Looking at a 2024 or 2025 2500

Rwhjr · February 27, 2025

I am looking at trucks simply because I’m looking for a relatively smoother riding truck and because it’s about time to trade in my current truck.

current truck is a 2023 f350 lariat single rear wheel. Been a flawless truck for me and it has a 23,000lb tow rating. So it’s been great when I was towing a little heavier but we’ve got several other trucks in our fleet now that can move our equipment around.

with a decreased need for heavy towing I’m looking at a 2500 Denali hoping it will ride softer.

with that being said I’m looking for feedback on several things.

1–will a 2500 gmc ride smoother than my current f350?

2–are there any common problems with the 24s? I hear people have been having oil cooler issues (mixing coolant and oil which is no good). Anything else?

3–level kits on these trucks seem to really ruin the ride with the torsion bar setup. Any decent kits to get 2”? I don’t want a 6” lift on 40s. But I do like messing with my trucks a little bit

4–I’ve also been spoiled with the fords and how easy it is to run bigger tires…..these square wheel wells on the gmcs don’t seem as big. What’s the biggest tire I can run stock? My current truck is 2” leveled and 37s with plenty of room to spare.

thanks in advance for the advice. I’m not familiar with these trucks

CamGTP · February 27, 2025

You really need to go test drive them to see if it rides softer. Just because it says Denali on the side doesn't mean it will ride better, it's still the same heavy duty suspension under the truck. Most trucks will ride a little smoother with weight in the bed or towing, just your normal everyday driving with nothing in the bed will likely ride the worst. Mainly because the suspension in unloaded and the tires will have lots of air pressure in them which causes a rougher ride.

For sure a 35in tire will fit. The biggest stock tire is like a 34in if I remember right but I'd need to double check.

You didn't say if you wanted a gas truck or a diesel truck.

Rwhjr · February 27, 2025

Diesel and of course trim level doesn’t decide stiffness in the ride. That’s why I put in the relevant information of f350 vs gmc 2500. Looking for that feedback from anyone who has been there and done that. Never had a GM truck before always had ram or super duty……that’s all.

Pryme · February 28, 2025

Yes it will ride better, it’s IFS vs a SFA. Go test drive one.

Ry Guy · February 28, 2025

They are both heavy duty trucks and ride like it. My '24 2500 does ride slightly nicer than my '21 F350 did though.

The main issue that seems to have popped up on various forums is 10-speed valve body failures.

I have no input on running bigger tires.

Rwhjr · February 28, 2025

4 hours ago, Ry Guy said:

They are both heavy duty trucks and ride like it. My '24 2500 does ride slightly nicer than my '21 F350 did though.

The main issue that seems to have popped up on various forums is 10-speed valve body failures.

I have no input on running bigger tires.

Yeah I’m seeing people experiencing nightmares with the valve bodies in these trucks. Wait times from GM in a lot of the cases I’m seeing seem long.

I always thought this ten speed was co-developed with Ford to some degree so it would be similar to the one on my current F350 (and it’s been rock solid).

Ry Guy · March 1, 2025

1 hour ago, Rwhjr said:

Yeah I’m seeing people experiencing nightmares with the valve bodies in these trucks. Wait times from GM in a lot of the cases I’m seeing seem long.

I always thought this ten speed was co-developed with Ford to some degree so it would be similar to the one on my current F350 (and it’s been rock solid).

That was the half ton truck transmissions. The heavy duty truck as I understand it was not co-developed.

Dunn · March 8, 2025

the independent front suspension is much nicer than Ram and Ford imo.....had 4 of these and no issues so far, low miles too....the digital steering on higher trims is a plus vs LT and below......havet lifted it but craking on torsion bars will stiffen it....there are coilover kits available but $$$....

any truck can have an issue so just depends

Chevyfan3 · March 11, 2025

If you must go to GM I would go with a 25' to hope I escape the 10l transmission issues. I have been looking at the super duty's myself and I didn't find the ride to be that much harsher then my 23' Sierra 2500. I would test drive one to see, If the Ford has been flawless maybe switch to a f250 instead.