2015 Silverado 2500

The 2015 Silverado 2500 pickup is a new design boasting chassis, interior and exterior upgrades. The front end has been redesigned to provide better airflow through the radiator and to the intake system, which helps to keep the engine cool and operating at max power when towing heavy or in very hot climates. The cab, now featuring more high-strength steel in its construction, features new inlaid doors and triple door seals to create a more quiet cabin void of wind and road noise. In the cabin, the 2015 Silverado 2500 now takes many of its design cues from the new half-ton pickup released a year earlier, with similar upright gauge cluster and MyLINK center console. The underpinnings of this quarter-ton Silverado 2500 include a fully boxed high-strength steel frame, independent torsion bar front suspension and multi-leaf rear. Max payload has increased to 7374 lbs and conventional towing now sports a 19,600 lb rating (using the factory hitch!).

Vortec Top End Power

The standard engine on the 2015 Silverado 2500 is a 6.0L Vortec gas V8. From the factory, this engine is rated at 360 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque. The great thing about the LS-architecture 6.0L engine is the ability to easily and reliably get more power from it. Upgrading the engine components, while mechanically involved, will produce significant increases in horsepower and torque. We're talking cylinder head and camshaft changes, of course.

• Cathedral port focuses on low end torque
• Improved airflow makes more horsepower
• High lift springs can accommodate a bigger camshaft

Aftermarket cylinder heads often stick with a cathedral port design, which optimizes torque production at low RPM - ideal for a heavy duty working truck. In addition, aftermarket heads, like the factory heads, are aluminum in construction, but will feature better valve springs that can work with a more aggressive camshaft. Further, many performance cylinder heads can be had with a semi or complete port and polish job, further improving and increasing airflow over the stock heads. All of this relates to producing more power, making the truck more fun and easier to drive in both work and play scenarios.

Complete Engine Control

Hand held engine tuners can put a lot of control at your fingertips. In the case of a 2015 Silverado 2500, there are tons of different features (and performance gains) that can be unlocked or changed through the use of a tuning device. Generally speaking, aftermarket tuners come with a variety of pre-loaded tunes that once uploaded to the power control module in the truck, will change the engine and transmission parameters and overall dictate how the truck will perform. For example, a performance tune may change the fuel, spark and timing curve in order to produce more peak horsepower and torque. This is particularly true of Silverado 2500s with the 6.6L Duramax, as coaxing more power out of that engine is super easy thanks to its big fueling system and a turbo. Tuning software may also have user selectable variables (such as aftermarket cold air intake or cylinder heads) that will then update the tune to reflect these changes and maximize the advantage these other parts would provide. On top of engine performance, aftermarket tuners are also could diagnostic devices, as they can read, clear and help diagnose check engine lights and the like when illuminated on the dash. Other notable features that a hand helding Silverado tuner can provide are speedometer calibration, tire & axle ratio calibration, interior & exterior light settings, transmission shift firmness and points.