Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of Adopt-A-Truck articles where 8-Lug’s staff takes a daily driver under its wing and hops it up. Maybe you will be next!
We met Steve Raney at an AKC...
We met Steve Raney at an AKC hunt test, and learned that his ’04 Silverado was performing sadly and he needed to find a solution to his performance troubles.
Steve Raney’s Chevy Silverado looks a lot like any blue-collar truck in America, except maybe for the fact that when we met him, it was hitched to a 7,000-pound Deerskin trailer loaded down with 16 fidgety Labradors ready to fetch something that tastes a lot like chicken.
There was really nothing exceptional about the Chevy. Even the paint scheme was a dullish white. It was just another diesel rig with plenty of miles on the engine—108,000 to be exact. These weren’t light-duty freeway miles either—they were tough towing miles, typical of a ranch truck that doubles as the family vehicle. But to Raney, the rig had promise. It better, everything he does at Raney Ranch revolves around this simple truck with its hand-fabricated rack on the top.
Raney is a professional gun dog trainer, and his 6.6L Chevy keeps the cogs of his training business turning, not unlike your local plumber, electrician, or carpenter. When Raney bought his ’04 turbodiesel, his thought was reliability. He needed a vehicle to build water and sewer lines, haul cattle feed, tow, and mend fences. Through the years, the work has taken a toll on the Chevy. It was seriously down in power—stressed by the constant tow of a trailer. So when the truck’s performance got iffy for the last time, Raney set out to find some answers.
Steve Raney with fellow hunting...
Steve Raney with fellow hunting dog enthusiasts, Bill Underwood (left) and Scott Wood (right).
To understand our involvement, you should know that 8-Lug magazine is about all ¾- and 1-ton trucks, not just those that are extreme examples of performance and good looks.
We acknowledge that hunting has deep roots in America, and the hunter’s rig is aligned with that tradition. Oftentimes heeling beside the hunter is his faithful companion, the dog. With its brushy tail, big ears, and uncanny ability to fetch a shot waterfowl at 200 yards, trained field retrievers make average hunters look like sportsmen. Behind the scenes, it’s guys like Raney, who make it all happen.
Don’t compare his training to your backyard ball toss game with Fido. It takes months to train a single dog to hunt alongside a hunter safely, and it’s Raney’s job to work out the bugs before the dog is released into the field. In this case, if Raney’s truck can’t get to the field with the dogs, his business literally goes up in smoke.
The Chevy we adopted had 108,000...
The Chevy we adopted had 108,000 miles on it, and it tows a heavy trailer six days a week.
Similar situations have played out in small towns everywhere with people who eye the truck as a tool of the trade. Fortunately on this day, 8-Lug was there to lend a hand, albeit, in the only way we know how. We saw this as an opportunity to transform a broken-down field hand into something more performance-oriented. It didn’t take long for others to rally behind us. Bert Heck of K&N Filters in Riverside, California, was one of the first.
K&N Filters
While Raney didn’t have the time or even technical shrewdness needed to wade through all the products made for the Duramax, Heck, on the other hand, did. Heck factored Hypertech and MBRP into the equation, knowing that their products were going to be affordable and reliable. He estimated about four hours for the install…if we bought the pizza.
K&N Filters has an impressive shop adjacent to its main headquarters. It features dual in-ground dynamometers, a standalone lift, and a bevy of sophisticated tools and welding equipment at the ready. With the dyno, we would see the results of K&N’s labor immediately.
Bert Heck of K&N Filters jumped...
Bert Heck of K&N Filters jumped in to help us with Adopt-A-Truck. He made the calls to Hypertech and MBRP, which supplied product for the build.
As mentioned, the parts list included Hypertech’s Max Energy Power programmer, an MBRP Pro-Series cat-back exhaust (T-304 stainless, high-flow seamless muffler), and K&N’s Generation II FIPK® intake system. In Heck’s eyes, these were the type of products that working diesel trucks could use.