False advertising-Trail Fx lift kit

[Slowtruck1]

I’m looking for some help, I have a 2017 Sierra 1500 Denali and I purchased a 4” lift from trail fx. I should’ve been more thorough with my research but I purchased the lift since it was heavily discounted. 

Within two weeks of driving with the lift, while I was heading down a trail the control arm broke off from the balljoint socket and that caused my cv to tear and my abs wire tore off at the connector on my frame. I was thinking this would be under warranty but Trail fx won’t respond to my emails now. 

I purchased some rough country 2-3.5” uca’s and fixed my front end, but while I was in there I measured my strut spacer and realized it’s 2”. The lift kit comes with strut spacers, 2 3/4” and 2 1” diff spacers, upper control arms with “heavy duty” balljoints, and 1.75” blocks with shock extensions for the rear.

 

Nothing else to lift the front the extra 2” that it’s advertising

 

 I added a leaf bringing it to 2.75” taller in the rear. I wanted to be taller in the rear since I haul flooring often. It’s quite extreme how high it is, I should only be 3/4-1” higher than the front 

 

I can’t figure out how to add photos haha 

 

I found one review on this lift and he says his truck still sits 3/4” higher in the rear with 4” in the front and 1.75” in the rear. I was always told the trucks sit 2” higher in the rear from factory so that doesn’t make sense to me. 
 

So I’m looking for anyone’s input on this, it seems like they’re false advertising and owe me a front end but they don’t seem to think so. They’re customer service is definitely not the greatest, this happened October 27th and I was supposed to move across the country November 1st, I’m towing a truck so thankfully this didn’t happen while I was doing that or I’d be a goner. 
Mangeride is deleted on my truck for those wondering 

 

Lift kit part number is G40SL1

Edited November 7, 2024 by Slowtruck1

[asilverblazer]

On 11/7/2024 at 12:47 PM, Slowtruck1 said:

...while I was in there I measured my strut spacer and realized it’s 2”. The lift kit comes with strut spacers, 2 3/4” and 2 1” diff spacers...

 

Nothing else to lift the front the extra 2” that it’s advertising

Spacer height does not equal lift height. However I doubt they can achieve 4" of lift using the methods you describe, see more below.

 

On 11/7/2024 at 12:47 PM, Slowtruck1 said:

...I was always told the trucks sit 2” higher in the rear from factory so that doesn’t make sense to me...

This is anecdotal information. Trucks do typically sit higher in the rear, 2" measured where?

 

The way you describe the lift is sounds like a fairly common "leveling" style lift that raises the front by adding spacers the make the strut assembly taller. Nothing is being done to correct the ball joints operating at the limits of their travel. A heavy duty ball joint will not fix this either. Which you discovered the hard way apparently. A new upper control arm can correct the upper ball joint angle issue, but still nothing has been done for the lower ball joint. 

EDIT: I see that the kit included upper control arms, that should correct ball joint operating angles. It sounds like your upper control arm failed and not the ball joint. That is a TrailFX problem for sure. I still doubt gaining 4" lift using the parts... unless you add the front and rear amounts together.

 

Regarding the front, the only other 'beneficial' items added are the diff spacers to correct cv-shaft/joint angles and/or length. 

 

On 11/7/2024 at 12:47 PM, Slowtruck1 said:

I added a leaf bringing it to 2.75” taller in the rear. I wanted to be taller in the rear since I haul flooring often. It’s quite extreme how high it is, I should only be 3/4-1” higher than the front...

It sounds like your truck should be pretty close to the amount of factory rake based on your combination of parts. I would expect about 2.5-3" of lift in the front and that is give or take the same amount you added in the rear. 

 

A set of rough country blocks would net the same lift and been a whole lot cheaper. 

https://www.roughcountry.com/product/gm-leveling-lift-kit-1307?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpcs&utm_campaign=18887230045|&utm_content=&utm_term=||c||fit_first_1307-a&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAudG5BhAREiwAWMlSjFaqDbEtdfjz8nJZC038lpZieFgwfHwyEcG3JxoWJGuARA5CX6a0qxoCaa0QAvD_BwE

 

https://www.roughcountry.com/product/lift-block-ubolt-kit-6532?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpcb&utm_campaign=17867436380|&utm_content=&utm_term=||c||fit_first_6532-b&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAudG5BhAREiwAWMlSjDUxINhV5Ukf-0qOhn5QwVghwSaCt6w5Q7NMEIsGHThPG9lmwRJD-BoCRGMQAvD_BwE

 

You can venmo me the $900 I just saved you!

Edited November 13, 2024 by asilverblazer