When a lift kit is considerably more height than you require or are even searching for, leveling kits will offer you a great-looking vehicle without the numerous issues that beset lifted trucks. So, although purchasing a raise kit and having it fitted in your car may run you a few extra bucks in the hole, does a leveling kit cost as much?
Leveling a vehicle is a relatively cost-effective alteration. A simple two-inch leveling system costs on average around $60 and $100, with more complex two-inch leveling kits costing around $125 and $1,000. Installation expenses for a two-inch leveling system are on average
roughly $300.
Installing a properly done leveling system for roughly $500 is a terrific price when matched to the $3,000 or more that lift kits may cost. Nevertheless, there is a bit more to level your vehicle than merely purchasing the leveling kit and getting it fitted. There are some of the fears that many people have stated when contemplating leveling their vehicles, so we are going to discuss those in the following section.
How much does it cost for a 2-inch leveling kit installation?
Excluding any issues or finding components that need to be replaced when trying to install a leveling kit, the primary expenditures associated with leveling a vehicle are:
- The leveling kit
- The installation costs
- Getting adjustments afterward
All kidding aside, that’s not an enormous lot to take into consideration.
The nice aspect about leveling kits is that you can entirely level your vehicle by yourself when you have the equipment. Leveling your vehicle by yourself will save you somewhere between $200 to $400 dollars in maintenance expenses provided you have the necessary equipment for the task. If you are missing the equipment you need, it might ultimately wind up being more costly to do it yourself. Thankfully, installing a leveling kit does not need many, if any, specialized equipment.
Given how simple it is to install a leveling kit, we are going to examine the differences in both time and expense between hiring an expert to install your kit for you versus leveling the vehicle
yourself.
With Expert Installation
Should you not have the equipment, time, or willingness to level your vehicle by yourself, several businesses can level your vehicle for you.
Nevertheless, not all businesses will accept third party leveling kits and implement them for you!
Some businesses may need that you purchase a leveling kit from them to place on your vehicle, so keep that in mind when trying to have your truck leveled by a professional. Typically the leveling kits they provide are slightly marked up from what you can purchase online, so it will probably finish up cheaper to go with a specialized store that will merely charge you to apply the kit you bought online.
A quality leveling kit will price you roughly $100 to $125 in general.
Installer of the leveling kit will be at about $300. Bespoke shops may cost more or less based on the intricacy of the leveling system, since spacers and coil overs are significantly simpler to install than springtime are. Some shops may include the orientation in the cost of the setup, since you will need an adjustment after you install a leveling kit.
The overall cost of having your leveling kit done by an expert will be anywhere from $400 to $600 and higher, depending on the company that installs the system and the kit you choose.
Installed by Yourself
Installing a leveling kit by yourself is not particularly difficult, particularly if you opt to go with spacers.
But, the sorts of instruments you require and the technique to execute it changes with every vehicle. For example, in a Dodge 1500 2WD, you need to have a spring compressor, however with a Toyota Tacoma you don’t.
Each leveling kit will include instructions on how to operate it by yourself, and the materials you’ll need.
When considering installing the leveling kit by yourself as a method to save on cash, make sure you get the tools you need first. If you don’t have the equipment you need for your vehicle, it may wind up costing you the same or more to acquire the tools you need than having an expert do it.
The tools you do need are going to normally be some basic items like jacks, a torque wrench or two, perhaps a spring expander, drilling oil, and maybe more, based on the car.
In the video below from YouTube channel POWERNATION, they go through how to install a 2 inch raise kit on a Toyota Tacoma:
Again, I would want to repeat that each truck is distinct; as each truck is designed differently. Check into what it takes to install a leveling kit in the vehicle that you own, and you will obtain the knowledge you need on how to install a leveling kit in your truck by yourself.
Would 2-inch Leveling Kits Need New Shocks?
Normally, installing a leveling kit does not need you to change the shocks in your vehicle.
A two-inch level will be more than likely not really enough lift to compel having new shocks. Not only should the standard dampers be long enough, but a lot of the leveling kits, particularly the greater ones, have shock displacement mounts built-in to enable you to use your stock shocks.
Yet, if your shocks have endured a lot, it might very well be time to switch out them regardless. Shocks should normally be changed every 50,000 to 100,000 miles, but particularly for folks like us who truly drive our vehicles off-road, if your shocks are giving you a rough ride, changing your shocks might be necessary.
Hey, let’s just be honest here, you’re already down there, why not simply install a quality pair of Bilsteins, while you’re doing it? Just about any set of Bilstein shocks you acquire will be of a lot better quality and last substantially longer than practically any OEM set of shocks.
How Much Would a 2-inch Leveling System Lift My Truck?
Although a leveling kit will not elevate your vehicle near the level that a lift kit would, it will still be a modest lift.
The leveling of the vehicle brings the head of the truck up, since the entire goal of a level is to move the cab up to be level with the rear of the truck. Since the cab is lifted, the top of the vehicle receives a modest rise.
This raise may be somewhere between 1 to 2.5 inches, based on how much droop in the front there is from the factory.
Unless your vehicle previously barely cleared your garage, this minor boost in elevation should not have a significant impact when it comes to sliding in the garage.
One essential point to notice is that as a consequence of elevating the cab a few inches, you need to make sure you set your headlights correctly, so no approaching cars are blinded by your headlights.
Can a 2-inch Leveling Kit Impact Gas Mileage?
The miles per gallon of a vehicle or truck relies on a few factors:
- The fuel economy of the engine
- The heaviness of the vehicle
- How efficient the vehicle is
By adding a leveling kit to a truck, you move the front of the vehicle up, which modifies the dynamics of the truck. Since the front of the truck is oriented more head-on into the air, and more air is allowed below the vehicle, it boosts drag and the amount of effort the truck needs to do to accelerate and move, which affects your gas economy. The tougher it is for a motor to get a car to accelerate or gain momentum, the more gasoline it will need.
Although leveling your vehicle won’t affect your gas consumption as much as drastically raising it or carrying a hefty trailer would, it will be evident over time.
This fall in gas mileage might also be considered as a type of cost of leveling your vehicle, and it will vary depending on the truck, but you should anticipate a drop in fuel efficiency of roughly one to two miles per gallon, or maybe more.
Is Applying a Leveling Kit Definite?
One of the biggest distinctions between a leveling kit and a suspension lift kit, aside from the radically different size of the vehicle following, is how permanent the alteration is.
Lift kits in trucks are permanent, since they entail replacing many various sections of the vehicle, such as the axle shafts, brake lines, and more.
Leveling kits, on the opposing hand, are a series of wedges or springs that may be readily added or withdrawn. The alteration to your vehicle will be reversible, since leveling a truck does not need any modifying of the truck body itself.
Although leveling a vehicle may be a pretty easy and cost-effective improvement, it may have quite an influence on the aesthetic of your truck. If you opt to level your vehicle out, we hope you like the new appearance it will have.