Who makes the best leveling kit for a 2016?

[16919]

Leveling kit for a 2016?

Just as it says above...what's the best one out right now?

 

[Kry226]

No such thing, sir. But there are some very good quality kits out there. While it's all about what you're looking for, I would stay away from puck-type kits and go with a full spring swap. Thuren and Carli get a lot of praise around the various Cummins forums. I'm sure there are more.

 

[Mingoglia]

Don't mean to come across as criticizing, just never understood why folks buy a heavy duty truck and add these kits? Trucks are made to haul, which is why they are raked in the back. Throw something as light as a spare tire in the bed of a truck with a leveling kit and it already looks like it's dragging it's butt. Just curious, as I just don't understand.

 

[kthaxton]

Mine came from the lot with a leveling kit, which I might have added later anyway if it had not (mild off-roading) . My rear end is still slightly higher in the back. In fact, with my 5th wheel, it's not terrible saggy in the rear. With that said, I have been wondering if I indeed to need to bias more weight to the front of my trailer. Will try that this season.

My point basically.....it's not as bad as you might think.

 

[Deleted member 995608]

Carli Suspension is your best bet. They have the drop brackets for the radius arms which will keep the geometry in line with the factory equipment. Not cheap, but If I were into lift kits, Carli would be my choice.

http://www.carlisuspension.com/dodge-ram/components_2014/radiusdrops.html

 

[Cummins12V98]

Son's truck with a ProComp 2" spacer kit. Truck has factory rear air.

 

[AH64ID]

Spring kits would be great if they were offered in 1" or 2", but 3" is too much for stock control arms IMHO. That puts then"good" spring kits out of the market for many people that want to level their truck.

Don't mean to come across as criticizing, just never understood why folks buy a heavy duty truck and add these kits? Trucks are made to haul, which is why they are raked in the back. Throw something as light as a spare tire in the bed of a truck with a leveling kit and it already looks like it's dragging it's butt. Just curious, as I just don't understand.

Plenty of reasons to add one. The biggest reason I added one was to get the oil pan a little higher, and even still I have dented one.

I also load my rear axle a fair amount heavier than your standard SRW truck and even with my 1" level it takes minimal air to stay level in the airbags. That air also adds stability while loaded.

It also looks a ton better than a stock height truck.. But that's what I think, YMMV.

 

[AEdelheit]

Spring kits would be great if they were offered in 1" or 2", but 3" is too much for stock control arms IMHO. That puts then"good" spring kits out of the market for many people that want to level their truck.



Plenty of reasons to add one. The biggest reason I added one was to get the oil pan a little higher, and even still I have dented one.

I also load my rear axle a fair amount heavier than your standard SRW truck and even with my 1" level it takes minimal air to stay level in the airbags. That air also adds stability while loaded.

It also looks a ton better than a stock height truck.. But that's what I think, YMMV.

The radius arms are more then long enough to handle a 2.5" or so lift without issues, different animals then the earlier 4 link trucks like yours.

When it comes to the radius arm drops they are only needed when drastically increasing down travel. Carli drops the bump stops down because there coils cant compress to factory compression so they are increasing down travel alot to make up for it. Thuren has full bump stop travel and there is no reason to drop the radius arms, the geometry is well within spec.

 

[Dogpatch]

With my 15.5K 5th wheel hitched, my rear end dropped 1.5 inches. My aftermarket airbags brought that back up to level no problem. Felt nice and stable. I wanted to keep all my linkage in line that's why I had the after markets airbags installed.

 

[GCecchetto]

I installed the Thuren Fab kit. It's awesome and I highly recommend it. The increased travel and articulation of the suspension makes a huge difference off road. I can now drive through stuff in two wheel drive that I used to have to lock in to drive through. Relative to the comment about installing these kits in trucks designed to haul, I have a couple of comments.

1) While I am no fan at all of installing lift kits because they look cool, and I hate the *** dragger look you see it seems on every lifted Ford, there are kits, Like the Thuren, that actually significantly improve the truck's off road capabilities. The full Thuren kit lifts the rear as well, so most of the rake in the stance of the truck is maintained.

2) Yes, typically unless you are installing a spacer lift, the load capacity is affected but the truck also rides much better, and performs better off road.

3) This is the biggy for me. Yes these trucks are designed to haul, but not everyone's hauling needs are the same. For me, my truck needs to haul an expedition camper I built, and it needs to do it in high mobility off road situations because my son and I do a lot of overlanding. Yes, I've traded some ultimate load capacity for long range comfort and performance off road with the lift, but I have gained that capacity back with a custom air bag setup that is highly compliant off road and doesn't limit the suspension travel.

So in closing, as I said before, I'm no fan of all the stupid under performing lift kits designed for no purpose, other than looking good and fitting big tires. Kind of like the stupid exhaust stacks sticking up through the bed of the truck. However, some of us who lift our trucks and install larger tires, bumpers, etc, do it for reasons that are different, but no less an appropriate use of the HD truck than setting it up to haul a giant land yacht down the freeway. Different application, that's all.