2014+ Leveling Kits

mnm99 · April 30, 2017

Tough to say exactly because I did several mods (that can impact mpgs) right around the same time...but what I can talk you is I drive mostly highway, 70-75, don't get too crazy and I get 19-20 usually.

Here are all the mods that could have an effect on mileage: new number, delete resonator, delete flapper, added magnaflow muffler, front level kit, tonneau cover...

That's pretty good. I just went on a 500 mile drive and got 20.6mpg

bcbz71 · April 30, 2017

Hey Everybody!

New owner here and I've been reading post for a couple of months or so and I have become more confused than enlightened. I am stoked to have so much experience and knowledge available, but have become overwhelmed.

I hate to jump to simply asking a question that has probably been answered dozens of times in this forum, but here I go.

I recently bought a LTZ-Z71. I would like to level the truck without compromising my warranty and minimizing any loss of factory ride. I do have a basic understanding of the options based off of reading from this forum. 350 pages on one topic is too much though, and I was hoping someone who knows this subject well could simply break down the options. I am mechanically inclined and have a shop available to use, so labor cost or installation procedures are not my concern.

1) I have 33,000 on my Rough Country 2.5" level with the taller block for the rear. No issues. Truck drives as it did when new but looks totally different. I wouldn't worry about warranty issues on the suspension....really, what ever goes wrong with the suspension in 36,000 miles? or even 100,000 miles?

2) A level kit will limit your upper and lower travel, so you will feel your suspension bottom out when you go over a speed bump or a rutted road. On the street, the ride is the same as stock. Level kits are not a good option if you offroad a lot though. See #4.

3) It's fairly easy to put in a level if you don't have to compress the strut spring. I hear the 2016+ require you to put the top spacer inside of the strut which requires compressing the spring...leave that for a shop to do. The bottom spacer is the same regardless of the year and you can net 2" that way. You can do that in your driveway with a jack and some jack stands. YouTube has videos on it. Get an alignment afterwards.

4) If you want the best "level" kit, get a Fox or Icon complete coilover sway with Cognito swaybars, but honestly, I would just run a cheap spacer block until your OEM components wear out. Then go Fox + Cognito....that's what I plan to do. Like I said in #1, I'm at 33,000 miles and I see no sign of wear of my ball joints from a spacer kit.

5) A 2" level will allow you to run 33x11.5 (or smaller tires) without rub. Anything larger is going to hit something, whether it's carpet on the inside of your fenders, or plastic trim, or metal on the inside fender.

Waaazooo · May 1, 2017

1) I have 33,000 on my Rough Country 2.5" level with the taller block for the rear. No issues. Truck drives as it did when new but looks totally different. I wouldn't worry about warranty issues on the suspension....really, what ever goes wrong with the suspension in 36,000 miles? or even 100,000 miles?

2) A level kit will limit your upper and lower travel, so you will feel your suspension bottom out when you go over a speed bump or a rutted road. On the street, the ride is the same as stock. Level kits are not a good option if you offroad a lot though. See #4.

3) It's fairly easy to put in a level if you don't have to compress the strut spring. I hear the 2016+ require you to put the top spacer inside of the strut which requires compressing the spring...leave that for a shop to do. The bottom spacer is the same regardless of the year and you can net 2" that way. You can do that in your driveway with a jack and some jack stands. YouTube has videos on it. Get an alignment afterwards.

4) If you want the best "level" kit, get a Fox or Icon complete coilover sway with Cognito swaybars, but honestly, I would just run a cheap spacer block until your OEM components wear out. Then go Fox + Cognito....that's what I plan to do. Like I said in #1, I'm at 33,000 miles and I see no sign of wear of my ball joints from a spacer kit.

5) A 2" level will allow you to run 33x11.5 (or smaller tires) without rub. Anything larger is going to hit something, whether it's carpet on the inside of your fenders, or plastic trim, or metal on the inside fender.

#5 has some truth to it. I run a 275/65-20 (34") tire with no rubbing. The rubbing is 99% of the time because of offset or tire width up to 34" of tire. I don't believe I could go any less than +15 on 9" wheel with rubbing.

It does drive like stock... except the E rated tires are stiff.

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tyrich88 · May 1, 2017

Since you asked, I am running the new Falken Wildpeak A/T3W's. And to be honest, I dont know if they are superior. What I do know, is they are significantly cheaper (about -$400 total) and run very quiet, along with having a very similar design to the KO2s. You would be hard pressed to find a user that has seen over 30k on those tires, so I am hoping they run well. But for the price, I couldnt say no.

Guys, I am not saying your tires are shit. In fact, I really like the tire. Like I said, I almost bought a set. But, I have a close friend that does the fleet maintenance for Virginia DOT trucks, and has repeatedly said that the KO2s they run on them are meticulously maintained, and still show significant wear at the 25-30k marks. So I was sharing that opinion. For future reference, now I know that if you arent on the BFG KO2 bandwagon, you better not post lol

But to say they are the "highest rated" is just as much an opinion as me saying they are way overpriced in reference to their performance against other brands. If I were to pick the tire I thought to be superior, without regard for price, I would choose the Toyo AT2. It is almost impossible to find a bad review about them, and I have personally seen them go nearly 70k miles with life left.

So in regards to this post... I will say that I have KO2's and have right around 30 k miles on mine and they have a good amount of life left in them. I would say about half. (I can take pictures if you would like to see).

My tires may or may not be the norm on the KO2's, I don't really know.

But i do love the tires. That being said, my next set will probably be Nitto's Toyo's or heck, maybe even those falkens if they are that good and affordable!

I only say that about my next set because I do a lot of highway driving and the offroad I do end up doing is jeep roads or ranch roads, so as long as i have a 10 ply tire, with decent AT tread, I am pretty set. The toyo and nitto having mileage warranty is a plus for sure.

Toyo and Nitto also seem to have a lot more size options than BFG does, and I've really been looking at 295/70r17 for my next set, which BFG doesn't produce and they're 285/70r17's seem pretty skinny for my tastes.

Edited May 1, 2017 by tyrich88

TahoeRocks · May 1, 2017

1) I have 33,000 on my Rough Country 2.5" level with the taller block for the rear. No issues. Truck drives as it did when new but looks totally different. I wouldn't worry about warranty issues on the suspension....really, what ever goes wrong with the suspension in 36,000 miles? or even 100,000 miles?

2) A level kit will limit your upper and lower travel, so you will feel your suspension bottom out when you go over a speed bump or a rutted road. On the street, the ride is the same as stock. Level kits are not a good option if you offroad a lot though. See #4.

3) It's fairly easy to put in a level if you don't have to compress the strut spring. I hear the 2016+ require you to put the top spacer inside of the strut which requires compressing the spring...leave that for a shop to do. The bottom spacer is the same regardless of the year and you can net 2" that way. You can do that in your driveway with a jack and some jack stands. YouTube has videos on it. Get an alignment afterwards.

4) If you want the best "level" kit, get a Fox or Icon complete coilover sway with Cognito swaybars, but honestly, I would just run a cheap spacer block until your OEM components wear out. Then go Fox + Cognito....that's what I plan to do. Like I said in #1, I'm at 33,000 miles and I see no sign of wear of my ball joints from a spacer kit.

5) A 2" level will allow you to run 33x11.5 (or smaller tires) without rub. Anything larger is going to hit something, whether it's carpet on the inside of your fenders, or plastic trim, or metal on the inside fender.

#5 has some truth to it. I run a 275/65-20 (34") tire with no rubbing. The rubbing is 99% of the time because of offset or tire width up to 34" of tire. I don't believe I could go any less than +15 on 9" wheel with rubbing.

It does drive like stock... except the E rated tires are stiff.

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Hey y'all!

Thank you so much for the clear and precise information. I plan to keep the stock rims on the truck, and the stock tires as long as they last. Goodyear SR-A 275-55-20; I don't think rubbing will be an issue. The Rough Country 2" leveling kit seems to be the right choice. I don't plan to tow at this time, I am simply looking for a level appearance. This spacer is installed below the strut and should be something I can do with enjoyment and excitement in my own driveway. This truck is my daily driver. I do live in the mountains and enjoy camping, but I am not planning on ever truly off-roading-say rubicon style or anything. Many of the roads I travel in the summer are forest access roads, but they are tame and I will treat my new baby girl gently. Once again, thank you for the information. I will post before and after pictures to further the knowledge available on this forum.

Z

Travis1024 · May 1, 2017

Here is my 2017 with a 2 inch zone level and 285/65r18 BFG KO2's. Plan on switching to boss or fox coil overs at some point

That color looks awesome! is that the pepperdust? I think you should try to find a set of GMC A/T wheels like I have on my truck. The dark gray pockets on the wheel would look so sick with that colorway.

corncob · May 1, 2017

That color looks awesome! is that the pepperdust? I think you should try to find a set of GMC A/T wheels like I have on my truck. The dark gray pockets on the wheel would look so sick with that colorway.

I've thought about trying to find some A/T wheels to go with Pepperdust truck, but the dang offset/BS is what holds me back.

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Travis1024 · May 1, 2017

I've thought about trying to find some A/T wheels to go with Pepperdust truck, but the dang offset/BS is what holds me back.

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Yeah i'm going through it now with my 33x12.50s rubbing pretty bad on my stamped UCAs at about 80% to full lock. Absolutely love the wheels and want to keep them, but looks like the only option I really have would be hubcentric wheel spacers.

corncob · May 1, 2017

Yeah i'm going through it now with my 33x12.50s rubbing pretty bad on my stamped UCAs at about 80% to full lock. Absolutely love the wheels and want to keep them, but looks like the only option I really have would be hubcentric wheel spacers.

Yep, that's my concern. That and I would actually prefer 18's over 20's. I like the thicker sidewalk look.

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Travis1024 · May 1, 2017

Yep, that's my concern. That and I would actually prefer 18's over 20's. I like the thicker sidewalk look.

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just do 20s and 35s instead of an 18s and 33s . honestly, if you did a narrower tire, I don't think it would be quite as bad but would definitely still rub a little

corncob · May 1, 2017

just do 20s and 35s instead of an 18s and 33s . honestly, if you did a narrower tire, I don't think it would be quite as bad but would definitely still rub a little

I rubbed quite a bit on my '09, I would like to avoid that on new '17. It drove me nuts.

I also don't think 35's would work, unless they were 10" width and then they would still rub on the liner.

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Travis1024 · May 1, 2017

I rubbed quite a bit on my '09, I would like to avoid that on new '17. It drove me nuts.

I also don't think 35's would work, unless they were 10" width and then they would still rub on the liner.

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yeah Yeah ive seen people stuff 35s on the 2014+ leveled but it requires a good amount of trimming - I'll pass on that....Not worth butchering a new truck for 2 extra inches of rubber.....

longley425 · May 2, 2017

Hi guys I am new here and been reading this thread this for awhile. I have a 2017 SLT all terrain and was hopping to do the RC 2.5" kit but once I realized that the top spacer goes in the coil instead of the over the strut on the 2017 models I decided against it. I noticed that motofab makes a couple of different options for a 2.5" level kit. I was wondering if anyone has used this kit http://www.motofablifts.com/product-p/ch-25lm.htm ? I also find it weird that rough country makes you conform what control arms you have for there leveling kits but motofab does not? Also I have not found anyone else that makes a 2.5" bottom mount level besides motofab. Is there a benefit from using a 2" spacer on the bottom and a 1/2" on the top instead of just using a 2.5" on the bottom alone? thanks in advance for any help with this!

rawalters117 · May 3, 2017

yeah Yeah ive seen people stuff 35s on the 2014+ leveled but it requires a good amount of trimming - I'll pass on that....Not worth butchering a new truck for 2 extra inches of rubber.....

With a 2" level, I fit my 305/65/18s with zero trimming and zero rubbing, even at full lock in reverse. They measure 33.7x12.1, and even .1" more, and it would rub. I think I found the absolute limit for size on these new trucks with just a 2".

corncob · May 3, 2017

With a 2" level, I fit my 305/65/18s with zero trimming and zero rubbing, even at full lock in reverse. They measure 33.7x12.1, and even .1" more, and it would rub. I think I found the absolute limit for size on these new trucks with just a 2".

More details please.

What width wheels? If aftermarket, what offset? And what brand/model tire? Anything else aftermarket, like UCAs or anything?

Thanks!

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Edited May 3, 2017 by corncob