Leveling Kit

fireman32_14 · November 15, 2008

which leveling kit do you think would be better for my 04 z71, the truxxx or rough country?

2000DV4.8 · November 15, 2008

As I've said in your other posts regarding a VERY similar topic, leveling kits are just re-indexed torsion keys. You can gain as much height as is safe by cranking the stock keys. Aftermarket keys just make it easier to over-crank, which will wreak havoc on your front end.

So to answer your question? Neither. If you want to level the truck, crank the stock keys, and go NO higher than 1.5".

fireman32_14 · November 15, 2008

i have them cranked, it didnt do much, i dont think i even got an inch out of it

2000DV4.8 · November 15, 2008

i have them cranked, it didnt do much, i dont think i even got an inch out of it

Are they maxed out (bolts bottomed out)? And did you measure the height before and after?

fireman32_14 · November 15, 2008

yea, they are maxxed out, and the truck sat with a little rake in it before and when i cranked them it still has the rake, it didnt seem to change it much at all

2000DV4.8 · November 15, 2008

yea, they are maxxed out, and the truck sat with a little rake in it before and when i cranked them it still has the rake, it didnt seem to change it much at all

That's really strange that it didn't make any difference. How many revolutions did you turn each bolt? (approximately)

fireman32_14 · November 16, 2008

its been about a year since i did it but im gonna say probably 7 or so

j_stew88 · November 16, 2008

I actually have the same question.. But my truck is a nbs 07 gmc 1500.. Is that xtra inch worth the xtra bills?

2000DV4.8 · November 16, 2008

I actually have the same question.. But my truck is a nbs 07 gmc 1500.. Is that xtra inch worth the xtra bills?

The GMT900 trucks don't have torsion bars, if you do a search for leveling kit you should have a ton of good reading to do.

j_stew88 · November 16, 2008

I know, what I'm referring to is a 2" leveling vs 3" lift.. Is the 3" worth the extra money just for that little bit of extra lift?

Prophet1990 · November 21, 2008

Hello, just chiming in here cause seems that everyone knows what they are talking about! but, Im looking to do a 2inch leveling kit and then a 3" body on top of that, is my idea possible or not?

(I own a 2000 Chevy Silverado 1500 V8 5.3L Half Ton)

Prophet1990 · November 21, 2008

also, for the leveling kit what one would you recommend, I was reading earlier about a "Rough Country" leveling kit?

JoshRDavis.84 · November 27, 2008

Hello, just chiming in here cause seems that everyone knows what they are talking about! but, Im looking to do a 2inch leveling kit and then a 3" body on top of that, is my idea possible or not?

(I own a 2000 Chevy Silverado 1500 V8 5.3L Half Ton)

If its a 4x4:

As Dan said.....crank your stock bars about 1" - 1.5".........then do your body lift. If you want to gain an extra inch or two spend the $$$ for a suspenion lift.

If its 2wd I am not sure about the front suspension, but if it is coil overs I dont see a problem, however I am no suspension expert.

Prophet1990 · November 28, 2008

Hello, just chiming in here cause seems that everyone knows what they are talking about! but, Im looking to do a 2inch leveling kit and then a 3" body on top of that, is my idea possible or not?

(I own a 2000 Chevy Silverado 1500 V8 5.3L Half Ton)

If its a 4x4:

As Dan said.....crank your stock bars about 1" - 1.5".........then do your body lift. If you want to gain an extra inch or two spend the $$ for a suspenion lift.

If its 2wd I am not sure about the front suspension, but if it is coil overs I dont see a problem, however I am no suspension expert.

it is a 4x4, but i guess my real issue is how do i crank my stock bars? and how do i make sure i do it right? also will it level it out or...?

2000DV4.8 · November 28, 2008

it is a 4x4, but i guess my real issue is how do i crank my stock bars? and how do i make sure i do it right? also will it level it out or...?

To crank the torsion bars, you will need to adjust the torsion key adjustment bolt, which is located in the torsion bar cross-member. The cross-member is pretty much directly below the seam between the front and rear doors. Follow the torsion bar into the cross member, then you will see an adjustment bolt. That is the bolt you need to... well... adjust.

Ok, so now for the adjustment process. You will need a jack and jack stands, a bottle of whiteout, an 18mm socket, and preferably a 1/2" drive ratchet.

Measure the original fender height heights with the truck on flat level ground. Then jack up the front of the truck, and put the jack stands under the frame. Mark the adjustment bolt and the cross-member with whiteout so you can better keep track of how many rotations the bolt makes. Each full revolution of the bolt equals about 1/4" of height. I'd start off with 4 revs, which should net you about an inch.

Let the truck down bounce on the bumper a little bit, and drive it around the block and make a couple of hard stops to let the suspension settle. Then park the truck in the same spot as before, and re-measure.

Repeat as needed until you get to the height you want, it is completely normal for one bolt to have more thread showing, or for one bolt to take more revs to raise the truck (I had to turn my drivers side bolt 2 full revs more to get the truck to sit level).

Just keep in mind, your ride will stiffen up, and if you go over 1.5" it will REALLY start to suffer. Also, if you go much over 1.5", you will start to wear through parts like CVs, tie rod ends, ball joints, and pitman/idler arms much quicker than normal, and are running the risk of having those parts failing. Keep the height reasonable, and you should have no problems.

And don't forget the alignment once you're done.