Need level kit advice!!!

[gunner25]

I plan on ordering a 2021 GMC 2500 within the next week. I have pretty limited knowledge of lifts/levels/tires/rims etc. But i do know what looks good when I see it! Its will be a daily driver and used for travel so I'm not looking for anything more than a slight aggressive stance. And the most important thing is RIDE QUALITY!!!! I'm strongly considering Fuel Hostage III D568 20x9 +1 rims with 35x12.50-20 Nitto Ridge Grapplers. My questions are:

-Will a basic 2-3" level kit provide enough lift to accommodate these tires/wheels without any significant rubbing? 

-Considering that these trucks don't have as much factory "rake" as they did in the past will I also need to block up the rear? 

-What are some recommendations for specific brands and models of level kits that I should look into based on what I have mentioned above? Are there any brands to avoid? I have been tols that replacing the upper control arms is best but I would prefer not to replace the factory shocks simply to save $.

 

Anyone have any thoughts on any of this?

 

Thanks in advance!!!

 

 

 

     

[BEnax]

Idk if this will help at all but I have a 2020 at4 1500 with the 2 inch lift from the factory. I added a 1.75” leveling kit to the front and nothing to the rear. The truck sits almost dead even with the back. I used Readlift leveling kit with control arms. If you plan on doing a lift or leveling kit I highly recommend upper control arms. I’m running 22x12 with a -51 offset with 33x12.5 Toyo MTs. The ride quality is unbelievable feels better than stock. I had to do alittle trimming all around mostly cause of my offset. The wheels stick out alittle more than an inch. The fronts have 3/8 spacers. I have zero complaints after a few months with it installed. I drive the truck everyday 

[gSwift]

I have the Cognito 3" Premier leveling kit and also added a 1.5" rear block to keep a slight rake. I'm running 37x12.50 Nitto Ridge Grapplers after some trimming on the liner and some trimming on the mud flaps. Well worth it in my opinion to get the look you want.

Edited October 30, 2020 by gSwift

[gSwift]

If ride quality is important to you, i'd probably leave it alone until you can upgrade you shocks and control arms.  My truck rides and drives WAY better than it did on the crappy stock Ranchos. So in my opinion, just adding leveling keys to an already harsh riding truck it just gonna make it worse.

[gunner25]

19 hours ago, gSwift said:

If ride quality is important to you, i'd probably leave it alone until you can upgrade you shocks and control arms.  My truck rides and drives WAY better than it did on the crappy stock Ranchos. So in my opinion, just adding leveling keys to an already harsh riding truck it just gonna make it worse.

I'm fine with getting a kit with control arms. I just wasn't crazy about throwing more $ at shocks when I have four brand new one. Will the ride be decent with new control arms and stock shocks? Also, what about the rear? I'm assuming the rear will need to be blocked up as well for aesthetics?

Thanks!

Edited October 30, 2020 by gunner25

[gSwift]

2 hours ago, gunner25 said:

I'm fine with getting a kit with control arms. I just wasn't crazy about throwing more $ at shocks when I have four brand new one. Will the ride be decent with new control arms and stock shocks? Also, what about the rear? I'm assuming the rear will need to be blocked up as well for aesthetics?

Thanks!

My truck had 1.75" rake and my kit was 3", so yes, I blocked my rear 1.5" to keep some rake for aesthetics. As for the shocks, you can keep them and do keys and UCA's and you'll probably be close to maintaining the stock ride quality, but that was the part I hated the most.  Going over any type of bump with stock shocks will rattle your teeth out, they SUCK!  Also, 70PSI in the rear tires doesn't help either. lol

 

I know not everyone is willing to throw away $1500-2000  on quality parts and superior ride quality, but for me it was a must, especially after spending $70k on the truck. I can adjust the damping on my shocks with the turn of a dial. I'm blown away at how nice it rides now.

[kylant]

16 hours ago, gSwift said:

My truck had 1.75" rake and my kit was 3", so yes, I blocked my rear 1.5" to keep some rake for aesthetics. As for the shocks, you can keep them and do keys and UCA's and you'll probably be close to maintaining the stock ride quality, but that was the part I hated the most.  Going over any type of bump with stock shocks will rattle your teeth out, they SUCK!  Also, 70PSI in the rear tires doesn't help either. lol

 

I know not everyone is willing to throw away $1500-2000  on quality parts and superior ride quality, but for me it was a must, especially after spending $70k on the truck. I can adjust the damping on my shocks with the turn of a dial. I'm blown away at how nice it rides now.

how much did your front end up going up?

my truck too had 1.75" of rake, I currently have 2" blocks out back. I am sitting with 1" rake now. I am up about 2.5" up front. My kit is a 3" kit, but I did not want to crank it too much.

I am debating 37s, they look so good!

[gSwift]

7 hours ago, kylant said:

how much did your front end up going up?

my truck too had 1.75" of rake, I currently have 2" blocks out back. I am sitting with 1" rake now. I am up about 2.5" up front. My kit is a 3" kit, but I did not want to crank it too much.

I am debating 37s, they look so good!

I'm gonna  mover over to the "what did you done to your 2020 HD" thread so we don't hijack OP's thread. Even though some of the info may help him.

[EJCarter]

I'm a firm believer in purchasing a quality engineered leveling kit from a reputable manufacture. We invest a lot of money in these trucks, so, spend a little more now and it may save you in the long run. The kit needs to include UCAs, keys, diff drop spacers, and shock extensions. You can run your stock shocks, but since ride quality is something you are looking for, replacing the stock shocks with a quality aftermarket shock should also be included on your list.

 

You must remember any leveling kit will stiffen the ride up front. In simple terms, we are “lifting” our trucks by increasing the load on the torsion bar. The more we crank on the keys, or “lift”, the stiffer the ride. The UCAs, diff drop spacers, shock extensions, and re-indexed keys all work together to compensate all these angles we’ve just changed by trying to get them back to the factory specs…or as close to factory specs as possible. Again, the more you crank, the stiffer the ride, and the harder it is to bring it back to factory specs.

 

As long as you know all the facts, do some research, purchase a quality designed kit, and don’t over-crank “lift,” a leveling kit is a good alternative to a true lift kit. But, if you truly want the best ride and do want to maintain all the factory specs, there is nothing better than a quality engineered lift kit. It will cost way more up front, and most require cutting and welding for installation, thus making them more permanent, but, again, nothing is better.

 

I’m running a CCM Leveling Kit (Central Coast Motorsports) on my truck. I’m only cranked to raise the front about 2”. The ride did slightly stiffen, but to me it’s more truck like. The rear is stock. I am just slightly lower in the front, but I wanted to get rid of the factory stink bug look, so I didn’t raise the rear. I ran the stock Rancho shocks for a little while, but as soon as I put the Bilstein’s on, the ride was much better. The stock shocks are junk…and they were still new. I put this kit on when the truck had approx. 6K miles (replaced the shocks at 10K). I’m at approx. 50K on the truck now and have had no issues. All the ball joints are tight, the CV angles are good (that is what the diff drop spacers are for), no wear with the stock idler or pitman arms, etc. I do rotate tires and re-inspect alignment every 10K just to make sure everything remains tight.

 

I also ran a leveling kit on my previous truck, an ’04 LLY. I had it for the 12 years and put about 180K miles on it. Never any big issues with the kit. I did have to replace the idler, pitman arms, and ball joints a few times – the wear could have been from being leveled, or just normal wear with slightly oversized tires.

 

Again, do your research. There is a lot of info on this forum (and other forums) regarding the pros and cons of leveling kits. Some people like them, some people don’t. From my personal experience, they can work if you purchase all the right components, don’t crank it too much, and don’t put on too large of a tire…