aircraft engine part of Allison was sold in 1995 to Rolls Royce, Allison Transmission was sold to private equity in 2007.
A buddy of mine got his Silverado 3500HD Crew Cab SRW within a week of me getting my Trail Boss LT. I was really surprised at the differences between the trucks. The doors and windows like the article said but the fenders and tailgate as well. Just little stuff that you have to have them side by side to notice and even then I’m not sure if the differences are real or imagined at times.
I used to think the only difference was what was underneath with the frame and the bodies were pretty much the same. Glad to see I wasn’t losing my mind after all!