Just bought a new half ton truck and the dealer installed a leveling kit. Should I keep it or take it off?

Well, do you want to keep it or take it off?

If you rarely pull a trailer, keep it...if you haul all the time, take it off

Depends, do you like looking up at the sky when your hauling stuff? Mine isn't leveled for that reason.

If you decide to keep it, ask the dealer if they adjusted the headlamps after the lift so that you are not blinding oncoming traffic with your low beams.

Seems like a question that should have been asked before taking possession.

silverado_lover said:

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Well, do you want to keep it or take it off?

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I don't know, I'm trying to get pros and cons. I have never considered having one. Do you have any pros and cons?

Pros: looks like a car instead of a truck (if you like that sort of thing)

Cons: looks like a car instead of a truck, looks ridiculous when towing, headlights blind oncoming traffic if not adjusted.

Thanks for the input, Sounds like they'll come off. I was just trying to see if they had any redeeming qualities

I leveled my Tundra and love the way it looks. Some people hate it, others love it, do what works best for you.

I think leveling looks fine, as does a factory type rake. What looks dumb is reverse rake, which you do take a risk of getting if you tow heavy loads after a level, but it's not bad if your rear suspension is appropriate to the load. It's the idiots dozering around with the front 3-4" taller than the rear, looking at the sky that you wonder about.

If you like the way it looks, add airbags to to rear to keep it from sagging

mts6175 said:

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If you like the way it looks, add airbags to to rear to keep it from sagging

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Airbags will do that, but do make for a harsher ride. They are not supposed to be run with less than 5 psi at any time and that little will make for a slightly choppy ride when the truck is unloaded in my experience.

I like the look of a leveled truck.

But definitely adjust your headlights down...

Leveling the truck keeps all factory angles in spec ( as does a quality suspension lift installed correctly)

Won't affect the ride or warranty or performance of the vehicle in any way.

If you take it off make sure to have the vehicle aligned again.

It's not a big deal. 1 1/2 " - 2 1/2" difference from factory. Half the people don't even notice a leveled truck.

The ONLY reason to remove it is if you don't like the way it looks which you must because you bought it that way

You will notice the reduced gas mileage. More wind resistance. I have mine leveled and get 1-2 miles per gallon less than comparable vehicles.

Sample includes 2015 F150 for 5 years and 2020 F150 for 1 year. On road trips to Colorado I can get 16 mpg highway if I stay under 70 mph. Over 70 and I struggle to get 15. Neighbor on same trip, same year truck and same route averages around 18 mpg if he goes easy and 17 if he tries to keep up with me.

I get 13-14 around town. He gets 15-16.

jmm said:

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You will notice the reduced gas mileage. More wind resistance. I have mine leveled and get 1-2 miles per gallon less than comparable vehicles.

Sample includes 2015 F150 for 5 years and 2020 F150 for 1 year. On road trips to Colorado I can get 16 mpg highway if I stay under 70 mph. Over 70 and I struggle to get 15. Neighbor on same trip, same year truck and same route averages around 18 mpg if he goes easy and 17 if he tries to keep up with me.

I get 13-14 around town. He gets 15-16.

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I call BS on this. Should be no noticeable affect on mileage at all.

meggy09 said:

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jmm said:

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You will notice the reduced gas mileage. More wind resistance. I have mine leveled and get 1-2 miles per gallon less than comparable vehicles.

Sample includes 2015 F150 for 5 years and 2020 F150 for 1 year. On road trips to Colorado I can get 16 mpg highway if I stay under 70 mph. Over 70 and I struggle to get 15. Neighbor on same trip, same year truck and same route averages around 18 mpg if he goes easy and 17 if he tries to keep up with me.

I get 13-14 around town. He gets 15-16.

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I call BS on this. Should be no noticeable affect on mileage at all.

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Only if he put on larger tires. 2" of additional height shouldn't make a difference. About like adding a bug shield on the hood.

I agree there should be zero gas mileage drop drop with adding a leveling kit. I install about 1500 leveling kits a and haven't heard this before except with bigger tires. Not saying It's not possible, but I've never heard of it.

Tire height, tire width, tire tread (aggressive lug), and wheel offset can all add up to significant drop in mileage.