Customizing your truck goes hand in hand with simply owning a truck. There are so many options and you can get inspired driving to the store. It’s too fun. A common and initial upgrade has something to do with the suspension.
Is a body lift the way to go? Or maybe a coilover lift? What about a leveling kit? There are many options. Leveling kits are a simple, cheap, and quick way to go. But there are some things you should consider. We will discuss what you need to know. But first what is a leveling kit for a truck?
A truck leveling lift kit includes hardware to lift the front of the vehicle to match the height of the stock at the rear. Does a truck add value to a lift kit? It reduces the effort of installing a lift kit on a vehicle.
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For me, the very last thing I want to buy when buying a used truck is to buy one with a lifting package. Sloppy work on aftermarket lift kits can and will affect many other parts of your truck. But that is not to say that there are no benefits to certain lift packages. A lift kit will come with several benefits when installed correctly.
Truck Level Lift Kit Benefits:
- Off-road rideability over rougher terrain
- Higher ground clearance
- More controlled and smoother off-road ride
- Greater visibility all around
- Greater underbody access
- You can use beefier tires
- Safer on road accidents
Are Truck Leveling Kits Bad?
Truck leveling trucks are not bad. But it is more of an aesthetic upgrade than a functional one. Adjusting the factory settings without upgraded parts may cause premature wear on parts of the suspension.
Truck leveling kits won’t harm a truck’s suspension if the kit has high-quality materials and is correctly assembled. A leveling kit can create a balanced look between the front and the back of the truck. This will cut the stress on the front suspension and brakes. A truck balanced this way can create stress points, but it can increase cornering and braking performance as well.
They design truck lifts to raise the body away from the axles so you can put on larger tires. The kits include hardware to lift the front of the vehicle 1-2 inches to match the rear height.
A body lift is safe to use and allows you to use larger tires with bigger mudguards. Off-road riding demands greater axle strength and wider approach and departure angles. A full suspension is your best bet.
Is A Leveling Kit Better Than A Lift Kit?
A truck leveling kit lifts your front end. A lift kit gives you increased height, off-road efficiency, and more ground clearance. Lift kits have more advantages for offroading but they are more difficult to assemble and more expensive.
Lift kits need new wheels and tires, new suspension, and you will also need to recalibrate your suspension. A lift kit may affect a truck’s on-road performance.
A full lift kit will set you back at least $2,000. Expect to pay for the kit, the parts, the wheels and tires, and all the other parts you will buy the next day, week, or year. Oh and the specialized tools you can’t borrow. And this is installing the kit yourself. A shop will double that price merely on labor.
Can you lift a leveled truck? How about a leveling kit on top of an existing leveling kit? Do not under any circumstance stack the leveling spacers on top of each other. There are other lift kits or parts designed to upgrade your vehicle’s suspension.
How much does a leveling kit lift a truck? 1-2 inches
Does A Leveling Kit Harm Your Truck?
Increasing the length of the struts and adding more space between the top and bottom control arms sheds the geometry. A vehicle with a leveling package is in a static ride height position where the suspension is 2 “or 3” down (depending on lift kits). Right, you will wear out the outside of your tires, you will wear out everything.
A bad wheel alignment will wear down ball joints faster overloading the ball joint. Tires are not the problem. Your leveling kit should not pull the truck in any way, even if it is not properly aligned. The angle at which your tires hit the surface (camber) has no effect on the direction they point (toe end).
A truck leveling kit won’t invalidate your warranty (most won’t but check with yours to be 100%). They refuse aftermarket parts operation and anything that has failed due to aftermarket parts installation. If something fails or wears out prematurely in your front suspension, it is within their rights not to cover it under warranty.
What About Spacer Lifts? Are Spacer Lifts Bad To Use On Your Truck?
In downward movements, the ball joints can wear or break. Prolonged downward motion can cause your CV shafts to stretch and wear out faster than expected or break down when driving off-road.
As long as you stay within operating limits, they aren’t bad. The same should be said for all suspension upgrades.
Spacer “lifts” are cosmetic and are in no way performance-oriented. The normal spacer kits increase the height of the travel, but they usually reduce the suspension, often by as much as 2 inches. In comparison, leveling Coilover shocks prevent any downward over-stretching of the suspension as they have a set limit and are built not to overextend.
How Does A Leveling Kit Affect Ride Quality?
Since the suspension is not actually achieved, the ride quality of the vehicle is not compromised by a body lift package. Body lift kits can give your vehicle more room for off-road use, but because you have to remove the bodywork from the frame, lifted and screwed back on, it is very time-consuming.
But some don’t want to drastically change a daily driver’s smooth factory ride or reduce handling, efficiency, and reliability. If this sounds like you, then a leveling kit is fine. A leveling kit can also improve handling on and off the road in combination with high-quality aftermarket shocks.
Does A Leveling Kit Affect Gas Mileage?
The type of tires you use would be the first thing that will affect fuel economy. All-terrain tires or wider tires will lower your fuel consumption. Depending on the size and weight of the kit-built, the lift kit will affect your fuel consumption.
A heavier set will reduce your fuel savings. You can increase fuel economy by 3 to 5 gallons by adding a cold air intake system. This is because the engine can draw in more open-air via a cold air device. That means you need less fuel to keep things running.
I Got A Jeep. Does Lifting A Jeep Cause Problems?
If you raise your Jeep too much and don’t replace the stock steering arms, this will shorten the truck’s wheelbase and you may start to vibrate due to incorrect pinion angles in the drivetrain.
If you have CV boots, they will rotate at an angle instead of a more factory designed straight-on angle. This will cause a “cracking” sound that is the teeth skipping. This is most dramatic when you are turning. This will lead to your boots wearing out.
The higher the lift, the more problematic you will be using inventory control arms. On the road, without any modifications, the JK Wrangler can handle most 33 inch tires. You need a small increase in the lift to give you the right amount of clearance for 33 seconds if you plan to go off-road. If not, a 1-2″ lift would be enough.
You can remove a Jeep Wrangler lift kit. A lift kit makes getting in and out more difficult as it increases entry. Most Jeep Wranglers lifts use spacers placed above the coil spring. To reduce the ride height of your Jeep Wrangler you will need to remove the ignition coil spacer.
Do I Need New Shocks With A 3-inch Lift Or Longer?
Suspension lift kits that lift your truck higher than three inches a new shock absorber to accommodate the gap between the top and bottom mounting points of the shock absorber.
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In these cases, most of the products we sell have new shock absorbers to simplify the shopping experience. Not all leveling kits or shock absorbers are new. If your original shocks have 20,000 miles or more, you plan to take off-road vehicles, or if you drive aggressively installation of an aftermarket suspension leveling system is mandatory for new shocks.
Thanks for reading and stay dirty.
