why level your truck?

[GregSplett]

I am curios if there is a ny kind of performance gain after leveling a full size truck.Ride better,handle better?get better/ worse MPG?

We have been talking about lifting our ford and have leaned toward a leveling kit.Sweety thinks it looks cool.I say it looks cool until I hook up the horse trailer and load the back with all the goodies.Then its saggy butt time.

what say you?

 

[rkj__]

Often, owners want to fit a larger tire, and clearance around the front tires is usually the limiting factor. Lifting the front allows a little more clearance, while doing the least amount of work.
Also, many owners prefer the look of a truck that sits level.
Furthermore, many owners rarely or never have enough weight in / on the back of the truck to drop it more that an inch anyway, so the saggy look is not a big concern.

If you do a fair bit of towing and / or hauling, I think it is best to keep some rake, or have air bags to keep the rear up, when towing or hauling.

 

[toymaster]

The reasons are aesthetics and the ability to run larger tires. Leveling kits have become popular because of the rake most vehicles have for aerodynamic purposes. Raising up the front is relatively easy vs. doing a complete higher suspension upgrade.

And yes especially with trucks having it level does make it look overloaded when you have a normal load. In some places like the desert south west the look is popular because of the desert racers. Those go-fast vehicles have a higher front for more suspension travel and a lower rear for more stability in high speed turns.

In short, a working truck and a go-fast truck are totally different animals. Unfortunately because it is an inexpensive modification and does give a certain look a lot of people, in my opinion unknowingly so, do the leveling kit thing. Especially those that do not carry loads.

 

[snowblind]

Many reasons to lift the front of a truck. #1 is usually to fit bigger tires but other reasons also.

GM (specifically) has shipped trucks for the last few decades with rear ends that sit higher than the front. Some people think this is for aerodynamic and towing reasons. Others - like myself - think this is related to the sagging rear ends on 1980s-1990s trucks. They would rather sag to flat than sag to lower than the front. Either that or they're still making sales off the hot-rod jacked up rear end look. Probably the latter.

So what does a higher rear end do?

Aerodynamic benefits? Yes. Maybe 1-2mpg at 75+ Less at 55. None below that.

Level when towing? Maybe. Get exactly the right weight and it's level. Ride improves also.

Better ride? No. Angling the nose down puts too much weight on the front end.

Better handling? No. Unloaded handling is severely compromised by higher rear end. Front brakes and suspension are overloaded. During emergency braking and cornering weight is shifted forward and these problems become WORSE.

So what does a raised front end do?

Aerodynamic negative? Yes. You will lose 1-2 MPG on the highway.

Level when towing? Maybe. Depends on tow weight. I left the front on my truck 1/4" lower than. With my military trailer it sits pretty much level. People who tow a lot with a raised front end would probably run airbags.

Worse ride? Not if done correctly. You need to pay attention to shock lengths, UCA geometry and other things but it is pretty easy to add 1-2" of front lift without compromising the ride. Many times the front suspension on old trucks has sagged enough that the ride actually improves once you lift the truck back to STOCK ride height and stop bottoming out.

Better handling? Most definitely. The rear tires have so much less weight on them that everything works better. Better traction at the rear. Better braking and turn in at the front. MUCH better big bump absorption by the front suspension. The best handling vehicles in the world strive for 50/50 weight distribution.



Matt

 

[snowblind]

And a quote here from Rayra discussing raising the front end on a IFS truck and how it can compromise ride. It's NOT about the torsion bars being super tight. It's about the angle of the LCAs. The higher you go the more angle. I found from personal experience that the ride stiffens up CONSIDERABLY after about 2-2.5" of lift.

That latter bit is a straight-up physics issue. The loading of the torsion bar doesn't really change, between either position, at rest.The difference is in the rotational forces applied to it by changing the ride angle of the lower control arm. Normally a flatter angle in relation to the ground, forces working on the suspension are closer to a right angle to the lower control arm. When cranked OR re-keyed, the lower control arm sits at a higher angle from the ground and those force arrive at a more obtuse angle to the axis of rotation, driving in towards the pivot as well as up (to a greater degree than the stock geometry). That's what generates the stiffer jouncier ride. Any method that alters that lower control arm angle will do the same. it can be masked with changing spring rates, torsion bars, shocks or tire pressures.

Matt

 

[402xjeeper]

Leveling a truck does not affect the static weight balance. Ford f350 s are usually 2" higher than equivalent f250 s due to a taller block. So a level kit just rakes them like an f250. Level kits usually are simpler than full lift systems even when both give the same lift amount, and are often used to compensate for a plow or a winch. Lift systems usually improve travel or performance in some way. Almost all lift systems level the truck, lifting the front more than the rear. Often lifted trucks sag less under load due to stiffer spring rates from ad a leaves or replacement springs.

 

[chet6.7]

I am curios if there is a ny kind of performance gain after leveling a full size truck.Ride better,handle better?get better/ worse MPG?

We have been talking about lifting our ford and have leaned toward a leveling kit.Sweety thinks it looks cool.I say it looks cool until I hook up the horse trailer and load the back with all the goodies.Then its saggy butt time.

what say you?

For Dodge trucks with coil front springs,some go with a cheaper spring spacer,others buy more expensive replacement springs. Most if not all that used a Thuren or Carli spring replacement report better suspension performance.
On my old Chevy,back in the 70's,I installed Rancho front leaf springs,it made a big improvement offroad performance.
There are shocks extensions available,but upgrading to a better shock would be the better choice.Does anyone ever complain,"MY shocks are too good?"
There will probably be a MPG hit.

 

[Vandy]

I just like the way it looks. Bigger tires, more wheel travel. Still get avg 17 mpgs

 

[GregSplett]

Thank you all sharing.

I do not want or need bigger tires.

Gas mileage is important.

I do nothing more than washed logging roads.Remember I live in the rain forest.Well I used to before the drought.

It is realy about getting the running boards up.My wife needs these to get in and out.I just bent another.

I am loading it this afternoon with the bathroom and kitchen sink for a relaxing four days of quality time with the wife.I am going to measure empty and full.I think then I will lift the front the difference.



.

 

[toymaster]

I just like the way it looks. Bigger tires...

Not sure if that is your truck or not but the rear tires do not have enough space in between them. When the truck is loaded the tires will touch, rub, and blow out. It defeats the purpose of having duel rear wheels.

 

[402xjeeper]

Try amp research steps.

 

[GregSplett]

the day the new fords came wit those factory i was jealous.

I have one more factory ford step before I have to fid more and I think those will be debated.

 

[rayra]

And a quote here from Rayra discussing raising the front end on a IFS truck and how it can compromise ride. It's NOT about the torsion bars being super tight. It's about the angle of the LCAs. The higher you go the more angle. I found from personal experience that the ride stiffens up CONSIDERABLY after about 2-2.5" of lift.

Matt

hah, cool.

That said, I cranked my own a bit on my Suburban, about 1". 12yrs old, 118k mi, it was sagging a bit too. Wanted a bit more front wheel tub clearance, intending to hit the desert ruts with it. And I like the level look better. I'm putting some factory replacement coils in the back and Bilsteins all around sometime in the next year, I'm sure it'll be nose-down again when I'm done. I've got a sleep / storage platform to build and a full grill / brush guard to fab / add. Those will probably balance each other out.

 

[Buliwyf]

A leveling kit is an easy way to fit 35" tires on a Ford Superduty. I prefer Carli's kits that are a compplete system, not just a cheap level or lift kit.

You'll need airbags on the rear to prevent saggy butt. My F250 is about level bone stock. If your truck has a saggy butt, then your front brakes will be nearly useless in the rain, snow, or dirt on a road. Especially when towing.

 

[rayra]

Why do you say that, wouldn't the weight distribution be the same, however it sits?