Has anyone installed a Hill Levelling Kit?

DanaliHD · December 4, 2002

Have any of you 2500HD owners installed a Hill Levelling Kit? If so, do you have any before/after pictures or just after pictures? thanks

JimWilson · December 4, 2002

I don't have pics -- because it's not my truck -- but 2 guys at my local 4wd center have done it. The difference is quite noticeable. If you use the factory shocks you'll need to add a spacer. If you have Ranchos you don't need to do anything (that's what Rancho told me about my 9000's, because I'm thinking about adding the Hill keys too).

BTW; there's supposed to be a Ford part -- of all things -- that's identical to the Hill keys, but for 1/4 the price. :thumb:

rlewis · December 5, 2002

I installed the Hill Kit this past Sunday on my 2002 2500 HD with Duramax. The installation took me about 2 hours doing it by myself. Unfortunately, I did not take any pictures. I did measure the height of the front end before installation, 37 1/2". Height after installation was 39 1/4". It doesn't sound like much, but the look of the truck is a substantial change. The Hill kit contains two new torsion bar keys and instructions. I've heard as well that these are nothing more than Ford keys. Bottom line is the kit acheived the results I was looking for. The front ride is minimally stiffer and I did have the front end aligned the next day.

OCFreedom · December 5, 2002

Do a search on here for ford keys......and you'll find the part number you need. If you look at your hill keys there is a place where the ford part number has been grinded off. Get the part number....call the ford dealer and give them the part number......about 40 bucks vice 200 for hill.

DanaliHD · December 5, 2002

Doesn't Hill make 2 different kits? 1 for the 1500 which is the same as the ford key, and 1 for the 2500hd? By all means, if the ford keys are definately the same, i'll buy those.

rlewis, did you have to change your front shocks as suggested by jim wilson?

1BADHD · December 5, 2002

Save your money. Just crank your stock T-bars and put 285 tires on. I sit at 40-1/2" at all four corners. Ride is a little stiffer but still rides good. If you use the Hill kit or the Ford keys, your CV angles will be horrible and wear them prematurely. JMO.

MarkD · December 5, 2002

The Hill kit, the ford keys, and cranking your t-bars does EXACTLY the same thing. Changing the keys simply gives you the option to adjust MORE.

DanaliHD · December 5, 2002

mark,now I'm confused. In the pictures you posted, the truck on the left has the torsion bars cranked and 285, the one on the right has for keys and 265. If it is exactly the same thing, why does the truck with smaller tires sit higher in the front?

1BADHD · December 5, 2002

All you would have to do is crank the T-bars a little more and it would sit the same as the one with the Ford keys.

DuckhunterInTN · December 6, 2002

Not if your stock bolts are ran all the way in and you don't have any more adjustment. That is where the keys come in. They allow for a higher height at the same level of bolt adjustment.

OCFreedom · December 6, 2002

Okay guys......

As for the ford keys.... If your a half ton guy, they'll do you some good. If your a 3/4 or 1 ton guy...there is no sense. Essentially the heavierweight trucks have different cams etc in the torsion bar assembly to accomodate for the larger springs etc in the rear and to withstand load..

I too have my STOCK torsion bars turned up and I have no difficulty with 285's. If you have a 3/4 ton and you buy the hill kit or the ford keys for that matter, I feel you are wasting your money. You will get the same effect as turning your stock keys. If your a 1/2 ton guy then ok.....but you can do the same thing by buying a GM 1 ton or 3/4 ton key so that you then ride on the same setup as the big boys. It's really a matter of preference. I have had quite a few half tons in the past that i have swapped out torsion bar parts with 1 tons to effect this same type of lift. In either case....leave yourself some room on the bump stops unless you like shearing parts and overstressing cv axles in articulation.

I hope this clears some of this up. I'm not a pro for sure.....but I think that there is some misconception and I thought I would shed what light I could. Best of luck

Ryan

MarkD · December 6, 2002

mark,now I'm confused. In the pictures you posted, the truck on the left has the torsion bars cranked and 285, the one on the right has for keys and 265. If it is exactly the same thing, why does the truck with smaller tires sit higher in the front?

The truck on the left had its t-bars cranked by Creel Tire in Florence, SC to "level" the truck. My friend had this done when he installed the 285's

The truck on the right is mine. I installed the Ford keys and adjusted the screws to about 1/2 way in. They I backed them down until the truck sat level front to back and side to side. I measured my truck from the top of the wheel wells, the frame, the bottom of the body, and the top of the bed rails to ensure that it was level.

The t-bar bolt that you "crank" pushes on the T-bar Key. Changing the keys simply allows you to twist the t-bar more.

I do not mean to sound condescending in this next part

Have you ever used an open end wrench. Have you ever flipped the wrench over to get a different angle on the nut/bolt with the wrench? That is all you are doing with the keys...getting a different angle.

DanaliHD · December 7, 2002

ok, i get it. I guess the big question is, does hill actually make 2 different keys?

kylant · December 7, 2002

denali,

yes two different kits. Ford makes the 1/2 ton kit. it will not work on the 2500hd. how do i know? i tried. they are indexed too much. you cannot get the adjuster retainer block back into place. the 2500hd kit, i believe is a gm product, they look identical to the stock, they are indexed about 1/4 inch differently. these work. i got a set on ebay from victoria off road. there is a auction right now for them. look at my pictures under parts for sale and you can see how the cams look identical to stock.

http://www.picturetrail.com/kylant

also take a look at my post under the suspension forum

it boils down to this, the hill/ford kit for 1/2 tons, (the only keys ford offers for both the f-150 and f-250 light duty) will not work on the 2500, 2500hd, or 3500hd. there is a kit that will work however, i think this is gm. you can get it from hill or victoria off road, or figure out the gm part number.

good luck