My turn at front end rebuild...2013 Escalade ESV AWD

[skpyle]

Hello All,

As I can never leave well enough alone, I am planning the next project for my 2013 Escalade ESV AWD.
She has 153,6** on the clock. As of now, all seems good in the front end. However, sooner or later, it will not be.
I plan to preemptively rebuild the front end between now and 160,000 miles.

I have read through some posts here on TYF, lookin' at you @donjetman .
I have dug through GMPartsGiant.com and RockAuto.com.

I want to run my shopping list by you guys for a BS filter:

-both upper control arms with ball joints and bushings. Looking at the forged steel arms
-upper ball joint nuts
-both lower control arms with ball joints and bushings. Looking at the forged steel arms
-lower ball joint nuts
-mounting bolts and nuts for all the control arms
-caster/camber adjusting kit
-antisway bar stabilizer links
-antisway bar mounting bushings
-inner tie rod ends
-inner tie rod end boot kits
-outer tie rod ends
-both CV axles
-CV axle nuts
-both front wheel bearing hubs with ABS speed sensors
-mounting bolts for the wheel bearing hubs
-both front differential mounting brackets with bushings
-mounting bolts and nuts for the front differential mounting brackets

My plan is to go all GM, with the exception of the caster/camber kits. I will go Moog for them. GM only offers the cams, I want the whole kits.


So far, the only hiccup I am having is finding the correct part number for the upper ball joint nut. Service manual states to replace the upper and lower ball joint nuts upon removal.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

I don't see any strut (shock and spring and related items) parts on your list.

 

[donjetman]

@skpyle
my control arms w/bushings and w/ball joints came with nuts, cotter pins, grease zerks.
Yours don't?
Our Denali is pretty much rust free.
So, in hind sight I really didn't need the bearing hub bolts, or the camber/caster hardware kits. I could have easily reused the originals, but I installed the new parts.
I marked the old cams, then matched the marks on the new. This made alignment much easier.

 

[Trey Hardy]

Hello All,

As I can never leave well enough alone, I am planning the next project for my 2013 Escalade ESV AWD.
She has 153,6** on the clock. As of now, all seems good in the front end. However, sooner or later, it will not be.
I plan to preemptively rebuild the front end between now and 160,000 miles.

I have read through some posts here on TYF, lookin' at you @donjetman .
I have dug through GMPartsGiant.com and RockAuto.com.

I want to run my shopping list by you guys for a BS filter:

-both upper control arms with ball joints and bushings. Looking at the forged steel arms
-upper ball joint nuts
-both lower control arms with ball joints and bushings. Looking at the forged steel arms
-lower ball joint nuts
-mounting bolts and nuts for all the control arms
-caster/camber adjusting kit
-antisway bar stabilizer links
-antisway bar mounting bushings
-inner tie rod ends
-inner tie rod end boot kits
-outer tie rod ends
-both CV axles
-CV axle nuts
-both front wheel bearing hubs with ABS speed sensors
-mounting bolts for the wheel bearing hubs
-both front differential mounting brackets with bushings
-mounting bolts and nuts for the front differential mounting brackets

My plan is to go all GM, with the exception of the caster/camber kits. I will go Moog for them. GM only offers the cams, I want the whole kits.


So far, the only hiccup I am having is finding the correct part number for the upper ball joint nut. Service manual states to replace the upper and lower ball joint nuts upon removal.

I personally recommend the dirt king fabrications locking cam plates over the stock sliders.
You won’t have to worry about knocking a alignment out of wack with them it’s well worth the 80$ or whatever they are now a days
Also kryptonite products has a lifetime warranty on ALL there suspension parts
I think the kryptonite ball joints were 60$ a piece
I used their wheel bearings also and have had 0 issues after 100,000 miles
I believe the bearings are rebranded Timkens but I may be wrong on that
But even if your rig is stock their stuff is about the best you can get for these rigs

I’ve had their complete front end kits minus the inner tie rods on two trucks now and my buddy did the full kit on his 05 and WOW what a difference

 

[skpyle]

I don't see any strut (shock and spring and related items) parts on your list.

I built new strut assemblies from GM parts and installed them back in March of 2023. The driver's side shock was leaking.

 

[skpyle]

@skpyle
my control arms w/bushings and w/ball joints came with nuts, cotter pins, grease zerks.
Yours don't?
Our Denali is pretty much rust free.
So, in hind sight I really didn't need the bearing hub bolts, or the camber/caster hardware kits. I could have easily reused the originals, but I installed the new parts.
I marked the old cams, then matched the marks on the new. This made alignment much easier.

Looking at photos on GMPartsGiant, and other places on the web, the 20869201 driver side and 20869202 passenger side lower control arm assemblies do not come with the new locking nuts. They do come with ball joints and bushings.

 

[skpyle]

I personally recommend the dirt king fabrications locking cam plates over the stock sliders.
You won’t have to worry about knocking a alignment out of wack with them it’s well worth the 80$ or whatever they are now a days
Also kryptonite products has a lifetime warranty on ALL there suspension parts
I think the kryptonite ball joints were 60$ a piece
I used their wheel bearings also and have had 0 issues after 100,000 miles
I believe the bearings are rebranded Timkens but I may be wrong on that
But even if your rig is stock their stuff is about the best you can get for these rigs
View attachment 418183View attachment 418184View attachment 418185
I’ve had their complete front end kits minus the inner tie rods on two trucks now and my buddy did the full kit on his 05 and WOW what a difference

Thank you for this info! I will look into the Kryptonite parts and go from there.

 

[skpyle]

Sorry I have been late to respond to this post, gentlemen. Work has been ugly, and I had to replace a leaking water heater in the house on my last day off.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Looking at photos on GMPartsGiant, and other places on the web, the 20869201 driver side and 20869202 passenger side lower control arm assemblies do not come with the new locking nuts. They do come with ball joints and bushings.

Yes, when I replaced my front suspension, the nuts had to be ordered separately.

 

[skpyle]

Yes, when I replaced my front suspension, the nuts had to be ordered separately.

Thanks for the confirmation. Do you remember if the upper and lower ball joints used the same nuts? I can find listings for the lower ball joint nuts, but nothing for the upper.

Thanks!

 

[Joseph Garcia]

To to GMPartsDirect.com, enter your VIN, and scroll to the suspension section. You will find exploded parts diagrams which will identify part numbers.

 

[gooffeyguy]

I used the MOOG CK series components when I did mine and they all came with castle nuts/pins (upper/lower arms and tie rods)

 

[swathdiver]

Many of these parts will translate over to your Cadillac. ACDelco has the upper control arm/alignment parts.

If you mix and match brands you are going to lose the ride. We had a fella on here a few years ago who rebuilt his suspension with all kinds of different brands and complained and complained about how bad his truck rode. My Yukon has the basic dumb suspension and seventeen inch wheels and she rides like a Cadillac with a little weight on.

 

[skpyle]

To to GMPartsDirect.com, enter your VIN, and scroll to the suspension section. You will find exploded parts diagrams which will identify part numbers.

Thanks! Unfortunately, that did not show the nuts themselves. I will keep digging.

I used the MOOG CK series components when I did mine and they all came with castle nuts/pins (upper/lower arms and tie rods)

Thanks! The GM control arms I am looking at use the OEM ball joints with the threaded stud. The nut is a torque to yield type of nut, at least according to the service manual. No provision for a cotter pin and castle nut.

View attachment 418748

Many of these parts will translate over to your Cadillac. ACDelco has the upper control arm/alignment parts.

If you mix and match brands you are going to lose the ride. We had a fella on here a few years ago who rebuilt his suspension with all kinds of different brands and complained and complained about how bad his truck rode. My Yukon has the basic dumb suspension and seventeen inch wheels and she rides like a Cadillac with a little weight on.

Thanks! My plan is to go all GM, with the exception of the Moog alignment cams.

 

[gooffeyguy]

Thanks! The GM control arms I am looking at use the OEM ball joints with the threaded stud. The nut is a torque to yield type of nut, at least according to the service manual. No provision for a cotter pin and castle nut.

The OE control arms I took off were like that, torque to yield type with no cotter pin

 

[skpyle]

Alright...I am stepping back to think for a moment. I am suffering sticker shock. I am looking at $3000 in parts, including shipping.
Not sure I am ready for that big a bite right now.

Will be back after I have thought about this, and had a good hard look at exactly what my Escalade needs. Specifically talking about hardware and such.

I had been considering doing the 2019 PPV 16" front brake rotor and 6-piston caliper upgrade at the same time as the front end rebuild. Around $1300 in parts.
This blows that out of the water now...

 

[skpyle]

I stewed on this for a couple of days. And decided I am not going to take the plunge right now. Right now, the front end on my Escalade is tight. I am going to purchase all the rebuild parts over the next several months. And address it likely in the fall.

For now, I pulled the trigger and spent $1300 on the big brake upgrade. I will create a thread to document that.

Back to this one in due time...

 

[petethepug]

No biggie. I’ve had two years+ go by since I completed the purchase for all the parts in my CTS-V front brake swap. I had to buy the parts for it in bites. Kids, inflation, 6L80 taking a dump, I’ll still take it as a win with a vacation built in.

Knock on wood, that pause allowed me to stumble into process for updating to aluminum parts and the time to source those parts at 70% less. Most of the OEM parts are made overseas so I had no problem knowingly buying them from overseas manufacturers.

Assuming no other hiccups occur I’ll be able to do the front end refresh in the couple months and be the Guinea pig for mixing OEM and aftermarket parts. I may be in for a new rack too.

Compared to my 02 Audi allroad 6MT wagon, the Esky is a frog’n deal to operate and maintain. Just eat it like an elephant, a bite at a time.

 

[skpyle]

Thanks, I appreciate the advice!

I am going to do the front brake upgrade now, because it makes me happy. And will start putting together the front suspension parts over time. This will let me review my parts choices as well. Make sure my dollar is best spent on the best part.

I have not worked on an Audi, but I know that my Porsche 928 is a completely different animal, and requires far more patience on my part to work on.