2005 Escalade Daily Driver

Alright, so I've finally decided to start a build thread... This is my daily driver that I bought a year ago - a 2005 Cadillac Escalade. It was a local one owner with 81k miles on it when I got it. I bought this truck after regretfully parting with my 2000 Tahoe Limited in 2011 and replacing it with a 1994 Corvette which I could never get to stop leaking around the doors and windows :shock: After that debacle I was ready for the familiar dependability of another full size GM SUV.

Anyway it's RWD and has the 345hp 6.0L LQ9, Navigation, Sunroof, etc. Plans for this truck are some mild performance mods (CAI, exhaust, comp. programmer, maybe some headers), an inexpensive sub box and amp for a little thump, bigger wheels and tires, as well as a few other interior/exterior mods.

Here are some pics from the dealership:








And my first shot of it - on South Padre Island a couple days after I bought it 😀

Ok, so the first mod was a small one. Changed the bulbs for the back up lights, front parking/signal lights, license plate markers, and courtesy lights under the mirrors to white LEDs.

Back up lights:



Under mirror lights:

Back in January the three year old battery in the truck died, so I replaced it with this Optima Redtop with 800 cold cranking amps. So far I've been really happy with it, but time will tell...

Well my inspection sticker is expiring this month and I've known for a while that the tires are going to need replaced before the Escalade will pass inspection. I got 10,000 miles out of these, which isn't bad because they were pretty worn when I bought the truck.


So after shopping around for a while for original spec tires (265/70R17), I started thinking about upgrading the wheels since I'd already be spending money on new tires. So why not put that money towards something I really wanted? I'd be itching to upgrade them in another year anyway, assuming I just replaced the originals now. I knew I wanted to run 24s, and to my surprise I was able to find a couple of different sets that were within my budget. I decided on the American made Boss Motorsports 24x10 Chrome 313s with a +40mm offset and ordered them from Summit Racing. After placing the order though, I remembered that Summit has a beat-a-price guarantee, so I did a quick Google search to see if anyone else was selling them cheaper. I found another vender selling them for about $70 less/wheel, so I immediately got on the phone with Summit and they beat the price by $1! 😀

Several few days later, FedEx delivered four huge boxes...



Made in the USA!



Since the Escalade has a tire pressure monitoring system, I could either remove the valve stems/sensors from the original wheels or get a new set to install in the 313s and have them programed to the truck. Not wanting to deal with removing the old tires from the OE wheels, I chose the latter. Checked with the dealer, but was able to find a full set, brand new on eBay for much less.


The sensors and nuts fit perfectly in the wheels, so no need to run a TPMS strap around the wheel barrels. They came with the standard aluminum nuts to lock them into the wheels, which would have looked okay... But I'd rather have everything matching with the same finish.


After some searching, I found these chrome plated TPMS nuts from West Coast Corvette. They are for C5 and C6 Corvettes, but the design of the sensors is very similar and thankfully, they fit my sensors as well.



Like a glove! Chrome valve stem caps are on their way...

On to the tires. Using a tire size calculator, I decided to run 305/35R24s all the way around. They are fairly close in overall diameter to the OE 265/70R17s, and will also provide a decent sidewall with a little extra bulge (12" tire on a 10" rim). I was planning on buying a set of Nitto's NT420s, but after calling around a bit, found out I could get Nexen's Roadian HPs for less than 2/3 the price of the Nittos. I know a couple of people who have these tires and have been very happy with them, and just looking at the specs they either match or beat the Nittos with treadwear, temperature, traction, and speed ratings (for whatever that's worth). Ultimately I didn't think the Nittos would last enough extra miles to justify their higher cost, and that made my decision.

Mounted and balanced:


Installed on the truck, needs washed :lol: :

Couple of updates... I had an alignment done on the truck and programed the TPMS sensors myself. The procedure is outlined in the owner's manual and is easy enough to follow.

The rear tires were rubbing on the plastic inner fender liner a bit when going over bumps or pulling in steep driveways, so I ordered some 1/4" billet aluminum spacers. I'm really pleased with the quality of these things, they are really well made.



Installation was straightforward, just remove the wheels and slide the spacer on. I coated the back of the spacers with anti-seize to prevent corrosion from developing between them and the brake rotors.





I only installed the rears, but may put the fronts on as well. Haven't really had any rubbing on the front. These alleviated most of the rubbing in the rear, but they still occasionally rub a little. I may have to trim some of the fender liner to completely stop them from rubbing. We'll see.

Also, I received my OEM chrome Cadillac crest valve stem caps and put them on. They look great, and are kind of the finishing touch.

Time for a small update. I finally got around to installing the aluminum pedals I bought for this truck last August. These things are great, I've put them in 2 previous vehicles and love the way they feel. Also, they are manufactured by the same company who made the pedals for the Eleanor Mustang in the Gone in 60 Seconds remake.




And here are a few more exterior shots:

Thanks! I've got a couple more upgrades I've added recently that I need to take pics of...