3" leveling kit ...who's running it and what tires?

BigBlackNC

New member
Jan 14, 2014
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I bought a 3" leveling kit( keys), with 2"blocks for the rear. Have not yet put on. I'm trying to get an idea of what will fit for little to trimming. Ideally I'd like to squeeze something like a 35x12.5x18. I don't need to have that big, just looking for opinions.

2006
PPE 225 Tune
4" turbo back exhaust
Air raid intake
 

cat_dr.

Member
Feb 20, 2013
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Jackson,Al
vu5ubupa.jpg
gehady4y.jpg


That's mine with a leveling kit. 35"x12.5 20's. The only thing trimmed on mine is fender liner


Roll Tide!
 

Taylor-34

New member
Jan 13, 2014
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Cali..
Cat_dr 2" blocks in the back and jetways about midway? Or are they fully cranked? And by fully cranked I'm just meaning as high up as you can go before they start bouncing off the bump stops.. Type deal
 

Hot COCOAL

May the farce be with you
Jun 9, 2012
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I don't have any pics from then, but I ran a cognito UCA level lift, maxed out it would fit the same 285/75/18 (34.8") tire I'm running with my 4" lift, but now I've got the comfy ride back:thumb:

Yes, of course I had to trim the inner fender well behind the tire and the typical clip off front valance

I wouldn't do it again...level out the truck with a level kit that is

My .02;)
 

BigBlackNC

New member
Jan 14, 2014
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Thanks for the replies...VERY nice rides cat and b16..real nice. I just got my keys in the mail, still trying to decide on tires and wheels, may be a month or so til it's all finished, but ill post before and afters when its all said and done with. They say the ride sucks with the leveling kit. ...true or false?
 

Andrew

Costly Obsessions
Aug 7, 2013
275
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delaware
If you crank the front keys up to far the truck will ride like poop you wouldnt belive the ride quality change just between 3/4 of the way up an all the way
 

BigBlackNC

New member
Jan 14, 2014
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i believe you, but mine already rides like a dump truck . put new shocks on..(stock) and they helped for a while
 

Andrew

Costly Obsessions
Aug 7, 2013
275
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delaware
id use a different shock :) the bigger wheel an tire will help alot too i know before i lowered the bars some mine would hit the stops on bumps (cranked all the way)
 

Hot COCOAL

May the farce be with you
Jun 9, 2012
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@hot cocoal...

The ride was that bad?


Not only was the ride poor, in my experience with a couple GM rigs, due to cranking up the torsion bars to level out the truck there has also been premature IFS part failure and excessive and poor tire wear as well.

Forget about efi live tuned boosted launches...a stock trans race tune has the potential to pull apart the c/v joint when they are leveraged out like they do when you crank up the torsion bars

As Andrew pointed out, a better shock will make a difference in ride quality, more so if the torsion bars aren't totally cranked, also use an extended lower shock mount if you plan to level the rig out and are using stock length shocks.

You'll get a significantly better ride using an upper control arm kit, along with the "ability" to go even higher, or maintain some ride quality and save your c/v joints a tiny bit.

Keep in mind, you typically get what you pay for, there's no single miracle part that's gonna make the truck the way you want, at least not in a well rounded fashion anyways

I started out with Cognito upper control arms maxed out, ball joint on top of the arm and extended shock mounts and +1" bilstien shocks, couldn't do a boosted launch in a built trans tune ( appx 525whp) with out busting a half shaft and it rode like a first gen dodge on 19 1/2" rims and highway tires

Maybe not that bad, but it sucked, and I was running a tire with a nice big sidewall 285/75/18
That tire size is what started it all, as it's the tire, or wheel/tire aspect ratio I feel looks "right" on our trucks, JMO

This is all IMHO, my perspective and what's acceptable to me

Now I'm runnin a full Cognito 4" lift with modified spring pack, gears, custom 4x4 drive shaft

And it rides better than a stock truck does:D well, that's relative too, it rides the way "I" want it to
 
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z71havinfun

New member
Mar 6, 2013
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x2 on the extended shock mount or longer shock ^
makes alll the difference in the world other wise it pretty much uses your shock as a limiting strap
also upper control arms or offset bushings SEARS for some reason could align mine right with my keys in (only turned half way mind you) because of the harsh angle of the UCA
thats why i just turned mine all the way back out and removed the blocks and added new monroe sensatracs NIGHT AND DAY...
 

Dozerboy

Well-known member
Jun 23, 2009
4,892
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TX of course
If the ride is to bad you can do more trimming and drop the fro t back down some. Every truck is a little different in how the tires fit. I have 285/70/17s on H2s and my suspension is still set like it was new. I would bet I could fit 35s pretty easy if I wanted to cut that much metal.


Sent from a ditch being dug near you