09 HyHoe
 

My apologies that almost all the pics are gone from this thread ... stupid MobileMe purged their server and everything went bye bye. :(

It'll take me forever to re-upload everything and in re-embed in every relevant post, so if anyone needs any specific pic, just let me know and I'll repost it.

Here are a couple of pics of the finished product:

Attachment 2844

Attachment 2845


------------------------------------

Hi there,

I registered a while back but haven't had the time to post yet ... so I thought I'd remedy this sin and begin by introducing myself and telling you a little about my truck.

I live in DC and bought my 09 Tahoe Hybrid back in Dec. 2010 with 12xxx miles on her. Ever since then I've gone on a journey of tweaking and modifications to personalize it to my taste. It's been a huge learning curve to decipher what can and cannot be done with these trucks ... she is as we speak very close to what I want/like. Much if not all of what I've learned and implemented comes through my interaction at tahoeyukonforum.com where I go by the username soulsea.

Anyhoot, here's the story so far.

First thing I did after I bought her is put 24" Enkei Ikei-6 rims with Hankook Ventus 295/35/22s, installed a Belltech 2-3/4 drop kit, installed Grillcraft upper/lower mesh, and swapped for black Chevy bowties.

Without drop:
http://files.abovetopsecret.com/imag...e9542bf4d2.jpg

With drop:
http://files.abovetopsecret.com/imag...e0924a2b9d.jpg

Well, although that is still my favorite look to date, it only lasted about a month. The Hybrids already sit about an inch lower than regular Tahoes ... the tiny sidewall, heavy rims, and state of DC streets made her ride like a donkey. Basically way too stiff and uncomfortable for a daily driver.

So I decided to go in a different direction and aim for a more elegant oem look.
The drop and 24s got sold and I added the following:

- OEM CK375 wheel/tire package that comes standard with the Denali Hybrid.
- LTZ chrome door handles
- LTZ door side moldings
- OEM Tubular oval chrome running boards
- Escalade/Denali rear bumper cover (to be installed next week)
- Escalade mirrors (to be installed next week)
- Smoked third brake light
- Lightly tinted tail lights
- Resonator delete and added tips

http://gallery.me.com/soulsea/100056...13127467060001

http://gallery.me.com/soulsea/100056...13127468700001

Than the real fun started ...

- Installed the only known xenon quad retrofit on a Tahoe Hybrid:

VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWsDhdnb-70

http://gallery.me.com/soulsea/100056...13127427800001

- Also the two lower bulbs are double switchback leds and are both on as drls and turn signals during the day and signals only at night.
- Reverse bulb leds
- Licence plate leds
- Puddle leds
- Dome/Visor leds.

That is all for now. :)

There's also a few things that I tried and did not work but I'll get to those on another post.

But I wanted to note that I often read this forum to inform myself, and I am happy to share any information I have discovered along my journey should anyone have any questions.

Cheers for now!

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

A couple of mentions of modifications I either tried or considered that did not/would not work ... I'm sure some of you may know this already but I'm noting them for posterity. :)

- There's no other tail light assy, aftermarket or oem, that will work with the base (non denali/ non escalade) hybrids. First issue is that the HyHoe/HyYuk have different wiring so nothing will be plug and play. That can be resolved with rewiring (which I did successfully) but the second issue cannot. Namely there's no way to make the rear D pillar appliqués to line up properly and there's no other appliqué on the market that will work because the spoiler/3rd light assy is so different. This is the result:

http://gallery.me.com/soulsea/100050...13121638230005

http://gallery.me.com/soulsea/100050...13121638250004

It looks terrible and out of place.

The only way to get around this would be to swap out for either an Escalade or Denali Hybrid liftgate assembly which of course would result in its own aesthetic issues, not to mention $$$ just to make aftermarket tails to work.

Bottom line, tint the stock ones or live with them. :shade:

- I considered but never attempted the Escalade roof rack addition. I read some threads here on the subject including some that succeeded in this modification. In the end, after considering both having them drilled in or attached with commercial automotive adhesive, I decided that I preferred the cleaner sans rack look. But I did take some pics a while back with one side of the rack mocked up on the roof:

http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum...ictureid=11557

- One last major modification I considered, and which had me actually talking to GM customer service, GM technical dept., and looking at diagrams was the idea of swapping the snowplow front bumper cover for that of an LTZ.

It's not impossible just stupidly complicated and expensive. and would basically involve reengineering the whole front end. I'm happy to go into details if anyone cares enough to request them, but let's just say that not only would it require the whole new bumper cover assy, but would also require a new hood, and a whole bunch of other hardware. Even then I'm not sure it would work because the hybrids have a safety feature in the latch assemble to disable auto-stop when the hood is popped open (to let people know who might be working on the truck that the engine is on), and I no one could tell me if that would get lost, keep working, or mess up the whole 2mode system.

I just didn't care enough to pursue that further. :)

I'll keep noting stuff down as I remember it.

Cheers!

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

Continuing with the spirit of modification ...

One thing that had been bothering me since I purchased the HyHoe was the mismatched lettering/font between the standard TAHOE lettering/font and the Hybrid lettering font. I tend to be slightly ocd in these matters so it was really bothering me, especially on the liftgate.

So I went on a quest to try and find the proper lettering to match the TAHOE font in order to be able to spell Hybrid with it. It isn't as easy or obvious as it seems, for all the letters can be easily obtained by purchasing suburban and silverado lettering but the "Y" seemed impossible to find due to the fact that there's no current chevy vehicle that uses it in that size and font.

After a great deal of investigation I discovered that for some unknown reason, GM still produces the latest lettering for the now nonexistent CHEYENNE. So I bought all those letter sets and will rebadge the liftgate properly in the near future.

Should anyone else care to do this, the letters for the suburban/silverado are very easy to find ... the obscure GM part number for the Cheyenne lettering is: 15791217

I'll post pics when the swap is complete.

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

Very Nice Tahoe.

What are the new rims and tire size?

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

Thanks HT ...

The rims/tires I have on now are the GM oem CK375 option package which comes standard on the Denali Hybrid. They are 22" with GY 285/45/22s. I chose those because I really liked them as they compliment the LTZ/Denali look, and they were the biggest/heaviest wheels that the dealer wouldn't hassle me in regards to my warranty, as they are GM approved for the Hybrids.

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

So I just got this back from the paint shop:

http://gallery.me.com/soulsea/100050...13160282320001

It's getting installed next Monday along with the Escalade mirrors.

We'll see how it goes ...

(and yes I do have the right step pad and chrome trims) :)

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

Hi there HyHoe, I just thought you would like to see a little bit of info about the hood latch that disables the auto-stop feature, See page 17.

http://www.oaire.com/resources/Yukon...lade%20ERG.pdf

By the way your Tahoe Hybrid looks very nice with the all the upgrades, Good job with it and thank you for sharing with us.:shade::)

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

So today I did the little mod that had been itching to do for a while ...

I replaced the ugly Hybrid lettering from the tailgate with the same lettering as Tahoe.

This is without the Hybrid at all:

http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum...ictureid=12829

http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum...ictureid=12828

And this is the final result:

http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum...ictureid=12827

I actually like it either way ... although now I'm thinking it will look best with the rear completely debadged.

I'll feel it out for a week or so but whichever way I end up going with it is all way better than the original lettering.

OCD receding ... can sleep tonight ... :D

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

Personally , I'll would not get rid of the hybrid emblems. Not bcause they are cool, but bcause in an emergency , a better faster assistance from The rescue ppl is likely due to especial training to dissable the Hybrid batteries and stuff.

Just my 2 cents

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

That's actually a very valid point and in large part the reason why I decided to just swap fonts rather than debadge. Also the side emblems are staying no matter what.

Anyhoot, all the designative lettering is still there, just in a way that calms my OCD. :)

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

Big day today ... esky bumper and mirrors are finally in!!!
http://gallery.me.com/soulsea/100050...13164633160001

http://gallery.me.com/soulsea/100050...13164632400001

http://gallery.me.com/soulsea/100050...13164632450001

http://gallery.me.com/soulsea/100050...13164631930001

http://gallery.me.com/soulsea/100050...13164631880001

http://gallery.me.com/soulsea/100050...13164684220001

Tired now but I'll post later on a couple of fitment notes.

Can't tell you how happy I am that I don't have to look at that bumper hole any more. :)

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

Let me tell you....you should work for GM.

You took a plain Jane (Tahoe Hybrid) and turn it into how GM should release her in the first place..like Linda Carter !!!!!

You got the best of all GM designs and mate it into one gorgeous ride.

Congrats.

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

Well that's just about the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. :D

Thanks Gabe.

Yeah I can't really fault GM on this too much ... they do make a truck that's very close to what I ended up with, that being the Denali Hybrid.

The thing is the Yukon swoopy front end isn't to my personal liking nor is the one of the Escalade. So my only option was to get the Tahoe and modify it to my taste. Other than the projectors and the front grille every modification on this truck is with oem parts.

And thanks again.

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

Just a couple of quick fitment notes for any hybrid owner who wants to do the bumper swap:

1. Do not forget to get the reverse sensor moldings from a denali/esky because the hybrid ones are too small. Also keep in mind that for some reason GM didn't create an attachment for them, so in order to attach them behind the bumper you will need to use a plastic adhesive like liquid plastic or JB weld. You do not need to replace your sensors as they work with the new moldings.

2. The Hybrid's bumper has little notches at each top corner where it slides in below the quarter panel. The denali/esky bumper does not, so in order for it to go in it has to be cut out. It's no biggie, it takes all of five minutes and you can't see it after it's installed ... but it won't go in unless you do it.

Here's a pic of the hybrid bumper for reference:

http://gallery.me.com/soulsea/100050...13164736310001

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

have you ever considered Electric running boards.

I want to install that in a couple of Hybrid Silverados.

Do you think is doable, worth it, trouble free?

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

Mmm, I have indeed considered it but decided against it.

The Tahoe and (non-denali) Yukon have a couple of design elements that really work against it. First they have the massive aerodynamic front bumper, second, they have these little moldings at the bottom of the back of the fenders and the front of the quarter panels that flare out. They do so as to line up with the base (non esky/denali) hybrid specific running boards. When I took the boards off those moldings stayed because removing them will more than likely show on the paint below.

So because of those elements what happens with the HyHoe is that it has an overall 'bulkier' appearance to it. This is not an issue for me because I actually like that look, but it won't work with the power steps. For them to line up properly I would have to remove the moldings, have all fenders and panels repainted, buy the steps, have them installed ... basically waaaay to expensive and involved for that one feature that still would look too small relative to the front bumper.

Having said that, these design issues are very specific to my truck, they might not exist at all for yours if your truck's design mirrors that of its non-hybrid counterpart.

It is really extraordinary that although to a lay person the regular Tahoe looks practically the same as the Hybrid. how many subtle differences there actually are. It's been a journey of almost as much error as trial for me, but I do enjoy it.

A lot of it rests on spending lots of time at dealer lots staring blankly at other trucks trying to spot tiny variances. I used to get a lot of funny looks from the salesmen ... now they can't wait for me to get there to see the latest changes on the truck. :)

So just do a lot of research at GM part websites, see how things fit together on your ride relative to others and see what can be done. There are also a lot of very helpful folks at the tahoeyukonforum.com forum.

One last thing about the power steps ... if I remember correctly, if you choose to install them a lot of wiring has to be done. And I don't remember if the BCM can be reprogrammed with a Tech II scanner at the dealer or if you would need a new one. So one would need to investigate that.

Adding new electrics is never an easy mod on these trucks, hybrid or not.

Hard, but not impossible. :)

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

Sorry, I didn't myself quite clear.

Not the OEM electric side steps. I have a 2008 Tahoe with those steps, and actually the running board decks, the body itself is different from non-electric sideboards Tahoes, hybrid or not.

There are this After market electric side steps that cloak under the body next to the chassis. Electrical install will have to be really clean, and directly from the 12 V Battery it self. Only signal that have to be crossed will be the open door signal.

The APM will probably not support an Electrical constant load for other accessory working 24/7, but the ruining boards will only work when opening the doors.

Is just my analysis, that is why I was asking.

Thanks for your fast response !

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

Ah okay ... so you''re not referring to these:

http://www.thehulltruth.com/attachme...-view-comp.jpg
(they also make them with a chrome srip)

Well, I don't see why you couldn't do it, but I am not familiar with electrical stuff so I don't know what exactly is involved.

The only thing I would reiterate if you wanted to put something as picture above, or similar, on a Tahoe Hybrid is that it will look really off unless the side moldings are removed ... and I mentioned above what the potential issue are with that strategy.

But if your Silvy doesn't have those moldings then I can't see why it couldn't be done. :)

I hope I understood correctly this time ... it's been a long day.

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

yeap. Not those in ur pic.

The APM Research Power retractable step.

Attachment 2840
Attachment 2841
http://www.electricstep.com/

They have Specific instructions for our hybrid trucks !
http://www.amp-research.com/?dl_id=1

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

Just an FYI for you if you're interested, I once wanted to remove all four of those moldings, so i tried removing the right rear molding on the rear door and once I had it about half way off I realized/Seen GM had put a few big holes in the body of the of the door where the clips would go to hold on the moldings along with adhesive strips to hold them on/up tight to the body of the door, So I figured it would be the same thing for the front half of the vehicle as well.:cry:

So like you say, You'd definitely would have to fill holes and repaint, etc.:(

If you ever get a chance could you please go just a little bit more into detail about where you bought and how you installed the new rear denali style bumper with the chrome strip, I love that look and miss my 07 normal style Black denali we had to lemon law.:( But I definitely do not miss putting so much fuel in it compared to the Hybrid.:) Thanks.

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

Gabe, those look really good and seem light and practical ... I say do it!!! :)

FT ... if I remember correctly the moldings are attached with adhesive and 2 screws on the sides by the wheel wells. I think you can get away without having to fill in the screw holes by purchasing and swapping for the non-hybrid wheel liners which would mask said holes. I need to look closer at that to see if this approach works which I will do once it stops pouring rain. Assuming that is the case, it is still more than likely that the body elements where they are glued to will need to be painted because there will likely be paint fading in those spots. Again for me I am happy to keep them there to frame the bulkier front bumper ... I have a feeling that removing them will make the truck look really odd from the side.

http://gallery.me.com/soulsea/100050...13164684220001

The rear bumper components I got from CL/ebay/and dealr parts dept.

- Esky/Nali SWB rear bumper cover - $150 ebay
- Hitch cover CL - $60
- Step pad/chrome molding - $130 ebay
- Reverse sensor moldings - $100 dealer parts dept. Ugh! :(
- Paint for bumper/hitch cover/reverse sensor moldings - $150 body shop
- Dealer install - $100

So total around $690 installed ... which is what the dealer sells the primered bumper cover for. :)

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

On a side note ...

In case someone is considering a resonator delete mod, I made a little video a while back of what it sounds like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3M8vognkQk

Nice subtle throaty at low revs no drone at highway speeds.

That ain't no Prius. :D

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

What happen when you hit 4V mode?

Sound changes a lot?

I Cruise a lot in 4V mode, actually, without any traffic at night I can Hold 4V as long as I want it !!!!!

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

You mean when it switches from electric mode to regular gas mode?

Nothing much happens, just a slightly more noticeable rumble than with the resonator still on.

I'll try to make a small video today or tomorrow to show it.

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

HyHoe,

My little twins saw pics from your Tahoe, They love it.

They want to make some mods to their Hybrids too.

Help me with some tips ;)

Attachment 2836
Attachment 2837
Attachment 2838
Attachment 2839

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

Those eskys are sick already!!! :)

Could use a Kelderman Air Ride drop like my buddy's Yuk:

Attachment 2835

That would be the ultimate. :D

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

HyHoe, I believe what Time Hybrid is asking about is, When you're on the highway at cruising speed and the active fuel management kicks the engine down to a 4 cylinder from V8 mode, What does it sound like inside the vehicle.:)

On a lot of vehicles with this system, When you remove the resonator you will get a pretty good rumble sound and in some cases you can sometimes feel the change when it drops down to 4 cylinder inside the vehicle to where it could get a little annoying at times if they are not set up right from the aftermarket exhaust manufacturers.;):)

Also thanks for the bumper Information, The info was very much appreciated.:thumbs_up

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

Oh I see ... my bad.

Honestly this is the first time that this has even crossed my mind, so I guess that means I never noticed it. :)

The resonator delete effect is most noticeable at very low speeds, it also decreases as the truck warms up. It's just a nice subtle throaty rumble to remind you that you actually have a beast of a 6.0 engine under the hood. At highway speeds it's almost imperceptible either in V8 or V4.

The whole V4 thing is a waste of time anyway in my observation. When I first got the truck I had the DIC set to show me when it kicks in, which turned out to be only if the highway was downhill and intermittently on flat ground ... but all in all it was engaged all of 2-5 percent of the time.

And you're very welcome about the bumper info ... if you guys have any questions about that mod or anything else please just ask.

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

Exactly FUN TIMES.

Thanks for the hand there, I couldn't explained better !

Thanks HyHoe for the input !

Maybe I just grew old, but I love the quietness of the hybrids.

For those crazy nights I still got my LS 6.6L turbo inter cooler RCSB truck !!!

And probably at the end of the year I'll be finishing my LSX 454 Camaro 69 swap...God Speed !

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

Ah see you probably think I did it for coolness factor.

No no, not me ... I'm ALL about the social responsibility and stuff. :angel:

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

Nice accessories. Hope to see your Tahoe around DC. I am around the corner in Silver Spring. I will post pics of my Yukon soon with my new rims!

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

Thanks D,

If you're ever in georgetown let me know and we can grab a coffee and yak hybrids. :D

-------------------

Now I have a devious mod that I'm secretly contemplating, but I need to find a non-hybrid tahoe for measurement comparisons ...

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

My mod du jour: :)

Before:

http://gallery.me.com/soulsea/100050...13164633160001

After:

http://gallery.me.com/soulsea/100050...13174106270001

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

I'd be interested in knowing if your gas mileage changed any when you did the front grills. I tried to get Chevy to put the hooks on the front that the 'slade has but they refused for "aerodynamic" reasons. Now why they have them on Cadillacs and not Chevy's I don't konw, how many 'slades ever pull someone out of the muck.

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

Yeah, that's just lazy/uninformed dealer nonsense.

I've run across a few service managers like that and their objection, whilst declared on some seemingly valid ground, is actually based on the fact that they don't know how to do it or/and can't be bothered to figure it out.

I've struck a great working relationship with one of my local dealerships and they do half my mods at a reduced cost to both parts and labor.

The following mods were installed at this Chevy dealership:

- Escalade rear bumper
- Escalade mirrors
- Denali running boards
- Denali door moldings
- Escalade chrome door handles
- Denali 22" wheel tire package

Last time I was there they even pulled up a non-hybrid Tahoe out for me to see if the hood and front bumper assemblies are the same as on the hybrid in case I ever want to do the front bumper swap ... I had the parts, service, and body shop managers pointing at engine bays and figuring stuff out. It was actually really cool. :)

Anyhoot, the moral of the story is that unless you manage to locate such a dealer, these kinds of mods always have to be investigated on one's own to be sure.

In the case of the tow hooks I'm not sure what the deal is because I never investigated it ... but I'll happily look into it and see what I can come up with. The key is going to be whether the hybrid has the attachment points for them that the non-hybrid does and if they are at the same height. But off the top of my head I'm going to guess that the two lower gaps on our trucks are lower that those of the non-hybrids so there might be an alignment issue to consider. I'll check it out.

As far as mileage I'm sure my mods to date have cost me an mpg or two ... mostly the wheel upgrade and the running boards. But I've taken out my 3rd row seats to compensate ... at least in my mind.

Mpgs be darned ... I ain't driving around on 18s on a truck this size! :D

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

Thinking about this a little more and looking at the front of my truck:

http://gallery.me.com/soulsea/100050...13164631930001

The placing might not be too different than that of non-hybrids after all.

But I'm also looking at the hooks:

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...jkUxQiOfUYQI9x

http://www.gmpartsgiant.com/accessor...-tow-hooks.jpg

And I can't figure out where one would attach them ... mmm ...

The other issue that I see emerging is that those two lower gaps are different on our trucks than on the non-hybrid. Basically if you pop the little plastic filler piece out (where mine are mesh) all you have left are the rough plastic edges of the bumper cover. meaning that on the non hybrids there's molded plastic curved inwards to soften the edges, all you're going to get with our bumper is going to look pretty awful.

Does that make sense?

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

So I swapped back to my stock boards today to see what they look like ...

I'll live with it for a bit but I think I like it better with the chrome boards ...

http://gallery.me.com/soulsea/100050...13184458810001

http://gallery.me.com/soulsea/100050...13164684220001

I think I'm gonna swap them back to the chrome asap.

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

maybe you should just do this?

http://www.truckinweb.com/tech/body/...ade/index.html

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

Is this suggestion for me? http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum...lies/think.gif

Re: 09 HyHoe
 

Swapped to a K&N filter today ... curious to see if it makes any difference.