What is the preferred Leveling Kit
06-04-2014, 10:53 AM
#11
The most accurate level in the world is made by your local gravel pit. 
add a half yard or so till your happy, fully customizable, Got some camping or hunting gear for the weekend just shovel out a few scoops, on the way home with a lighter load, just add a few scoops of gravel from the side of the road...always as perfect as you want it...
Lol
(Jk)
add a half yard or so till your happy, fully customizable, Got some camping or hunting gear for the weekend just shovel out a few scoops, on the way home with a lighter load, just add a few scoops of gravel from the side of the road...always as perfect as you want it... Lol
(Jk)
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Stampederfan (06-09-2014)
06-04-2014, 12:36 PM
#13
I got rancho quick lift and a block in the rear. Before the block I was dead level, to a tad nose high on a full tank of gas.
06-04-2014, 12:39 PM
#14
And with the Bayliner 175 it sits nice and level for towing which is what I wanted.
06-04-2014, 12:50 PM
#15
Just picked up a '14 STX 4x4. Looking to get a AS 1.5" level. Wiggum's truck looks sweet with it. I ran the AS 1.5" on my 08 FX4 and loved it. Any issue on the newer trucks using this kit? Grinding/IEW issues? Thanks
06-04-2014, 01:14 PM
#16
Senior Member
no issues at all ... the ONLY thing that I get now (which I think has nothing to do with the kit itself) is when i crank the steering wheel all the way to the right, the left (drivers) front makes a very light metal on metal noise ... but I have tried numerous times to identify exactly what it is, and can't. It doesnt happen all the time ... and it's nothing I can even really feel in the steering ... it makes a metal popping sound once or twice. It has never done that when i crank the steering wheel all the way to the left.
So, i just try to not crank the wheel all the way to either side ... I can get full turning radius w/out doing that ... cranking it hard all the way just seems to stress out the front end components. Likely, it's probably a bushing or something that's making the noise.
On that note though ... the ONLY thing I can notice when i inspect everything is that my sway bar is a little "off center" if you will ... there are the two main bushings that hold it in place, then the links that tie it to the LCA ... more of the bar sticks out to the right side than to the left side, but only by about 1/2" or so at best. Not sure if this has any bearing on what's going on down there, or if this is cause for any type of alarm.
So, i just try to not crank the wheel all the way to either side ... I can get full turning radius w/out doing that ... cranking it hard all the way just seems to stress out the front end components. Likely, it's probably a bushing or something that's making the noise.
On that note though ... the ONLY thing I can notice when i inspect everything is that my sway bar is a little "off center" if you will ... there are the two main bushings that hold it in place, then the links that tie it to the LCA ... more of the bar sticks out to the right side than to the left side, but only by about 1/2" or so at best. Not sure if this has any bearing on what's going on down there, or if this is cause for any type of alarm.
06-04-2014, 01:24 PM
#17
Senior Member
OP - Might be worth leveling via shocks. Given the age of your truck you may get a noticeably better ride out of it in addition to the level.
I have this issue now. Did you get a 3'' block?
I have this issue now. Did you get a 3'' block?
06-04-2014, 01:53 PM
#18
06-04-2014, 02:13 PM
#19
Senior Member
FYI to whomever:
For some reason, when you install front spacers, you don't get exactly the same lift as the height of the spacer. My AS spacer is 1 1/4" tall, but the actual lift I got out of it was more along the lines of 1 5/8". I THINK this has to do with the geometry of the control arms, and how the 1.25" on top of the strut affects the angles of the control arms once it's all put back together.
On the other hand, the rear lifts are just block/spacers that sit between the axle and the leaf springs. These blocks seem to equate actual block size = actual lift. Therefore, if your existing block is 1 3/8" (which is standard on the 2014's), and you need 1/2" of lift to get the rake you want, then you need a 2" block. That's exactly what I did, and that's exactly what I got.
If you had installed the 2" kit up front and now needed about 1.25" of rear lift, you'd need to go to the 3" block which is about 1 5/8" higher than the stock block ... and you'd be right there.
Long story short (for me anyway) is to do the front kit first, separately from the rear. Let it settle in ... see what the difference in height is between the back and the front ... decide how much rake you want/need at the rear ... measure your existing rear block thickness ... add the amount of height you need to get to make it "right" ... then order the closest sized rear blocks you can to that overall height ... then replace the factory blocks w/ the new ones.
Hope that helps.
For some reason, when you install front spacers, you don't get exactly the same lift as the height of the spacer. My AS spacer is 1 1/4" tall, but the actual lift I got out of it was more along the lines of 1 5/8". I THINK this has to do with the geometry of the control arms, and how the 1.25" on top of the strut affects the angles of the control arms once it's all put back together.
On the other hand, the rear lifts are just block/spacers that sit between the axle and the leaf springs. These blocks seem to equate actual block size = actual lift. Therefore, if your existing block is 1 3/8" (which is standard on the 2014's), and you need 1/2" of lift to get the rake you want, then you need a 2" block. That's exactly what I did, and that's exactly what I got.
If you had installed the 2" kit up front and now needed about 1.25" of rear lift, you'd need to go to the 3" block which is about 1 5/8" higher than the stock block ... and you'd be right there.
Long story short (for me anyway) is to do the front kit first, separately from the rear. Let it settle in ... see what the difference in height is between the back and the front ... decide how much rake you want/need at the rear ... measure your existing rear block thickness ... add the amount of height you need to get to make it "right" ... then order the closest sized rear blocks you can to that overall height ... then replace the factory blocks w/ the new ones.
Hope that helps.
06-04-2014, 05:03 PM
#20
Senior Memeber
Here is my 2.5" AutoSpring Level.
Wheels and tires are 20x9, -12mm XD Addicts, with Falken WildPeak A/T's 275/60-20 (33")
I love the AS kit, no problems whatsoever yet (1,000 miles in)
Wheels and tires are 20x9, -12mm XD Addicts, with Falken WildPeak A/T's 275/60-20 (33")
I love the AS kit, no problems whatsoever yet (1,000 miles in)