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If you want to raise your truck's altitude a little bit, then you're probably looking around to see what kind of lift kit that you need. But wait — what's a leveling kit? Is that new or is it similar to a lift kit? Well, yes and no. Let's figure it out together.
The way your suspension and body work together.
Let's start a thought experiment. Take your truck and park it so you can see its profile. Then stand back and check it out. Do you notice anything?
The keen observer might notice that the rear of the truck is higher than the front. And yet, the gap between the top of the tires and the fender lip are about the same on the front and back. How does that work?
Well those two things are quite intentional. See, when you're driving your truck around every day, you're technically not level. The rear of your truck actually sits higher than the front. But when you have the bed filled with stuff — lumber, spare parts, wheels — the rear end settles down. At that point you're physically level. If trucks weren't set up this way, every time you put a couple of bags of concrete in the bed the whole back end would sag. That would cause the front wheels to have less traction, resulting in poor braking and difficulty steering. It'd be a mess, which is why trucks are built the way they are.
So just to level set here (see what we did there?), the front of your truck is lower than the rear from the factory.
What is a leveling kit?
If your truck does not sit physically level from the factory, like all of them do, and you want it to, then you buy a leveling kit. To do that, you're either lifting just the front end of the truck, or lowering just the rear.
There are many different methods to do a front lift leveling kit. If your truck has struts up front, sometimes the leveling kit is essentially an aluminum hockey puck that levels the truck by putting more space between the top of the strut and the mount on the frame. Other times it's a larger spring. If your truck has torsion bars, you could do different torsion keys. There are tons of different options out there. It all just depends on the type of truck you have, and what kind of suspension you have up front.
Then there's going the other direction. In that case, you're lowering just the rear of your truck with a rear lower leveling kit. Now, instead of lifting the front, you're taking the back end down. Again, there are multiple ways to accomplish this, and it depends on what kind of rear suspension you have in your truck. Lowered springs are one option, as are drop shackles.
In both cases, you just need to figure out what you need for your truck. To do that, you can either search on our website for your vehicle, or give us a call and we can point you in the right direction.
What is a lift kit?
Now you might be thinking, "Well, a lift kit doesn't just lift the front or rear of your truck, but all of it." And guess what? You're right.
Lift kits come in all shapes and sizes, but for the most part, they tend to lift your truck evenly. That means that the front will go up 6 inches with a 6-inch lift kit, and the rear will as well. Sometimes there are adjustable kits. In those cases, the front end can be level with the rear, lower than the rear or maybe even higher. After all, some lifted truck owners want that look.
Which kit is right for me?
Well that comes down to you and your preferences. If you just want to adjust the height of your truck a little bit, whether it's up or down, consider a leveling kit. But if you want to go bigger, a lift kit is the way to go.
No matter which one you choose, we can help you out. Scope out what we've got on the site, and if you don't see what you're looking for, give us a call. We can help you out for sure.
