Jump to content

Denali vs. AT4 or SLT ride quality difference ?

jd720

By jd720
in 6.6L Gas V8 (L8T)

 Share

Recommended Posts

jd720 Enthusiast

jd720

Posted
Posted (edited)

I`m just curious if there is any noticeable difference between the ride quality of the different trim levels?  I know the 1/2 Denali has the magnetic ride so there`s a big difference but since the 3/4 tons don`t have that is there any noticeable difference? I realize you don`t buy a 3/4ton truck for the ride quality but I`m sure they ride and handle better than my 2005 Duramax . I`m trying to decide whether to trade the 2005 for a new 6.6 with the Allison or keep the 2005 for hauling and just get a 1/2 ton for daily driving. I won`t put more than 10,000 to 12,000 miles a year either way so gas mileage really won`t matter. I like the looks of the Denali and AT4 but there`s a pretty big price difference between them and the SLT.

Edited by jd720
Another JR Senior Enthusiast

Another JR

Posted
Posted (edited)

There is no difference I’m aware if that is directly related to the trim level. The biggest feel difference I noted during test drives was 18 inch wheels versus 20. Less sidewall means stiffer ride. I chose 18s. After taking delivery lowering the tire pressure appropriately for the actual axle weights made a big difference. 3500 vs 2500 and camper or plow springs all are very noticeable differences. Finally, many say the Rancho shocks included in the “off road” packages can be noticeably different from the base shocks, and not necessarily for the better. I do not have enough time with base shocks to offer an opinion. My SLT has the x31 package Ranchos. 
 

There are very noticeable differences in the seats in the various packages. Make sure you take a long test drive to try what you think you want to buy. 

Edited by Another JR
Added comment on seats
  • Like 1
SCBenji New Member

SCBenji

Posted
Posted

What's the bid difference in the seats? I know the Denali probably has plush leather, more adjustability,  blah, blah, blah, but I don't see GM mass producing 5 or 6 different foam cushions. 

newdude Senior Enthusiast

newdude

Posted
Posted (edited)

Not on the HD.  If there is any ride difference, it would be the wheel/tire size (18s vs 20s may have some ride variation) and if its got the standard 4x4 shocks or Ranchos there might be a slight difference there.

 

I can also agree somewhat on the plow prep or heavy spring upgrade, there may be some added stiffness up front but nothing drastic.  

 

If we were talking 1/2 tons, yes there would be a difference especially when you get to Denali (adaptive ride control).  

 

 

Edited by newdude
Grover67 Enthusiast

Grover67

Posted
Posted (edited)

3/4 Denali have the crappy Rancho's on them. Buddy of mine, that works in testing for GM at their Proving Grounds, got his this past fall and his wife noticed how bad it rode compared to their other vehicles. He changed them out to a set of Bilstein's and much better wife was happy.  Shouldn't have to do that on that truck, let alone on any of the new ones. I changed mine out shortly after getting my '20 1500 AT4 for the same reason(6112 fronts, 5100's rear), changes the whole feel for the better. I'm sure there are other shocks that would do better than the factory OEM stuff. He did twist on some of the engineer's ears about this issue along with some others.

 

Seems to be a common issue with this shock package across the board with GM from what I've heard from some of the internals too. 

Edited by Grover67
Another JR Senior Enthusiast

Another JR

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, newdude said:

…

I can also agree somewhat on the plow prep or heavy spring upgrade, there may be some added stiffness up front but nothing drastic.  

 

 

 

 

I ordered my 3500 hd cclb srw gas truck with the camper spring package, which bumped me up to a 5600 lb front axle rating from the basic 5200 for that configuration.  My thinking was to provision for a possible future hard side truck camper installation. My current pop up camper weighs only 1800 lbs and only puts 100 lbs on the front axle.  After using the pop up for a while I now know I won’t buy a heavier camper. 
 

I did not like the front suspension being stiffer than the rear. It made the nose pitch up when going over dips at highway speed and just felt wrong. I replaced the torsion bars with the base 5200 lb bars and the ride is noticeably better and the front and rear response are well matched. 

Another JR Senior Enthusiast

Another JR

Posted
Posted
6 hours ago, SCBenji said:

What's the bid difference in the seats? I know the Denali probably has plush leather, more adjustability,  blah, blah, blah, but I don't see GM mass producing 5 or 6 different foam cushions. 

I didn’t compare all the trims, but there was a significant difference between the SLE buckets with convertible center console vs SLT leather buckets with console vs Denali. I mentioned this not because of a ride cushioning difference but rather because seats are important to comfort and I felt big differences in the different configurations. The SLE base seats were terrible for me - I could tell in 5 minutes I didn’t like them. 

NaturallyAspirated Enthusiast

NaturallyAspirated

Posted
Posted

Last year when I was test driving before placing my order, I drove a Denali 2500 CC SRW Duramax, then immediately afterward drove a LTZ 2500 CC SRW Gas. Didn’t check whether the Duramax had Snow Plow package or anything (it could have and I should have checked). But there was a big difference in ride between the Denali Duramax vs the gas. Gas felt softer, and actually I was driving a 2021 Diesel Ram 2500 at the time. It too felt softer than the Duramax. GM must set up the front suspension differently for the heavier Duramax than the gas. Is this true?

 

The Custom I ended up getting is Goldilocks for me. Just feels like a modern Work Truck. A little rough. Exactly what I was looking for. Best truck.

77xbody Enthusiast

77xbody

Posted
Posted

My 2021 CCSB Custom had the 20s with the snow plow prep and my 2022 CCSB LT has the 18s with the camper spring package and Ranchos, the ride difference is night and day between them.I don't notice any difference between factory or Ranchos shocks but the ride is so much better in my LT

Dr1ft3r Enthusiast

Dr1ft3r

Posted
Posted

The HD Denali and AT4 are pretty much identical. The AT4 doesn't have as many options standard like the Denali does, but the options can be added on to the AT4. The difference mainly comes down to appearance. If you like a lot of chrome, get a Denali. If you like the off-road look, get the AT4.

 

I have a 2023 Sierra 3500 AT4 long box with the snow plow prep package on 18" wheels and I'm happy with the ride quality. I've spent most of my driving hours behind the wheels of sports cars and my 3500 is a Cadillac by comparison. I just drove 1,800 miles in the last week with only an ATV in the bed.

 

Ride quality is subjective. The less you know the happier you will be. If you think the ride quality is better in a different configuration then you will never be happy with what you have IMO.

20230122_064433.jpg

20230122_064354.jpg

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Latest Articles

  • Posts

    • Another JR
      Remote Start Noise 2024 2500 HD Gas

      By Another JR · Posted

      Oil pump noise was discussed before.  I will try to remember to record a remote start later this morning. 
    • Chuck FB
      MPG at 600 miles

      By Chuck FB · Posted

      There are probably a few threads talking about fuel mileage but this one seemed to fit the stats I have seen based on my typical local driven route but with different outcomes based on different seasons/temperatures. I have a few hundred pounds of items that consistently ride on the truck at all times such as a bak flip cover, rubber bed mat, tools and extra fuel so I would be something over 8100 lb without me in the truck. All these examples are based on a 100 mile round trip to a town plus running around town so maybe 110 to 120 miles in total for a trip. Using regular fuel and I assume it always has some ethanol in it but don't know the percentage they blend in. Also speed wise I am going at 62 mph and non aggressive driving although less speed yet if its crappy winter condition roads. I am going by an initial reset of the computer generated fuel use numbers averaged over a couple of thousand miles or so for each weather/season so they may be more optimistic then actual hand calculated numbers. Basically this is painting a picture of doing the same drive but seasonal conditions and temperature being the major variable to the end result. Oh and although I am in Alberta Canada, I am converting it to miles per US gallon so there is no confusion.    So winter time it gets cold here, no real surprise there and the roads can be clear at times but also often have packed rough snow or are are driving through loose snow ( they do a poor job of plowing the highways ) and yes this includes the extra idle engine time due to trying not to freeze ones butt off. 12.7 mpg is what I was getting during the winter months on average.    Then during the spring when it was around the freezing point and the highways are clear of snow, I was getting around 14.25 mpg.   Summer time, I have been getting around 15.15 on average but certainly some of the trips showed quite a bit better fuel mileage, so much depended on how much or little I had driven around town and number of engine restarts after sitting for a while at each location. But stating a best fuel mileage trip to town pretending that is what the truck gets on average is fooling ones self for sure !.      As I said in a different post, I had driven a 645 mile trip over a couple of days stint to a different destination then these other daily to town examples above, and was done during the summer with nice weather and not bucking a head wind, also keeping at 62 mph and its a rolling landscape type highway drive ( this isn't southern Alberta or Saskatchewan flat lands ) Hand calculated fuel mileage in this case though and it came out to 17.65
    • Chris80s
      Factory front brake rotors...defect?

      By Chris80s · Posted

      On my wife's 2020 Blazer (~69000 miles), we started to notice the brakes pulsating at faster speeds. Typically around town you don't notice anything, but highway/interstate driving you will notice it. I decided to pull of the front tires and look at the brakes. I figured with the milage, the pads should be wearing out to their life span, but they actually looked decent. Still with "meat" on them. One pad has a ridge wearing in it, and that same rotor is showing the ridge too. That's not the concerning part...the other rotor appears to have a raised bump on it!  The picture make it look like a pimple! Very odd and strange! NOTE: These are the factory brakes and rotors.   I'm attaching pictures of the front brakes and what they look like ate ~69000 miles.
    • BCGM
      Remote Start Noise 2024 2500 HD Gas

      By BCGM · Posted

      2024 Chevrolet 2500 HD Custom 6.6 Gas Canadian built Truck  I tried to search for my previous thread on this topic but cant find it so my apoligies  for starting another one    #1   Since we have owned our truck purchased new it has this strange noise after using the remote start function  you press the remote start and you hear it start but right at the end of it starting it almost seems like it wants to start again after the truck is running .   There is no gap in time it is right at the end of the start . Almost sounds like when you have started a car/truck and its running and then you try and start it again and you get that grinding noise ,sort of     #2  You can only hear this if you are standing outside of the truck and near the truck  you cant hear it when you start the truck from inside  the cab . So it may very well be happening when starting the truck that way as in normally    #3   This only happens when it is started after sitting . For how long I don't know but it happens after sitting overnight for sure and it wont do it if you stop the engine after starting and then start it again  I have had it in to the Dealership before concerning this but they did not have the truck  when it was cold to hear it . Now its back in the Dealership left it overnight so they could possibly hear the problem . They said they tried and nothing happened . Well they did not know what they were listening for . I started the truck remotely and BINGO it makes the noise . Oh that sounds weird they say . We need to look into it ! I have left for this week at the Dealership    Does your 2024 2500 HD gas do this ?  Any of you fellas care to take the time and trouble to film this operation from a cold start  so I can hear what your sound like  Really  would like to know if this is anormal sound  Thank You Fellas !!
    • Slow
      2026 Z71 Forward and Rear Park Assist help

      By Slow · Posted

      2026 Z71.  The other day I was backing a trailer into the barn.  The alarm was going off just because the trailer was in the field of the warning sensors when you get too close to something.  For some reason now the warning alarm doesn't work anymore.  It used to go off when I was just normally backing my truck into garage.  I still have the guidelines in the back up camera.  Is there a button or something to push to turn the sound/Alarm on and off?  I have the touch screen in this truck.  There isn't a "P" on the dash except for the parking brake.  I can't find anything in the touch screen under settings or vehicle.  Thank you in advance.  

  • GM-Trucks.com Clubs

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...