Whether you call it “the other ride, the daily, the wife’s ride,” or even “the mommy mobile,” we all want to cruise in a truck or SUV that has curb appeal, is completely functional, and doesn’t break the bank in the process. For Project Murdered-Out Mommy Mobile (or MOMM as we call it), we’ll show you how to take your stock truck or SUV and transform it into a legitimate street cruiser without losing functionality or taking out a loan to do so. Our project SUV is a 2010 GMC Yukon XL, a typical family hauler perfect for carrying kids, strollers, sports gear, groceries and everything else that needs to go from point A to B. Over the next several months, we’ll lower the Yukon, add big wheels and big brakes, bump up the horsepower with easy-to-install bolt-ons, give the exterior and interior some much-needed love, and once we’re done, take a look at the final result for functionality, style, and the most important aspect, make sure the mom behind the wheel is still happy.
| Before
This month, we dropped the Yukon using McGaughy’s new economy 2/3 drop kit that replaces and relocated the lower coil spring stop on the strut and uses 3-inch shorter coil springs in the rear with shock extenders. This new drop kit is not only faster and easier to install than a traditional spindle drop, it’s also less expensive and maintains the factory ride, which sounds like a perfect scenario to us. Filling in the smaller fender gap are 26x9.5-inch Mazzi Krank wheels that were powdercoated black to match the murdered-out theme. Providing the wheel protection and traction, we mounted Kumho Ecsta STX high-performance sport truck tires sized 305/30R26 to the Mazzi wheels for an in-your-face look that will definitely turn heads. We’ve preached for years the importance of adding big brakes when adding larger wheels and tires, so it should come as no surprise that this Yukon received a big-brake kit from Baer. After all, wife, plus kids, plus stuff, equals irreplaceable cargo. For this application, we used Baer AumaSport brakes with 14-inch cross-drilled and slotted rotors and two-piston calipers, front and rear. To handle the install while we snapped the photos, we drove the stock Yukon to Total Auto Pros, located in the heart of Phoenix. Total Auto Pros works on everything from 4x4 diesels to rock-crawling Jeeps, and even high-end luxury cars, so our install was handled in just a few short hours. Read along, as we added style to our mommy mobile without compromising ride quality or safety and be sure to check back next month when we add some ponies to the 5.3L.
| 1. Right out of the box, the McGaughy’s economy 2/3 kit looked to be an easy install. The kit consists of new rear coil springs, rear shock extenders, and front coil spring cup relocators.
From The Driver Seat
We’re happy to say that mom and kids are doing great and absolutely loving the new looks and ride of the Yukon. The McGaughy’s kit was a breeze to install and the only harshness felt during cruising is from the low-profile tires and extra-large 26-inch wheels. Baer’s AlumaSport brake kit does a great job of bringing the family transporter to a halt and with the custom-painted finish, they also add to the Yukon’s unique styling. Granted 26-inch wheels and tires are expensive, but with a $50K SUV, it’s either go big or go home. This same story could easily be done with a set of 22-inch wheels and the cost would be about $2,500 less. All in all, the bolt-on parts were a great success and we can’t wait to regain some power that was lost from the huge wheels and tires, but we’ll share that with you next month.
| After
Your Questions Answered
Degree of Difficulty:
Beginner
(though a coil spring compressor is needed)
Time Spent Working:
3 hours
Tools Needed:Parts Used:
Baer AlumaSport big brake kit front 4301154
$1,465.00
Baer AlumaSport big brake kit rear 4302035
$1,295.50
Mazzi Krank 26x9.5-inch wheels
$975.00 each
McGaughy’s 2/3 drop economy kit 34065
$499.95
Kuhmo Ecsta STX 305/30R26 tires
$527.00 each
Total:
$9,267.95
(prices from www.summitracing.com, www.tirerack.com, and www.mcgaughys.com and do not include tax, shipping, or installation)
