2018 Sierra 1500 Denali

[shaunlyo]

Here is my Denali build.

Dirt Kings UCA
Fox 2.5" Remote resivoir coilovers
285/75/r17 Toyo Mt's
17x9 Method Con 6
All Pro Tundra WIY Bed Rack Modified for Sierra Bed (not completed yet)
S&B Air Intake
All Chrome removed and color matched or replaced with OEM black pieces

Truck had a 3.5" rake when new and now sits perfectly level. Here are a few pictures from along the way.

 

[RoarinRow]

She's looking good! I like the rack in the back and Trek. My favorite line of bikes.

 

[JButtress]

Here is my Denali build.

Dirt Kings UCA
Fox 2.5" Remote resivoir coilovers
285/75/r17 Toyo Mt's
17x9 Method Con 6
All Pro Tundra WIY Bed Rack Modified for Sierra Bed (not completed yet)
S&B Air Intake
All Chrome removed and color matched or replaced with OEM black pieces

Truck had a 3.5" rake when new and now sits perfectly level. Here are a few pictures from along the way.View attachment 103145View attachment 103146View attachment 103147View attachment 103148View attachment 103149View attachment 103150View attachment 103151View attachment 103154View attachment 103155View attachment 103157View attachment 103158

Great looking full size rig!

 

[shaunlyo]

Today I started sliders for the Denali. Had a set of 68" savage offroad sliders from an old project I have been trying to sell. No luck, except low ball offers, so i decided i would just modify them to work. I extended them 36.5"s to make them 104.5"s. Perfect for my true crew cab with a 6'6" bed. Just need to make 3 small tube braces, circled in the third picture. They will weld to the two "removed" 36" tubes and then slide those between the two end pieces. Weld the joints solid and fill the rest of the rosette welds. Then figure out how I want to mount them to the frame and make new legs from 1.75x.250.

The original sliders were 1.75x.120 wall. I fully sleeved the tube closes to the frame with a piece of 1.5x.120 wall making it .240 wall. The "rub rail" is just sleeved with 10"s of 1.5x.120 wall for each connection. You can see the 5" sticking out of the removed tube.

How would you mount, or how have you mounted to these new frames. I hear mixed opinions on welding or not. As of now I intend to weld them to 3/16 plates which will be welded to my frame.

 

[2018GMC1500]

Here is my Denali build.

Dirt Kings UCA
Fox 2.5" Remote resivoir coilovers
285/75/r17 Toyo Mt's
17x9 Method Con 6
All Pro Tundra WIY Bed Rack Modified for Sierra Bed (not completed yet)
S&B Air Intake
All Chrome removed and color matched or replaced with OEM black pieces

Truck had a 3.5" rake when new and now sits perfectly level. Here are a few pictures from along the way.View attachment 103145View attachment 103146View attachment 103147View attachment 103148View attachment 103149View attachment 103150View attachment 103151View attachment 103154View attachment 103155View attachment 103157View attachment 103158

That looks exactly like how I want my 1500 to look when I am done! Awesome truck! How do you like the suspension now I have been debating the Fox or the Icons

 

[shaunlyo]

I cannot speak for ICON because I havent owned them. I have a buddy with it on his FJ and he likes it. I have run a similar setup with Kings on a 3rd gen 4runner. Kings seem a little stiffer going slow but just as great at speed. They may not have been adjusted perfect though. I have been adjusting the fox's and finding the settings I like for about 7000 miles now and they are great. The only down side is I cranked them to about 3.25" of lift to level the truck and this limits me to 2" of down travel as the bolt head in the UCA uniball contacts the UCA. They ride GREAT though and absorb the terrain beautifully. Definitely recommended for a lower cost option. I did get the DCS adjustments and would recommend the same. The Fox's do offer about 1" more of travel compared to the Kings, when talking OEM replacment coilovers.

*** I just talked to Dirtking and they have redesigned their upper arm to address this. It only gains 3/8" of additional travel but will ship me the new arms and just need me to ship the old ones back once swapped. HIGHLY Recommend these guys. They were amazing with the initial purchase and have had phenomenal customer service since. ***

I am torn between the Baja Kits mid travel and a SAS for an upgrade though. The baja kits gets 11.5" of travel and only extends the track width by 2.5" per side. It also allows the factory fenders with 35's and trimming. All the other kits are a minimum of 3.5"s per side and require glass fenders. This is ok for the Silverado as the make 2" flare fenders, however for the sierra they only make 6" flare and I hate that look. SAS will allow me to move the axle forward to help me stay lower with the same tire size and stock fenders. I am presently looking into removing the factory flare on a Sierra and rolling the fender, this will resolve all my fitment issues if it works.

 

[2018GMC1500]

I cannot speak for ICON because I havent owned them. I have a buddy with it on his FJ and he likes it. I have run a similar setup with Kings on a 3rd gen 4runner. Kings seem a little stiffer going slow but just as great at speed. They may not have been adjusted perfect though. I have been adjusting the fox's and finding the settings I like for about 7000 miles now and they are great. The only down side is I cranked them to about 3.25" of lift to level the truck and this limits me to 2" of down travel as the bolt head in the UCA uniball contacts the UCA. They ride GREAT though and absorb the terrain beautifully. Definitely recommended for a lower cost option. I did get the DCS adjustments and would recommend the same. The Fox's do offer about 1" more of travel compared to the Kings, when talking OEM replacment coilovers.

*** I just talked to Dirtking and they have redesigned their upper arm to address this. It only gains 3/8" of additional travel but will ship me the new arms and just need me to ship the old ones back once swapped. HIGHLY Recommend these guys. They were amazing with the initial purchase and have had phenomenal customer service since. ***

I am torn between the Baja Kits mid travel and a SAS for an upgrade though. The baja kits gets 11.5" of travel and only extends the track width by 2.5" per side. It also allows the factory fenders with 35's and trimming. All the other kits are a minimum of 3.5"s per side and require glass fenders. This is ok for the Silverado as the make 2" flare fenders, however for the sierra they only make 6" flare and I hate that look. SAS will allow me to move the axle forward to help me stay lower with the same tire size and stock fenders. I am presently looking into removing the factory flare on a Sierra and rolling the fender, this will resolve all my fitment issues if it works.

That is really good to know I am definitely going to follow this build. For mine I am looking to level it out with the added performance of a lift rather than just a leveling kit and it feels like the GMC is much lower to the ground than my old F-150 I had. Did you ever have the new UCA with the factory wheel? Did you install the kit yourself or take it to a shop?

 

[shaunlyo]

The second picture on this thread shows it on the factory 22's and the lift. I installed it myself. Takes about an hour per side. No need to disconnect tie rods or CV's, just the upper arm, stock strut, and sway bar.

I didnt want a lift as the dif drop counters it anyways, mine is lifted 3.25-3.5" in the front so the truck is perfectly level when measuring fender gap. It looks a little taller in the front due to fender lines.

 

[2018GMC1500]

Awesome thank you! And no issues when you dropped down to the 17in wheels?

 

[shaunlyo]

Not at all, 17's are the smallest that will fit. In the future it will limit me if I want to do a big brake kit but the extra 2.5"s, 5" total, of sidewall is nice.

 

[2018GMC1500]

Yeah my truck has the 20s right now and I want to get more sidewall. Looks awesome man

 

[Forte]

Very nice truck! Cool seeing a brand new fullsize getting wheeled.

SAS on a brand new truck? Man you crazy! I'm subscribed either way.

 

[shaunlyo]

Main issue with IFS lift is that it doesn't allow for the axle to be re centered, moved forward, in the wheel well. The non round fenders, DUMB GM, inhibits tire size without ridiculous lift. Bulge fenders are an option for the silverado guys but not Sierras, and still not really my thing. Long travel kits are designed for 4" of lift but REQUIRE glass to fully clear 35's or anything bigger.

Plans are a Dodge AAM front axle using the factory strut coil bucket on the axle and my frame, a custom coil and fox shock. This will be version 1, and if it lines up correctly it will stay. If it doesn't line up I will buy coil buckets and place them where I need them.Hopefully 4-5" of lift over a stock Denali 1500, which is still shorter than a stock Ram 2500. I will probably run a parallel 4 link, but possibly a radius arm. This I have done on a 2002 Sierra 1500, as well as on a 1990 V3500 crew cab, in the past so that inst the hard part. I will also have to mount a 99-06 steering box inside the frame rails and a power steering pump to my 6.2l, dirty dingo makes a nice kit. Short term will be 6 lug to 8 lug adapters on the rear axle and later down the road I will find the rear axle from a 11-18 GM 2500HD. I will remove the factory flares on the Sierra, the black plastic inside the fender, and roll the metal behind it to open up the fender well. I want to keep it as low as possible on 35's BUT will build it to insure 37's fit.

***Update on the sliders and pics of intended locations. Just need to make the 6 legs and decide on how it will mount to the frame.