When you think leveling kit, just think of it as a simplistic lift kit for the front. A lift kit that requires a lot fewer vehicle modifications, and a lot less money out of your bank account. They're great for leveling out the look visually, but if you want to go to a slightly bigger rim or tire, a leveling kit can help with a minimum of fuss.
Leveling kits have been around for some time, decades even. They’re economical, and often easy to install kit, that typically raises the front of a vehicle (like a Jeep, pickup truck, etc.) so that it’s level with the rear.
Visually, the kit brings the front body height up. On pickup trucks, the rear springs (most of the time they’re leaf springs) are oversprung. This makes the rear of the truck sit higher than the front. Of course, once a load is added to the bed of the truck, the rear squats down and becomes level with the front. But when empty, the springs are not being fully used, so the rear sits high. A simple truck leveling kit can help cure this.
It’s similar on a Jeep, though a Jeep such as a Wrangler JK has a much shorter wheelbase than a full-size pickup truck typically does. But the desire to have the vehicle sit level, both physically and visually, is still something drivers want.
For a Jeep, a leveling kit that adds even a couple of inches to the front can allow you to run a larger tire. That’s a big plus on a Jeep. The common leveling kits use a very simple space that’s inserted, usually at the top, of the front coil springs. They’re normally made of rubber or a performance urethane type material.
Since the leveling kits “doughnuts” are a simple part, with no moving pieces or even any bolt and nut hardware, once installed, you can pretty much forget about them. If you have a spring compressor (when needed) to safely compress the spring, a leveling kit often is installed in just a few minutes. Much faster and less complicated than a full out suspension lift kit.
The spacers themselves range in different thicknesses, depending on the vehicle and it’s suspension requirements. But they can go from 1 to 3 inches on an average. Even if you have a lift kit installed, with a longer spring, the leveling kit can still give you that little extra bit of height to add a larger tire. While they look somewhat “universal”, they’re designed to fit a specific vehicle, since spring widths and sizes can vary between different vehicles.
So when you think leveling kit, just think of it as a simplistic lift kit for the front. A lift kit that requires a lot fewer vehicle modifications, and a lot less money out of your bank account. They're great for leveling out the look visually, but if you want to go to a slightly bigger rim or tire, a leveling kit can help with a minimum of fuss.
