Ok guys, I need a little help.

I have a 2007 F-350 XLT PSD with the FX4 Package and am looking at putting a leveling kit on it. I just went out and measured from the ground to the bottom of the wheel well opening, through the middle of the rim on both the front and the back. The front measures about 39" and the rear measures 43", or a 4" difference. I want the truck to sit as level as possible, but definitely do NOT want it to sit nose high. Does this mean, in order for the truck to sit level, I need a 4" leveling kit? Or am I missing something?

So my question is this: What size leveling kit do I need, and what brand should I get? Also, does anybody have any pics of a 2005-2007 XLT with a leveling kit on stock wheels? At this point I will be doing just a leveling kit without new wheels and tires, unless it just looks too weird. Thanks in advance!

 

Levelling kits typically are a front lift of 2.0 to 2.5 inches. The wheel well measurement is not accurate as the rear opening is a bit higher. Try a measure to the bottom edge of the body work using a level across the bottom of the body work. I think you will see closer to a 2 to 3 inch difference front to back.

You are right, when you level the front by raising it, then when you load or tow, your *** end sits lower down. Only solution when the front is levelled is to have air bags to keep it level when loaded or towing. Front up is not good steering geometry and results in handling problems.

If you tow a lot or load heavy, levelling is not the answer, besides, you can fit 35" tires without leveling an 05 to 07 MY.

A good quality levelling it will require an alignment, probably re centreing the steering, a new locator bar, and longer front shocks.

 

I don't do any towing or heavy hauling at this point, but if I do, I wouldn't mind putting air bags on it. I have seen a lot of people using the Tuff Country spacers, do those work well? Or would a whole shock/spring replacement be better. I was planning on replacing the front shocks anyway, so thats not a big deal. Thanks for the measurement tip!

 

I am also interested in a leveling kit. I alreay have the ride rite air bags, are they enough to make sure I keep the nose on the ground? What leveling kit is the best in terms of ride, durability, and warantee? Thanks Levi

 

I put 2 1/2" spacers in the front and F350 blocks in the rear and now the front sits about 1" lower than the rear. I used the stock rancho shocks and stock wheels with 33" tires.

 

I used the DR 2-1/2" leveling kit. It is a really nice kit in my opinion. All you really need is a realignment. IMO the spacers are not the way to go, they will get you more height but the ride and handling suffer.

 

he has an F-350 already, so the blocks in the back are already 1"+ taller than the F-250s, which is why theres a difference of 4" front-back compared to a stock F-250

Joey

 

Anybody else with any advice?

 

2.5" leveling kit should be all you need. I put them in my 05 and bought a set for my buddies 07. They sit perfectly now. I wouldn't want it any higher or lower. It's definitely not nose high. A few people claim alignments are necessary after leveling, but I can't agree with them. You're going straight up with a solid axle truck. It's not IFS so it shouldn't affect your alignment. Going higher will start to cause you to have to get dropped arms etc, but that's not something you have to worry about w/ the leveling kit. Stock FX4 shocks too. It's not a bad idea to get new shocks, but I didn't find it to be necessary. It's a 1 ton truck, not a Caddy. FWIW, I have 20k on my leveling kit and 35.5k on the truck without any issues.

 

yea you shouldnt need an alignment after the leveling kit you steering wheel might be off thats about it

 

If you are just using blocks to level, you dont need an alignment, but its good to check, can you say death wobble? On my 2000 with front leaf springs, I used spring packs, the panhard bar had to be lenghtened, the toe in changed a very small amount, and we had to re centre the steering. It may be a solid axle, but when you re bolt down the packs and remove the whole packs, things can change.

If you are changing springs, spacers, panhard bar and re centreing steering, you definately need to realign. Not because you are only moving it a bit, but because you're front end is VERY sensitive to changes and to make sure everything is tight and put back together properly. Besides, at the price of tires, a 40 buck alignment is smart money.

I dont agree with doing lifts without properly checking alignment, torqueing things properly and watching specs to make sure everything is correct. In my case, I pull 10,000 lbs, my truck weights 8000, I like all the steering and brakes to work properly.

Nut, if you do start towing and loading, I think airbags by Firestone are the way to go. Driving with the front up with a load is scary, it really makes steering light and towing is very touchy.

 

mhoefer,

thanks for the advice. As of right now, I don't to any towing or heavy loading, but if I do in the future, I will put air bags on it (I was already planning to anyway ) I used to have a '92 F-150 that I overloaded with the grass we were ripping out of the front yard, so I know how not fun it is to drive with a nose high truck with light steering.

I am still trying to decide what leveling kit I wanna get, the spacers such as the "Tuff Country" type, or the whole new set up like Donahoe has. I don't want to spend an outrageous amount of money on this, but at the same time, I want it to be done right, with no problems later on. I will definitely get an alignment, and probably replace the shocks while I am at it. I'm just unsure about how much is involved in this because it seems like everybody had to lengthen or replace different parts from every other guy, so I'm just kinda nervous.

Thanks for all the input!

 

nut1605,

My suggestion is to do it right the first time. If you extract the price of the shocks and alignment cams from the DR system you are only spending $240 for application specific dual rate coils which will provide increased suspension travel in addition to simply lift. Alignment cams are a must with either system. That means that the shocks represent the biggest difference in price. Yes the DRs are more expensive but they are also gas shocks developed specifically for the '05+ SD and are backed by a lifetime warranty.

The question you need to ask yourself is by going with a spacer kit are you saving a couple of hundred dollars or are you compromising your 50K investment?

 

Can you elaborate a little? I still don't see where I did any compromising. If I thought for a minute I was doing it any harm, I'd be changing shocks and aligning it.

 

As a radius arm suspension system rotates around a central pivot point, additional lift without installations of alignment cams will result in loss of castor which will affect stability and cause wandering especially when loaded. Also, extending the factory shocks 2.5" virtually eliminates droop (the ability for the suspension to extend) which limits the wheels ability to follow the terrain and translates into a choppy ride. Alignment cams puts the truck back to factory spec and replacement coils with the proper aftermarket shocks can increase suspension travel and improve ride quality and performance.