America’s truck, the Ford F-150, is now tougher and smarter than ever before. It is purpose-built from the ground up and has been redesigned to be the most productive F-150 ever made. This is the direct result of combining premium-grade muscle with finely tuned intelligence and resilient design. The F-150 is a beauty with brains if you will. With this truck, there are no days off and anything is possible. Boasting best-in-class towing capacity and payload, Ford F-150 takes any job on with definitive power and capability thanks to its high-strength, military-grade aluminum-alloy body and torture-tested steel frame.
If you own a Ford F-150 or any truck for that matter, you have probably noticed that the front of the truck sits slightly lower than the rear. As trucks are built to haul heavy loads in the bed, the additional height in the rear is to prevent sagging when extra weight is added. For those who want to tweak that, the automotive aftermarket offers leveling kits to even out the stance of your truck. With a leveling kit, you can raise the front of your Ford F-150 truck just a few inches to match it (or make it “level”) with the back. By lifting the rear of your truck, you are also increasing the distance between the rear axle and the frame. This will help avoid the potential damage to your suspension parts caused by the extra stress of bottoming out from heavy loads.
Should You Get a Leveling Kit?
While they may not be necessary to have, leveling kits are certainly practical. Installing a leveling kit on your Ford F-150 will help reduce or eliminate the rake and even allow you to fit beefier tires. You will also experience the bonus of added ground clearance. Since it only impacts the front of your truck, the payload capacity will remain unchanged. Leveling kits are also significantly less expensive than lift kits, because they involve fewer parts. In all, leveling kits are a subtle and affordable way to make your F-150 truck appear more aggressive and stand a bit taller without you having to replace several different components.
Advantages of a Leveling Kit:
- Increases ground clearance / enhanced look
- Fit larger wheels/tires at all four corners
- Experience better handling, especially in corners
- Noticeable change in driving when the truck is empty
- Reduces braking pressure during an emergency stop
- Allows you to operate equipment on the front of the truck
- Avoid the sag-to-flat issue on some makes and models
- Leveling won’t impact the static weight balance of the truck
Most leveling kits these days include a strut spacer that varies between 1 to 3 inches. The spacer fits in between the chassis of the truck and the upper spring perch. Such gives you the ability to move the chassis of your F-150 up by that distance without significantly affecting its suspension geometry. Depending on the manufacturer and application, though, leveling kits can also come with spacers that are made from three or more laser-cut steel pieces or machined from a block of billet aluminum. For trucks that use torsion rod front suspension systems, a leveling kit will have to include a new set of torsion bar keys. We here at Vivid Racing have compiled a list of the top 5 options for your F-150 below, but be sure to also check out our entire inventory of leveling kits right here.
#1 ReadyLIFT 2.25-Inch Front Leveling Kit
If you are looking to raise the front end of your Ford F-150 truck safely without sacrificing ride comfort, the ReadyLIFT 2.25-inch Front Leveling Kit is the way to achieve this. The ReadyLIFT 2.25-inch spacer leveling kit is constructed of high-quality materials and carefully designed to give your tough Ford F-150 truck just enough ride height gain for added clearance, while still maintaining a hint of rake for your towing and hauling needs. ReadyLIFT is known for offering durable, easy-to-install leveling kits compromised of steel parts that are powder-coated for corrosion resistance.
This ReadyLIFT leveling kit is crafted from CNC-machined aerospace-grade 6061-T6 billet aluminum and is forged specifically for the Ford F-150 truck. The strut positioning is different on 2015+ trucks, requiring the development of a new front lift system for these models. This front leveling kit provides 2.25 inches of lift via strut extension and Smart Suspension Technology. The offset design on the kit featured here is engineered specifically for 2015+ Ford F-150 2wd/4wd trucks. While most manufacturers may have rounded it off to 2.5, ReadyLIFT listed this kit exactly at its lift height of 2.25 inches.
With this ReadyLIFT leveling system, your truck can accommodate wheel and tire packages sized up to 35 inches. What’s more, ReadyLIFT will keep the stock handling and feel of your truck, even with up to 3 inches of lift. This kit includes one pair of CNC-machined billet aluminum offset leveling front spacers with all the necessary hardware for a seamless installation.
Features:
- Max Lift 2.25″ – Max Tire Diameter 35″
- Crafted from CNC Machined billet aluminum
- Offset design engineered specifically for F-150
- Strut Extension using Smart Suspension Technology
- 5-Year / 60,000-Mile Powertrain Warranty
#2 Rolling Big Power Front 2-Inch Leveling Kit
Rolling Big Power (RBP) is known for designing high-performance, off-road products that offer a bold aesthetic and are engineered to handle all the dirt and grit you can throw at them. That is why RBP has become a favorite all across the country among top truck designers and enthusiasts with the mod bug. Since its inception 20 years ago, RBP has become increasingly popular among offroaders who want a truck that they could go off-roading in and then show off at an event all in the same day.
The RBP Front 2-inch Leveling Kit will take your Ford F-150 2wd/4wd truck to new heights, literally and figuratively. Rolling Big Power’s leveling kits increase ground clearance to allow for beefier tires up to 35 inches in size. These leveling kits are ideal for eliminating sag (from plows, winches, and heavy bumpers) and will not change your vehicle’s payload capacity or core capabilities. Moreover, RBP guarantees its leveling systems will maintain your OE ride and steering geometry. It’s the perfect balance of form and function, as this leveling kit will improve your F-150’s stance while also delivering better balance, especially in tough terrain.
All RBP leveling kits are proudly built in the USA with U.S. mill-certified forged steel, and are CNC-cut and welded for maximum strength and durability. Unlike other urethane kits, RBP powder coats all the steel components to keep your rust worries at bay. In fact, RBP backs its leveling kits with a Limited Lifetime warranty – so you are covered, no matter what. The 2.0-inch front kit featured here includes everything you need for a hassle-free install, including alignment spacers.
Features:
- Allows fit of larger tires – up to 35 inches
- Constructed from U.S. mill certified steel
- Hardware and mounting specs included
- CNC-cut and welded for superior strength
#3 Daystar 2-Inch Comfort Ride Leveling Kit
Trucks like the Ford F-150 are designed to carry heavier loads near the back (i.e. the pickup bed), so the manufacturers make these trucks have a raised rear. This usually comes in the form of just a couple of inches so that it is higher than the front end to compensate for any heavy loads. For those who wish to eliminate this height difference, check out the Daystar 2-Inch Leveling Kit. Daystar’s Comfort Ride polyurethane kits are an easy and inexpensive way to add larger wheels and tires as well as give your truck that added aggressive off-road stance.
This kit will lift your F-150 without sacrificing ride quality or its load-carrying capabilities. It is also a simple and affordable way to add 22-inch wheels and increase ground clearance for those who enjoy off-roading. Daystar also clearly states that there will be no metal-on-metal contact as with other leveling kits on the market. Therefore, there will be no contact of the upper control arms with the struts whenever you hit a bump in the road. And because it’s made with quality polyurethane, you can rest assured that this kit boasts high levels of corrosion and rust resistance.
Daystar Comfort Ride Leveling Kits are a great solution to run a winch, heavy-duty bumper, snow plow, and/or larger wheel package without your front suspension sagging or your tires rubbing. With these kits, Daystar has included everything you need to set your ride just the way you want it. These leveling packages are complete bolt-on systems that require no welding or cutting. On top of all that, Daystar backs all of its products with a lifetime warranty.
Features:
- Comfort Ride Suspension Coil Spring Spacer Kit
- High-density progressive polyurethane
- Retains ride quality and load-carrying capacity
- No metal-on-metal contact as with other kits
- High strength hardware included
- Limited Lifetime Warranty
#4 Skyjacker 2-Inch Front Leveling Kit
Give your Ford F-150 a proper appearance by installing the Skyjacker 2-inch Leveling Kit. Your factory truck sits lower in the front than the rear, causing your F-150 to look less than desirable. You can easily correct this issue with Skyjacker’s quality leveling systems. Or, perhaps you are looking for a leveling kit to accommodate a bigger wheel and tire package. No matter what the reason is, Skyjacker is a great choice for your F-150. After all, Skyjacker has been manufacturing quality suspension systems for a wide range of vehicles since 1974!
As the name suggests, this kit from Skyjacker is designed to lift your F-150 truck’s front end by two inches to make it more even with the back. It will also increase your ground clearance so that you can install up to 33-inch tires. Aside from having enough room for larger tires, this system will enhance the overall look of your Ford truck by adding a more rugged off-road appeal. Best of all, Skyjacker engineered its leveling kits to a T so that you can still enjoy the comfortable factory ride quality both on and off the road.
The Skyjacker 2-inch leveling kit for the Ford F-150 is crafted from high-quality aluminum to offer nothing less than superior strength and durability without adding extra weight. The solid spacers are finished in a silver coating to ensure lasting performance no matter what path you take. This leveling kit is designed to be a complete bolt-on install, so there is no cutting or modifications needed. Disassembly of the upper strut mount will be required, however. All of the necessary hardware will be included in the package for your convenience.
Features:
- Great off-road stance at a budget price
- A complete bolt-on leveling system
- All hardware included for easy install
- Improves handling characteristics
- Limited Lifetime Warranty
#5 Fabtech 1.5-Inch Front Leveling Kit
The Fabtech 2.5-inch Leveling System for the Ford F-150 provides a small amount of lift for the front of your vehicle. This will aid in leveling the stance of your Ford truck’s ride height, front to rear when compared to the nose-down appearance that comes straight from the factory. With the added ride height from Fabtech’s leveling system, you will be able to install larger wheels and tires on your F-150 for a more aggressive appearance.
Fabtech’s leveling kits feature heavy-duty construction with 1/4-inch thick steel and aircraft-grade billet aluminum hardware for maximum strength. All parts in the system are also powder-coated for maximum corrosion resistance. Fabtech has garnered a reputation for building top-quality suspension systems that are backed by an unprecedented 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty at no additional cost. This way, you will have the peace of mind that your Ford F-150 parts will be covered in the event of a failure.
All Fabtech Leveling kits have undergone rigorous testing and extensive engineering to ensure proper functionality without placing the ball joints and tie rods into a bind. This is an essential feature as some taller kits on the aftermarket create steering or binding issues, which can result in a failure of those parts over time. Installation is typically simple and can be done using basic hand tools. There is no vehicle modification required, and your Ford F-150 can be easily returned to stock if needed.
Features:
- Heavy-duty construction
- 1/4″ Thick steel with high-grade hardware
- Aircraft-grade billet aluminum
- Eliminates ball joint, tie rod, and steering bind
- 5-Year 60,000-Mile Powertrain Warranty
Summary
A leveling kit can bring your Ford F-150 truck back up to its proper height. Leveling kits feature a very simple design, utilizing coil spacers, strut extensions, or torsion keys – all depending on your truck’s suspension. What’s more, many of these kits can be installed without even raising your truck on jacks. Coil spring spacers are added to the top or bottom of your spring buckets and, reliant on the height of your kit, some may include shock extensions and bump stop relocation to accommodate the added lift. With strut extensions, all you have to do is place them on the top or bottom of your current struts. They are widely used on vehicles that have coilover struts in the front.
Torsion key kits, used on torsion bar suspension systems, tend to be a little more involved, as they replace the OE parts rather than simply adding to them. These OEM replacement kits help adjust the height of your Ford F-150 and prove to be sturdier than the factory ones, as they are specifically built to accommodate the extra lift. All in all, a leveling kit can safely and effectively give your truck the added lift you want without negatively affecting the ride quality and with a simple installation to boot. If you have any further questions or need assistance with choosing the right kit for you, reach out to our experts by phone at 1-480-966-3040 or via email at sales@vividracing.com for more information.
