Escalade Truck. Info?

[6]

My friend is trying to buy the Escalade pickup truck. dangerousdan


He's researching the hell out of it, looking all over the place, and there seems to be lots of opinions. Most positive.

Does anyone here have any experience with these things? It seems like they're kind of like silverados, but not. Roughly the cost of a similar year 1500 Silverado.. but springs not leaf/torsion... Air springs at that. No hydro boost on the one I saw the engine bay of??

Anyone had one, like them, know them?

[rpcraft]

I think they are usually like a 1/2 version of the 3/4 HD, so they usually have a beefier transmission, like a 4l65E or maybe a 4l80E, and then usually the lq9 or lq4 6.0 LS depending on the year (one predates the other). Other than the fancy interior and body cladding/work they are essentially a 1/2 truck from that point forward but I think more akin to the Avalanche models than just a truck perhaps?. I think also they may have a 12 bolt semi-float rear axle and 4.10 gears in the axles, so definitely a little stronger running gear. Not sure why but I suppose it might just be because they are a somewhat heavier truck and that equipment holds up better over time hauling that mass around just.

Short story long the running gear is what folks doing LS swaps are usually looking for when they do their older Square Chevy trucks (other than the Transfer case).

I think the motors in that truck series put out way more than the standard trucks though, like around 420 HP in the 2015 models and depending on the years they got upgraded to the 6 speed transmissions, so just depends on what year.

[rpcraft]

My bad. I was thinking about the Denali as a truck. I do think the Escalade still has the beefy trans and a 6.0 up until 2024 and then after that they started migrating to the 6.2 lt4 engine.

[frinesi2]

I totally forgot those existed. It's a Chevy Avalanche. The bad guys drove one in The Matrix: Reloaded.

[6]

I totally forgot those existed. It's a Chevy Avalanche. The bad guys drove one in The Matrix: Reloaded.

The avalanche makes sense. He wants a loaded Silverado but it seems easier/cheaper to get the caddy.

Unfortunately it also seems more complex and less stout.

[honda coaster]

wrong time to buy anything cars....way overpriced...as well as the BBQ meats

[frinesi2]

The avalanche makes sense. He wants a loaded Silverado but it seems easier/cheaper to get the caddy.

Unfortunately it also seems more complex and less stout.

I think people have had issues with the seals between the bed and the cabin as they age. Other than that I don't know a lot about them.

[bk94si]

I always thought these were more like Yukon with part of the roof chopped off rather than a truck with a big cab.

[Goshawk]

What year Escalade EXT is your friend looking at purchasing.

1500 chassis. Only did the Midgate truck for 2 chassis generations. Has same V-8 engine offering as the Escalade and Escalade ESV of the same year.

GMT-800 2001-2006 is the 6.0L LQ9 and 4L60E/4L65E 4-speed autotrans.

GMT-900 2007-2013 is the 6.2L L92 (although there is an option for E85) with the 6L80 6-speed autotrans.

GMT-800 trucks are old school and more truck than car. Mostly bulletproof. The 800 trucks were available in 2WD and AWD. The 900’s just went AWD. 900’s started to transition to more modern creature comforts.

All trucks had quirks. 900 has more issues…thin paint, for one. Whichever your friend buys, try to get a later model year in a series as they worked through most mechanical problems towards the end of the model run (as usual). Also option elimination and cost cutting would pop up as the models got older. So reliability went up but nice features disappeared.


What do you want to know?

-P.

[Goshawk]

I always thought these were more like Yukon with part of the roof chopped off rather than a truck with a big cab.

Developed from the full-length Escalade ESV. Same wheelbase. Changed from the C-pillar back. Has a pickup rear bumper on the GMT-900 instead of the body cladding bumper cover.

-P.

[6]

What year Escalade EXT is your friend looking at purchasing.

1500 chassis. Only did the Midgate truck for 2 chassis generations. Has same V-8 engine offering as the Escalade and Escalade ESV of the same year.

GMT-800 2001-2006 is the 6.0L LQ9 and 4L60E/4L65E 4-speed autotrans.

GMT-900 2007-2013 is the 6.2L L92 (although there is an option for E85) with the 6L80 6-speed autotrans.

GMT-800 trucks are old school and more truck than car. Mostly bulletproof. The 800 trucks were available in 2WD and AWD. The 900’s just went AWD. 900’s started to transition to more modern creature comforts.

All trucks had quirks. 900 has more issues…thin paint, for one. Whichever your friend buys, try to get a later model year in a series as they worked through most mechanical problems towards the end of the model run (as usual). Also option elimination and cost cutting would pop up as the models got older. So reliability went up but nice features disappeared.


What do you want to know?

-P.

That's exactly what I wanted to know. Haha.

Thanks for the info Pete