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2014+ Leveling Kits

bcazier

By bcazier
in Modifications & Accessories

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jimbrown1 Enthusiast

jimbrown1

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Danyoda said:

Not sure if this is the right place to post, but I have a 2018 GMC Sierra All Terrain. I want to get a level completely on the truck and remove the rake. I also want to fit some 33.5’s-34’s by 11-11.5 wide tires and still keep good or better ride quality. I’m thinking of keeping my stock 20’s or possibly later get some Method 17’s. What are some good options for a daily driver such as myself. Not looking to rock crawl. Can I just put some Bilstein 5100’s in the front and remove the rear block? Any help would be appreciated. If this has been answered before I apologize but 250 pages is a lot to look at! Thank you!

64A745F8-8098-4E13-9F34-B78F68CA6990.jpeg

This is just my opinion but if you go larger than 285/55/20 or 275/60/20 you may have some rubbing issues with stock wheels or need to use a .25 inch spacer to keep from rubbing.  What I did was install the Bilstein 5100 struts in front with a spacer to level the front, and some 5100s in back.  Truck sits close to level and ride quality is much better with the Bilsteins as compared to the OEM Ranchos that came as part of the Z71 package.  Ride is much more controlled and not as mushy, in my opinion.  And the 275/60/20 BFG All Terrain T/A KO2s are not noisy and my MPG has not changed much from when it was stock.  Plus I can still get into all the parking garages in Houston.  

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Saleenpowr
Saleenpowr

So i put my RC 2" level kit and Toyo 295/55/20's on this weekend. Install was simple, just like on my 2011. It definitely helps to have an extra set of hands when wedging that spacer in there. 295/

Saleenpowr
Saleenpowr

Thanks. Here is one more from yesterday. Considering we're getting 8-10 inches of rain the next two days, I won't be taking any better pics soon.  

FH212
FH212

Mine is finally done! After months of research I went with the RC 2.5" level kit front only, stock rear block. 20"x9" Fuel Nutz w/ +1 offset, 33x12.50x20 Toyo M/T tires. No rubbing, No trimming, yet a

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Danyoda Enthusiast

Danyoda

Posted
Posted
7 minutes ago, jimbrown1 said:

This is just my opinion but if you go larger than 285/55/20 or 275/60/20 you may have some rubbing issues with stock wheels or need to use a .25 inch spacer to keep from rubbing.  What I did was install the Bilstein 5100 struts in front with a spacer to level the front, and some 5100s in back.  Truck sits close to level and ride quality is much better with the Bilsteins as compared to the OEM Ranchos that came as part of the Z71 package.  Ride is much more controlled and not as mushy, in my opinion.  And the 275/60/20 BFG All Terrain T/A KO2s are not noisy and my MPG has not changed much from when it was stock.  Plus I can still get into all the parking garages in Houston.  

Which setting did you set the Bilsteins? And how big of a spacer did you get for the strut? My concern is for the angles as well I don’t want to mess with the ball joints. If I don’t need to purchase new upper a arms I rather not. And my thought as well was to go get some BFG’s. Do you have a pic of your set up? 
 

Would removing the rear block be a good idea? 
 

Thank you for the info! 

jimbrown1 Enthusiast

jimbrown1

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, Danyoda said:

Which setting did you set the Bilsteins? And how big of a spacer did you get for the strut? My concern is for the angles as well I don’t want to mess with the ball joints. If I don’t need to purchase new upper a arms I rather not. And my thought as well was to go get some BFG’s. Do you have a pic of your set up? 
 

Would removing the rear block be a good idea? 
 

Thank you for the info! 

I left the Bilstein struts on the lowest/stock setting and installed a Rugged Off Road spacer to bring it up 1.85"-2" in the front.  My angles are fine with this setup and I kept the stock UCAs.

 

https://www.ruggedoffroad.com/product-page/2007-2017-chevy-silverado-gmc-sierra-1500-6-lug-2-0-leveling-kit

 

 

Sierra with level kit and BF Goodrich tires.jpg

jimbrown1 Enthusiast

jimbrown1

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, Danyoda said:

Do you think going 2.5 would be too much? 

It is my opinion that 1.75-2" is plenty and 2.5" would be too much.  Others on here may disagree but I would be concerned with the angles if going 2.5".  Just my opinion as I have never leveled my trucks more than 2".  I did install a 3.5" kit on my 2011 Silverado and used .25" spacers for the stock wheels but it still rubbed a little and the other components adjusted my angles appropriately.  

cheyenne383 Enthusiast

cheyenne383

Posted
Posted
26 minutes ago, bndawgs said:

Is anyone running 275/60/20 BFGs All Terrains on their stock setup? 

I am, I think it looks great! No rubbing or clearance issues, been on the truck for 12k+ miles, completely stock. I load up with ATVs and firewood regularly and have no problems, you will notice the weight though... I lost a solid 3mpgs with the 20s and BFG KO2s.604.thumb.JPG.c92d37725944496266f5e7806182ec98.JPG

bndawgs Senior Enthusiast

bndawgs

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, cheyenne383 said:

I am, I think it looks great! No rubbing or clearance issues, been on the truck for 12k+ miles, completely stock. I load up with ATVs and firewood regularly and have no problems, you will notice the weight though... I lost a solid 3mpgs with the 20s and BFG KO2s.604.thumb.JPG.c92d37725944496266f5e7806182ec98.JPG

That does look good.  I'm debating between the BFGs and Michelin Ltx.  I can't wait to get rid of these SRAs. 

manderson7015 Enthusiast

manderson7015

Posted
Posted
That does look good.  I'm debating between the BFGs and Michelin Ltx.  I can't wait to get rid of these SRAs. 
Look at the Falken Wildpeak at3. They are also a good option and look very nice on our trucks

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

BassCatsBeerandDeer New Member

BassCatsBeerandDeer

Posted
Posted

Ladies and Gents, 

Wanted to give a big shout out to everyone who contributes to these forums as well as thank you for those who posted there mods and set ups. A ton of my questions regarding my truck were solved right here as well as helped me decide on my suspension route! Hopefully my contribution will assist another curious soul like myself as to what they can run for performance, clearance, looks and minimal costs!

 

2017 Z71 5.3 with STAMPED control arms.

- Swapped my rough country level blocks (2'" level) for a 4 pack of Bilstein 5100s. achieved 1.8" of level in the front and retained the same height in the back so a slight level with some rake.

 

- Swapped my stock 275/55/20 Goodyear SR-A and rims which equates to a 31.9"  tall and 10.9" wide tire for a set of Nitto Ridge Grapplers in 33/12.50/18's and Fuel Assaults 18x9 -12 offset, putting me barely an inch outside the wheel well

 

- To begin with, I trimmed the felt liner maybe 2-3"s and slightly bolted it back to remove ANY rub, as well as slightly trimmed the front of the air dam to ensure zero rub, which was achieved successfully!! I have excellent clearance at all angles, zero rub on any components including my dreaded UCA problem even while running through my deer hunting field. 

 

- The Bilsteins and NIttos feel BadA$$ for lack of better terms, much much more smoother than my Ranchos and I feel the 12.50s gripping much better than my 10.9s. Not to the point where it feels laggy or bogged down but much more comfortable and smooth. The shocks are night and day, seriously! As far as acceleration goes, I noticed zero difference when I stomped it to hop on the freeway, as well as saw minimal loss in MPGs. These are all concerns that I had when deciding with a bigger tire set up. 

 

- For those who want to run a nice big mean tire with a slightly aggressive offset and look, this is an ideal set up for cost and performance with minimal trimming and mods. I'm sure I missed  something here so please feel free to ask questions or request any pictures of mods or gear and thanks again guys for contributing and answering the questions I had!

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spenpet Enthusiast

spenpet

Posted
Posted
On 12/27/2019 at 10:55 PM, bndawgs said:

That does look good.  I'm debating between the BFGs and Michelin Ltx.  I can't wait to get rid of these SRAs. 

even those are both considered 'all terrain' tires...i would put them into two separate categories...and encourage you to consider what you want out of your tires...Michelin LTX are if not, close to the best highway wet pavement AT tire out there...i would say more of an all season than all terrain, but they didnt ask me to rate them...the are not very good at all in muddy situations and off road (i cant comment on how they do on ice and snow)...the BFGs are more of a true all terrain in that they can do really well off road as well as on road...

 

and then of course there is the visual factor...if looks are important, then get what you think looks best...

 

the reason for my post is those are really two different tires to be deciding between, i would prioritize what you want first...(performance, looks, off road, etc) and it would seemingly dictate which tire you should get...make sense?

bndawgs Senior Enthusiast

bndawgs

Posted
Posted
15 minutes ago, spenpet said:

even those are both considered 'all terrain' tires...i would put them into two separate categories...and encourage you to consider what you want out of your tires...Michelin LTX are if not, close to the best highway wet pavement AT tire out there...i would say more of an all season than all terrain, but they didnt ask me to rate them...the are not very good at all in muddy situations and off road (i cant comment on how they do on ice and snow)...the BFGs are more of a true all terrain in that they can do really well off road as well as on road...

 

and then of course there is the visual factor...if looks are important, then get what you think looks best...

 

the reason for my post is those are really two different tires to be deciding between, i would prioritize what you want first...(performance, looks, off road, etc) and it would seemingly dictate which tire you should get...make sense?

Thanks for info.  I mainly do Hwy and pavement driving, but do occasionally find myself driving through construction sites and getting all muddy. :D. Wet traction and handling in the snow are also important.   I have always liked Michelins and Costco is running their Michelin promo this month, which has me leaning towards the LTX.  But the BFGs really do look good on our trucks.  

TomyJ New Member

TomyJ

Posted
Posted
On 12/26/2019 at 9:44 PM, manderson7015 said:

Not necessary but when i go 1" higher in the summer i will not have to change my uca's. I was proactive when i did this. Still liking my set up.

Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk
 

Loving it.  Although I think I will lift the rears an inch.  May do it by adding a helper leaf spring as I've had good luck with that in the past.

 

Thanks again for the info.

retodd709 Enthusiast

retodd709

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, TX_MattyIce said:

I just put a 2.5 in leveling kit on my 2015. Do y’all think I’ll have to trim to try and fit 285/75/17 with methods? 

I’ve got 285/65/18’s +18 on bilsteins with 1.5” spacers, I think that equates to around -12 with the spacers or so. Mine just rub a touch when in reverse at full lock. And that’s with 1.75” of lift. I think you’ll be good

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