My Fashionably Late 03 Denali XL Build Thread

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adventurenali92

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A little two part plastic piece, one that slides over the other. The lower part has little “teeth” so to speak that clicks into the mirror base and the upper piece has little flat tabs that just tuck under the headliner and hold it in place. Time for a junkyard run for it haha.
 

Fosscore

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Junkyard, eBay or Amazon also seem to have them. Cleaner so the TYF detail police won't beat you up too bad. lol

Edited: @Tonyrodz and @adventurenali92 will make sure you are on point!! :anitoof:

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tooleyondeck

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Junkyard, eBay or Amazon also seem to have them. Cleaner so the TYF detail police won't beat you up too bad. lol

Edited: @Tonyrodz and @adventurenali92 will make sure you are on point!! :anitoof:

The funny thing is I didn't even know there was a piece missing there. Now it bugs me so yes it is absolutely time to find one lol
 
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tooleyondeck

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Haven't done much with the Yukon lately, just been enjoying hauling the family around with it. It just hit 206K and still pulls hard and shifts smoothly. I've gotten it to a point where the next projects will be big ones (ie: new paint) so it's in a good place right now. Most of my attention has shifted to my 00 Silverado project, finishing up the interior once all the stuff comes in. I'll be using what I learn doing the headliner and carpet in the truck to then do the same in the Yukon, that'll be a pretty big task being it's an XL.
 

adventurenali92

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Haven't done much with the Yukon lately, just been enjoying hauling the family around with it. It just hit 206K and still pulls hard and shifts smoothly. I've gotten it to a point where the next projects will be big ones (ie: new paint) so it's in a good place right now. Most of my attention has shifted to my 00 Silverado project, finishing up the interior once all the stuff comes in. I'll be using what I learn doing the headliner and carpet in the truck to then do the same in the Yukon, that'll be a pretty big task being it's an XL.
I hear ya in that. Same boat. Driving to kingdom come and back I feel these days. lol. And not much to report on either.
 
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tooleyondeck

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I hear ya in that. Same boat. Driving to kingdom come and back I feel these days. lol. And not much to report on either.
I think that's a testament to the reliability of these rigs. They only require a little TLC to make them virtually bulletproof. My kids will probably drive this thing.
 

adventurenali92

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I think that's a testament to the reliability of these rigs. They only require a little TLC to make them virtually bulletproof. My kids will probably drive this thing.
That’s why I still have mine. It’s so easy to work on and doesn’t need a whole lot in between brakes and oil changes to keep it humming along. Teach a kid to drive in an XL Yukon and they’ll be comfortable driving anything you put them in haha.
 

MrMonte

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That’s why I still have mine. It’s so easy to work on and doesn’t need a whole lot in between brakes and oil changes to keep it humming along. Teach a kid to drive in an XL Yukon and they’ll be comfortable driving anything you put them in haha.
One snowy day I took my 3 boys ages 13,13,15 to the empty high school parking in my 1999 Suburban for some driving lessons. After an hour of playing with me driving 1st then them I got out & let them go on their own. Shorty after a cop shows up & sees my Suburban sliding around on the ice/snow. I explained what was going on then he started to ask if they had DLs but stop himself then said "you are driving home, right".
 

adventurenali92

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One snowy day I took my 3 boys ages 13,13,15 to the empty high school parking in my 1999 Suburban for some driving lessons. After an hour of playing with me driving 1st then them I got out & let them go on their own. Shorty after a cop shows up & sees my Suburban sliding around on the ice/snow. I explained what was going on then he started to ask if they had DLs but stop himself then said "you are driving home, right".
Exactly how I learned how to drive in the snow the first year we had moved up to big bear. I was 12, mom took me to empty ski resort parking lots at night, taught me to drive a manual trans and then once I had that down she took me out in the snow and taught me how to control the car in the snow. Best way to learn for sure!
 
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tooleyondeck

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Holy crap, I haven't posted here in over a year!!!

I suppose that's a good thing because the Denali is still trucking along, loyal as ever. It's apparently monsoon season here in FL. It has rained everyday for almost 2 weeks now. No update on the Yukon, other than swapping the headlights after they started to fade. I traded in the Camaro and ended up getting a new 2500HD L8T. I landed on the HD when first considering a new Tahoe/Burban but obviously the L87 recall was enough for me to avoid that mess. My HD is a 6 seater, so it can serve as a backup family hauler, and it has no DFM or stop/start crap, so I'm happy with it. It's funny how small the Yukon now looks in the driveway.

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I am about to need new tires, and I've never been a fan of the wheels that came on the Yukon when I got it, so I am in the research phase of looking to level or slightly lift it (2/4 or similar). The big thing is figuring out the Z55 delete. I'd like to ditch the 22s for 20s and go with a 33" or 295/55R20 (32.8") to give it a more off-road aesthetic compared to the street look it's had. I've also read that I may need to replace my front driveshaft due to vibration issues, so who knows... either way I'll be going with 20" wheels with AT tires, the current wheels are 305/40R22s so they're 31.6x12" so I have a little room to work with on tire size.

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tooleyondeck

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After much deliberation on wheels I decided to go with 18x8.5 +26 Trail Boss reps from Performance Replicas (model PR220). There was a member on here that posted when he put a set of OEM TBs on his GMT800 Tahoe and then apparently died (1 post & ghost), but once I showed my wife she was sold on them. I like the idea of ditching the 22s and hopefully getting some more comfort out of the ride, granted it already rides great even with 305/40R22s.

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I know the tires I chose have mixed reviews but I want to go as close to OEM as I can (these are what come on Trail Bosses as far as I can assess) Down the road I can always swap for KO3s like my HD has if need be. Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT (Max Traction) 275/65R18s. They are .5" taller and 1.2" narrower than my current tires, so hopefully they fit. I am prepared to consider spacers if needed.

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Finishing off with some 83mm GMC center caps, I always prefer the OEM+ look. I did the same for the OEM snowflakes I put on my 00 Silvy and it really ties them in well. Install is scheduled for this weekend, so by Sunday I should be able to post up a picture with the new setup. I also have a set of RC leveling keys to throw in if need be, and thanks to the members here, I have the ride-height sensor resistors saved on Amazon if I go that route. Kind of excited to get away from the street look, but it'll probably take some getting used to since I've been running the 22s for almost 4 years now. More to follow...
 
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tooleyondeck

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Sneak peek of the new wheel/tire combo. Center caps should be in tomorrow and I’ll get some better pics. Very satisfied with the fitment, no rubbing at full lock. Rides maybe a tad smoother (over small bumps/cracks) but that may be placebo.

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tooleyondeck

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Got around to taking a few pics this morning. I anticipated it taking awhile for the new look to grow on me, but no... I instantly like it a lot better. More importantly, my wife loves it, and I have once again pushed off buying a newer Yukon (huge win, boys)... Fitment is perfect, and they give it more of an OEM look. The center caps are a tad-bit loose, but not so much that I am worried about them falling out so no biggie there. I will say though, I am really starting to get the respray itch. After replacing the headlights and now the new wheels and tires, the paint just looks even worse now. That will likely be the next big ticket item, but for now I am planning to catch up on some maintenance items, namely front/rear diff fluid, trans/transfer case fluid and trans filter, etc. Currently has 219K on it and runs as good as ever.

Here are some before and after pics:

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I am still considering leveling it with torsion keys, I just need to get smarter on exactly what I need to do to not make it ride like s*** (I believe ride-height sensor extensions based on another member's post). I'm not a fan of rake, but can obviously live with it. I would like to avoid completely swapping the suspension for conventional until I end up replacing it with something newer for my wife and this one becomes my next toy... then I can go crazy with mods and open this LQ4 up, but for now I want it to remain a reliable grocery-getter and kid hauler, it's intended purpose when purchased.... Also as a reminder, I paid $2500 for this thing 4 years ago!

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The center caps were a must, and glad I left the blank ones out when I had the tires mounted. I did this on my 2000 Silverado that had OEM GMC wheels (swapped for bowtie center caps). I am now EXTREMELY curious about doing the T1X brake upgrade since, in theory, these wheels are what would come on a 19+ Silverado Trail Boss so it's logical to think the calipers would clear them.

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