Every so often, manufacturers change up little things on their trucks to make them look fresh while keeping the base theme the same. A good example of this is the Avalanche-style front clip found on '03-'05 Chevrolet fullsize trucks. The truck itself is the same, but the new front end gives it a bolder look and brighter headlamps. Unfortunately, for SUV lovers, when the truck changed for the better, Chevy's Tahoe and Suburban didn't receive the same love, leaving the owners of those vehicles in the lurch. However, the good news is that updating the front end of these popular SUVs to new truck specs is as simple as bolting on the newer sheetmetal.
The common misconception is that the swap is very difficult to perform. People tend to think you'll have to swap out the radiator core support, replace framehorns, and go from there. That couldn't be further from the truth. There's also a great place out there to find the parts you need. Sure, you could go to GM direct, and there'd be nothing wrong with that, but it would be cost prohibitive. Instead, you can call G&R Auto Recycling, out of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, which has all the parts you'll need. The company specializes in GM parts and can get you anything and everything you need for your GM vehicle. Follow along, as we perform this easy front-end swap on a '99 Tahoe and modernize the clip.
Chevy's Tahoe has always been...
Chevy's Tahoe has always been one of the better-looking SUVs on the market, and with lots of available power options, customizing one to not only look great but perform as well has always been as easy as picking up a catalog. Although, the front end could use some updating, since its pickup counterparts have moved on with the times.
Here's what we saw when we...
Here's what we saw when we pulled up to Lucky Luciano Custom Paint-a Tahoe with no front end and in need of a change.
The core support comes with...
The core support comes with plastic mounts for the headlights. Here, it was removed from the vehicle.
All you need to mount the...
All you need to mount the headlights and corners to your factory Silverado core support is this plastic mount. That's it!
The bumper is a bit more complicated....
The bumper is a bit more complicated. The stock framehorn end is shown at the bottom of the picture. The top is the new mount for the '03-and-later front end. The factory horn needs to be cut off and the new one welded on.
The fenders bolt right on,...
The fenders bolt right on, in place of the old-style models. In our case, we had to cut the inner liners out to clear the 22s. Otherwise, it was a direct bolt-in.
There are two bolts for the...
There are two bolts for the fenders hidden in the doorjambs, so watch out for those, too.
Since we wanted something...
Since we wanted something a bit more custom, the stock cowl was replaced with a Street Scene smooth cowl. We installed it using double-sided tape and the provided clips.
Next on is the hood. Tip for...
Next on is the hood. Tip for you: Ratcheting wrenches make your life a lot easier here.