Hi there. Just purchased a 2008 silverado crew 4x4 LS. Is there a way to add the z-71 package to this truck and will it affect my warranty if i get it.

 

more or less... a Z-71 used to mean 4x4 with off road package.. now it just means off road package...(in my opinion isstupid cause whyget the off road package in2WD...thats my soap box ill get off it)pretty much your truck should have everything that the old "Z-71" trucks had since it only meant fancy 4x4... maybe the only thing missing would be a couple skid plates for the engine and the tranny. a tow package and some stickers... if you are just looking for the "look".. you could just put the stickers on and no one would know the difference unless they crawled under the truck and looked for skids. i may be wrong...but from what i have understood that is how they are doing it now on the 2008 trucks.

 

The Z71 Off-Road Package — available on 1500 LT(1) and LTZ models — is specifically designed with increased capability and durability when you want to travel beyond where the pavement ends. In addition, the 46mm high-pressure gas-charged shocks offer increased dampening to help make off-road journeys more comfortable. Additional Silverado 1500 Z71 features include:
[ul][*]Z71 Off-Road suspension[*]17-inch on-/off-road tires[*]Available 18-inch aluminum wheels and tires[*]Skid Plate Package[*]High-capacity air cleaner[*]Off-road jounce bumpers[*]Z71 badging: Z71 on 2WD models, Z71 4x4 on 4x4 models[*]Automatic locking rear differential If you do not have the G80 differential that will cost you the most. This option is more than just2 Z71 stickers.Look in your glovebox it will tell you if you have the G80. I have the 18 alum wheels that you can only get with the Z71.[/ul]

 

Conventional thinking is to change NOTHING on a new truck which would affect your truck until you're out of warranty period. You could have a dealer install the package, at nearly double the cost to buy it with a Z-71 package to begin with, and then you would still have warranty protection.

The term "Z-71" sounds cool to some people,(I guess) and it really means a lot to some people that the world knows the status of their truck's off road capability. The real question is do you really ever go off-road, and do you really need the package? Because it has little positive effect on your truck's on-road handling. The package changes a little from year to year, but to my understanding, primarily it's:

Skid plates
Bilstein shocks
100 or 125 AMP alternator
High-ratio LSD rear-of-the-month
Rims and Tires the average off-roader wouldn't be caught dead with.

In conclusion, now that you've already purchased the truck, the smart move money-wise would probably be to observe your special needs which you encounter through actual usage, and at the end of the warranty period, get what retrofits in the aftermarket you actually need and want, at a considerably cheaper pricetag than ignorantly following the herd. Good luck.