radonfla

i purchased what i thought was a z71 cc colorado, i just found out that it is actually a z85. I did purchase this truck pre owned from a chevy dealership and it has z71 decals on it. The salesman also sold it to me as being a z71. It is 4x4 and has the 265 tires on the z85 wheels but im curious what other differences they have.

RedRado14

To my knowledge, the difference between the z85 and the z71 is that the z71 is an off-road vehicle. It has beefier suspension, and a protective plate on the engine to prevent mud and dirt and debris from getting in the engine when you're in the muck. I wanted a z71 because I'm always in the mud (barns), and it rides a little higher (about 2 inches), and since I'm 5'2", I will take all the height I can get! I settled for a z85, and am perfectly happy. I haven't had a problem yet with the mud and muck (mechanically, there were issues with the brakes, and it vibrates on the highway).

dcjredline

Hes right about all but the reason for the plates, they are not to keep dirt out of the engine. They are to PROTECT the under parts of the truck from rocks and such that can dammage the cases of the parts.

As for the differences look at the SPID tag in the glovebox and see if there is a z71 or 85 on it.

sctrain

My Z71 has torsion bars, does the Z85?