“More” of most things is good, but more suspension travel is very good—especially when it comes with the added benefit of righting a wrong. In this case, the wrong is the odd decision GM made when designing its trucks to have a distinctly nose-down attitude. Sure, that may look good on a muscle car, but on a truck? It’s just wrong.
| New GM 2500HD and 3500HD trucks have a droopy front end.
Icon Vehicle Dynamics decided to fix the problem of the droopy nose that plagued new GM 2500HD and 3500HD trucks and add 2.5 inches of travel at the same time with its Uniball upper arm system.
Integral to the system are the A-arms. Made from 1026 DOM seamless tubing and CNC bent, these upper A-arms are all that’s needed to give the GM HDs more travel. But wait, there’s more (there’s that word again).
The Icon system consists of upper A-arms, but these arms come with what’s called a uniball. According to Icon, these 1-inch Teflon-lined uniballs, combined with 17-4 stainless steel taper pin adapters, increase the upper arm’s misalignment, allowing for smooth and clean wheel travel without worrying about factory ball joint bind. That means that with the 2.5-inch lift you get with the kit, the uniball enhances the suspension thanks to the fact that it allows the wheel to articulate further than the standard ball joint would allow.
| The Icon system that will be installed comes with new upper A-arms and related hardware, along with reservoir-equipped shocks.
Keeping this increased travel manageable is accomplished with Icon’s 2.5-inch VS series performance coilover shocks. These reservoir-equipped shocks are valved especially for the big GMs, and pairing them with the uniball gives the trucks a much better ride than stock while still promoting increased travel.
While the crew at Industrial Motoring was doing the Icon install, they also added a set of caliper covers from Complete Customs. The stock units are utilitarian to say the least, and these covers really do dress up the look of the caliper. Made from metal and not cheap plastic, these covers are affixed to the caliper itself using clips.
When the install was complete, Industrial Motoring then added a set of 24-inch RBP wheels that were shod with quality Nitto Trail Grappler A/T tires. The result is that the truck sits way higher than stock and looks a whole lot better, too.
| There was a newer 2500HD in the parking lot, and even when taking the RBP/Nitto combination into account, there is no denying that the Icon kit raises the front end level while the stock 2500HD has a decided droop to its nose.
The fact that the HD now has more travel and better handling comes as good news to many—and the fact that the whole Icon system can be added in just a few hours time is very good news. Since only the upper A-arms are replaced, this is a fairly quick job to complete and is one that most DIYers could tackle in a day (providing they have the basic tools and ability). The Industrial Motoring crew had the entire job done in about two hours and the HD was back on the road—which meant this owner could spend a lot more time out having fun with his ride. See, we told you more is better.
