KIK IT | 2008 Tahoe bagged on 26-inch wheels!

An Attention-Grabbing Customer Collector 2008 Tahoe bagged on 26-inch wheels!

If you’re at all familiar with the anglerfish, you would know that these underwater animals have a glowing, dangling lure protruding from their foreheads that looks like a fat, juicy worm. The anglerfish entices other fishes close with the bioluminescent appendage and then pounces on its prey. It’s a vicious way to hunt for food, but a genius way to distract the bait with something shiny. You may be wondering how this relates to Stuart Daigle’s 2008 Tahoe build. Well, let me explain. This particular project came about for a particular need that Stuart had. As a self-employed business owner of K.I.K. Kustomz, a custom clothing company, he would constantly run into the same concern: How do you draw attention at a truck show full of eye candy everywhere you turn? No matter how cool your shirt designs are or how nice the material is, getting the spectator’s attention is harder than you may expect, especially at the big, elite shows like LST, Battle in Bama and Last Resort. So, Stuart came up with a great concept that would not only gain eyes at big events, but also garner respect from industry insiders that now know he’s as real as it gets. The saying goes, if you can’t beat them, join them—and that’s exactly what Stuart set out to do.

Starting with a bone stock ’08 Chevy Tahoe, the back half of the factory chassis was step-notched and cleaned free of all the factory suspension components. New Air Lift Performance 2,600-pound airbags replaced the factory springs and new suspension components from Endless Metal Fab were reinstalled. A rear four-link kit from Phat Phabs allowed the back of the truck to lay as low as possible. A shortened Moser rear axle with 4:56 gears and a Yukon Gear and Axle Dura Slip posi differential gave the truck some additional clearance for a wider set of wheels and tires. All the suspension is electronically controlled thanks to an eLevel kit from Accuair. With the suspension complete, a set of 26-inch Dub Future wheels were wrapped in 305-30-26 Lexani LX Thirty tires. SSBC tri-piston brake calipers replaced the original, and the new 14-inch rotors look killer behind the rims. In order to lay as low as possible, the factory battery, coolant overflow tank and fuse box had to be relocated for tire clearance. The final addition to the drivetrain was a Tru-Max transmission cooler mounted in front of the radiator.

To add additional attention-grabbing features, custom rocker panels were built to replace the factory running boards. Next, the roof antenna, roof rack and rear wipers were all shaved clean before getting a new coat of Sikkens black paint. A new black stainless-steel grille was installed, and some sweet graphics were painted on thanks to Trey Cooley with Finer Paint and Bodyworks in Opelousas, Louisiana.

The original goals were to replace the truck Stuart lost in a flood from Hurricane Harvey, to use a tow rig for his apparel company and to draw attention to his brand at major industry events. Well we would say mission accomplished, and a job well done!  

Last on the list of never-ending mods was an interior adjustment. The original upper A-pillars, headliner and sun visors were all wrapped in black by Sublime Heights. A new OE dash replacement cap was added along with new charcoal ACC carpet and floor mats. The rear bench seat was replaced with captain chairs that had to be custom mounted between the tubs to gain leg room. For audio enhancements, Pioneer 6.5-inch component speakers along with two 12-inch Pioneer subs were installed with a Pioneer five-channel amplifier to power the system. All this audio is controlled with a Pioneer 2330 NEX head unit.

The original goals were to replace the truck Stuart lost in a flood from Hurricane Harvey, to use a tow rig for his apparel company and to draw attention to his brand at major industry events. Well, we would say mission accomplished, and a job well done! If you are out at an event and you see the K.I.K. Kustomz vendor booth, stop by and give Stuart a shout. He’s a great guy in the industry and a hardcore truck enthusiast to the bone, just like you!