flyin6

Good eyes discerning camo paint on wheels! Not so bad, tad bit odd, but sorta cool. Camo is good on some things...

First, the truck looks good! Second, I started this thread back in 08 when I first lifted my Denali, I can't believe it is still active! Everyone: You can easily lift a Denali with AWD. All you need to do (which none of the suspension companies) (I think) is to take your stock front driveshaft down to your friendly drive shaft shop (Local) Tell them to put a double cardan joint on the transfer case side and reinstall. Voila! You're done, drive forth and do good things. Oh, and if you trim up that spoiler thing and black out at least the lower grill it will get that smiley face thing off the front!

It's easy to lift a Denali. I started this thread and I just lifted mine. 6" is fine but the 33" tire on the stock rim rubbed. Once I trimmed, it fit fine. A 35" with a superlift on any wheel would definately rub a bunch. Bad news is you ABSOLUELY MUST install a double cardan driveshaft. You could have yours modified, some spent $350 having the stocker modded, I just had a new stronger shaft built. Truck looks much better 1. Lifted and 2. minus all that gaudy chrome!

Thanks for chiming in here! That was all good to hear. We are basically expanding the database here in doing things before untried. That will pave the road for others to follow along more easily.

Here's a couple... Now you know why I can't stand the low rider look! Yes, now I do. That Tundra is SWEEEET!!! Thanks, I like it too However... I have sort of moved from the radical crawling scene to the "more comfortable" off roading scene. (Witness the H2) Now I have the Denali for everyday driving which means the H2 can get a set of aggressive tires and fill my need for off roading. All that translates to, the Tunrra no longer has a use in my household. Worse yet, my 16 yr old daughter wants to drive it (Tundra) very badly. Knowing she will shortly roll it over and possibly injure her, the wife and I decided he Tundra is going to a new home. We Ebayed it but it failed to meet the 15K minimum I put on it, so it is still at home, but we will eventually sell it, and live with the H2, the Denali, and the Suburban.

But... I like this one more! Not as flexy, but it's a dream to drive.

Here's a couple... Now you know why I can't stand the low rider look!

Another lesson: Went to the GMC web site. No mention of autotrac for the Denali! It's there on the various 1500 models, but not a whisper of it on the Denali site! Apparently since the AWD transfer case is always in 4wd, there is no autotrac feature for the D. So, if Stabilitrac has control of the brakes to pulse them as necessary to control slides, what is the electric strut called? Also a part of stabilitrac??? When I talked to the engineer at Fabtech and BDS, they said Autotrac was the big bad wolf as far as making this kit work/not work. Since we have a member here who has taken the bold step of actually bolting the BDS kit on, we know it fits. And we know that it only takes a dual cardan driveshaft to get rid of vibration. That means for all four people in the US of A who are going to lift a Denali, that it is possible, and indeed feasible! Thanks for the emails, PM's, and calls which has made this thread possible!

Surely they meant "Autoride" and not stabilitrak. My truck has the stabilitrak feature and its functioning fine with the BDS. Removing the factory strut equipped with Autoride is the problem, as some kits are specifically designed for this. There you are, sent you an email about your truck. OK, first, you're correct, I meant autoride, not stabilitrack. Did your truck have autoride? If so, did you remove it and just install the BDS strut? Next, on the vibration issue, did you just bolt in the factory driveshaft, or have to do a double cardan custom driveshaft? Finally, if you did remove the autoride shocks, how did you get around that? Computer still functioning normally? Thanks in advance for any input!

You may be correct, but, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Worse case is I have a "zero time" almost new lift kit for sale for half price :-)) BTW, that truck of yours looks great. I like the look of the previous series much more that the new GMT 900 series. Way too much air dam lookin' front bumper on the newbie. But I already have a 04 burb (which will just not wear out!), and the new truck offered a new frame and that sweet 6.2L and six-speed. Regarding the lift of the AWD. In addition to the lift kit, I believe I'm looking at a new drive shaft at a minimum. Possibly a reprogramming of the computer, or like yo said, disabling the stabilitrack (which I don't need anyway) and at worse, installing a real transfer case like everyone else in the known universe has!

Thanks for digging that up. I have been searching far and wide for info like this. So now I know some brave soul has actually done it, which is encouraging... However: I called BDS today. They told me their kit could not be used on the Denali! (Getting confused again!) The problem is that all Denalis have stabilitrack. To disconnect the shock causes the computer to go wacko. They said you would have to use some sort of strut extension like as with the Fabtech kit. They specifically said their kit (BDS) does not use the factory shock, so how is this 2008 Denali in the link lifted with a BDS kit??????????? They also said a double cardan driveshaft would have to be fabbed, and even then, there would be some vibration. So, again, I'm looking at a picture of a raised Denali, so who's right? Who's telling the truth??? I am probably going to tackle this myself anyway. But I would at least like to start off on the right foot with the (mostly) correct parts. I can see, I will probably end up putting a standard transfer case in the truck and ditch the AWD boat anchor... We'll see...

No hubs! THe GMT 900 and the earlier platform have no hubs. The axle shaft is splined directly into the wheel hub. That's what that big nut is you see, it is the outside of the axle...

I am finding out some very disturbing news. After talking to Rough Country and BDS, I am being told I can't lift the AWD Denali!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yea, imagine my surprise, (and disappointment)! I'm being told that the truck will vibrate if I lift it all. Somehow this just doesn't sound right. They say it is because the AWD puts constant pressure on the front driveshaft whereas a normal 2WD-4WD truck does not power the front shaft except under 4WD conditions. Well, using that logic, wouldn't a lifted 4WD truck vibrate also when using 4WD??? This makes my head hurt! Further, one tech guy said my front drive shaft turns all the time when driving, OK, I can buy that. But then he said a 2WD-4WD truck does not turn the front driveshaft at all when cruising in 2WD! This is the part I can't quite grasp. If the axle is solidly connected to the wheel, which it is, and it is also connected to the diff, then the diff has to spin also, correct? Well if the diff is spinning, then the axle also has to turn since it is all connected. SO the front shaft should turn, right? And even further, my H2 Hummer is AWD, yet guys lift those things all the time. Fabtech even builds a CV front shaft to go along with their H2 lift kit. I know in that app the front shaft also spins all the time. So who's right and who do I believe???