Jump to content

Gm900 Leveling

batmat1028

Recommended Posts

batmat1028 New Member

batmat1028

Posted
Posted

Hey everyone, I have been a site member for some time, but have had very few posts. I have been trying to search and find an answer to a leveling question, but have been buried by information. I have a 2007 GM900 truck. Is there a difference in the quality or final results of the leveling kits that lift the bottom of the strut vs. those which add the spacer at the top of the tower. I have seen kits both ways and some that do both? Thanks for any input

Biggie Enthusiast

Biggie

Posted
Posted

both are achieving lift by the same means, just one adds height under, and one adds it above, but as far as quality or results go, thats all relative to what brand you get and the quality of their kit. i've got a readylift spacer that sits on top of my strut, but already i'm going to buy a truxx 2.5/1.25'' kit because the readylift doesn't lift enough

Lama Enthusiast

Lama

Posted
Posted
The only difference in results is that the Rough Country leaves more money in your wallet. :cheers:

 

 

I installed the Top Guns Customz 2.5" kit in front. It uses a very small spacer on the top of the strut so you don't have to cut the studs, and then adds a spacer at the bottom of the strut on the LCA. It is most likely the max you can go without laying the UCA on the droop stops. Fender height front (with 33's) is 41".

 

It lifted the front so much I had to remove the rear 1.5" axle spacer block and install a 3" Tuff Country block and u-bolt kit to re-level the truck. It is now level all the way around, and stands pretty darn tall for just a leveled truck.

 

Both kits were excellent quality. It was $79 for the front, and $80 for the rear, and I can now run 33" tires no problem.

batmat1028 New Member

batmat1028

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thanks for all the input. I just looked at the top gunz custom kit that Lama mentioned. It looks like the spacer on the bottom of the strut is two pieces of plate that are welded together, as opposed to a single piece of CNC machined metal. do you think there is any potential strength issue?

 

post-30464-1223155149_thumb.jpg

post-30464-1223155149_thumb.jpg

post-30464-1223155149_thumb.jpg

post-30464-1223155149_thumb.jpg

2000DV4.8 Senior Enthusiast

2000DV4.8

Posted
Posted

I'd go with a machined spacer. What's the Rough Country kit cost, $60? If that even IS more expensive than the welded kit, I'd say it's worth it just to be sure that it's not going to snap.

tobias Senior Enthusiast

tobias

Posted
Posted

I'm with Dan on this one. Welds are more likely to rust through over time and snap or give way where the machined blocks will take a beating for as long as you own your truck and never fail. Go with the RC kit.

Lama Enthusiast

Lama

Posted
Posted
I'm with Dan on this one. Welds are more likely to rust through over time and snap or give way where the machined blocks will take a beating for as long as you own your truck and never fail. Go with the RC kit.

 

 

Actually, all the welded section does is maintain a shape to help you install it. The lower strut just sits on two pads, which are solid steel. Mechanically, a complete slug of steel serves no purpose in this application. Up top, yes, below, no.

tobias Senior Enthusiast

tobias

Posted
Posted
I'm with Dan on this one. Welds are more likely to rust through over time and snap or give way where the machined blocks will take a beating for as long as you own your truck and never fail. Go with the RC kit.

 

 

Actually, all the welded section does is maintain a shape to help you install it. The lower strut just sits on two pads, which are solid steel. Mechanically, a complete slug of steel serves no purpose in this application. Up top, yes, below, no.

 

 

What? :cheers:

 

If you are insinuating that the force being perpendicular to the plates means the welds don't really do anything I'd disagree. Are there sleeves between the bolt holes or is it just a small piece of flat steel in all 3 spots?

 

Oh, and as for a slug being necessary, no one is saying it is, we're just saying you completely remove any fear of the welds cracking or anything else when you have a solid piece of steel there.

Lama Enthusiast

Lama

Posted
Posted
I'm with Dan on this one. Welds are more likely to rust through over time and snap or give way where the machined blocks will take a beating for as long as you own your truck and never fail. Go with the RC kit.

 

 

Actually, all the welded section does is maintain a shape to help you install it. The lower strut just sits on two pads, which are solid steel. Mechanically, a complete slug of steel serves no purpose in this application. Up top, yes, below, no.

 

 

What? :cheers:

 

If you are insinuating that the force being perpendicular to the plates means the welds don't really do anything I'd disagree. Are there sleeves between the bolt holes or is it just a small piece of flat steel in all 3 spots?

 

Oh, and as for a slug being necessary, no one is saying it is, we're just saying you completely remove any fear of the welds cracking or anything else when you have a solid piece of steel there.

 

 

 

There are large milled sleeves in between each plate, that support the strut and guide and center the bolt. The two strut ears sit directly on the sleeves, the plates serve to tie-in both sleeves. I agree a milled plate can be viewed as superior in strength.

batmat1028 New Member

batmat1028

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thanks again guys. My bad about the top gunz kit. I understand what Lama is saying, I couldn't see the sleeves in the pictures that I looked at. I have to agree with daddy, I will probably go with the solid machined piece. the 10-15 dollar price difference is worth it for my piece of mind.

tobias Senior Enthusiast

tobias

Posted
Posted

They need to do a better job showing that sleeve because it is NOT obvious from their pics and it is obviously causing confusion. The sleeves would make me feel better about it but I'd still go slug!

  • 1 month later...
AZ_DZRTRNR New Member

AZ_DZRTRNR

Posted
Posted

Hello all, I am seriously looking into a leveling kit and have been reading over a lot of the info in the suspension section of the forum.

 

Daddy, you said you have the Rough Country kit correct? If so, can you send me some larger pictures of your truck? I want to see more of what it looks like. Did you use all the spacers to get 2" of lift? How did you measure the truck to tell how much lift you got?

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Latest Articles

  • Posts

    • Chuck FB
      Tire psi

      By Chuck FB · Posted

      Yes exactly, more and more these days people/companies are afraid of liability issues so its easier just to say no rather than risk putting their neck on the line.    I will say with the Autel unit or when I used it last year on my truck, it wasn't like I could choose the 2025 model year or even the 2024 model year as that option was not there to manipulate the placard pressures but had to go back to 2023 or there abouts and then it showed up as an option, odd but that was how the software was then and I can't say one way or the other now as they throw out updates every so often. I still would talk to your tire dealer though to start with and they may do it for nothing but also they may have a comment on a better unit to purchase. All I know is that one of the large tire shops in my area happens to use these Autel units for their use and set them up to use the wifi and all of that jazz for constant updating because each tire tech has one handed to them by the shop but I just plugged it into my laptop to update it and yes if one is bought it has to be registered so you can get the link to do updates and then the unit has to be updated before its even used. I am not at all techy so it took me a bit but anyway just a heads up for anything you buy, most likely it will need to be connected to a computer to access the internet to have it updated to the latest software version before you can put it to use.   If your truck is near empty, those tire pressures you listed are a very safe upper range pressures to carry the weight, both the front and rear as I know they could be run lower yet with an empty truck. And if its a trailer and not some motorcycle your going to strap onto the front of your truck on a rack, you shouldn't have a need to inflate your front tires if your at 55 front already, its the rear ones that would need more air if you have much hitch weight. 
    • jgaudet99
      Tire psi

      By jgaudet99 · Posted

      Thank you, I'll check that Autel scanner out and see if it will work for me! Ya I can see GM's point of view if they lower the psi set value for someone and the person sell's the truck and the new owner puts the factory tires back on then their could be liability issues cause the psi warning light wasn't coming on when the tires were under inflated for towing their load and then it might be able to be traced back to GM lowering it.
    • Chuck FB
      Tire psi

      By Chuck FB · Posted

      I had a similar but different response when I talked to the service manager where I bought my truck in that he said GM corporate won't allow them to lower the placard pressure setting as they would get their hand slapped but that of course they have the ability to make that change. His suggestion was simply go to a tire dealer or third party shop that is willing to reset the pressures lower. However I chose to buy a tpms tool and partly based off of this very forum as it had been proven to work on the 2024 model ( Global B system ) and while I could have paid lots for a full two way diag tool, I didn't want to spend that much and bought the recommended Autel TS 508 and it will reprogram the 2025 model and assume it should do the 2026 as well. However the tool is rather proprietary to reprogramming Autel tpms sensors so that is a function I will never use, where as a real two way scanner would have many uses but also have yearly subscriptions etc where this 508 is free updates for as long as they put updates out for the unit. In any event it worked to lower the placard pressures and I often use it to adjust my actual tire pressures although will check with a mechanical gauge as well sometimes just to make sure that tires tpms sensor isn't lying to me.    My suggestion is either buy a tool that you know will work to adjust the system or start out by getting the tire shop you bought your tires from to reset your truck and if after that you still want a unit to do it yourself, get one at that point. 
    • jgaudet99
      Tire psi

      By jgaudet99 · Posted

      Here is an image of a quick Google search about these tires on my truck and it's exactly same psi recommendation the Toyo tires company gave me!    I'm not looking for anyone else recommended psi or anything, I'm just looking to see if anyone knew a way to get rid of the factory low psi warning light, because I'm not running high psi and ruining my tires when I'm not towing! 
    • jgaudet99
      Tire psi

      By jgaudet99 · Posted

      60psi front and 80psi rear But I am not running the factory tire brand or size! it's load range F Toyo tires

  • GM-Trucks.com Clubs

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...