Leveling Kit Not Enough

14x4 · May 20, 2015

Has anyone looked at the sway bar are your links plastic?

The links have a rubber/plastic sleeve over them. They're metal.

dirtbikindude · May 20, 2015

Finally, after reading hundreds of posts, I found someone running 295/70r18 Nitto TG G2 with just a level kit. Well done! That's a 34" tire. Post up as many pics as you want of this fine machine. Would love to see front and rear pics to see the width of that tire. I'm running 275 G2s now but really want to go to your size tire. I'm gonna stay with the stock Z71 rims. This post may have just cost me $1200!!

I'm really interested in what you trimmed....can you take some pics of that area? Was it just the fabric wheel liner? Some pics lock to lock front and rear would help a lot of us wanting to try a 34" tire!!

Sounds like you are very critical of a perfectly leveled truck, but 99.9% of the people looking at your truck can't tell the difference. Personally, I like the 2.5 up front and the rear block (1" rear lift). Like said already, put a bag of groceries in the back of these 1500s and they will squat. My 16' boat with very little tongue weight makes mine squat and I have the RC 1" lift block in the rear.

And, if you want more lift without sacrificing that great ride, put a 1.5" body lift on it. Bam!

This is about as good as it gets for pictures of the fully locked tire with the fender well. There was quite a bit of trimming of the fender well, but it's definitely not noticeable when the truck is normally parked.

Also, the Nitto site does spec this tire as a 34" tire, but I have measured it on my truck, and it comes out to about 33.25" when under load. I also calibrated my speedometer with the Hypertech calibrator, and 33.25" was the magic number when getting my speed right on.

dirtbikindude · May 20, 2015

Does anyone have any suggestions on lifts? I've never had anything more than a leveling kit on a truck, and honestly know nothing about lifts. I would also like to keep as smooth of a ride as possible. Could I only lift the front 4" and leave the rear stock?

surebuttercringe · May 20, 2015

Does anyone have any suggestions on lifts? I've never had anything more than a leveling kit on a truck, and honestly know nothing about lifts. I would also like to keep as smooth of a ride as possible. Could I only lift the front 4" and leave the rear stock?

Sure, if you want your headlights pointing at the moon.

Check out the thread dedicated for lifts. I'm sure your questions would be answered there:

http://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/topic/152356-2014-suspension-lifts/

dirtbikindude · May 20, 2015

Sure, if you want your headlights pointing at the moon.

Check out the thread dedicated for lifts. I'm sure your questions would be answered there:

http://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/topic/152356-2014-suspension-lifts/

Well, I now have a 2" level in the front, and my front is still 2" lower than the rear. I would really like my front end to be completely level with the rear, so logically it would make sense to me that if I just had a 4" lift on the front, it would level my truck out. I could probably make it to the moon and back before I could read 84 pages of a forum, so I'll have to pop into the offroad shop down the street and see what they think.

surebuttercringe · May 20, 2015

Well, I now have a 2" level in the front, and my front is still 2" lower than the rear. I would really like my front end to be completely level with the rear, so logically it would make sense to me that if I just had a 4" lift on the front, it would level my truck out. I could probably make it to the moon and back before I could read 84 pages of a forum, so I'll have to pop into the offroad shop down the street and see what they think.

I'm sorry, but until I see pics of measurements, I just don't believe you. I've never seen a truck with 4" of rake from front to back and I don't believe there is a single person on this forum that has had that much rake in their truck. My Z71 came with a block in the rear and when I put a 1.5" spacer in the front, I noticed it was still not level. After I put another 1" spacer on the bottom, for a total of 2.5", the truck is level to with in .25". So for your truck to have a 2" level in the front and still be 2" off, it just doesn't seem possible. Who installed the front spacer for you? Did you do it yourself? Are you sure it's a 2" spacer? Are you sure there is no block in the rear? As I said, I just don't believe you because it doesn't make sense at all. Take some measurements, take some pictures and get back to us.

EDIT: OK, I just remembered that you have airbags installed in the rear. I think that's what is making the rear taller than stock as you probably have them pumped up. I was under the impression that you just had stock suspension back there and that's what my argument was based on.

BlackZ71Silverado · May 20, 2015

I put the tires on after the body lift and level were installed. I rub the fender liner but that's it. OP is running the same size tires with just a level and rubs the same. However trail grapplers run a little bit bigger.

If you're tires are rubbing that's not a good thing and definitely not something you want to happen. Plain and simple, the tires you bought are too big and don't fit your truck but you already know that.

You either need to do some cutting/trimming or buy smaller tires that actually fit and are safe for your truck.

It's not at all safe to knowingly drive around when your truck is a potential safety hazzard. Those rubbing tires are eventually going to wear over time and they will fail. It may be a puncture from rubbing through and hitting parts of your truck, or maybe a total blowout.

I don't understand how anyone can be comfortable and think it is ok to drive around with tires that are too large and rub. It's just an accident waiting to happen. It's different on a vehicle that is only used for off road playing but not for a vehicle used on public roads where there are other people that can be hurt or killed due to negligence.

The truck looks good don't get me wrong but come on guys! Think about being safe and using common sense.

Sent from my crappy iPhone 6

using Tapatalk

dirtbikindude · May 20, 2015

I'm sorry, but until I see pics of measurements, I just don't believe you. I've never seen a truck with 4" of rake from front to back and I don't believe there is a single person on this forum that has had that much rake in their truck. My Z71 came with a block in the rear and when I put a 1.5" spacer in the front, I noticed it was still not level. After I put another 1" spacer on the bottom, for a total of 2.5", the truck is level to with in .25". So for your truck to have a 2" level in the front and still be 2" off, it just doesn't seem possible. Who installed the front spacer for you? Did you do it yourself? Are you sure it's a 2" spacer? Are you sure there is no block in the rear? As I said, I just don't believe you because it doesn't make sense at all. Take some measurements, take some pictures and get back to us.

EDIT: OK, I just remembered that you have airbags installed in the rear. I think that's what is making the rear taller than stock as you probably have them pumped up. I was under the impression that you just had stock suspension back there and that's what my argument was based on.

My airbags have less than 5psi in them when I'm not towing anything. I also still have the stock 1" block in the back, this has not been removed, nor do I want to. I remember measuring the height of the fenders from the ground before I did any mods, and my rear was about 3.5" taller than the front. Yes, my airbags may have not helped the rake, but I don't think it affected it that greatly. I saw a stock Sierra 1500 today and thought to myself how much dramatically higher the rear was than the front.

dirtbikindude · May 20, 2015

If you're tires are rubbing that's not a good thing and definitely not something you want to happen. Plain and simple, the tires you bought are too big and don't fit your truck but you already know that.

You either need to do some cutting/trimming or buy smaller tires that actually fit and are safe for your truck.

It's not at all safe to knowingly drive around when your truck is a potential safety hazzard. Those rubbing tires are eventually going to wear over time and they will fail. It may be a puncture from rubbing through and hitting parts of your truck, or maybe a total blowout.

I don't understand how anyone can be comfortable and think it is ok to drive around with tires that are too large and rub. It's just an accident waiting to happen. It's different on a vehicle that is only used for off road playing but not for a vehicle used on public roads where there are other people that can be hurt or killed due to negligence.

The truck looks good don't get me wrong but come on guys! Think about being safe and using common sense.

Sent from my crappy iPhone 6

using Tapatalk

Ok guys, lets take a breather here. My tires are in no way unsafe. They have plenty of room to turn, even while in full lock. My fender is cut to fit the tires, as you can see in previous posts. The ONLY time they ever rub is when I am offroad and the front end is torqued more than normal, but this is only for a split second. I am not stupid. I know how to measure the height of my fenders, and I know when my tires look unsafe to drive on.

bcbz71 · May 20, 2015

This is about as good as it gets for pictures of the fully locked tire with the fender well. There was quite a bit of trimming of the fender well, but it's definitely not noticeable when the truck is normally parked.

Also, the Nitto site does spec this tire as a 34" tire, but I have measured it on my truck, and it comes out to about 33.25" when under load. I also calibrated my speedometer with the Hypertech calibrator, and 33.25" was the magic number when getting my speed right on.

Great post and great pics to show the fitment.....this will help lots of 1500 owners. Looks like you have found the largest tire that can fit with a level kit! I've heard of folks pulling back their liner with zip ties rather than cutting.

14x4 · May 23, 2015

If you're tires are rubbing that's not a good thing and definitely not something you want to happen. Plain and simple, the tires you bought are too big and don't fit your truck but you already know that.

You either need to do some cutting/trimming or buy smaller tires that actually fit and are safe for your truck.

It's not at all safe to knowingly drive around when your truck is a potential safety hazzard. Those rubbing tires are eventually going to wear over time and they will fail. It may be a puncture from rubbing through and hitting parts of your truck, or maybe a total blowout.

I don't understand how anyone can be comfortable and think it is ok to drive around with tires that are too large and rub. It's just an accident waiting to happen. It's different on a vehicle that is only used for off road playing but not for a vehicle used on public roads where there are other people that can be hurt or killed due to negligence.

The truck looks good don't get me wrong but come on guys! Think about being safe and using common sense.

Sent from my crappy iPhone 6

using Tapatalk

I appreciate your concern, but seriously? lol

I'm posting my information for anyone interested in running a similar set-up. I wasn't posting because I'm at all worried about the configuration I chose. You are aware that the fender LINER is just a flimsy piece of fiber/mesh material, right? I haven't gotten around to trimming it yet, but in the meantime that material will cause absolutely no damage to the giant rubber knobs on a Nitto trailgrappler - specifically because they only contact at full-lock and at very low speeds such as turning into a parking spot.

I'd agree with you if the tire was hitting sheet metal or suspension parts, but I clearly stated I'm only contacting the fender liner.

nadrojcote · May 24, 2015

you should measure your cab to ground measurements at the front of the cab and the back of the cab. I recently discovered that my truck is nose high even though my fender measurements say otherwise.

Chadwilliam1 · June 23, 2015

So you guys are installing these spacers and the original shocks are fine? I am thinking a 2" spacer in the front and nothing in the rear. I am thinking of putting Rancho RS9000XL on all 4 corners.

nadrojcote · June 23, 2015

9000's will give you 2" of lift in the front alone. With a spacer as well you will be maxing out all your front end components and it will ride horrible.

dirtbikindude · September 14, 2015

Bringing this one back. After doing some research I am looking at getting some of the Rancho Loaded Quick Lift struts and combo-ing it with the RC 2" spacer that I already have on the truck. I know this is a no-no and is frowned upon because of messing with the front end geometry, but I'm also looking at a Uniball UCA from Fabtech that corrects the front end geometry with levels and lifts. This is something that I would do in the future anyway, with or without the Rancho struts, so why not do it now?

Any thoughts on this? Are there any other components of the front end that will have to be adjusted? I have read about doing a diff drop so that the CV angles are realigned. I have also read about the tie-rods being at incorrect angles, but this is something I'm not very familiar with.

Thanks in advance for any input.