....hey fellas! Haven't been here for a LONG while, but I'm back, and I hope you all are well. This is NOT intended to be a DP. I accidentally posted this in the OEM suspension section earlier. :o

Here's my quandary. I did a search for "level kit", "leveling kit", "level", and "leveling", and didn't get a clear-cut answer to my question. I figure it'll be easier/quicker to just ask anyways. I have a 1998 F-150 4x4 extended cab short bed, and I want to install a leveling kit. It LOOKS like it's as simple as taking off the wheels, expanding the springs, and inserting the locks. Is it? What do I need to know before hand? What tools will I need?

I'm a complete newbie when it comes to suspension issues, so any help is appreciated in advance.

 

Which kit are you going to buy? I purchased the autospring kit with powder coating on it.

If memory serves me correctly, I needed a pry bar, 18mm deep socket, 30mm deep socket, and a few other metric sockets.

You basically have to seperate the upper control arm from the wheel, then part of the lower arm, slide out the shock/spring, insert spacer, and put everything back together.

 

Hey Turd. That was actually another question I was going to ask. What brand of leveling kit do you guys recommend? Is there a particular brand to stay away from?

If actual removal of the spring is necessary, I MIGHT want to have somebody else do this thing. I've always had a fear of one of those springs coming loose and going straight through me!

 

There will be no little to no tension in the spring when you remove it, so it wouldn't rocket into the air or towards you.

Most ppl recommend that you stay in the 2" to 2.5" range for the spacer. I have a 2.5" kit on mine.

 

Yea...I was thinkin' 2". I'm checking out all the different kinds now. I'm a bit confused though. I'm finding a bunch of 'em that look like they're basically just torsion bar keys like this: http://www.suspensionconnection.com/...con/22906.html and $140 seems like a jip for those.

 

First of all, he has a 98 4x4. Therefor he doesn't need a leveling kit because the front ride height is adjustable by the preload on the torsion bars. All you need to do is crank up the torsion bars enough to level the truck and get an alignment. There are leveling kits available for your truck but they are a bad idea. They are just reindexed torsion bar adjustment keys that allow you to put way, way too much preload on your torsion bars. This will destroy your ride quality and increase wear and tear on your front end components.

 

AHA! This is GREAT news....sort of. Admittedly, I am a complete newbie when it comes to such things, and I'm afraid I don't know how this is done. I mean I DO know what the torsion bars are and where they are, but I'd hate to fiddle around with them and mess something up bad. Will adjusting the torsion bars make the ride terrible? Also, I was told by a "mechanic" that the maximum lift I could get out of adjusting the torsion bars was about an inch...I'm glad to know that's not the case.

 

P.S. What "special tools" do I need for adjusting the torsion bars?

Sorry for all the newbie questions, but I really appreciate the help!

 

Whoops!! My bad...

 

LOL...Turd got a spankin'!

Dig the SNL reference BTW.

 

Just follow each torsion bar back to the adjustment cam. Turn each adjustment bolt and equal number of turns untill the truck is level. You just need an 18mm wrench or socket. Most people also jack the front of the truck off the ground while adjusting them. Increaseing the preload will make the initial portion of the suspension't travel slightly stiffer. Some people love this, some hate it.

 

Oh. Well heck! If that's all there is to it, it sounds like a 30 minute job I can do all by my lonesome after work. Sweet!

I appreciate the help gents...I'll keep you guys posted how it goes. I'm about to replace my Cooper Discoverer HTRs with Cooper Zeon LTZ (275/60/20) so we'll see how she looks soon.