If you were happy with the ride of your stock 1 ton and wanted to level it, would you just use spacers or go to the Kore leveling kit?


I don't jump my truck over dunes at 85 mph, I drag my trailer up logging roads and maybe go into some back lakes with the boat(s) up on the rack.
Now I want to level it and put some 35's on so I'm thinking my options are:
1) get some spacers and 4 new Bilstiens
2) get the Kore leveling kit with new springs, sway bar spacer and 4 new Bilsteins.

What will the new springs do for me, why would I pay the extra money?
What are the pros/cons of each?

Please don't reply suggesting different springs or a complete new suspension setup including rear springs, I don't need all that for what I use the truck for.

Thanks
Will

 

3 votes so far, thanks, but comments are welcome too...

 

I've gone around and around with this since I have owned my truck. I just purchased the Kore HP kit. After looking into the shipping and what I wanted to do (3" lift in front, 1-2" in rear and bilsteins all the way around) it was only about $200 more than cobbling it together. Granted, I live in Hawaii and shipping is a major factor. I also want to run 35's or possibly 37's on H2's. This will be my daily driver for another year or so, boat tower (7500lb) and 4 wheeler to remote campsites. Two other reasons for the lift are avoiding door dings (hopefully will hit my nerfs) and larger tires to avoid the saltwater as much as possible when launching the boat.

 

My .02,

New springs will keep the front end from bottoming on speed bumps / other easy stuff that my truck did stock....to the point it was stupid....as well, the handling improves becasue the springs prevent the same amount of lean as the stock springs offer...

 

Just to add, I would install a Thuren track bar too. I have one and love it as it keeps the axle centered under the truck.

Tobin

 

How much would the diff move over with 2" of lift? I'm thinking ½"?

Wouldn't spacers stop the front end from bottoming out as well?

I thinght the whole idea of these springs (as well as the other brands) is the springs are softer, wouldn't that make for more lean in corners?

 

I went from 2" spacers and bilsteins to the Kore HP kit. Totally worth the extra few bucks. Truck feels balanced now. If you are not pulling big loads, you will love the mini packs.

 

I have 2" spacers on my truck now... ride is fine, simple effective level. I haven't noticed the axle not being centered..

I am going to a 1" level kit thou this springs. I don't like how when I hook up my trailer the front of the truck lifts and the rear doesn't squat much.. takes a lot of air in the bags to keep me level.. I don't want to have to do that.

 

I think the spacers are fine I plow, and do some towing and never bottomed out my front end or have any problems with it. I don't know how far off center it makes the axle but there are no noticeable issues.

 

Empty my '07 bottomed out going maybe twenty mph and hitting rain culverts running perpendicular to our surface streets. The stock 3rd gen front springs are soft and coupled with factory shocks...Carli,Kore,Lorenz,Thuren leveling kits are all more functional than the stock setup.

 

Take the spacers out of your rear springs,leaves just a bit of rake.I took my levelling spacers out of the front,returned to stock,then removed the rear spring spacers,looks really nice,plus it helped level my fiver out.Cheap to do!!

 

I had 50k mi on my truck when I put the springs in. greatly improved the ride, it did move the axle back about a 1/2 inch but I put control arms in and it corrected it. I have spacers on my gen2 and wish Id gone with springs instead.

 

For what you are doing, the leveling kit and new shocks will be fine...

That's what I did with my truck the first week I bought it, works great.

I don't know exactly what this Kore kit consists of, or how much it costs compare wise, but I doubt it's needed for what you plan on doing with your truck.

 

Yeah, the truck is more floaty and leans more when pushed in the corners with the kore springs, but that may be the extra height I got out of them, over just 2" spacers. When driving around town with just the spacers and 5100 bilsteins, my latte would come shooting out of the little hole in the lid of the cup when I went through intersections. It doesn't do that anymore with the kore springs and the mini packs.

I still bottomed out my truck with the 2" spacers, it helped a lot though. The kore spring are progressive, soft on top and firm on bottom, I haven't bottomed out yet in my normal driving, and I'm sure I would have with just the spacers.

But if you wanna try spacers and bilstein 5100s, I've got my used ones I'd sell cheap.

 

"Yeah, the truck is more floaty and leans more when pushed in the corners with the kore springs, but that may be the extra height I got out of them, over just 2" spacers." - Per my above comments, i dont have the progressive coils (i have 6% Fixed 2" Lorenz Coils)...so that may be the difference as to why i dont see the floaty / lean....but then again, mine wouldnt be as good offroad either as the progressive rate coils...all trade off's