The rear control arms set the GMT800's axle fore-and-aft, the track bar locates it side-to-side, and the sway bar end links keep the body flat through corners — but after 20+ years the bushings throughout are worn, so the axle drifts out of position and body roll creeps back in. Our Cruise RK7 rebuilds the whole rear: four control arms and the track bar in steel tubing with fresh poly bushings — adjustable to re-align the rear axle, recenter it side-to-side, and correct pinion angle after a lift — plus two cold-rolled-steel end links built to the exact length for your lift, so the sway bar does its job again.
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: Control arms — 1.625" OD uppers, 1.875" OD lowers, 3/16" wall steel; track bar — 1.5" OD, 5/16" wall DOM; end links — 0.75" OD cold-rolled steel
Joints / ends: Control arms + track bar — poly bushings, all ends; end links — poly bushings, both ends
Lift size: Built to your selected end-link length (Stock–6", or Custom); arms and track bar are length-adjustable
Tier guide — Cruise (entry, this product) → Camp (mid, our most popular tier) → Crawl (top, extreme off-road, heavy towing, or high-HP builds). Cruise handles factory-power daily driving — lifted or not — and still outperforms much of the competition. Step up to Camp for serious trail and off-road use, or Crawl for extreme use, heavy towing, or high-HP builds — Johnny Joints 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 is the complete rear suspension package — pair it with quality rear shocks and a front leveling or lift kit to balance the truck out.
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 | Stock Height or Lifted 1" or Lifted 2" or Lifted 3" or Lifted 4" or Lifted 5" or Lifted 6" or Custom length or 1/2 sizes (put desired length in the Order Notes) |
| Series | Cruise 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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