Leveling Kit before and after

[chevyrider]

Well i decided to go with a leveling kit on my tahoe to gain some height for a larger tire clearance. Although i would like to have a full lift, a leveling kit is more in my price range. Anyways i brought it into the shop today and should have it back in a day or two so i will post some before and after pics. I decided to go with Maxx Cam leveling kits after alot of research, they are very well built, great support, adjustability, and virtually bomb proof. This spring i will be putting on larger AT tires, but have not yet decided on those (I love the BFG's - a little pricey). I would have tried doing the install myself but with the weather in N. Illinois i dont feel like sitting outside underneath my truck. So i will post before pictures and then after as soon as i get it back.

 

[chevyrider]

P.S. my truck is usually NEVER this dirty, but the weather has been pretty wet and muddy.

 

[Rollin Thunder]

cant wait to see the after pics . :yaya:

 

[Biggwaukegan]

what did the kit cost you? What came in the kit? Where did you buy it from? And finally what shop is doing the work because Im also in Northern Illinois:skep:

 

[chevyrider]

Well i was suppost to get my truck back but they need to order the rear blocks. So i will post pics. and the whole price and review when i get it back. The kit is a Maxx Cam leveling kit with torsion keys in the front and blocks for the rear. They are built really well and they are very adjustable and will be priced the same as any others Ex: Truxxx, ready lift, Rough country, Fabtech, etc. But i will give you the full install and parts cost once i get the hoe back. But the shop is in Palatine IL. it is a Suspension shop (Palatine spring-align). So when i get my truck home i will give a full update.

 

[michaelallen747]

Just curious...what size tires are you going to go with after the leveling kit?

 

[usmc6213]

FWIW...I did the same thing to my 99, but I did it myself with a 2" lift block kit from Autozone. I adjusted my torsion bar keys myself and installed the blocks myself in my driveway. My truck now sits at 30 inches front and 31 inches rear. I still have more threads showing on the torsion bar keys, so I didn't max them out. I could have went another inch or so but I wanted to keep my driveline angles as small as I could. Total time 2 hrs. Total cost $45

 

[chevyrider]

What kind of torsion bar keys and blocks ? I wouldnt want to break a cheap block doing some light offroading.

 

[usmc6213]

Looks like this
http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_10002_758537_-1_10077
Your truck already has the torsion bar keys. All you do is adjust them. Look on the inside of your frame rail about half way down to the back of the truck. You will see 2 beams, one on each side of the truck going from your lower control arm to a point halfway down your frame rail. You will see that where it mounts to the frame, there is a bolt. 19mm I think. Raise your truck on jacks and tighten those bolts up some. Then lower your truck and drive it around the block (to let the springs settle) then measure the height. Don't go more than 2" or so. It affects your front driveline angles. Your ride may be a little firmer after that as well.

 

[chevyrider]

Yea I know I have already done this. I replaced the torsion bar keys with Maxx Cam keys, because you should not really be using your stock torsion bar keys. Using stock will only allow you to be able to go up so much in height and then you will be "over cranking" them with alot of stress because they were not designed for that. With new torsion bar keys you can get more height also, just depends on how much you want. The cheapest way is using stock parts and going to the auto stores and buying inexpensive kits for blocks and u bolts. But I trust name brand, full warranty parts.

 

[Biggwaukegan]

hey chevyrider. thought you were gonna post when your truck got done? well??? how did the lift go and what did it cost you? You went with maxx cam in the front right??

 

[chevyrider]

Yea i did go with the Maxx Cam in the front. I posted after pics in the photo area i should have put them in general discussion. The kit itself for everything front and rear cost a little over 300 dollars, which sounds expensive but that is the going price for most kits, if you look at readylift, and truxxx etc. And some people will tell you you can use stock parts and get it done for 50 dollars but they sell the kits because the trucks stock setup was not designed to be cranked that high. The labor is what got me, i would have done it myself but it is about 12 degrees with snow out here and i have no garage to work in, plus if something goes wrong with a part or install you bring it back and get it fixed or replaced, instead of having to do it yourself or pay to get a new part. Anyway im happy with how it turned it, the goal was just to increase clearence for tires which i will be getting in hte spring.

 

[Biggwaukegan]

sorry for asking so much but i want to do the same to my 97 before I dual exhaust it and add the goodies. You went maxx cam in front right? what about the rear? maxx cam too? you add any new shocks? what did they bop you for on the labor side? thanks bro:thumbsup:

did you have to buy the torsion bar tooL??

 

[chevyrider]

No problem, It's a Maxx Cam in the front the rear are standard blocks, u bolts, and nuts that are a kit. Because the shop put it on i dont know the actually brand of the blocks because they order them, but if they trust it to do there work I do too. Because i only lifted up roughly 2 inches there is no need to change the shocks out, I will be getting new shocks though because my are very worn and im getting rancho or pro comp offroad shocks to replace them anyways. Shocks have enough room to travel, altough it will stiffen the ride up a little, i like this though. And for the torsion bar key tool i didnt get one because i didnt do the work, but if you do it yourself you will need to to release the pressure on the torsion bars to remove the old key and replace with the new set, so wou will need to buy a tool. The labor for me was like 250.00 which is pricey because i could do it myself, but because im in Northern IL. its cold and i dont dont want to freeze my fingers off. That was also about the best price from any shops around here, i called many different places, and the shop i went to does suspension work everyday of their lives so they know what there doing.

 

[Biggwaukegan]

ok thanks. but why didnt you go with the maxx cam in the rear? u went with blocks right? what size? 2 inch 3 inch?? thanks again. what shop did your work because im in the chicagoland area?

 

[chevyrider]

Maxx Cam torsion keys are what i had for the front, but brand wise in the rear didnt matter as much. As long as there built properly and are good quality there just blocks, id say its important to get good strong u bolts more than anything else. My were 2 in. i could have gone with 3 and might put 3's on later but i dont want to put my front A arms at to agressive of an angle. The place the work was done was Spring-Align of Palatine. Spring work and suspension is all they do there so they know what there doing.

 

[Biggwaukegan]

man hate to tell you this..I called charles yesterday at spring align. He tells me they no longer deal with MaxxCam because of shotty quality. the hell?? you just did yours there right? anyways, then he tells me they got these new better cams and total would be around 700 or 750 for mine. fuc him and fuc that.

 

[chevyrider]

Where was the location? For one i dont know anyone who works there by that name, and yes the suspension maxx was what i used. That is really one of the best brands out there, a torsion bar key isnt fancy or anything but the design of the Maxx is what makes it nice. I really don't know, either it was a different place, he didn't want to do the work, or he has had trouble ordering them: which is a problem he had with them when i was getting mine. With the quality part there is not that much to a torsion key it is a very simple design, and I would trust the maxx suspension over readylift and truxxx, etc. All and all that is very strange I really dont know what to tell you because I was 100 % satisfied with my work done there and they do alot of bussiness for all nearby towns, so he just might not have wanted to do the work. Good luck anyways. - by the way if your in waukegan why not just go to the truxxx dealer location at - 2980 W Wadsworth Rd in Beachpark ?

 

[Biggwaukegan]

didnt know of the truxxx dealer. and didnt know they did that kind of work. But on the good side maybe your right about it being too diffuclt for guy to want to do again. But I gotta wonder, If they do suspension work all day long, why cant they get maxx cam without all the BS. O well Im gonna look around and see what deal I can get because personally I like the maxx cam. So thats what I want up front and if guy is too picky...fuc em...thanks for all the input bro. quick note...the address you posted on wadsworth rd is actually a master hitch location. not sure where you got truxx dealer from but thats what i got on a google search...no truxx dealer came up anywhere to be honest.

 

[chevyrider]

Yea the location is Master Hitch like you said, but they are a Truxxx dealer (have the ability to order/stock truxxx leveling kits). They also do the install of all leveling kits too. I was originaly going to go there but found my other place instead. The master hitch will be priced the same as any where else, you can probably give a call. - good luck