Confused?

[04blahnali]

Hey guys! I been reading about all your rides for a long time and ive seen the good and bad of all types of rides. Until recently i owned a 2004 yukon xl denali that i loved. I had a few upgrades to it but i wanted something i could slowly rebuild and keep forever. I lost the thing and now i am looking for a new one. Based on my experience with that denali i know i want the big motor the 6.0 or 6.2 my question is which one is a better fit to keep forever and easiest to rebuild? The 2000 tk 2006 denali and esky or the 2007 to 2014 denali or esky? I live in gr michigan so i need the al wheel drive and i have 3 kids so i like the xl or esv. But my wife has an acadia so its not necessary for me to drive all year i ride a bike in the warmer months which allows me to tinker or the ride. Which is the best? Sorry about the book and thanks in advance.

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[swathdiver]

It really depends on what your personal tastes are. The newer ones have more bells and whistles and that makes them more complex and probably cost more to maintain in the long run. Having said that, I bought one of those but with the 5.3. The 6.2s are beasts, lots of power but the L92 and L94 have AFM while the L9H does not. Eventually you'll delete it anyway for durability and performance. Would you consider 4WD instead of AWD? Are you familiar with the changes to the drive lines over the years and when certain creature comforts were added?

 

[04blahnali]

Hi thank you for the response. I loved the styling of the nbs yukon xl denali when they came out so when i could finally buy one i did alot of studying. I know they switched to a 6 speed in 2007.
I hear nothing but bad things about the trans in the nbs. Mine was horrible until i had a tune dine by black bear and that solved alot of problems. I guess it would come down to the motor.
Is the 6.2 durable? I saw a couple guys out a super charger on it but what about a cam and long tubes and all the tried and true ways for more power? I have seen a ton on the 6.0 but less in the nnbs.
As far as styling i like the not much chrome look of the denali vs escalade but i hate that gm got rid of the good headlights on the nnbs denali but then put it on the escalade. I do all my work myself. If i dont have a tool ill find it or buy it. If i dont know how ill watch videos ask around and straight study it till im comfortable. I jusr want this next ride to be the one that looks good 25 years from now when its getting passed to my kids.

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[04blahnali]

Also i thought i read that the 07 and 08 had no afm? Started i n 09? Yeah i would 100 percent tune the shit out of it first thing.

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[randeez]

either engine is good, it'll be a very long time before any gen of LS will be obsolete. stroke it out to whatever you want if it dies. The difference for me was the 6speed transmission, stock tuning for it is horrible but with a nice tune it is a dream to drive. I'm definitely not a fan of the yukon styling (i have a 2012) but it was more important *to me* to have the 6.2, 6speed, and awd.

pre 2010 6.2 trucks are a toss up of what had AFM hardware and what didn't. trucks even with hardware dont have it enabled in the tune

 

[kbuskill]

2009 was the first year for the 6 speed and also the first year for the cooled seats at least in the Tahoe/Suburbans.... not 100% sure about the Denali/Escalades

 

[swathdiver]

The L92 had AFM hardware but was not activated in the tune. The L9H was AFM free and the L94 had a working AFM system. Randeez deleted his AFM and has done the performance mods and his truck runs pretty good but he's still dialing it in. All had VVT. 2009 was the first year for bluetooth connectivity, 2010 usb charge ports, 2012 new navigation system and incremental improvements like Hill Start Assist in 2012, Cruise Grade Braking Normal in 2012 and Powertrain Grade Braking in 2013.

Whichever you buy, buy a Tech2 to go along with it. One cannot properly, quickly and inexpensively work on these things without it.

 

[67RS427]

My 2007 Yukon Denali L92 (6.2L) is still going strong at 156k miles with a ZL1 blower on top... Stock bottom end for now. I would say durable for sure... No AFM or DOD here.

 

[04blahnali]

Would you mind telling me more about your 07? Maybe a pic? I cant figure out how to see peoples builds on here. A 07 or 08 is what id be thinking. Im not worried about electronics or anything i can always install aftermarket. Basically comes down ti body styling weather i lime the 6.0 or 6.2 and which tranny is more durable and body sryling. I assume that all the aftermarket parts will be found for quite awhile.

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[intheburbs]

If you truly want the most durable beast you can find, I'd have to say the '08-'13 2500 trucks. The 6.0 motor is going to easily be the most durable, and no AFM! And probably the easiest to service, since everything under the body has been around since about 2000.

I've beaten the ever-living snot out of my '08 2500 for almost 5 years. Bought it in 2013 with 100k on the clock. It's now up to 175k, and is still PERFECT. Not counting maintenance and tires, I've spent a sum total of $23 in repairs on it - bad purge valve solenoid I replaced myself. I've logged well over 20k miles pulling trailers well over 7,000 lbs all over the country. I drive it like I stole it, and haven't even had to replace the brake pads yet.

It's a 3LT trim level, so it has all the options - quad heated seats, bose, nav, backup camera/sensors, power tumbling middle row seats, sunroof, rear DVD video. Oh, and it'll pull an 8600-lb trailer into the Rockies, too. While carrying 7 passengers. Think of Conan the Barbarian wearing a tux.

Some of our greatest hits...

Running the "Ike Gauntlet" up 11,000 feet in elevation with a 7,000-lb trailer...

My son did this...

 

[Tonyrodz]

If you truly want the most durable beast you can find, I'd have to say the '08-'13 2500 trucks. The 6.0 motor is going to easily be the most durable, and no AFM! And probably the easiest to service, since everything under the body has been around since about 2000.

I've beaten the ever-living snot out of my '08 2500 for almost 5 years. Bought it in 2013 with 100k on the clock. It's now up to 175k, and is still PERFECT. Not counting maintenance and tires, I've spent a sum total of $23 in repairs on it - bad purge valve solenoid I replaced myself. I've logged well over 20k miles pulling trailers well over 7,000 lbs all over the country. I drive it like I stole it, and haven't even had to replace the brake pads yet.

It's a 3LT trim level, so it has all the options - quad heated seats, bose, nav, backup camera/sensors, power tumbling middle row seats, sunroof, rear DVD video. Oh, and it'll pull an 8600-lb trailer into the Rockies, too. While carrying 7 passengers. Think of Conan the Barbarian wearing a tux.

Some of our greatest hits...

Running the "Ike Gauntlet" up 11,000 feet in elevation with a 7,000-lb trailer...

My son did this...

Wow, trans was up to 241. Isn't that a little high?

 

[intheburbs]

Wow, trans was up to 241. Isn't that a little high?

Not for Dex6. It can handle temps as high as 275° before it starts to break down. The "transmission hot, idle engine" message only comes on at 265°.

I still did to a full trans flush at the dealer after that trip, even though the fluid still looked/smelled pretty good.

 

[04blahnali]

That is pretty impressive! Whats the difference between the 6.0 from say a 2004 denali and the 2008 2500? I dont do much towing but that is really impressive! It would be good to know for the future.
I think im swinging toward the 07 08 escalade esv. Id like to find the platinum if u could anyone have one of them? Good things or bad things?
Ive also been told that you dont want to buy first year new gens becasue of the problems that need to iron out. Any truth to that statement? Does any one have the nnbs that all color matched no chrome? Been trying to see what that looks like thats my only complaint about thr eskys. A little too much bling.

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[swathdiver]

There was a build thread on a Platinum that a guy bought that had been stolen and he rebuilt it.

 

[adventurenali92]

There was a build thread on a Platinum that a guy bought that had been stolen and he rebuilt it.

Yup! His wasn’t an esv, but it was a platinum edition and he rebuilt it using all the color matched parts of the premium/Lux trim. It looked pretty rad all stocked painted blacked out parts last I saw. Haven’t seen it in quite some time though.
As much as I love all the added features, and the styling of the 2007-2014 body style Denali XL and the Eskys, I still love my NBS 2006 Denali xl. It’s been an absolute tank for me. Not without problems, as any used vehicle is, but everything has been easily solvable and I’ve added many of the features I wanted. Still working on the remote start thing though! If I were given the option, I’d have a Denali would be my 2006 and have an Escalade ESV would be a 2007-2014 bodystyle and a platinum edition, with all the chrome color matched except for the roof racks. Best of both worlds. Lol. The 6.0 in my Denali has been pretty trouble free and it’s at 108k as of now. I’ve heard many good things on the 6.2L V8, id say if you’re gonna go that route, try and get a 6.2 without the AFM/DOD setup and it will probably be a pretty strong rig!

 

[intheburbs]

That is pretty impressive! Whats the difference between the 6.0 from say a 2004 denali and the 2008 2500? I dont do much towing but that is really impressive! It would be good to know for the future.
I think im swinging toward the 07 08 escalade esv. Id like to find the platinum if u could anyone have one of them? Good things or bad things?
Ive also been told that you dont want to buy first year new gens becasue of the problems that need to iron out. Any truth to that statement? Does any one have the nnbs that all color matched no chrome? Been trying to see what that looks like thats my only complaint about thr eskys. A little too much bling.

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Personally, I'd avoid the 2007, precisely because they were the first year of the platform.

The LY6 in my Suburban is a Gen IV, primary difference being it has variable valve technology, and a beefier bottom end. The thing is absolutely bulletproof.

I love my 2500 so much, I'm actually considering buying a used 2013 2500 with low mileage, and putting it in storage for when my '08 finally gives up the ghost. The trucks are unicorns, and will be very hard to find in the future.

 

[04blahnali]

That real love! I wish i had the extra money for that i would buy a nbs and a nnbs amd just figure it out myself. Anyone know where i can find the thread for the built up platinum? Even tho i prefer the long body's for sure it would still be a good read. Actually if anyone can point me to any good th reads that would be much appreciated. Except for red rocket. I tried modeling my 04 denali xl after his but he left all of us in the dust a couple years ago. The way he does his own work his exactly what im going for righr down to installing the supercharger and cam. Very very impressive.

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[swathdiver]

http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/thre...e-premium-re-build-thread.85881/#post-1034703

 

[04blahnali]

Thanks i do remember that guy. Havent read it in awhile thanks for the lead. Ill take any others. I cant figure out how to get to build threads on tapatalk and half the time the pics wont show up at all and its real annoying. Ill take any ideas there too.

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[HiHoeSilver]

Thanks i do remember that guy. Havent read it in awhile thanks for the lead. Ill take any others. I cant figure out how to get to build threads on tapatalk and half the time the pics wont show up at all and its real annoying. Ill take any ideas there too.

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