2015 GMC YukonXL- Fox Coilovers

[Nokturnal]

Well guys I just picked up a low mileage 2015 GMC Yukon XL 4x4 and I was ready to slap on a BDS 6” and some 22x10 & 35’s but BDS is on a 4-6 month Backorder. I want to still fit in the garage and 6” lift is max i could go. I know the fab tech 6” kit actually goes a little taller at 7” and all the other solid lifts are still 7” or more. So this got me thinking instead of driving this old man grocery getter Around stock.....

if I wanted to achieve a 3.5” lift up front couldn’t I use upgrade to Fox coilovers up front (add 2” height” and then just throw a suspension max 1.5 spacer below the Fox coils to get my 3.5” total? Ride quality and CV geometry would still be considerably better than all these lifts that incorporate large strut spacers etc right?

And for the back I could just swap out the auto ride reara for some Fox 2.0 and add a suspensionmaxx 1.5” or 2” rear coil spacer to get it to match the front height. (I could just disable the air ride feature according to the xineering page). This vehicle doesn’t have the magnetic ride equipment, just the rear auto ride pump and shock.

figured I’d just opt for a solid ride quality upgrade and smaller 3.5” lift with some 18x9 wheels and 34” AT’s for that rock crawler look. And then in 6 months if I’m not happy with the look and height i could always swap in the BDS 6” kit whenever it’s available again. But I kind of dig the rock crawler look the more i see setups. I was just unsure if it would be as simple and Fox coilovers and a spacer for the front and back.

What do y’all think? The pic is just a burban with 2.5” lift upfront from king 2.5’s. He also has 35’s which look awesome but man is not sure how they cut enough for those to work lol but they did.

 

[STORMIN08]

the fox 2.5 (https://www.shocksurplus.com/produc...vrolet-suburban-2wd-4wd-w-0-3-lift-883-02-028 ) offers 3", but requires an after market control arm...the one mentioned is an ICON part and very pricey.

yes, you can stack items, but not recommended. i prefer an engineered setup. 3.5" is MAX on these years due to joint angles...
again, i would prefer the 4" over a stacked 3.5 with maxed angles, generally the hard parts of the 4 and 6 are one in the same...

 

[Nokturnal]

Yeah I think I decided on going Fox Coilovers up front with a 1” suspension max spacer and also use a Zone UCA.

Fox 2.0’s in the back and adding a 2” coil spacer.

That should be 3” up front (better UCA too) riding on a Coilover and 2” lift out back.

Going with a 18x9.5 -18 Forged Black Rhino Wheel on 295/70/18 (34.3 inch tall).


Fox shows to have a steering stabilizer for $170....would I see any benefit from adding that over the factory steer stabilizer?

 

[Nokturnal]

Here’s the grandpa grocery getter! She won’t look like this for long. Updates to follow or other suggestions on above if necessary.

 

[Nokturnal]

Nitto G2 on Black Rhino Stadium

 

[gat0r]

careful w/ Black Rhino rims.... i had lots of QC issues w/ mine. so i got rid of them.


i like where you are going w/ the rock crawler look

 

[Nokturnal]

careful w/ Black Rhino rims.... i had lots of QC issues w/ mine. so i got rid of them.


i like where you are going w/ the rock crawler look

Thank you gator. Just paint issues? Yeah going rock crawler was an easy choice with the BDS back order. I wasn’t gonna be able to drive it stock for that long. Then it got my wheels turning. Anyone who’s installed the fab tech budget 4” lift kit that runs $800 only gets 3” lift up front so I was like why not get coilovers and the same lift for a fraction more money. I think with the wheels/tires, coilovers, Zone UCA, spacers, and AMP steps I’m at $5100 total. The BDS install was going to be closer to $8k And no coilovers.

I had a 2016 Denali Yukon and went 5” lift and 20x10 33” combo...so the rock crawler look will be a good Change.

 

[Nokturnal]

The final result should look like this! I’m pumped. All my vinyl blackout is ordered. My windows are already 5% ceramic all the way around. And I’ve got my all black gmc grill headed this way as well.

 

[Nokturnal]

Place in Michigan foes these OEM brand new GM part blackouts for $279 shipped.

 

[Tiki]

Adding a spacer on top of adjustable coil overs is silly. You can absolutely buy whatever length you need if that’s the route you go. Running a 2.5” shock up front and a 2” out back is also silly, these are large vehicles that carry a lot of rear weight and I’d highly consider getting matching 2.5” matching rears. FOX will not offer improved “ride quality” unless you have them custom valved, most “OE” replacements are quite a bit stiffer than factory which by itself isn’t What most folks are looking for. Going over 2.5” of lift will also lower the ride quality as your other factory components are not designed to work at hose angles.

I think you are trying to make a certain setup work when you really just want a large lift. I’d personally wait and get what you want. Most of the large shock companies are also having COVID related delays.

If you can get can get over not having a huge lifted truck, I’d advocate for oe King 2.5” front and back with dirt king UCAs with 33’s. I’ve run an equivalent setup on two vehicles and I’m very pleased. I went with Bilstein 5100s this go around and not as happy.

 

[Nokturnal]

Texas Speed offers a DOD delete and upgraded cam for $1200.........

they said it would get my 5.3 hop/tq #’s up to where the 6.2 motor is.....so don’t rule that out of the books for 2021

 

[Nokturnal]

Adding a spacer on top of adjustable coil overs is silly. You can absolutely buy whatever length you need if that’s the route you go. Running a 2.5” shock up front and a 2” out back is also silly, these are large vehicles that carry a lot of rear weight and I’d highly consider getting matching 2.5” matching rears. FOX will not offer improved “ride quality” unless you have them custom valved, most “OE” replacements are quite a bit stiffer than factory which by itself isn’t What most folks are looking for. Going over 2.5” of lift will also lower the ride quality as your other factory components are not designed to work at hose angles.

I think you are trying to make a certain setup work when you really just want a large lift. I’d personally wait and get what you want. Most of the large shock companies are also having COVID related delays.

If you can get can get over not having a huge lifted truck, I’d advocate for oe King 2.5” front and back with dirt king UCAs with 33’s. I’ve run an equivalent setup on two vehicles and I’m very pleased. I went with Bilstein 5100s this go around and not as happy.

thank you for the info. I wanted to look at the fox 2.5 up front but can’t confirm it’s for sure 3” lift. There’s wording of 0-3” lift on their site but it says “works with 0-3” of lift”. The BDS coilovers kit if I’m not mistaken offer 2.5 up front and 2.0 in the rear. Just seems to be more common for grocery getters. This will be 100% highway queen. The suburban at the very top went fox2.5 front and rear and a different UCA....but he is a rock crawling enthusiast and post videos climbing mountains with huge holes. There’s not much of a price difference to step up to 2.5 up front but adding them
Out back as well really jumps the total up to closer to what I was going to pay for the BDS 6”. If I can get 3” of height from the fox2.5 system I’d rather do that up front skipping the spacer and just going zone UCA and Fox 2.5

 

[Nokturnal]

Icon shows to have a 2.5 coilover that is capable of 3” as well.

for the rears it shows the 2.0 replacements are 0-2”. Does that mean you can adjust those to Achieve more height (2” lift) without using a coil spring spacer?

 

[Nokturnal]

And as shown earlier the Fox 2.5 coilover doesn’t mention the 0-3” ride height adjustment but can you guys verify that’s true that they’re capable of that?

I’d rather Keep it all Fox if I can and the Fox 2.5 are slightly cheaper.

 

[Tiki]

You get what you pay for with aftermarket coil overs. King/Fox are the best, and then everything else. Again, I would not try to get more than 2.5” out of any coilover/leveling combo: Capable of, and should are different things. Your steering, CV axles, wheel bearings and BJs are going to be wearing way faster with that added stress the higher you go.

 

[Nokturnal]

Tiki you think even with changing the UCA that my geometry would be that bad?

My previous vehicle 2016 Denali Yukon had the fab tech 4” kit. Their kit replaces the UCA and doesn’t mess w differential height and adds a 2” strut spacer and i added a 1” lower strut spacer to achieve 5” lift. I’d have to track down pics but guys said even with that setup my angles looked okay and I put 155k miles on that setup and only replaced the factory front struts eventually. There were no other repairs. That’s what made me think the 2 or 3” coilover would leave geometry and wear and tear great SO long as i swapped for a different UCA with more travel. I def think factory UCA only allows for 2.5-3” max lift before you start getting questionable angles. But I think with an upgraded UCA you give yourself the freedom to go up as high as 4-5” with good angles. Thoughts?

 

[Nokturnal]

Can Anyone confirm the Fox 2.5 factory series coilovers do add 3” lift? Same with the icon 2.5 coilover? I’d rather just do that and skip the lower strut spacer

 

[Nokturnal]

These were the UCA I was going to go with whether it be Fox 2.0 or Fox 2.5 coilovers.

 

[gat0r]

Thank you gator. Just paint issues? Yeah going rock crawler was an easy choice with the BDS back order. I wasn’t gonna be able to drive it stock for that long. Then it got my wheels turning. Anyone who’s installed the fab tech budget 4” lift kit that runs $800 only gets 3” lift up front so I was like why not get coilovers and the same lift for a fraction more money. I think with the wheels/tires, coilovers, Zone UCA, spacers, and AMP steps I’m at $5100 total. The BDS install was going to be closer to $8k And no coilovers.

I had a 2016 Denali Yukon and went 5” lift and 20x10 33” combo...so the rock crawler look will be a good Change.

issues:
-black chrome constantly peeling
-cracks
-dents
-air leaks

i figure they must have been made w/ chinese pot metal. (labeled as "Hecho in China")
i had a bunch replaced under warranty @ dealer, before i upgraded & got some real rims.

 

[Nokturnal]

I was to go with one of the 18x9.5 forged wheels in a matte black. The thing weighs 28lb and the nitto 34” tire weighs 50lb so I was going to be saving 25lb of weight on each wheel compared to 20x10 and 10 ply tires. Figured that might help
Compensate for the 5.3 instead of 6.2 a little.They’re still like $300 a wheel for an 18x9.5 so I was hoping black rhino was on par with Fuel and Hostile. I hate hearing that you had issues. We’re they by chance 22 or 24”? I had so many issues with my 24’s before holding air.
The wheel rep told me it was normal with 24’s to have to check air pressure frequently as they lose air. I never did 24’s again.