Buying Denali w/ 6" lift, never lifted a truck need intel

MacPH · October 17, 2019

I'm looking at upgrading to the 6.2, found a nice looking Denali w/ existing lift and what seems like a nice set of wheels and tires. I've had 3 sierras and tend to stay pretty stock, never lifted one other than throwing on a leveling kit. Don't know anything about suspension lifts and big wheels/tires, need some help.

--I'm thinking this is a 6" lift - accurate?

--How much would these wheels/tires run new? How does tread life look?

--Anyone see any weird angles or anything that would be cause for concern?

Thanks

MacPH · October 17, 2019

DominatorZ71 · October 17, 2019

From these pictures we don't know anything about angles as you didn't say what the brand of lift is? What I can say is your going to pay too much than it's worth. Never buy a already lifted truck unless you are that lazy you have to pay $15k for a lift and wheels.

Penguin VII · October 17, 2019

Assuming it's a preowned truck, hence the concern about tread life. I don't have the magneride but I do have a 6" BDS lift on my truck. It's going to ride much firmer than stock. Tires at that size are going to be harder to keep balanced, especially if you do any off roading, even light trails seem to make them so they are not balanced anymore.

Getting in/out is harder without steps (looks like this denali has the automated steps) and loading stuff into the bed is annoying more so that stock. It's not the end of the world, I think they look great but know what you're getting into.

Edit: One thing I forgot to add. Def get the brand of the lift. Check for level on the front. Cheaper lifts tend to screw the angles. You want everything flat as possible.

MacPH · October 17, 2019

Thanks. It's about $3500 over what a stock Denali with same miles runs, so if I can save myself the time and get a good kit w/ wheels and tires it seems reasonable. I'll get info on the kit today when I look at it in person.

MacPH · October 17, 2019

6 minutes ago, Penguin VII said:

Assuming it's a preowned truck, hence the concern about tread life. I don't have the magneride but I do have a 6" BDS lift on my truck. It's going to ride much firmer than stock. Tires at that size are going to be harder to keep balanced, especially if you do any off roading, even light trails seem to make them so they are not balanced anymore.

Getting in/out is harder without steps (looks like this denali has the automated steps) and loading stuff into the bed is annoying more so that stock. It's not the end of the world, I think they look great but know what you're getting into.

Good points, how much tread life can you expect to get out of 35's in general?

DominatorZ71 · October 17, 2019

7 minutes ago, Stitch said:

Good points, how much tread life can you expect to get out of 35's in general?

All depends on what tire it is. Generally not great anywhere between 20k-50k usually. Is it a hybrid or MT? MTs your screwed on both ride quality and tire life. Also depends if they were rotated on time and correctly.

MacPH · October 17, 2019

Just got some info on the lift. Was done by dealer when truck was new, Carfax shows tires balanced and alignment done every 6 months or so.

6" Lift Kit (finding out which now), 35" ProComp Tires, AMP Power Boards on Sierras...speedometer recalibrated, Suspension properly aligned

Donstar · October 17, 2019

I would definitely have a an objective professional inspection prior to signing any paperwork. There is a chance you have stumbled across a really good opportunity to get into a lifted truck. It seems counterintuitive but I'd actually expect to pay less than stock price for a lifted used truck. You need to really love the looks because it will cost you more in fuel and create accessibility issues for passengers.

aseibel · October 17, 2019

23 hours ago, Donstar said:

It seems counterintuitive but I'd actually expect to pay less than stock price for a lifted used truck.

I agree. Most mods don't add any value to the vehicle. Unless this is the exact setup he's looking for and doesn't mind paying extra for it. Lifts are a horrible investment and mostly a cosmetic "improvement" that only leads to more maintenance costs long-term.

I would never buy a used truck with modified suspension, but that's just me. If you want to go through with this, have the front end examined carefully to check for any worn components that you will need to replace soon.

amxguy1970 · October 17, 2019

1 hour ago, Stitch said:

Thanks. It's about $3500 over what a stock Denali with same miles runs, so if I can save myself the time and get a good kit w/ wheels and tires it seems reasonable. I'll get info on the kit today when I look at it in person.

After market mods don't add value, so you should be paying stock prices or close to. Buying a prelifted truck I would be hesitant, probably traded it in because he hate how it rode.

51 minutes ago, Stitch said:

Just got some info on the lift. Was done by dealer when truck was new, Carfax shows tires balanced and alignment done every 6 months or so.

6" Lift Kit (finding out which now), 35" ProComp Tires, AMP Power Boards on Sierras...speedometer recalibrated, Suspension properly aligned

Those aren't amp steps, just the stock GM power running boards.

I would imagine the the magnaride has been removed which is a nice feature on why they ride so nice. My buddies denali rides fantastic compared to my truck on bilsteins.

Tyler

MacPH · October 18, 2019

Yeah I passed on it. Lift had no identifying markings on it, and they said it was an OEM kit from a local shop (whatever that is supposed to mean). Too bad.

Penguin VII · October 18, 2019

20 minutes ago, Stitch said:

Yeah I passed on it. Lift had no identifying markings on it, and they said it was an OEM kit from a local shop (whatever that is supposed to mean). Too bad.

I believe there are a lot of those companies (like rocky ridge and such) that work with rough country or similar to come out with spacer kits that are unbranded. You almost never see a truck with BDS, CST, Icon, etc. on the dealer lots because the dealers don't install quality kits and the guys that do know better than to sell to a dealer.

Donstar · October 18, 2019

45 minutes ago, Stitch said:

Yeah I passed on it. Lift had no identifying markings on it, and they said it was an OEM kit from a local shop (whatever that is supposed to mean). Too bad.

Good decision! If your regrets persist, you can always go back and offer them a price that shows the lift as a minus rather than a plus. You can be reasonably sure that the dealer didn't pay a premium trade-in price for this modification. I personally wouldn't choose a used lifted truck but would be less hesitant if the lift was installed and warrantied by my dealership. I make much better deals once the eagerness has subsided!

L86 All Terrain · October 18, 2019

1 hour ago, Penguin VII said:

I believe there are a lot of those companies (like rocky ridge and such) that work with rough country or similar to come out with spacer kits that are unbranded. You almost never see a truck with BDS, CST, Icon, etc. on the dealer lots because the dealers don't install quality kits and the guys that do know better than to sell to a dealer.

Its just the Chinese companies that make all the parts for RC, BDS, CST also make it for themselves, and sell it under their sweatshop's own name on Amazon for a fraction of the price. It's like pocket knive company's, there are about 30 US companies producing knives in China, but only about 3 factories produce all the products for all those companies and often have their own house brand as well.

Sketchy buying a used lifted truck anyway, now your sourcing suspension/steering parts from Pro Comp, RC, CST, or a smorgasbord of random pieces, rather than easily obtaining OEM or reman parts. May not be a problem now, but it wont be fun in 2025 trying to find info on a lift kit made in 2014 by a company that may not even be in business anymore.