Readylift Leveling Kit

97SierraGMC · November 29, 2008

Alright i can get the Ready lift Leveling kit for my truck for $175 bucks .....

here is the kit i plan to get it is part number #663000

http://www.readylift.com/c-46-ck-1500-1988...-4wd-6-lug.aspx

a couple questions that even i couldn't answer since at our shop we have never done a kit on a truck as old as mine...

1. i cranked the t-bars a little bit and it rides noticeably worse than it did when i first got it and it was completly stock.. Will the new keys give me lift without sacrificing ride quality?? it should actually ride better than it does now..

2. Will it give me more lift than just cranking stock keys? cause i have about a 1 1/4" rake i put a 1.5" add-a-leaf in and i do like the rake but im looking to get another .25 - .5 of an inch..

3. there kit says it is guaranteed to not over extend ball joints.. what about cv angles??

4. Another question i can get a Tuff Country leveling kit for $135 so it would be like $40 bucks cheaper.. although we do alot of readylift kits at our shop and i am looking for something that is goign to last and not wreck a bunch of shit on my truck so i dont want to skimp ill pay the extra $40 if you guys think its worth it.. plus even between the sites the REadylift site gives 10x more info than tuff countrys..

Thanks!!!! Dan, i could deffinatly use your input here

2000DV4.8 · November 29, 2008

It's the same as cranking, period, end of story. Whether you're cranking, or putting in a re-indexed key, all it's doing is twisting the torsion bar. Your old truck rode like a tank because of how high it was cranked, and I'm sure you don't want to do that again.

97SierraGMC · November 29, 2008

but how can they say it wont affect ride quality?

i dont understand how this works...

NFSGamerUSA · November 29, 2008

I believe DV2000NJ is right, and on that note I'd go without a leveling. I appreciate how my truck rides with the IFS, leveling it would defeat the purpose of the IFS (ride quality). Besides, the front couldn't be much more than an inch lower than the rear. Unless you're really looking at my K1500, it's hard to tell that it's not level. It's certainly much less noticeable than with GMT800 or GMT900 trucks, so I wouldn't worry about it.

jimlem · November 29, 2008

Alright i can get the Ready lift Leveling kit for my truck for $175 bucks .....

here is the kit i plan to get it is part number #663000

http://www.readylift.com/c-46-ck-1500-1988...-4wd-6-lug.aspx

a couple questions that even i couldn't answer since at our shop we have never done a kit on a truck as old as mine...

1. i cranked the t-bars a little bit and it rides noticeably worse than it did when i first got it and it was completly stock.. Will the new keys give me lift without sacrificing ride quality?? it should actually ride better than it does now..

2. Will it give me more lift than just cranking stock keys? cause i have about a 1 1/4" rake i put a 1.5" add-a-leaf in and i do like the rake but im looking to get another .25 - .5 of an inch..

3. there kit says it is guaranteed to not over extend ball joints.. what about cv angles??

4. Another question i can get a Tuff Country leveling kit for $135 so it would be like $40 bucks cheaper.. although we do alot of readylift kits at our shop and i am looking for something that is goign to last and not wreck a bunch of shit on my truck so i dont want to skimp ill pay the extra $40 if you guys think its worth it.. plus even between the sites the REadylift site gives 10x more info than tuff countrys..

Thanks!!!! Dan, i could deffinatly use your input here

I just put the Readylift kit on my 02 1500 HD 2 WD and have had a very positive experience. My kit says it allows you to dial in 1" to 3" of lift. However, they recommend not going more than 2-2 1/2" max. for the best ride quality. It does work by re-indexing the TB keys but 2" of lift with the kit is no where near as harsh as 1" of just cranking the stock adjusters up. I did try maxing it out at 3" just to see how it felt and it was STIFF. Not unbearable but not good for daily driving either. I understand how the kit works, and the re-indexing allows it to sit higher than stock with say zero, or equal amounts of preload on both (ie the same preload stock vs. the kit will equal lift with the kit installed) but that said I'm not about to cross Dan and his 6K+ posts. I do have 30+ years of competent work on my family's vehicles, 6 years on my 1500 HD, but no where near the experience on this site.

Dan may be right but somewhere in there the re-indexing does give you some lift with a minimum amount of preload on the adjusters. (call it some wiggle room). But remember, it's just a leveling kit not a 3" suspension lift. IMHO it does make the truck sit and look very nice when done. Many people don't want to lose their rake so Readylift has a companion kit for the rear. It's a steel block (1" on my model but some are adjustable up to 2.5" I believe) that goes between the spring pack and axle. When you install the two kits for your vehicle together, you can bring the front up to the 2 1/2" mark and retain the stock rake/look at the rear. It does not sound like much: 2 1/2" in front and 1" in the rear, but everyone who sees it notices the difference. I mostly hear "Nice job. makes the 32" BFG tires look even better and gives it a more agrresive stance without looking over the top." You probably won't want or need the rear kit with your add-a-leaf installed. The rear kit cost me $120

I had my truck aligned after the kits were installed and I had settled on my preferred level height of 2 1/4" in the front. The shop took a while to get it aligned but did not blame the kit (it was just way over-do and I put some new tie rod ends on myself the day before). They did tell me that if you were to really crank up the TBs it makes it harder for them to dial in the caster angle. No problems with ball joints. I don't have 4WD so I cannot say on CV joint angles but it really doesn't look much different with the kit installed. Nothing is hugely out of place or at an exaggerated angle. The ReadyLift kit comes with new (taller) lower shock mounts so you don't have to buy longer front shocks. They were a 10 min. job on my truck and supposedly are not really needed if you only raise it an inch or so but I was installing new shocks at the same time and did not want to take any chances.

Also, FWIW, ReadyLift is local to me. I was there a few times borrowing the TB de-compressing tool, picking up my rear kit etc. I spent about 6 hours total with their manager of R&D. His name is Bryan Dutchen and he's good people. His only flaw is he's into Fords like we are GMs but still a great guy. Everyone there lives trucks and how to easily raise them. Everyone I dealt with went out of their way to answer my questions and offer tips on installing and dialing in my kits. I ended up writing the owner 2 different letters of comendation for a total of 4 of his employees. That's how impressed I was- and a career in law enforcement has left me very hard to impress or get excited about much (that's also my disclaimer that I don't work for, sell, or have any interest in ReadyLift's business dealings at all. I do like them and their product but am not trying to steer you towards them for money).

On one visit, some gentle hinting got Bryan to put my truck on the lift and check out my install. He had asked a couple of questions about how's a 1500 HD different than a 2500 or 2500 HD and I played dumb and said maybe we should check it out together. I guess he wasn't that busy so he raised it on the lift, showed me how it all works, what's different than stock, made some adjustments for me and taught me quite a bit. For example, whenever you alter your level, run the truck gently over some speed bumps, parking stops etc. to stress & settle the suspension before you start trusting your new measurements. Worry more about getting your left and right measurements the same rather than if you're turning the adjuster bolts in or out exactly the same amount. Use air tools to dial in the adjusters (faster & easier of course BUT also less stress on the bolt heads and shafts as compared to cranking back and forth on them with a 20" breaker bar and a deep socket).

I'm sure if you call ReadyLift and ask for Bryan, that he'd be happy to answer all your technical questions. He took several calls just like that while helping me. They moved recently. Their toll free # is still 800-549-4620 but the new local # of 714-862-2968 is more likely to get you one of the guys in the shop who'll get Bryan instead of just being xferred to his voice mail. If you can't Bryan, then Mark is a great 2nd choice. He's V.P of something but he's always out there getting dirty in the shop and always knows what's going on or where to find out.

One last item of interest. While we had my truck on the lift, I commented on how weak (really cheesy) the little 1/2" dia. tie rods looked compared to all the other beefy suspension parts I saw. They told me ReadyLift had just released a kit for GM trucks to beef up the tie rods. I don't have the part# right here and now but it fits like mid 90s to 2007 full size GM trucks. It's a set of hardened steel sleeves, threaded inside and sized to fit over the tie rods and cover about 97% of each rod. You back off the outer tie rod end jam nut, mark the TR end position, remove the TR ends & jam nuts, discard the jam nuts, thread on the sleeves, re-install the TR ends, and then tighten down the sleeves which now become the new jam nuts. They cover right up to about 1/2" to 3/4" from the inner tie rod ends. They fit well and do not seem to confuse alignment guys at all. Gives me a bit more confidence if I were to hit a rock etc. while hauling dirtbikes off road etc. If you're interested, they can get you the right part# if you call or let me know and I'll look for my paperwork when I'm back at my workshop. Supposedly they were just releasing them when I was there a few weeks ago. I insisted on a pair and they sold me a set for $70- mostly just to get me out of there I think.

Hope some of this is useful to you. This is my only leveling kit experience and I claim no expertise on the subject but I did get some quality time at ReadyLift and would recommend them and the torsion bar type kit your truck and mine both use. I know they will give you 110% answering questions etc. This may be a form of just cranking up the TB preload, but as long as you stay at a reasonable level, I don't think you'll find the ride harsh. IMO anyway. When I got to 3" of lift when testing them maxed out, I still had over 1/2" of adjuster bolt left. Readylift says that for every 1/4" you tighten their bolts it equals 1" of lift (not a perfect correlation, but pretty close). So technically I could have gone to 4" total lift but I am quite sure I'd agree with Dan and anyone else who says that would equate to a very harsh ride and would no doubt be unwise. In the 2+" range you'll be fine (again IMHO). It gave my truck more of a truck feel & LOOK, it felt good (at my 2 1/4" final). A bit less mushy/sloppy feeling in parking lot type maneuvers. It has now unfortunately reminded me and magnified my need for the new Int. Steering Shaft part and fix but I was overdue anyway. Just be sure you have, rent , or can borrow a TB decompressor tool. You probably already know this, know what the tool is, maybe even own one??? I didn't. Thought I could make my own from a beefed up C clamp. HAAAh! NOT EVEN CLOSE! Got to do some welding but in the end I watched 3 C clamps die quick and ignoble deaths. Gotta have the right tool for this one period. Good luck whichever way you go and let us know how the install goes for either brand. I always wonder if I should have looked at any other makes and models so I'm interested in how they work, how they install, how good their instructions are and how well supported they are by the factory. Have fun.

Jim

VMax2007 · November 29, 2008

^^^^ Holy long post Batman!!!

NFSGamerUSA · November 29, 2008

I'd look into having it published!

2000DV4.8 · November 29, 2008

I just put the Readylift kit on my 02 1500 HD 2 WD and have had a very positive experience. My kit says it allows you to dial in 1" to 3" of lift. However, they recommend not going more than 2-2 1/2" max. for the best ride quality. It does work by re-indexing the TB keys but 2" of lift with the kit is no where near as harsh as 1" of just cranking the stock adjusters up. I did try maxing it out at 3" just to see how it felt and it was STIFF. Not unbearable but not good for daily driving either. I understand how the kit works, and the re-indexing allows it to sit higher than stock with say zero, or equal amounts of preload on both (ie the same preload stock vs. the kit will equal lift with the kit installed) but that said I'm not about to cross Dan and his 6K+ posts. I do have 30+ years of competent work on my family's vehicles, 6 years on my 1500 HD, but no where near the experience on this site.

Jim

It is impossible for 2" of lift from the leveling kit to have less preload on the suspension than 1" of crank. The re-indexed torsion key puts the torsion bar in the same position as cranking will, the ONLY difference is that there is more threads showing on the adjustment bolt.

Think of it like a rolled up newspaper. If you grab it in one spot and turn it one full rotation, you are twisting it 360 degrees. Now, if you grab it at a different point, and twist it one full rotation, you are STILL turning it the same amount, just from a different point of reference.

It's the same way with the torsion bars (just with fractions of a rotation). You aren't changing anything other than the key, so to gain the same amount of height, you have to turn the bar the same amount, which in turn, makes it so that with an aftermarket key or the stock key, the suspension has the same amount of preload at the same height. 2" of crank is 2" of crank, no matter what key you are using, just like when you turn a bolt one full rotation, you turn it one full rotation, no matter what the original position of the wrench is.

Now, the reason you might have seen a difference in ride, is because of the shock extensions. With 1" of crank, you could have been topping your shocks out, and limiting downtravel.

Now, I might not have 30+ years of experience working on vehicles, but I have done my fair share of research on this subject, and have spent my fair share of time working on my truck's suspension. I'm also not the only one that thinks this, here's a thread on FSC about the same thing.

http://www.fullsizechevy.com/forums/genera...rsion-bars.html (post number 37 is the best explanation).

jimlem · November 30, 2008

^^^^ Holy long post Batman!!!

Hey hey, I was TRYING to be helpful and thorough. And to think not 30 min later I defended your honor amongst some knuckleheads going on about the Tundra forums or something. It was late and I was trying to get it into one post, but message received.

J

jimlem · November 30, 2008

I just put the Readylift kit on my 02 1500 HD 2 WD and have had a very positive experience. My kit says it allows you to dial in 1" to 3" of lift. However, they recommend not going more than 2-2 1/2" max. for the best ride quality. It does work by re-indexing the TB keys but 2" of lift with the kit is no where near as harsh as 1" of just cranking the stock adjusters up. I did try maxing it out at 3" just to see how it felt and it was STIFF. Not unbearable but not good for daily driving either. I understand how the kit works, and the re-indexing allows it to sit higher than stock with say zero, or equal amounts of preload on both (ie the same preload stock vs. the kit will equal lift with the kit installed) but that said I'm not about to cross Dan and his 6K+ posts. I do have 30+ years of competent work on my family's vehicles, 6 years on my 1500 HD, but no where near the experience on this site.

Jim

It is impossible for 2" of lift from the leveling kit to have less preload on the suspension than 1" of crank. The re-indexed torsion key puts the torsion bar in the same position as cranking will, the ONLY difference is that there is more threads showing on the adjustment bolt.

Think of it like a rolled up newspaper. If you grab it in one spot and turn it one full rotation, you are twisting it 360 degrees. Now, if you grab it at a different point, and twist it one full rotation, you are STILL turning it the same amount, just from a different point of reference.

It's the same way with the torsion bars (just with fractions of a rotation). You aren't changing anything other than the key, so to gain the same amount of height, you have to turn the bar the same amount, which in turn, makes it so that with an aftermarket key or the stock key, the suspension has the same amount of preload at the same height. 2" of crank is 2" of crank, no matter what key you are using, just like when you turn a bolt one full rotation, you turn it one full rotation, no matter what the original position of the wrench is.

Now, the reason you might have seen a difference in ride, is because of the shock extensions. With 1" of crank, you could have been topping your shocks out, and limiting downtravel.

Now, I might not have 30+ years of experience working on vehicles, but I have done my fair share of research on this subject, and have spent my fair share of time working on my truck's suspension. I'm also not the only one that thinks this, here's a thread on FSC about the same thing.

http://www.fullsizechevy.com/forums/genera...rsion-bars.html (post number 37 is the best explanation).

I concede you have a valid point. I did some more reading on ReadyLift's site about several makes and models using the same style kit and in each they keep coming back to their shock extensions as the component that keeps the ride comfortable. Your analogy of the rolled newspaper was quite clear too. I did their experiment where you crank up your stock TBs as much as you dare, go drive it, then install their kit and lift it to the same height and compare. When I did so, the stock ride was set up to just under 2" and rode like a stiff frame Harley. 2 1/4" lift with their kit was not bad at all. I didn't realize the amount of lift involved was enough to really affect the shock piston position and cause such a harsh ride. I had a picture in my mind of the new keys sort of providing a more progressive preload but then I found the true definition of progressive TBs online and not even close. I guess the shock extensions were more than just a safety precaution, they seem to supply the biggest benefit. It's interesting how adamant ReadyLift is on each model that it will not have any adverse effects whatsoever. They say they'll guarantee that as well as a stock feeling ride so they must have a lot riding on the shock extensions, I guess.

Thanks for the info and clear example. I better stop here lest I start offending again with LONG posts.

J

2000DV4.8 · November 30, 2008

I concede you have a valid point. I did some more reading on ReadyLift's site about several makes and models using the same style kit and in each they keep coming back to their shock extensions as the component that keeps the ride comfortable. Your analogy of the rolled newspaper was quite clear too. I did their experiment where you crank up your stock TBs as much as you dare, go drive it, then install their kit and lift it to the same height and compare. When I did so, the stock ride was set up to just under 2" and rode like a stiff frame Harley. 2 1/4" lift with their kit was not bad at all. I didn't realize the amount of lift involved was enough to really affect the shock piston position and cause such a harsh ride. I had a picture in my mind of the new keys sort of providing a more progressive preload but then I found the true definition of progressive TBs online and not even close. I guess the shock extensions were more than just a safety precaution, they seem to supply the biggest benefit. It's interesting how adamant ReadyLift is on each model that it will not have any adverse effects whatsoever. They say they'll guarantee that as well as a stock feeling ride so they must have a lot riding on the shock extensions, I guess.

Thanks for the info and clear example. I better stop here lest I start offending again with LONG posts.

J

Glad I was clear, I always wonder whether the things in my head make sense in writing. Putting things into words doesn't always work.

NFSGamerUSA · November 30, 2008

^^^^ Holy long post Batman!!!

Hey hey, I was TRYING to be helpful and thorough. And to think not 30 min later I defended your honor amongst some knuckleheads going on about the Tundra forums or something. It was late and I was trying to get it into one post, but message received.

J

We were just kidding with you, man. Information as thorough as that is very valuable.

VMax2007 · November 30, 2008

^^^^ Holy long post Batman!!!

Hey hey, I was TRYING to be helpful and thorough. And to think not 30 min later I defended your honor amongst some knuckleheads going on about the Tundra forums or something. It was late and I was trying to get it into one post, but message received.

J

Hey Jim, no message to receive...I was just givin ya some shit.

97SierraGMC · November 30, 2008

the kit i was looking at they also guarantee the ride quality.. but it doesn't come with shock extensions..

i wonder if i don't like it if i can send it back??

jimlem · December 2, 2008

^^^^ Holy long post Batman!!!

Hey hey, I was TRYING to be helpful and thorough. And to think not 30 min later I defended your honor amongst some knuckleheads going on about the Tundra forums or something. It was late and I was trying to get it into one post, but message received.

J

Hey Jim, no message to receive...I was just givin ya some shit.

Jeff & Graham (thanks guys)

Thanks for clarifyng. No offense taken & I was replying sort of tongue in cheek. Like Dan said above sometimes it's hard to put thoughts from your head into words here. My weakness when I'm not sure, is to keep piling on the words until it's clear in my mind. When it gets that long, I guess it says something about how clear my mind is.

Along that same line of "not sure about words versus meaning" thing: I was 95% sure you guys were just yanking my chain (one needs a thick skin around here sometimes) but still 5% unsure. Glad it was in fun; now I have a better feel for the mood around here and I like it (being a sarcastic SOB, myself)

Jeff- sort of off this topic but along the sub-topic of joking around here: I take it that the "handjaab" guy blabbering about Tundras etc. is not as easy-going with people's opinions of ANYTHING as most around here? I thought he was dumping on you but now it's got a bit confusing in that thread with name spellings and 7 pages of posts etc. so if it's not you, then just disregard this last paragraph. If it is you, what the heck did you ever do to that guy? That was NOT joking around, he went straight for your jugular (if indeed you also call yourself "weemax"???) Anyway, I am working on maturity tonight and really trying to resist firing him up again. It's fun but not right cause he keeps throwing you or whoever back into the spotlight. It's funny but he's the 1st flaming troll I've seen here, though I only read a few threads here and there so I'm sure there's others.

J