I still get a kick out of how some people can pipe up and swear that Auto Spring makes "the best" leveling kit without having any comparative data. What makes it any better than the others? How? What findings back up your hypothesis? Can this information be verified? What materials are these different kits made from? Any advantage to one type of metal over another, or metal versus poly? How about the included hardware, if any? What are their stress values? Any advantage to metal on metal rubbing versus a polyurethane kit?

Remember, price has nothing to do with it. If that were the case, then the cheapest anything would be the best. And no, just because you and your online buddies say it's the best, does not make it so.

Let's try to keep the responses to specific articulate facts. Not personal emotional bias.

 

It is about cost. Look at a leveling kit, it's just a metal spacer. It's not a complicated design. They are all basically the same and it would be pretty hard to screw one up. The only problem could be if one was made out of cheap pot metal and broke. So, IMO, it does boil down to cost. I get a kick out of people that will pay $200 for one because they have a color ad in a magazine when other companies sell the same thing for $80.

 

Plus, they've been making leaf springs for years. It's not like they don't know what they are doing.

 

Ncd's a great kit . Auto Springs only advantage is is offset . IMO And, I'm just taking about bolt on kits . Not the poly ones.

 

Are they all made out of the same metal? How about the included hardware? All of the leveling kits have the same strengths and tolerances?

 

I believe they are, but I'm not sure. I do know that I have never seen a post here or FTW about a leveling kit breaking. Like I said, it's a pretty simple product. AIM/Chasis Tech should even be able to make one.

 

There's got to be more to it. I'm looking at getting another truck this month since prices are so low. Fat Bob's Garage offers a kit made from Aluminum. According to the website:

# Aircraft Grade T-6061 Billit Aluminum is precision CNC machined.
# Soild Aluminum Spacer for superior load bearing ensures maximum stability.
Note: The spacers measure 1.75" and provide 3" of lift. (NOT a 1:1 ratio)
# No Welds to wear and break.
# Anodized Black Coating or Natural Silver
# Zinc Plated Steel Bolts

Why would they chose that particular metal? Are other spacers made from different metals?

According to Auto Spring's website:

Manufactured of steel not plastic!!!

What is the difference between aircraft aluminum & steel? Do the two piece polyurethane kits (Daystar & Pro Comp) do a better job of absorbing bumps for a smoother ride?

 

Ok Mister Comparative Data, Why are you freaking out about who makes the best leveling kit. They are all chunks of metal and all do basically the same thing. Alot of people have the AS kit and think its one of the better ones out their for the price. Why would anyone want to spend 150+ on a leveling kit. So, I think you need to chillax about freaking out over a leveling kit. Again, its just a chunk of metal, but MOST of us KNOW who makes the "best" one.

 

It's called advertising and gimmicks. Like we said, it's a very simple product and they all work the same. A lot of companies make them so it is hard to claim "ours is better than theirs" so they come up with advertising gimmicks. I don't see any advantage of steel over aluminum or urethane.
Also, most everyone has found that 2.5 inches of lift is the practicle limit for a leveling kit before you cause the ball joint angles to be too extreme which causes premature wear.

 

The way I see it, Ford didnt mount the struts with aluminum or poly from the factory. So you can guess which leveling kit I will be going with.

 

i have a hell bent steel kit and according to their site theirs is the best lol

it is a good kit and is made out of steel .... so im sure that all the others that are made of steel are good too

the only thing i can think of that might make a difference is the welding(by hand or by machine) and powder coating

http://www.hellbentsteel.com/

 

the best leveling kit without price in mind is the bilstein 5100. period!

 

Really, how come? Making claims like this without factualy evidence behind it is USELESS

 

because there is no spacer...plus a shock upgrade at the same time...

 

I used to sell industrial supplies, and one thing that we always ran into was people improperly using aluminum. When it sits up against steel and has moisture, there is a chemical reaction that makes it corrode. It isn't fast, and I don't know if they coat the aluminum spacers in something so that doesn't happen, just something to check before you get some of those. I am in the same boat as gr8hunter. Hellbent got my money because they were already powdercoated and AS charged more to get that option. A little more free corrosion protection under there can't be bad. I'm wagering that pretty much all of the steel spacers are pretty much the same, though.