Do New Wheels And Tires Require Leveling Kit?

dbhall4 · April 17, 2010

I have an 06 Sierra 1500 shortbox, and I currently have 17" wheels. I want to replace them with 20" rims and so I'm unsure about the tire size I can go with. I've been looking at 275/55/20 in the Cooper Zeon LTZ. I would however like to put a little bigger tire on like a 285 or a 305. Now I know I can't go much bigger without doing something to the suspension, so I want to know what options I have as far as suspension is concerned. Do I put a leveling kit on it, or will that cause unnecessary wearing on my front end like some have told me. Is a leveling kit simply torquing the torsion bars or are there other options? I don't want to put a lift on it because that'll pick it up too much. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

MS3DALE · April 19, 2010

275/55R20 is actually the stock/factory size for 20's on the GMT800/900 trucks,so no issues there at all.

On 285 or 305's I can't answer that as far as 20's go as I'm not too familiar with issues with any of the 20's,But....I'll move this to the light-duty section,It should get more traffic there!

dbhall4 · April 19, 2010

Thank you! I need advice as soon as possible. I'm curious to know if a changing the keys on the torsion bars is hard on the front end suspension. If I want to put bigger tires than 275/55/20's then I know I'll have to get the front end up a bit. I've just been told that torquing the torsion bars or changing the keys to level the truck puts the front end at bad angles and causes it to wear out quickly. If anyone has leveled their half ton let me know what your experience was!

MS3DALE · April 19, 2010

No matter what you do,cranking the bars or changing the keys,your going to throw the alignment out and you'll have to get it realigned.

I cranked the bars on most of my old trucks,got a realignment done,and never had any issues.

bmp5484 · April 20, 2010

I second that, had this truck leveled for about a year or so and also my last silverado both done with the rough country kit and had no major issues. Just had it realigned after it was done and it was good to go. As far as the tires go I know that I had a set of 295's I got off of a buddy that I ran for awhile on my stock 17's before leveling the truck and at full lock they would rub the inside, and god forbid you are at full lock on any kind of uneven terrain where the front wheel is pushed into the fender, even alittle. So you could probably go with 285's no leveling kit, but I'm glad with my choice of 275/55 on my truck now, rides like a dream with no worry of rubbing or anything. And also for 275/55/20 you wouldn't have to level the front end unless you went up on the sidewall profile.

dbhall4 · April 21, 2010

Thanks for the info. I'm putting 275/55/20 Zeon Ltz's on my truck this week. The guy at the tire shop said they should be able to fit just fine, but if needs be, I'll have to crank up the torsion bars. Glad to know you've done this and it hasn't been a problem, that's what I was worried about. Hopefully it'll look really good! Maybe I'll post a picture once it's finished!