2009 Leveling Kit Experience
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2009 Leveling Kit Experience
Just thought I would share some key points from my experience installing an Autosprings 2" leveling kit into my 2009 King Ranch 4x4.
1. The 2" kit (1 5/8" spacer) will make the front 1/2" higher than the back. It has been a couple of weeks since I installed it, and the front is still 1/2" higher (measuring either the bumpers or the top of the wheel wells to the ground). Not a problem, but something to be aware of. I can't imagine how a 2.5" or 3" would look. The wheel alignment did not affect this.
2. Since Ford switched to a stamped-steel lower control arm in 2009, the strut with the spacer will not easily go back in - both the shock tower and lower control arm have a significant pocket that holds the strut - no loner a flat piece of metal with two ears on the lower control arm. The autosprings instructions say to use a bottle jack between the upper strut tower and the lower control arm to jack it down enough to make room for the strut to fit. As an experiment, I popped my lower ball joint to make sure I knew why the lower control arm will not go low enough for the lengthened strut to fit - the issue is that the CV joints are binding. I cannot imagine that it is a good idea to use a jack (or some have used a very long lever with lots of weight) to force the arm down. I tried to use a spring compressor, but that didn't help, as it doesn't compress the whole strut. The easy solution was to remove the two bolts that hold the lower control arm (through the bushings). This allows the control arm to drop down enough to fit the strut. When reassembling, we tried to put the bolts back as close as possible to their factory position, as seen by the mar in the paint. When realigning, my caster and camber were both still in spec - the toe was out a little as expected. The second side took only 45 minutes since we now knew the smarter way to install the strut.
3. The upper control arm is slightly pointed down with the leveling kit - it will hit the spring when the weight is taken off the truck and the wheel hangs down. I imagine the offset design of the leveling kit helps some here, but it can still hit in extreme conditions - I'm not concerned about this.
4. The ride is the same.
5. I really like how my truck looks with this kit, but may lift the back a little to make it sit level or have a slight rake - I wish someone make a 2.5" rear block instead of a 3".
6. Finally, the 275/55r20 tires that came on the truck look very nice with this setup - with 3.55 gears, I doubt I will put larger tires on (maybe 275/60r20).
1. The 2" kit (1 5/8" spacer) will make the front 1/2" higher than the back. It has been a couple of weeks since I installed it, and the front is still 1/2" higher (measuring either the bumpers or the top of the wheel wells to the ground). Not a problem, but something to be aware of. I can't imagine how a 2.5" or 3" would look. The wheel alignment did not affect this.
2. Since Ford switched to a stamped-steel lower control arm in 2009, the strut with the spacer will not easily go back in - both the shock tower and lower control arm have a significant pocket that holds the strut - no loner a flat piece of metal with two ears on the lower control arm. The autosprings instructions say to use a bottle jack between the upper strut tower and the lower control arm to jack it down enough to make room for the strut to fit. As an experiment, I popped my lower ball joint to make sure I knew why the lower control arm will not go low enough for the lengthened strut to fit - the issue is that the CV joints are binding. I cannot imagine that it is a good idea to use a jack (or some have used a very long lever with lots of weight) to force the arm down. I tried to use a spring compressor, but that didn't help, as it doesn't compress the whole strut. The easy solution was to remove the two bolts that hold the lower control arm (through the bushings). This allows the control arm to drop down enough to fit the strut. When reassembling, we tried to put the bolts back as close as possible to their factory position, as seen by the mar in the paint. When realigning, my caster and camber were both still in spec - the toe was out a little as expected. The second side took only 45 minutes since we now knew the smarter way to install the strut.
3. The upper control arm is slightly pointed down with the leveling kit - it will hit the spring when the weight is taken off the truck and the wheel hangs down. I imagine the offset design of the leveling kit helps some here, but it can still hit in extreme conditions - I'm not concerned about this.
4. The ride is the same.
5. I really like how my truck looks with this kit, but may lift the back a little to make it sit level or have a slight rake - I wish someone make a 2.5" rear block instead of a 3".
6. Finally, the 275/55r20 tires that came on the truck look very nice with this setup - with 3.55 gears, I doubt I will put larger tires on (maybe 275/60r20).