# Suggestion on Level kit for 2500



## livetoplow (Jan 10, 2009)

Hey i am looking at leveling kits for my truck as i would like for it to sit higher. My question is, which kit should i look for and what is the most lift i can get from it without taking away from ride quality ? Will i have to add something to the back to get it nice flat and level ?

If anyone is familiar with putting one of these in please PM me about installing as well as a price.


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## vincent (Sep 15, 2008)

I did the readylift this summer. Leveled the truck out nicely and didn't seem to change the ride. Make sure you have the front end aligned after doing this.

Some here will also suggest just turning the torison bars to raise the front end.


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## livetoplow (Jan 10, 2009)

Ya i went the whole turning the T Bar method. Too harsh of a ride though. Want to get a good lift with still having good ride quality


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## NICHOLS LANDSCA (Sep 15, 2007)

You can do the Cognito upper arms. Doing keys is NO different than turning up the bars other than you can turn them more with keys.


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## mike1316 (Sep 16, 2007)

Turn up the keys and put timben on it ride great


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## welded wrenches (Oct 19, 2004)

*level what..*

level what..there is a aftermarketkit kit that uses a solid front axle with leaf springs..it is a everthing to convert kit...i think its offroaddesign.org ...unsure..idk..


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## marylandbigb (Sep 23, 2009)

use the readylift it will give you approx 2 1/2 inches of lift in front without affecting the ride as long as you put the t bar bolts back too same location.... it is not the same as cranking up the bars it actually rekeys the bars when they are off lay them on top of one another and you will see... as far as installing if you dont have the loading/unloading tool dont attempt very unsafe


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## livetoplow (Jan 10, 2009)

marylandbigb;1229963 said:


> use the readylift it will give you approx 2 1/2 inches of lift in front without affecting the ride as long as you put the t bar bolts back too same location.... it is not the same as cranking up the bars it actually rekeys the bars when they are off lay them on top of one another and you will see... as far as installing if you dont have the loading/unloading tool dont attempt very unsafe


Now do i have to put anything in the back for everything to sit nice and level with that 2 1/2 inch of lift ?

I saw this kit. Seems like a great deal what are your thoughts ? Comes with the shocks that most on this forum seem to agree work very nice.

Thanks for the help !


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## sweetk30 (Sep 3, 2006)

welded wrenches;1229124 said:


> level what..there is a aftermarketkit kit that uses a solid front axle with leaf springs..it is a everthing to convert kit...i think its offroaddesign.org ...unsure..idk..


ya but solid axle swaps get you min 7" of lift and take up the bolt holes used for plow mounts. also good solid axle swap done right is 3k min. payup


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## marylandbigb (Sep 23, 2009)

you can buy the readylift with the rear blocks and u bolts too. go too readylift.com.. but when u add the rear blocks it gives u the raked look again i did mine without the blocks.. as far as the kit with the shocks who makes it and what are the torsion keys made out of i bought a cheap set once and instead of lifting the truck the bars spun inside the keys. leaving no lift at all and a waste of time and money.. u dont have too change the shocks the kit comes with the shock extenders and so far the factory gm shocks appear too be just fine ... let me know what u decide


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## livetoplow (Jan 10, 2009)

marylandbigb;1230076 said:


> you can buy the readylift with the rear blocks and u bolts too. go too readylift.com.. but when u add the rear blocks it gives u the raked look again i did mine without the blocks.. as far as the kit with the shocks who makes it and what are the torsion keys made out of i bought a cheap set once and instead of lifting the truck the bars spun inside the keys. leaving no lift at all and a waste of time and money.. u dont have too change the shocks the kit comes with the shock extenders and so far the factory gm shocks appear too be just fine ... let me know what u decide


Ya i would not want a Rake look. I want it to sit as high as possible with the Level kit but i do want the back and front to match and be even.

So i saw the kit and the price is great. How hard is this to install ? If anyone near the RI or MA area has done this job on a Silverado and wants to shoot me a price let me know.

What shocks would you put on it ? My shocks are spent just not sure which ones to go with to give me a nice ride but still handle my Fisher plow ok


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## cubanb343 (Dec 13, 2007)

I put in a 2.5" leveling kit, well, had one put in. The front end sat way higher than the back so I ended up adding 1" blocks in the rear. Could've gone with 2" blocks and still been pretty level


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## livetoplow (Jan 10, 2009)

cubanb343;1231115 said:


> I put in a 2.5" leveling kit, well, had one put in. The front end sat way higher than the back so I ended up adding 1" blocks in the rear. Could've gone with 2" blocks and still been pretty level


Wow and what Level kit did you use ? Do you have any pics of your truck ?


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## NICHOLS LANDSCA (Sep 15, 2007)

marylandbigb;1229963 said:


> use the readylift it will give you approx 2 1/2 inches of lift in front without affecting the ride as long as you put the t bar bolts back too same location.... it is not the same as cranking up the bars it actually rekeys the bars when they are off lay them on top of one another and you will see... as far as installing if you dont have the loading/unloading tool dont attempt very unsafe


Not sure where you are getting your info but all the keys do is TWIST the bar more and it will affect the ride. No different than turning up the bars you can just turn more with the keys.

OP just take a straight edge and mark the bolt and crossmember 3-4 full turns will give you 3/4-1" of height maybe more. It will ride more like a Ford but not as bad as a Dodge


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## livetoplow (Jan 10, 2009)

I just would love my truck to sit like a truck. The damn F250s and especially F350 pickups make my truck feel very small. Would love to achieve the stance of a F350 without breaking the bank but also not having any negative effect on me when i plow.

I had one guy crank up my T bars. It looked like the front was higher than the back and it rode horrible. Like i had no suspension at all. I would love a nice truck stance but not if i am going to get a ride quality like it was. My new Mechanic told me they were over cranked. He has then turned 3 turns with i guess stock keys and it still should be higher but rides much better though


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## NICHOLS LANDSCA (Sep 15, 2007)

Well your only option would be the Cognito A arms then


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## livetoplow (Jan 10, 2009)

NICHOLS LANDSCA;1231896 said:


> Well your only option would be the Cognito A arms then


How is the Cognito kit so different. Will i have more of a lift ? I have seen some with a 3 inch Body lift and makes it like a F350 stance look. What would you recommend ? The Cognito kit ? Just do not want a real harsh ride and want no problems when plowing


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## sweetk30 (Sep 3, 2006)

crank the stock setup tight with bolts maxed out or keys it puts the upper a-arms right on the bump stops on the stock suspension.

the new upper a-arms from cognito prob have diffrent angles and stick out a bit more to also help with alignment problems that cranking the stock bars will give you. also puts the cv joints in a much tighter working angle and binds them up sometimes. also the ball joints and tie rods get much more angle and wear out faster.

ifs was designed to work at specific angles the best. if you crank them up you cut the life span right out of them so fast.

so if you can crank the bars AND keep the uppers off the bump stops this will give you lift and still ride better.

almost every t-bar crank up or re key kit i ever did thay loved the lift but hated the ride . and 75% of the key kits i took back out shortly in the end. as thay just couldnt take the ride.

there is the firestone/bilstine air shocks now to help hold a level ride when plow is on . also a idea.

cognito kit write up http://www.cognitomotorsports.com/p..._-_Upper_Control_Arm_-_2001-2010_GM_8lug.html


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## Jumanji (Dec 22, 2010)

I used a cheap Truxx 3" leveling kit, think it was $290 from Tire Rack. The kit uses new torsion bar keys in the front, a 1" lift block under the rear leaf springs and new shock mounts for the front. The truck rides a little rougher, more like a truck, but it's not severe. The stock suspension did not have quite enough adjustment in it to get the alignment perfect, but it's close. This kit clears 285/75R16 Goodyear Wrangler Duratracs. Overall, I'm happy with the kit for the price I paid. I've heard good things about the Cognito kit as well.


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## BIGGB9 (Apr 29, 2004)

Get the rough country leveling kit it was only 70 dollar for my truck did not lose much ride quality.


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## REAPER (Nov 23, 2004)

Why spend so much on repainted keys? Just go to the bone yard and take them off a F150 ford. Or call the ford dealership and ask how much a set of new F150 keys cost. That is all the after market keys are unless it is over 2 inches. 

If you truly want to level it, then get the Cognito upper control arm kit(without keys) and add the Firestone air shocks. 

What it sounds like is you want to lift it to match a fords height and if that is the case just buy a ford and be done with it.


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## topdj (Oct 6, 2007)

my dealer has a tech the specializes in lifts he even has his own shock extenders,
they did this free when I bought it looks damn good to me


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## livetoplow (Jan 10, 2009)

topdj;1234190 said:


> my dealer has a tech the specializes in lifts he even has his own shock extenders,
> they did this free when I bought it looks damn good to me


Ya see that truck sits nice. Mine is a Non HD 2500 though. If my truck sat like that and could run 33s and still ride nice i would be all over it. Seems like i will have to spend close to $ 800 to a Cognito kit and do not need to go broke in the process just want to make the truck sit and look like a truck


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## topdj (Oct 6, 2007)

all he did is turn them up and and extend the shocks.


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## livetoplow (Jan 10, 2009)

and that will cause it to still ride nice but get a lift ?


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## NICHOLS LANDSCA (Sep 15, 2007)

livetoplow;1234864 said:


> and that will cause it to still ride nice but get a lift ?


Have you not read the posts? You should put keys in it and put about 7-8 turns on the bars


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## topdj (Oct 6, 2007)

I measured it they only brought it up about 1.25" no noticeable change but I can see it looks much more level. My drive has a dip in in it so the front tire looks better then the left , I will find a flat lot and check it with a ruler


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## livetoplow (Jan 10, 2009)

NICHOLS LANDSCA;1235096 said:


> Have you not read the posts? You should put keys in it and put about 7-8 turns on the bars


Ya i have been reading the posts as well as many others on the subject. Just being told many different things. How i need the UCA kits from Cognito or it will always ride horrible. That every level kit and keys are no good and will always ride like crap.

From my reading i really do not want to spend crazy money to get my truck a little lift and make it look and feel like a truck. It is a 2500 but Non HD. So right off i lose 2" of height from what i have read. So the Readylift setup seems to be a good way to get my truck up and still have a good ride since it comes with Shock Extenders. Just do not want to be unhappy and do a job multiple times. Sorry i ask too many questions sometimes 

Thank you though to everyone though for the input. Just i only know people that put crazy 10" lifts around here they do not mess with level kits so i am still trying to learn. I would love to go a 6" lift but then i am sure i would run into problems plowing which i do not want to do at all. My truck is a beast in the snow and i want to keep it that way.


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## sweetk30 (Sep 3, 2006)

livetoplow;1235180 said:


> Ya i have been reading the posts as well as many others on the subject. Just being told many different things. How i need the UCA kits from Cognito or it will always ride horrible. That every level kit and keys are no good and will always ride like crap.
> 
> From my reading i really do not want to spend crazy money to get my truck a little lift and make it look and feel like a truck. It is a 2500 but Non HD. So right off i lose 2" of height from what i have read. So the Readylift setup seems to be a good way to get my truck up and still have a good ride since it comes with Shock Extenders. Just do not want to be unhappy and do a job multiple times. Sorry i ask too many questions sometimes
> 
> Thank you though to everyone though for the input. Just i only know people that put crazy 10" lifts around here they do not mess with level kits so i am still trying to learn. I would love to go a 6" lift but then i am sure i would run into problems plowing which i do not want to do at all. My truck is a beast in the snow and i want to keep it that way.


stupid simple idea for you ride and lift when you need it = front air shocks from firestone. http://www.summitracing.com/search/...elper-Spring-and-Damper-Systems/?autoview=SKU

and i dont care what level kit you install and how hard you crank the bars to the moon. the upper a-arm bump stop will hit and or rest on it and ride like SH!T


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## NICHOLS LANDSCA (Sep 15, 2007)

livetoplow;1235180 said:


> Ya i have been reading the posts as well as many others on the subject. Just being told many different things. How i need the UCA kits from Cognito or it will always ride horrible. That every level kit and keys are no good and will always ride like crap.
> 
> From my reading i really do not want to spend crazy money to get my truck a little lift and make it look and feel like a truck. It is a 2500 but Non HD. So right off i lose 2" of height from what i have read. So the Readylift setup seems to be a good way to get my truck up and still have a good ride since it comes with Shock Extenders. Just do not want to be unhappy and do a job multiple times. Sorry i ask too many questions sometimes
> 
> Thank you though to everyone though for the input. Just i only know people that put crazy 10" lifts around here they do not mess with level kits so i am still trying to learn. I would love to go a 6" lift but then i am sure i would run into problems plowing which i do not want to do at all. My truck is a beast in the snow and i want to keep it that way.


What I'd recommend you do is take a straight edge and a paint pen and mark the torsion bar bolts to the crossmember and give the bolts 4 full turns and see how you like it height/ride the ride should be just fine. You should check the Z height. The trucks are always set low from the factory. Factory spec is 4.5"


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## jklawn&Plow (Jan 8, 2011)

NICHOLS LANDSCA 
PlowSite.com Addict

As they are tightened, which adjustment should be made to upper control arm?


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## NICHOLS LANDSCA (Sep 15, 2007)

jklawn&Plow;1235908 said:


> NICHOLS LANDSCA
> PlowSite.com Addict
> 
> As they are tightened, which adjustment should be made to upper control arm?


What? There aren't any


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## jklawn&Plow (Jan 8, 2011)

For the alignment?


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## brad96z28 (Aug 21, 2005)

Jumanji;1232467 said:


> I used a cheap Truxx 3" leveling kit, think it was $290 from Tire Rack. The kit uses new torsion bar keys in the front, a 1" lift block under the rear leaf springs and new shock mounts for the front. The truck rides a little rougher, more like a truck, but it's not severe. The stock suspension did not have quite enough adjustment in it to get the alignment perfect, but it's close. This kit clears 285/75R16 Goodyear Wrangler Duratracs. Overall, I'm happy with the kit for the price I paid. I've heard good things about the Cognito kit as well.


LOL waste of money keys. My truck clears my 285 and an 8.6 extreme v plow With the stock keys.


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## RBRONKEMA GHTFD (Dec 17, 2006)

I cranked my t-bars. I have no shock extensions or keys. My truck has 285s on it aswell and I have never had a issue.


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## jklawn&Plow (Jan 8, 2011)

Did you notice any more wear on inside edge of tires?


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## PetalsandPines (Mar 26, 2001)

a 644 john deere front end loader would level it
just kidding


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## sweetk30 (Sep 3, 2006)

jklawn&Plow;1235952 said:


> For the alignment?


not a home job.

need to get the truck aligned for vehicle to TRY and get back in spec.


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## jklawn&Plow (Jan 8, 2011)

Probably just some camber adjustment though, upper control arms?


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## sweetk30 (Sep 3, 2006)

jklawn&Plow;1236995 said:


> Probably just some camber adjustment though, upper control arms?


if you have never done an alignment then its more than that.

if you move one it plays with the other caster/camber. so you need to play around and find a happy medium that will drive good and NOT wear tires.

camber = tire wear . rember m in camber = m for money

caster = how fast / slow the tires return to center and cross caster can cause pull.

get these set and then do tie last.

and with bars cranked or key kits you can most of the time get decent camber. but have to back off on caster but still can get it to cross caster specs.

anytime you move the bolts for the preload on the t-bars you will affect the alignment on the vehicle. and if you drive around with more than few hundered lbs in the back on a more than 40-50 % time you drive GET the alignment done with that weight in there. this will effect alignment also.


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## cubanb343 (Dec 13, 2007)

I got suspension maxx keys from summitracing.com . I am happy with everything so far (it's been almost 2 years now). Tires are wearing even. But I think if i had to do it again, I'd get the cognito leveling kit. It's WAAAAYYY more expensive though


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## jklawn&Plow (Jan 8, 2011)

sweetk30;1237258 said:


> if you have never done an alignment then its more than that.
> 
> Thanks for the info.


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## sweetk30 (Sep 3, 2006)

no problem.


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