The factory rear control arms set the GMT800's axle fore-and-aft and the track bar locates it side-to-side — but after 20+ years the rubber bushings in all five are worn, letting the axle drift out of position. Our Crawl RK5 swaps the whole rear over to DOM tubing — seamless, cold-drawn for tighter tolerances and higher strength — with Rock Jock Johnny Joints at both ends of every arm and the track bar, and adjustable length to re-align the rear axle, recenter it side-to-side, and correct pinion angle after a lift or leveling kit.
The Escalade EXT does a little of everything — daily driving, weekend hauls, the occasional tow. After a couple decades, the rear suspension is showing its age, and the fixed-length arms leave nowhere to re-align the rear axle after a lift. You feel it as a clunk under throttle, a thud over expansion joints, and a vague, loose feel when you're loaded. Switching to Core 4x4 brings the rear back where it should be — with stronger, more durable construction built in.
Quick Specs
Tubing: Arms — 1.5" OD uppers, 1.75" OD lowers; track bar — 1.5" OD; all 5/16" wall DOM
Joints: Rock Jock Johnny Joints at both ends, every arm and the track bar
Lift range: 0"–6" (6"+ fitment available)
Tier guide — Cruise (entry, factory-power daily — lifted or not) → Camp (mid, our most popular tier) → Crawl (top, this product). Crawl is built for extreme off-road, heavy towing, or high-HP builds. Johnny Joints at both ends handle that load better than bushings.
Hardware included — Every order ships with the bolts, nuts, washers, and the matching nut tab for the upper-arm frame-side mount. You don't need to reuse factory hardware or order anything extra. Replacement hardware is available as a standalone HWK SKU if you ever need more.
Pairing tip — This 5-piece kit is part of our 7-piece full rear suspension kit — step up to the 7-piece kit to add the rear sway bar end links and finish the rear.
Suspension Type — Factory Autoride (Z55)
Your truck came with rear Autoride (Z55) from the factory — GM's air-leveling system. These models had no non-Autoride factory build; every one shipped with Z55.
This part is built to match. The passenger-side upper arm includes the ride-height sensor mounting tab, so the factory wiring connects without modification. No checkout choice — every part on this page is built for your factory configuration.
Converted to standard suspension via an aftermarket kit? Cross-shop the equivalent Tahoe/Suburban/Yukon PDP for the Standard SKU instead.
Fitment: Cadillac Escalade EXT (2002-2006). Also fits Chevy Tahoe (00-06), Chevy Suburban 1500 (00-06), Chevy Avalanche 1500 (02-06), GMC Yukon 1500 (00-06), GMC Yukon XL 1500 (00-06), GMC Yukon Denali (01-06), GMC Yukon XL Denali (01-06), Cadillac Escalade (02-06), Cadillac Escalade ESV (03-06). 1500-series only — does NOT fit 2500-series HD trucks. Made in the USA. Lifetime warranty on construction.
Built With
See individual component specifications
| Make | Model | Submodel | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cadillac | Escalade EXT | 2002 - 2006 |
Construction & Materials
See individual component specifications
| Brand | CORE 4X4 |
| Color | Black or Blue or Charcoal or Green or Light Green or Orange or Purple or Red or White or Yellow |
| Lift Size | 0" — 6" or 6"+ |
| Series | Crawl Series |
| Mounting Style | Bolt-On |
Use the vehicle selector on our website to shop by your year, make, and model. On product pages, use the kit builder to select your color, series, lift height, and any add-on options, then add to cart. If you need help, call or email our team.
Standard orders typically ship within 1–3 business days of ordering. Custom color orders take approximately 5–10 business days. Because everything is built in-house, we can turn orders quickly even for custom specifications.
You can reach our team through the contact form on our website, or browse to the Contact Us page. Our team is available to answer pre-sale and technical questions before and after your purchase.
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