Project Yukon HD (1996 Yukon c1500)

[dcp1992]

Well, might as well get started... Gonna be a lot of pictures and will also take a little while for me to post all the pictures (over 600 so far) to where I am right now and then continue onward.

It all started when one of my dad's coworkers asked if I wanted his non-running 1996 GMC Yukon SLE 2wd to see if I could get running. He'd just got tired putting money into it over the last couple years, not to mention he had a shop do all the work so it was about $500+ every time he needed something done to it. He said if I didn't take it, he was just going to sell it for scrap to Pull-a-Part, but he'd rather me get it and fix it and keep in on the road. So of course I took it, I didn't know at the time if I was going to keep it or sell it after I got it running but I took it.

I ended up deciding it keep it because I have a Jeep Cherokee and plan to get another one sometime (as a trail only rig) and I'd like to be able to tow them, hopefully across country, to offroad parks and I'd need a truck to do that with. That's where Project Yukon HD started. I want it to look like the newer HD trucks that are higher than their standard counterparts and also have at least 33" tires on it, because most HD trucks have at least 33's. I also wanted to beef up the rear suspension, not to upgrade the towing capacity, since it's pretty much impossible to do and stay within DOT regulation, but to just make the towing experience easier on the vehicle.

It had roughly 198,000 on it when I got it. Here is what it looked like at my dad's coworkers house. It had been sitting almost 6 months trying to get it running again. Pretty much stock, except with the OE running boards removed, had a Flowmaster 50 dual in, dual out, and had some audio upgrades inside.

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Now, it had a clean title when it was registered and me and my dad know the 2 previous owners which are both my dad's cowerkers. But the other coworker didn't get it new; he got it in the late 90s. Nether of them ever wrecked it (except the OP jackknifed a trailer and it has a puncture in the passenger 1/4 panel.) but it seems the original owner did have a wreck because the hood and all the way down the passenger side has been repainted and all that clear coat is pealing only on the hood and down the passenger side. Also the bondo spots are cracking... It sucks but it's not that big a deal since I plan to repaint it in the future, not to mention my friends a body guy so he can help me do all the bodywork before I paint it. I also plan to replace the hood, passenger doors, and possibly passenger fender with non repaired parts, rather new or used.

Here it is when I was loading it up on the car hauler. (wish I could find the full size picture, this is the picture after I uploaded it to Instagram)

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Here it was on the way home and when I got it home.

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And as a teaser, here it is now. I would post more but it's about 2 a.m. here and I'd like to get to bed at a decent time. I might try to upload more tomorrow depending on what time I wake up, have other things to do later in the day.

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'Til next time!

 

[dowsewashere]

Wow. Looks awesome

 

[gstubbz]

Looks good! Nice transformation on a Tahoe! Have you hauled anything with it?

 

[dcp1992]

Wow. Looks awesome

Thanks!

Looks good! Nice transformation on a Tahoe! Have you hauled anything with it?

Thanks! I have, but nothing that heavy. The biggest thing I've hauled so far is our 16ft trailer packed with ATV's. But the trailer's pretty heavy itself since it's been beefed up to haul our tractor. Still, nothing spectacular or even that close to the max towing capacity of the Yukon.

 

[dcp1992]

I might as well post some more of my build. I guess I'll start off with saying I won a 7" colorwerkz light bar last week from Lightwerkz off-road (@prezywerkz on Instagram). Pretty cool and it'll go along with my other accent lights as well as other LED lights I get in the future.

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Anyway, back to building up to present day. One of the first things I did to the Yukon was to paint the GMC emblem.

I took the grille off and took the emblem off the grille.

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Taped the emblem up, put some plastic promoter on it, and painted it green.

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I then took the reel light apart and fixed it, ended up being some corrosion where the switch was.

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I then got the winch brush guard from my buddy that used to be on his truck (a 95 Z71) before he got the old school warn bumper for it. I took the thing apart, cleaned it up, and sprayed with bedliner and some green.

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Then I assembled the brush guard and started mounting it.

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[dcp1992]

Next I added a 102" CB antenna and an old CB I had laying around (will eventually upgrade to newer one).

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Brought the coax cable in through the big rubber block that the rear wiper washer hose goes through.

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This is right by the fuel door.

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Sealed up with RTV.

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And all the interior trim.

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CB whip mounted.

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I decided to add an extra ground from bumper to the body, just in case.

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Next I added the underglow.

All the LED strips measured out and ready to solder wires to link them together.

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https://flic.kr/p/DWQp4j
Mounting the switch in the overhead console blank. Using a 3/4" wood blade nonetheless, it's the perfect size.

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[dcp1992]

Then started mounting them.

in the grille.

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under the front.

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under the rear bumper.

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Also did down the side of the body but don't have pictures of them.

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Next I got some generic eBay Projector headlights with the turn and marker lenses.

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Side marker lenses

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Turn lenses.

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Headlights.

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Then mounted them.

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[dcp1992]

Next I got some green COB 194 LED's for the front marker lights and license plate lights, and also to fix the cab lights that were going out on my Jeep.

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I also got some green 50w CREE 1157 LED's for the front turn signals. $70 for 4 of them but well worth it for the brightness over the SMD 5050 LED's. You can actually see them during the daylight vs the SMD 5050 I have on my Jeep.

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Installing the LEDs

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Next I did my gauge lights.

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Then I got a new radio. A Pioneer DEH-X8700BH, so it's bluetooth and HD radio. Plus it has iPod control and everything else. Pretty much as high end as a single DIN radio could get (within a decent price range since I wouldn't pay over $500 on a single DIN when It's only temporary), will eventually get a double DIN dash kit and a high end Pioneer double DIN.

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Soldering the harness together.

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Next I started on the lift.

Here are the G3500 van leaf springs.

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Here's the Rough Country 4" lift. P/N: 231N2

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[dcp1992]

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Longer U bolts since the U bolts with the kit aren't long enough to accommodate for the 2" block and the ******* pack with the 3500 leafs.

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Now onto the install.

Disassembly

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Took the stock Yukon leafs taken apart.

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G3500 leafs on top and stock Yukon leafs on bottom.

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Starting to trim the G3500 leafs to make them fit together with the stock Yukon leafs.

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Mock up of the leaf pack before I trimmed more off the leafs.

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Installing Driver side.

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[

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And I think that's all I'm going to post tonight. I think I got a lot posted, I still don't think I'm even halfway through yet but if I can post this much or more in a sitting I'll be done pretty soon and I can actually update the build in real time.

'Til next time!

 

[Curt]

Subbed.