Leveling kit

[STRALEY]

If I install a leveling kit, do I need to replace stock shocks? If so do I only replace the front ones or all 4? Which ones do I go with? I prefer Ranchos, but I don't know that part number for them if I need longer ones.

Thanks for any help.



Jeremy

 

[RO'neal]

Jeremy,



4wd I'm assuming? You do not have to replace the shocks with the leveling kit. However, if you drive offroad at all where the truck front end will bounce much I would recommend changing them for longer ones. I'm sure you'll get plenty of opinions about name brand, there are a lot of good ones out there.

 

[Jetpilot]

I leveled my truck using the Skyjacker coils. The truck looks great! I left the stock shocks on all 4's... ... But, I have just ordered Bilstein 5100 shocks for all 4 corners. It seemed to me that even moderate road bumps made the front end hit the shock limit. I would recommend changing out to the shocks of your choice when doing the upgrade.



Doug

 

[STRALEY]

Ok, do I need to know the length of the stock shocks then just find something 2" longer?





jeremy

 

[Jetpilot]

Jeremy,



I don't know what brand shock you prefer but I purchased Bilstein 5100's model: (Front) BE5-6681-H5, (rear) BE5-6682-H5. I got them from Off Road Warehouse. They had the best price I could find + they give a TDR discount. The 5100 I got are for a 3" lift on the front and for 0"-3" on the rears. These are the ones Bilstein recommends for our trucks with the leveling kit.



Doug

 

[Sixpack]

Anyone have pix of their truck using the leveling kit with "STOCK 265 tires". TIA Sixpack

 

[Makensmoke]

I bought a leveler from jackit.com and have no regrets. It was just some 2" spacers that fit in the top spring pockets. Installed them along with the stock shocks and 33" tires nicely. Quick front end alignment and I was on the road again, only this time "level" I didn't like the rake it had before!

 

[big barney]

I was thinking about adding a leveling kit to my truck. I talked

to so called experts and they told me to do it right I would need a longer track bar and some longer control arms. Also install longer shocks. What do you guys think about this??



Paying $300. 00 for the lift and shocks in one thing, but paying over $1000. 00 to do it right is another.



Curt

 

[Makensmoke]

with my leveler kit and stock shocks I notice absolutly no difference in performance or handling. i'm sure an engineer thinking with his pencil would argue. but i notice nothing

 

[Clinton]

big barney: yes and no

I think, at a minimum, you should replace the shocks. 2" to 2. 5" of additional height puts a stock length shock pretty far into it's designed travel. Big bumps and pot holes will wear a stock-length unit out quickly.



The track bar is up to you. The stock unit will locate the axle around 0. 5" to 1" toward the driver's side.



Control arms are another 'up to you' item. On any lifting project, stock length arms will locate the axle toward the rear of the vehicle. On levelling projects in particular, this distance is slight (about 0. 5" or less).



On mine I used the Skyjacker D25 coils, Bilstein 5100s on the front, an a DT track bar. I went with the DT bar because my stock bar was shot and had play at the ball-stud end. It is adjustable, rebuildable, expensive, and sweet. Same with my shocks, they were shot and I wanted high-end replacements (I used their stock length units on the rear axle). I used the coils, as opposed to spacers, because I liked the idea of them being progressive wound. I drive a lot of unmaintained gravel roads and I think the D25 coils provide an improved ride. I left the stock control arms in place. I actually prefer those units over aftermarket. They are flexy.



When you lift, you're changing the geometry of everything. When one distance changes so do the others. Anything that ties the axle to the chassis will be different afterward. Whether or not you choose to address these changes is up to you. Levelling projects aren't too big a deal and you're not going to destroy anything by simply swapping coils or adding a spacer. You may, however, accelerate wear on some items (shocks, track bar) and want to replace them with lift-oriented products when the time comes.



Whew, you can tell when I'm bored, my posts get ridiculously long. Good luck.

 

[Jetpilot]

All I can say is WOW! I just installed the Bilstein 5100's on my truck and it rides great. I can now say it not only looks like it should of when it came from the factory (due to leveling coils) but also rides like it should have as well. I would recommend to everyone leveling their trucks or just changing out the shocks to consider the Bilstein 5100 series.



Doug

 

[mpjmpj]

Who sells the whole kit (shocks, springs, etc. ). I already have a DT trac bar which is adjustable. How much??



Mike

 

[big barney]

Clinton



Great post. Kind of what I was thinking. It's time to start saving up and do it right.



Thanks again

Curt

 

[Clinton]

mpjmpj,

I called several retailers when I did mine last Fall. There is no shortage of Skyjacker dealers, but I was treated best by the good folks at Jackit. You may want to check out Offroad Warehouse they have Skyjacker stuff and offer a TDR discount. Jackit was closer to me and they don't hesitate to sell the components a la carte. Too many retailers of this kind of stuff are way too cocky for me to deal with.



Springs were $125, shocks were $140 for the front 5100 series (ouch), I forgot what the control arms cost as I didn't buy those, and I think the bump-stop extensions were around $50 which I haven't bought either.