Zac Quinn 
Automotive media professionals that put their stamp of approval on seemingly everything (“there are no bad cars these days,” we’re told) rarely have to experience the trails of owning the vehicles they so freely endorse, before jetting off to the next drive program. Unless of course we’re talking about some obscure orphan-brand manual diesel station wagon from 1983. In brown. But some outlets decide to put in a bit of effort, and TFL is one of those outlets. Not simply enough to score a week-long press fleet loan, the independent automotive outlet went out and bought a new 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ZR2 to see how it would hold up long-term, and wasted no time putting it up on a lift. From there, a professional mechanic gave his opinion.
2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ZR2: A Look Underneath
The mechanic, Toby, confirmed that oil changes would be easy to do on the new Silverado ZR2 since the oil filter and drain plug are easily accessible. In addition, the engine, front differential, transmission, and transfer case are all protected by skid plates. However, some of the critical items under the truck seem to remain unprotected. For example, the essential fuel tank is completely exposed.
The rear axle design on GM’s T1-generation of trucks also requires the shocks on the Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 to be mounted more inward, creating a 9-inch gap between the tire and the shocks. Additionally, the shock mounts hang down a bit which could mean some scraping with tall rocks. That’s something we experienced during our first drive with the ZR2, as well.
Meanwhile, the solid rear axle with leaf springs and Multimatic DSSV dampers is augmented with bump stoppers to help mitigate suspension damage should somebody send it a little too hard out on the dunes, the track, or the trails.
As for the underbody armor, expect the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 Bison to fortify the protection of the half-ton truck with a hot-stamped boron steel bumper, more underbody protection, rear bumper protection, and so on.
