2003 GMC Yukon Duramax: Dura-kon

Vince Lloyd’s Duramax-converted Yukon was initially supposed to have a Chevy Suburban body. But after an unfortunate accident occurred near the end of the conversion process, the Suburban body was totaled, and this newer, Yukon donor body replaced it and sits on the GMT800 (¾-ton) Suburban frame. The front end was lifted 2 inches in order to fit the intercooler, and the Sierra front clip was added for looks. Vince’s friends at Ted’s Auto Body in River Grove, Illinois, helped make sure the body, doors, and hood were in perfect alignment.

Vince Lloyd’s Duramax-converted Yukon was initially supposed to have a Chevy Suburban body

We may never know why General Motors decided to kill the diesel option for the ¾-ton Suburban platform, but it’s a travesty. Not only does a diesel make sense in a 7,000-pound SUV, but the Duramax engine is light-years ahead of what the 6.2L and 6.5L engines were capable of. Fortunately for lifelong GM fan Vince Lloyd, what can’t be bought on the showroom floor can be had in the aftermarket.

Contacting Duraburb Inc. of Apopka, Florida, Vince had the company source the ’03 Yukon 2500 XL you see here. Duraburb also came up with an LBZ Duramax to replace the gas 6.0L and swapped a six-speed Allison 1000 transmission for the 4L80E four-speed. But owning a unique diesel-powered SUV wasn’t enough for Vince—he wanted the most powerful SUV on the road.

After getting names like Duramaxtuner.com, Screamin’ Diesel Performance, and Sun Coast Converters onboard, the 600hp Dura-kon was born. Thanks to the health of the donor engine, the only added fuel comes by way of an AirDog lift pump and aggressive EFILive tuning. Optimizing the engine’s airflow and top-end performance is a compound turbo arrangement, which retains the factory variable-geometry turbo and fits an S475 in front of it. A Stage V transmission build ensured the Allison would never skip a beat.

With an LBZ Duramax under the hood and an AAM 1150 rear axle out back, Vince built the SUV GM should’ve. Then he built the truck we all want by adding a second turbo, a built transmission, and EFILive tuning. In short, it’s a 600-rwhp, one-of-a-kind sleeper capable of towing, being an economical daily driver, or acting as a play toy. Imagine blowing the doors off late-model Mustangs and Camaros with six of your buddies in the back…

Just like a factory Yukon or Suburban, the factory dual fuel tanks work (the main 26-gallon, and the 10-gallon auxilary tank), and from this angle you can see where the 5-inch Diamond Eye exhaust system culminates in a 6-inch tip. We also like the fact that Vince retained the factory 16-inch Alcoa wheels to complete the incognito look. A set of 305/70R16 BFGoodrich all-terrains are tasked with providing traction.
Just like a factory Yukon or Suburban, the factory dual fuel tanks work (the main 26-gallo
No crazy fabrication was required to fit the Allison 1000 transmission in the truck, but in order to hold up to 600 hp and more than 1,100 lb-ft of torque, the six-speed Allison was beefed-up with a Stage V rebuild kit and a 1056 torque converter from Sun Coast.
No crazy fabrication was required to fit the Allison 1000 transmission in the truck, but i
A set of aftermarket tie rods rules out any frontend toe-in issues. These Kryptonite series tie rods feature 11⁄8-inch hexagonal steel bodies.
A set of aftermarket tie rods rules out any frontend toe-in issues. These Kryptonite serie

Thanks to Duramaxtuner.com, the Dura-kon was live-tuned using EFILive tuning software. A DSP5 switch just to the left of the steering column can take things from mild to wild in four short clicks.
Thanks to Duramaxtuner.com, the Dura-kon was live-tuned using EFILive tuning software. A D
Possibly the best part about Vince’s Dura-kon is the fact that you can share the 600hp experience with six friends. On the fuel-sipping front, Vince claims his rig can see 22 mpg, making it the ultimate heavy-duty SUV in our minds. Excursion owners, eat your hearts out.
Possibly the best part about Vince’s Dura-kon is the fact that you can share the 600hp exp
Weighing in at 7,250 pounds and making 600 rwhp, Vince’s Dura-kon could easily run 12s in the quarter-mile. As we went to press, Vince had just added CalTracs traction bars, Cognito pitman and idler arm braces, and an aftermarket boost tube—and was on his way to the dragstrip.
Weighing in at 7,250 pounds and making 600 rwhp, Vince’s Dura-kon could easily run 12s in

Another upgrade necessary to stand up to the Duramax’s power and torque called for the folks at Duraburb to swap out the AAM 1050 rear axle for the AAM 1150 found under the HD trucks. Making the larger axle work requires the HD hardware, moving the shock mounts, different emergency brake cables and brake lines, and a conversion U-joint to link the driveshaft to the differential. Due to having taller leaf spring pads, the rear of the SUV also sat 1 inch higher when it was all said and done.
Another upgrade necessary to stand up to the Duramax’s power and torque called for the fol
The ’07 Duramax sourced for Vince’s Yukon had 100,000 miles on the clock. And thanks to the LBZ’s strong factory CP3, the only fueling upgrades needed were a 165-gph AirDog II lift pump and EFILive tuning. The compound-turbo system from Screamin’ Diesel Performance utilizes the factory variable-geometry unit and an S475 atmospheric turbo from Bullseye Power (the passenger-side battery was relocated inside the truck). The engine sees 60 pounds of boost on the street and has been 100 percent reliable despite running stock head bolts.
The ’07 Duramax sourced for Vince’s Yukon had 100,000 miles on the clock. And thanks to th