Leveling kits seem to be all the rage and I am not sure why. I like the slight raked look and it is better when you have the rear loaded or when pulling a trailer.

If you decided to do a leveling kit, how come???

While I certainly won’t be doing strut spacer kits as those destroy any and all ride quality.
Many if not most of the coilover or struts I am looking at are height adjustable.

So just looking for thoughts from those folks who actually have them.

Your new ride needs struts already?

quote:

Originally posted by 21bubba:
Your new ride needs struts already?

Yup. Rear driver side is leaking. Though I would likely be upgrading even if it weren’t.

My Z71 is leveled. Can't stand the factory Chevrolet rake. My truck is not loaded enough to change the look about 98% of the time.

I did 1.5" front lift on my 2009 F-150, I didn't like the look of the stock truck. I think I may have given up some MPGs but it looks better. Chris

I have ride height adjustable Eibach shocks on my 2015 F-150 to level the front end. I leveled the front because I actually use it as a truck, needed to clear 33" BFG All-Terrains and keep from ripping the front air dam off when getting out on BLM land for hunting/shooting/fishing.

I raised the ass end of my Xterra rather than just adjusting the headlights.

I dropped the rear on my '17 Silverado about 4.5" inches.

Primarily because I get in and out about 6-8 times a day and haul no more than 1000lbs.

Climbing up and in even at 6'3" gets annoying.

These newer full size trucks are jacked up too high & have poor sight lines due to boxy design.

I drove my '06 far longer than I would have due to its smaller exterior, lower stance and no variable displacement mess. I ended up hanging on to it since they don't make 'em like they use to.

Absolutely. I leveled my Jeep JK and it made a world of difference. The factory rake simply looks awful. A leveling kit on a wrangler is the bare minimum a Jeep owner should upgrade to.

I raised the nose of my Raptor, not for looks or style, but I got tired of bending things. The stock shocks are adjustable. No adverse handling issues, less nose dive when hard on the brakes. Best of all, it gets the bits and pieces above the raised center portion of the forest roads I frequent. I had already dented the front skid plate, bent a crossmember, broke a transfer case mount, broke an exhaust Y-pipe and more. Haven't had any damage since. I do miss the low nose look though.

I guess I'll be the one to hate leveled trucks. Sure sign of a pavement princess, like a declawed cat.

quote:

Originally posted by Voshterkoff:
I guess I'll be the one to hate leveled trucks. Sure sign of a pavement princess, like a declawed cat.

Huh?

Its admitting that you never use the truck to haul anything around. At that point you might as well have a minivan.

quote:

Originally posted by Voshterkoff:
Its admitting that you never use the truck to haul anything around. At that point you might as well have a minivan.

I see.

I guess it depends on how high the rear is and what you use the truck for. If you almost never put anything in the bed, the leveling might improve the looks and ride.

I too like a bit of a rake. Maybe 1-2 inches higher than the front without a load. A few bags of stuff from Home Depot and it's level. That's about what my stock suspension Tacoma has.

I recently bought a 4x4 Tundra and had different wheels and tires installed. The wheel offset is slightly less positive and the tire an additional 1. 5" larger in diameter. I get some rubbing when backing now. I was hoping to go without the leveling kit, even though I think they improve the look. Unfortunately the rubbing has become annoying in that I can no longer get full lock whe turning.

I will be upgrading to Bilsteins 5100's in the near future. I'll do the install myself.

I have a 2.5”R/1.5”F SuspensionMAXX leveling kit on my 2018 Yukon Denali. I love it. Probably could have just gone 2” in the rear but it’s fine the way it is.

Why did I do it? So I could fit 305/55/20 tires on it. I like the way it looks and it rides great.

I LOWERED the rear of my 07 classic Silverado 3.5 inches to match the front. It still has a slight rake. I have also installed a 1500 lbs load helper kit so I can still haul more than I could with the stock suspension. My trailer hitch bar is a 2.5 inch rise.

I installed a spacer kit on my Cherokee Trailhawk. It’s a unibody design, so the modest spacers (1.5”-2”, front/rear) are about all you can do to gain any ground clearance without killing the front suspension geometry.

Had nothing to do with the slight factory rake, but did level it out slightly. Since my goal was to maximize off-road capability, I’m happy with it.

-Rob

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
If you decided to do a leveling kit, how come???

I was at a "top shop" in the Valley, having an ARE top installed on my pickup. They also sell and install Lance campers for pickup beds. The guy installing it said they are too heavy even for a 1 ton pickup, so they have to install leveling kits on the rear to help support the extra weight. Some kind of inflatable balloon that could be deflated when the camper was off.