Anyone near Greensboro/Winston-Salem, NC willing to look at a truck?

[swathdiver]

It was a place called Walkertown Auto Sales which appeared to be run out of/through Walkertown Tire.

That's where I bought my truck from in 2017, think they were under a different name then.

Not your fault. I was trying to wait it out a little anyway so he might be willing to negotiate. He knew it was a rare color but blue usually doesn’t sell that well which is why they’re rare; however, many used buyers aren’t very concerned with particular colors especially in the current market. It is what it is. We don’t need it desperately (yet) and the wife says she wants to keep her SWB Yukon. I really didn't want AWD and I would have been starting over with another restoration.

Well, you could always pull the differential, swap out the hubs and convert the rest to RWD. Or convert to true 4x4.

 

[91RS]

Trust me, I definitely considered converting it to 2WD to get the Xenon Blue. I'm tired of projects so that made the AWD two negatives instead of just one! Since I'm a perfectionist, I would have also wanted to replace the rear differential with the 2WD 14 bolt so that would increase the cost quite a bit. I could tell it needed some normal Escalade things but I could also tell it wasn't garage kept (not common since the LWB doesn't fit in most garages) and the mag ride was deleted so just more cost to get it up to my standards. In saying that I probably would have gone and looked at it before they had the pictures up and likely bought it if it wasn't rusty and the paint was all original because of the color if it had been a 2WD.

 

[89Suburban]

Well, you could always pull the differential, swap out the hubs and convert the rest to RWD.

How is this done without throwing the computer into a frenzy? Just curious. Can the front shaft/diff be removed and just run with the same trans and transfer case?

 

[swathdiver]

Trust me, I definitely considered converting it to 2WD to get the Xenon Blue. I'm tired of projects so that made the AWD two negatives instead of just one! Since I'm a perfectionist, I would have also wanted to replace the rear differential with the 2WD 14 bolt so that would increase the cost quite a bit. I could tell it needed some normal Escalade things but I could also tell it wasn't garage kept (not common since the LWB doesn't fit in most garages) and the mag ride was deleted so just more cost to get it up to my standards. In saying that I probably would have gone and looked at it before they had the pictures up and likely bought it if it wasn't rusty and the paint was all original because of the color if it had been a 2WD.

I know you know more about this stuff than I do! I get it, I'm kinda antsy to get all the projects done on my truck too. I bought a 14-bolt for it but have no immediate plans to install it, it was dirt cheap from LKQ though and couldn't resist.

How is this done without throwing the computer into a frenzy? Just curious. Can the front shaft/diff be removed and just run with the same trans and transfer case?

Well, I guess you could even take the half shafts out, replace the hubs, or take the half shafts apart and leave the hubs and everything else hooked up. But you'd be up the creek when the computer shifts more power up front! I'd be more inclined to program the modules for RWD operation and such or convert to 4x4.

 

[91RS]

The transfer case in the GMT 800 and 900 AWD is, to put it simply, a clutch driven setup that isn't selectable (there is no encoder motor). There may be an output shaft speed sensor or something but I can't remember 100%. I never researched it thoroughly but I know you cannot just remove the axles or just the front differential or just the front drive shaft or it will destroy the transfer case. You would have to do it all or not at all. My guess would be it would involve changing the hubs to 2WD units, deleting the front differential and axles, deleting the transfer case and either changing the entire transmission to a 2WD unit or gutting it and changing the output shaft and extension housing to 2WD parts, and then getting a 2WD rear drive shaft. I'm not sure if changing the 10 bolt axle to the 2WD 14 bolt would be required or not. My "worry" would be that the length between the pinion flange and the output shaft might not be the same since the 10 bolt is a smaller unit and also that the u-joint might be smaller on the 10 bolt. If those are the case a custom drive shaft would be needed but I'd guess it could cost similar to buying a used 14 bolt from a salvage yard. I've seen them for $600 before from sub-100k mile trucks. I almost bought one for my Yukon because of the price (it whines under load at speed but any GMT-800 owner knows that isn't necessarily an indicator of a problem).

 

[swathdiver]

The transfer case in the GMT 800 and 900 AWD is, to put it simply, a clutch driven setup that isn't selectable (there is no encoder motor). There may be an output shaft speed sensor or something but I can't remember 100%. I never researched it thoroughly but I know you cannot just remove the axles or just the front differential or just the front drive shaft or it will destroy the transfer case. You would have to do it all or not at all. My guess would be it would involve changing the hubs to 2WD units, deleting the front differential and axles, deleting the transfer case and either changing the entire transmission to a 2WD unit or gutting it and changing the output shaft and extension housing to 2WD parts, and then getting a 2WD rear drive shaft. I'm not sure if changing the 10 bolt axle to the 2WD 14 bolt would be required or not. My "worry" would be that the length between the pinion flange and the output shaft might not be the same since the 10 bolt is a smaller unit and also that the u-joint might be smaller on the 10 bolt. If those are the case a custom drive shaft would be needed but I'd guess it could cost similar to buying a used 14 bolt from a salvage yard. I've seen them for $600 before from sub-100k mile trucks. I almost bought one for my Yukon because of the price (it whines under load at speed but any GMT-800 owner knows that isn't necessarily an indicator of a problem).

14-bolts in 900s bolt right up, same u-joints. Same driveshaft according to @randeez

Why would the transfer case destroy itself if the front driveshaft was out? I ask because I have watched a video where Precision Transmission pulled the front axle out of a customer's 4x4, took apart his half-shafts and put the splined end back in the hubs to keep them from falling apart and sent the customer on his way. He was coming back shortly for overhaul.

 

[randeez]

on my truck conversion ujoint wasnt needed, the 10bolt in my awd behind a 6.2 already used a 1350 joint, outside of that i dont know. i used the brake line off my 10bolt and just had to bend it around the pumpkin a little bit to fit nice.

the awd transfer case in a 900 (BW4485) if you pull the front shaft out, just isnt going to do anything - its going to drive the output with the least amount of resistance and if theres no front shaft its just going to spin the output. i imagine at a certain point it may drive the truck but not usable.

the 800s, an autotrak or np149 case may be able to drive but the same scenario - its going to think the front axle has zero traction and is going to engage the clutch or viscous coupler the entire time, heat up, may last a few drives but wear it out pretty quick

actual selectable 4x4 transfer cases should be fine if you leave them in 2wd, either years

 

[91RS]

Ideally I won’t be buying an AWD so hopefully none of this will matter to me. The only way I would consider the AWD is if it was another Xenon Blue (I would also be fine with Sapphire Blue) Escalade with a black interior otherwise in nice shape.

 

[swathdiver]

Ideally I won’t be buying an AWD so hopefully none of this will matter to me. The only way I would consider the AWD is if it was another Xenon Blue (I would also be fine with Sapphire Blue) Escalade with a black interior otherwise in nice shape.

Came across this today:

07-14 4WD to 2WD conversion GMT900 - PerformanceTrucks.net Forums

GMT 900 Trucks General Discussion - 07-14 4WD to 2WD conversion GMT900 - Ok, like ***holes we all have one. This is not my first internet day so I know nothing can be done to the warriors and their opinions. 4WD, 2WD, mask, no mask who cares? It was supposed to be a free country, and this is my...

www.performancetrucks.net

 

[91RS]

Ok, so about like I was thinking. I knew it was possible because the Trailblazer SS guys have been doing it for years. I still would rather not have to do it but the option is there. The Xenon blue is a one year only color for 2012. The Sapphire Blue is one year only for 2013. Both my Escalade and Yukon literally only have a couple of things left to be "done" and the thought of starting over just made my stomach turn. Even if that Escalade had been in excellent condition, there would still be things to do. It definitely needed paint correction and since I had at least 20 hours in buffing my SWB Escalade, I know a LWB would take even longer. One thing I know that would have cost me a fortune is a clear bra if the paint on the front end were in good shape and the headlights not faded. My Yukon is about to turn 190k and the bumper isn't in terrible shape but it also isn't good enough to be clear bra worthy. Plus, I would also have AFM again and it would have to be deleted again eventually. I only had my Yukon 6 months before it started acting up.