Not too impressed w/ AS leveling kit
 

So I've had my 2" Autospring leveling kit installed for about 3 months now & so far I'm not a huge fan of it. It looks great but I don't care what anybody says, my truck definately doesn't handle the same as it used too. The steering feels much more 'sloppy' now and feels like the front end has less contact with the road (although it obviously doesn't). Not to mention, when I hook up my trailer now, the back end is noticably lower than the front. I had the kit professionally installed & aligned so I don't know why it feels different to me and not to others. Does this sound similar to anyone else or is it just me?

Sorry to hear about the problems with the kit..........I know alot of members here have it and swear by it.....

As far as the back lowering when you put a trailer on, the only suggestion I have to give is maybe put a 1" block in the rear to help with that......you will have a slighlty higher rear again, but it depends on how much you tow. If you don't tow that much then it may not be an issue......

If you don't like the AS, and if you have the extra $$ lying around, I would take the AS off and put the Bilstein 5100 shocks on......I installed them on my 07 Lariat and it handles much much better, plus still have the level look....

I am thinking about putting 1" blocks in the back because of when I tow it also slopes down in the back.......

Thanks for your input. I'm glad I'm not the only one sagging in the rear with a trailer. I bought the 2" because Autospring said it wouldn't sag with a trailer as opposed to the 2-1/2" where it wouldn't sit level anymore.

Sure no problem, hope it helps some!!!!!

I measured my front and back after I put the shocks on and they were exactly the same (within 1/4" or so). So any lift to your front end which levels out the truck will cause the rear to sag when loaded down enough.

Another option, if you tow enough, is installing some air bags on the rear that you can inflate and deflate manualy. I had a set on my last Chevrolet and loved them. I mounted the them and ran the air lines to the bumper right next to the license plate. All i would have to do was load the trailer, then air them up until my backend was level again. Really helped the ride and saved the wear on my suspension. It's a little more $$ than just adding a block, but to me it's a whole lot better for your suspension. Again, Just depends on how much you tow......and I didn't mess with an onboard air compressor, didn't feel that was worth the added $$ and headache........

Just my 2 cents!!!!

From what i know the AS leveling kit is only a front based leveling kit! So when he said that the 2" would make it sit level he was right. However when he said the 2.5" would sit higher than the bed... he was also right.

I really doubt that he said or meant that a 2" AS kit will make the truck sit level when towing.

If you would have gotten the 2.5" kit then the truck would sit "bulldoged" without any load in it. And then if you put a load in it... It would look even more so!

Your best bet is a Add-a-leaf, Block, Airbag, Load assist spring.

The Load assist spring will only stiffen the rear springs after theres a load on them.

If you put a Block or Add-a-leaf in then you will always sit higher in the rear.. until you load your trailer onto it.

Airbags work great you can have them inflated when the trailers hooked up and have them deflated when the truck isnt loaded.

If you rarely tow your boat around then dont worry about doing anything, what does it matter if the rear is sitting alittle low when you are towing something for the weekend?

IMHO, if you do anything to the suspension, ANYTHING, its going to affect the ride one way or the other. Even if its just a leveling kit you are putting different angles on the suspension thus changing the alignments and geometry.

4.2trimble, you stated:
I really doubt that he said or meant that a 2" AS kit will make the truck sit level when towing.


This is what it states in all the ebay auctions for Autospring corp:

"Our 2-1/2 inch kit was installed on the F-150's in the pictures .We also have 2 inch kits available on seperate auctions on EBay. The 2 inch kit is preferable if you plan on frequently towing trailers or hauling heavy loads that sag the rear. The 2 inch kit gives you the level look when the rear sags under load".

Maybe I'm expecting too much, but I was only going by what I read. Besides, I expected the rear to sag, but I'm mostly dissappointed with the handling. Everyone on this forum said how happy they were & that it doesn't change the ride at all but I totally disagree.

Thanks for your feedback though.

I'm with you 07BLKFX4. I bought a 2" AS for the same reason as you. I found with a load in the box the back of the truck sagged too much. I then added Ride-Rite air bags to compensate. The ride was worse but I think the air bags were the majority cause of that - even with low pressure. It looked nice but after about 10 months (16000 km approx) I put it back to stock. I also had concerns about extra wear on front suspension components due to the angles. This may be normal at 40000km but having the alignment done the tech told me there was some wear on my lower ball joints. Live and learn I guess.

if you have a warranty on the install, id say go back and have them redo it.

Theres alot of people that like them, but im sure theres people with the same problem as you!

Unless you install something to compensate for the added load in the rear, it's going to sag. Thats just the nature of the beast the way I see it.
As for the handling I would double check the technicians work and get another alignment check.

This is a very broad statement

The 2 inch kit is preferable if you plan on frequently towing trailers or hauling heavy loads that sag the rear. The 2 inch kit gives you the level look when the rear sags under load".

Installed a 2" AS kit, with new Cooper sst's, and got it aligned in November. Made my truck ride extremely rough. I could feel every little bump and crack in the road. Made the truck jump all over the place when i hit a bump. Got the installation checked out, everything was fine. Thought it might be my tires, but they are only C-rated so that shouldn't be an issue. Tried my buddies tires, and it was still the same. I hated my truck all winter because of this. Didn't know what i should do. I also wanted some of the rake back. I decided to install an AS AAL in the back, and left the AS in the front. Took it for a test spin. Truck is now driving just like it did when it was new, smooth and stable.

I have the AS 2" Leveling kit on my 05, I too love the look of the front but having a rear that sags alittle bothers me. So I ordered a 1.5"aal from AS, got it today hopefully It'll solve my problem.

The only issue i have noticed as far as ride issues is when i go over large bumps it seems the suspension is loose but i know it's not.

the only difference i felt with the as spacer other than looks was the turnng radius isnt what is used to be.as far as the rear sag thats why i also installed a 1.5 add a leaf.with the aal i have higher payload and raised the rear it doesnt squat anywhere near like it used to when i towed or loaded down.its stiff.i think the term leveling kit is used too loosely with these spacers.

Just ordered the AS 2". Now this.
I was gonna get the 1.5 kit but the guys at autospring said that a 305/55/20 tire wouldnt fit.
Now im wondering if that statement is really true.????
Also leaves me wondering if I should have went with the BDS kit instead, which would have preloaded the spring.

how big is a 305-55-20 tire?i am running a 33-12.50r20 tire.what you need to watch is wheel backspacing.get with wandell.i am running a 6.1 inch backspacing 8.5 wide wheel and i dont rub thats with a 2 inch level kit and 1.5 aal.

4.2 is right- order an AAL. It will add a bit to the rear height and help with sag when towing. Its a simple install that you can do at home, and its less than $60