Super helpful video. Thinking about doing this on my 2018 LT Z71. I actually like how you added the 2' block in the back on the other video as well. Nice aggressive stance! I'll be sharing updates to my '18 as well as my classic c10s on my channel as well. Keep providing solid content.
I had the rough country leveling kit pucks and i liked them then i upgraded and got fully adjustable shocks with the bigger springs , the the shcoks with the springs are the leveling kit themselves. So its all suspension. Which it makes the truck sit a little higher then then pucks, and i like this way better then the pucks. The pucks are a cheaper way to go. Keep up the good videos man.
Matt Danilchak yeah this is just to start.. I’ll probably upgrade to an entire new strut assembly at some point up front and the add a leaf or something in the rear!!
I haven't yet got my leveling kit but will be soon. They say the pucks keep the same ride quality could you tell the difference? And how does upgrading the whole strut change the ride? Smoother than the puck? And by adding both style leveling kits did you ever get a floaty feel in the steering once leveled ? Thanks your feed back would be greatly appreciated!
Zak P with just these pucks, the ride quality is exactly the same as it was stock.. you won’t start messing with ride quality until you start looking into a full strut set up, as the springs and shocks may be stiffer or softer than OEM depending on the brand and all. No floating feeling for me, truck remains solid as it did day 1 which was my overall goal! Same ride quality, leveled look. Hope this helped man!!
Always get that front end alignment when raising or lowering any vehicle. If you don't it will chew your tires up pretty quickly and also make front end parts wear out prematurely. So please just spend about $100 bucks now instead of spending thousands later on!
Great job and it looks great. Reading through the comments, you changed my mind on the size I was going with. I have an 18 Z71. The difference from the front and back is 3.25”. I was gonna go with the 3” kit. I’m now think about the 2.5”. Shouldn’t be noticeable sitting there, but with my boat hooked up, it should still ride level.
Bro had the same issues on my 2018 Silverado when installing the 3 inch leveling kit from MOTOFAB. Upper ball joint was a bitch. The other side was much easier since I already knew what I was doing. Looks good!
I would definitely get an alighment. Firestone has lifetime alignments. Pays off after your second alignment and I have a coupon for money off if you want it.
Anytime you take apart suspension or steering parts you want to get your vehicle aligned... I lifted the truck which threw off the angles of everything and if I didn't get it realigned it might wear my tires very unevenly.
Did you replace the upper control arms as well or did you leave them stock? If so, how's your ball joints wearing? I've got a 2015 Silverado that I'm looking to do the 3inch front and 2inch rear. I just don't wanna wear out my front end components.
Scott Shuttleworth no aftermarket uppers yet, still riding on the stocks, balljoints seem to be hanging in there fine after 16k miles to date... I do hear that the 3” you will 100% have to do uppers because it’ll make the stock ones sit on the bump stops just sitting in a level parking lot. That’s why I went with the 2.5” kit up front.
Hey John, I was in the process of putting a 2.5” leveling kit on my Sierra and wanted to see how did this kit actually hold up. Any issues with anything? Thank you!
JOHN WARGO Oh nice!!! Well it looks like I will get this installed next week and take your for it! Thank you for you quick response and honest opinion! 👌🏻
Does your truck have electric power steering and was there any issues with it once you installed the kit. Have a friend that has a 2015 and he’s being told by shops not to put the level kit due to the fact he has electric power steering
@@dominodan6934 yeah brother, have about 4-5 update videos since the install. Check out my 2nd to newest upload, it’s the most recent, 30K mile update and review!!
Hey John do you have any clearance issues with the upper control arms ? And how do the angles look ? Does it seem like a lot of stress on the ball joints? Trying to decide between this kit or just doing a ReadyLift
Hey Robert, check out this video here I made... ua-cam.com/video/SFUnqbKxSrk/v-deo.html ... Around 6:40 is where I show the uppers and you can see the CV angles. Personally I don't think they're too bad. There are no signs of premature wear at this point yet, although I am going to be going with aftermarket uppers in the near future just in-case! Also, check out and give @stockredsierra a shout if you have Instagram. He put a ReadyLift level on his truck and ended up taking it back off and going with a MotoFab and I forget the exact reasons why... Thanks for watching!!
Hey man, no I never thought of measuring it, but it does state on their website that the spacers are NOT a 1:1 ratio, so they're not going to be the size you're ultimately getting after they're installed... So mine were probably around 2" or something and ultimately after installed it gave me 2.5" of lift. Hope that makes sense!!
Did you notice any difference in the way the car drives and feels after the install? I also have a 2018 Silverado and I’m looking to do the same thing. just trying to get a little insight
LiL Normandy haven’t had any issues to date, just hit 30K miles with it leveled.. and no real difference in driving experience that I could tell, however I only drove the truck 800 miles before installing it so I might just not have a good feel for the truck 100% stock.
Nice, I have the bottom spacer on my truck. But I want to add the puck on top with it also will that work in this original strut to run both on front ?
Alvin I don’t believe the UCAs will stretch far enough to let you run both top and bottom spacers.. I’ve heard guys with just a 3” top spacer maxing out the UCA angle.
Thank you! Right now, the rear is sitting about .75" higher than the front... Perfect for me, exactly what I was going for. I can still throw some weight in the bed and not have to worry about it squatting too low and looking funny rolling down the road, lol.
Hey how hard were those spacers to install? I've never done anything like this before but really wanting to level my truck out. Is there a lot involved?
I’ve got everything unbolted completely but cannot get the control arms to free up to allow for space to bolt the strut back in any tips? The bolts are off but a simple tap with a hammer did not do enough to free it up
For trucks with factory warranty. Will your warranty be void by doing these or do they accept it and has to be under certain terms/conditions? Just wondering because I have the same truck just z71 and it will be nice to level it too with the back...thanks in advance.
Miguel Ramos I’m honestly not too sure man.. from what I’ve heard, is that if you take your truck in for warranty work that’s unrelated to suspension it’ll be fine and they’ll never look. But if you have a balljoint or control arm fail or something like that they will probably cause it on the leveling kit and not cover it.
I installed mine today the ball joint with knuckle was a pain to get it out. Tried it with difrent methods until it broke free. Gotta say truck looks awsome.!!! Almost a whole day job for me. But overall it was worth it. 👌
angel sanchez thank you sir!! Yeah, the balljoints for me were a pain too... took a lot of beating and stuff to get them free. Glad you got yours on!! Remember to tighten everything up again in a couple hundred miles!!
Doug Tocchio ahhh yeah I might recommend an actual lift. I kinda wish I would’ve went that route to begin with.. ended up throwing on a 2” block it for the rear this past week. That video will go up next Wednesday!
Hmmm I did have a bit of trouble getting it all to align back up... ended up getting lucky I guess in moving the whole assembly around a bit until it finally worked!! Good luck with yours man, don't give up on it!!
Looks like a tough job as I’m thinking of putting a Leveling Kit on my Truck for a bigger tire size, I have a 275/55r20 now, but would love to put a 275/60r20 but can’t because it’ll rub against the fenders.
Hey man, no they did not, so no trimming necessary... I believe though if you get the 3" spacer you will have to trim the original studs! Hope that helps!
This lvl kit give you problem when you drive on highway? Live vibration or thing like that. I install same kit on my silverado 2019. I have alignement done. On integrale mode it shake at 120 km/h...
Well done John...I just bought a 2018 Silverado and cant wait to do same thing. Did you consider the 2.5 Rough Country leveling kit? Also how long would you say it took you to complete job?
Thanks man! Appreciate it! Yea, I do consider the 2.5" Rough Country Level and decent kit, although I do have a coworker that put one on, and it didn't give him the full 2.5" of lift up front, it gave him only about 2" total... From what it seems, the kits that use the spacers that go on the bottom of the shocks don't give the full lift amount that they say they will, you have to go with the spacer pucks that go on top of the struts to get it. Also, this took me a good 3 hours to install myself! Good luck with your truck man, let me know if you have any other questions!
So with this kit is sounds like an easier self install since you not adding the bottom spacers then. A Flowmaster outlaw exhaust would look and sound really sweet on your truck...check it out and best
Ummmm... I think the bottom spacers might actually be a bit easier, because you don't have to pull the strut assembly out completely like I had to for this level, but don't quote me on it, I'm not 100% on that. And yes, exhaust mods coming soon!! I'll check out the Outlaw, thanks for the recommendation!!
Nice stance man did you have to grind the studs on the spacers I have read some forums online that some kits you have to grind I'm looking forward to do this motofab level but I do not want to grind or cut anything just direct bolt up thanks in advance
Lil Tee no, I didn’t have to do any grinding of the studs... I read the same with some kits, and didn’t wanna do it either. From what I read, kits 2” and under you need to grind the studs down. This was 2.5”, so the studs didn’t stick out enough to need any modifications!!
was you able to put the wires back on top of the strut bolts? my bolts was short and they wouldn't go back on just wondering how you secure them back on?
Jay Gee no, I wasn’t able to either. Same situation, the bolts are too short. Honestly, I just left them hang. Figure they don’t have too much play, and they’ve been fine since. A good 6k miles on it now, they haven’t gone anywhere so far 😝
if the riser lifts 2.5 inches what size is the riser itself. I'm new and I bought a 3" front lift my riser itself is 1.5". trying to find out what size the riser is per lift ability.
casey stromain its been great so far! A good 500 miles on it, no issues. Ride is the same as OEM, you just see a little more good now and have to climb up a bit higher to get in, lol.
K. A. K. I did not no, just because I knew I was adding a block kit to the rear otherwise I would. If you’re just doing a level I’d recommend adjusting headlights. Got tons of people flashing me until I got the blocks on in the rear.
Bryan E yessir, towed a few trailers and didn’t like the squat, so ended up putting a block kit on the rear to get the rake back. Towed a Jeep and then a 8x24’ enclosed not long after and it still sat pretty good when hooked up!
@@JohnWargo93 what i meant was did you rotate the shock or just the lower mount tabs. The instructions say the lower mounts will rotate but mine will not rotate, even in a vice with all the force i could give wouldn't turn the damn things.
Swolegang it’s a good idea to get your trucks alignment checked annually, yes. But if you see any uneven tire wear, you feel yourself having to fight to keep your truck in a straight line, or things along those lines it’s a good idea to get one done ASAP.
It doesn't... rides the same as it did before installing the level, just looks bigger! I think if you end up going with a full strut assembly kit and things along those lines is when you'll really start messing with the ride quality.
Sean Henton just had to pull the strut out completely, install the lift pucs, and you’ll see the way the new studs line up you have to just rotate the strut to get it to bolt back in. It’s the only way it’ll bolt back up
Sean Henton was able to drop the drop the entire knuckle enough to fit it in nicely. Just had it all apart again recently to do the UCAs and had to pull the struts out again. It’s not too bad either time
Billy McCubbin yo yo, I’ve had no issues yet to date, and I’m about 7k miles in since the install. Check out this video I did here ua-cam.com/video/s8O5YwoQpDg/v-deo.html where I do show the angles and everything up underneath the rig.
Billy McCubbin I think it’ll looks pretty sweet!! It’s a nice, economical, daily driver set up. So if you watch any of my newer videos after I did the 2” blocks in the rear, your truck will sit similar, just .5” taller in the front 🙌🏼
I’m so frustrated right now. Got everything torn down and the spacer installed and the whole strut assembly back on and could not for the life of me get the ball joint to move up into place. Pitting a floor jack under the lower control arm would actually lift the truck up. Fought with it for 4 hours only to tear it back down and remove the spacer and reassemble it back to factory. I’m lost as to why the assembly wouldn’t rotate up.
Oh wow! Yeah, mine was a pain to get back into place as well... just took a lot of repositioning and trying new things. You gonna retry or have a shop install it?
Ended up doing it myself at work today. Flat ground and some patience did the trick. 1 1/2 on first side, 45 min. On the other side. Thanks for the tips.
So I have a 2WD 2018 chevy silverado. My buddy said 4WDs sit higher in the back than a 2WD so a 2.5 would be a little too big for my 2WD. Can anyone concur or will the 2.5 be fine for my 2WD?
I think 2.5” will be fine, although he is correct.. 4x4 trucks generally sit a little taller in the rear. Hell, they sit a little taller in the front too. Best way to find out is to measure fender height front to rear to see how much difference is really there!
Bill, I'm not 100% sure about this.. Some people say it does, some say it doesn't.. Me personally, if I need to take it in for anything suspension wise I'll take the level off before taking it in probably. A pain in the ass, but gotta cover it, lol.
Everything was roughly $2k in total... Got a wheel and tire package deal from Extreme Customs online. Came mounted with lugs and TPMS sensors and all. www.extremecustoms.com/
posjoey me personally, don’t notice any difference... I’ve had no experience with any rough ride or anything. Zero issues to date and I’ve been really happy with it so far... about 5-6 months in now, 6-7k miles. I do see a lot of guys posting and even commenting on this video saying I’m bullshit, haha. Just my opinion I guess, I’m not too picky maybe. Well worth it in my opinion sir 👌🏼
John Wargo Right on! I've got a 2016 z71 crew cab and I'm looking into this. Might go with the actual 2.5" lift kit. Mine is the same white as your truck. Almost twins. Lol.
JOHN WARGO I meant like did it have any extra lean. My mechanic was trying to tell me mine was going to yesterday but he was wrong. Thanks for the response
FLY EAGLES FLY Bleed Green it wasn’t bad at all, but take in mind my truck was brand new with only 1k miles. Camber bolts were only adjusted like 0.1mm and that’s all. Now the truck has 25k miles on it and it’s been holding up just fine 🤙🏼🤙🏼
I also have a 2018 and has 15k now on it.. waited a year to do this to see the reviews and how people like it.. thanks a ton for responding.. appreciate it. Be safe and happy motoing
Car Bug bed length.. wanted the standard bed size not the short bed. It’s hard to find a crew cab with standard bed in my area in a decent price range.
Manuel, after installing the 2.5” level and parking on a level surface to measure.. the truck sat 100% level. Since this video, I’ve installed a 2” rear black kit on the truck. She now sits 1.25” higher in the rear. All measurements done from the ground to the middle of each fender. That video is on my channel as well! Hope this helps!
Dude wht about rear axle, have u leveled it as well? Im planing do same thing with motofab 3 front, 2 rear. But my buddy told me it will hurt the ball joints as well as cv joint angle
Randhi Saputra no sir, the rear is all stock. Just did the 2.5” up front from Motofab. Your buddy is right, it’ll be hard on the CV angle and ball joints. I recommend aftermarket UCAs at some point to correct that. That’s my plans for the future as well!
Christian gotta be honest man I don’t have a torque wrench or anything.. just cranked it all down tight enough then went back through after about 1000 miles to make sure it was all good
It was really really tough to do!! I just beat the shit out of it with a hammer until they finally separated... I know they make a ball joint separator tool, but I was pretty determined to get her to pop free! Haha I did gringe though beating the UCA up...
JOHN WARGO you have stamped control arms givin the year, did you every have any issue with your UCA? I’ve heard that the 2.5in maxes it out and it can literally pop out
Ray Adamo nope, just hit 30K with the level and haven’t had a single issue to date 🤞🏼 I hear horror stories with guys who went with the 3”. I finally did UCAs about 5K miles ago but I only did them because they were free with a sponsorship otherwise I’d still be riding around with the OEM ones for sure. Everything still tight and what not.
1bjcj ehhhh someone else might be able to chime in... but I’m not too sure. It’d be tough for sure because you have to turn the strut assembly 180 degrees ones you mount the spacers up top.
crazy how 2.5 inches can make such a big difference! looks great! im doing this very soon on my '18 silverado.
Whelplayed right!? Thanks man!!
It looks so much better afterwards. Great video. I just ordered the same leveling kit for my '17 Z71
Thank you!! And good luck with yours!! Keep me posted on it!!
Had the same kit on my 16 Silverado, traded it for a ZR2 but going back to a Silverado and will be purchasing this kit again!
Geminijets_collector3 yeah I like this one still. No issues 🤙🏼
This video sold me. I will be purchasing the leveling kit. Truck looks great!
loafingshireIII thank you so much man!! Happy my video can help guys like yourself!!
Super helpful video. Thinking about doing this on my 2018 LT Z71. I actually like how you added the 2' block in the back on the other video as well. Nice aggressive stance! I'll be sharing updates to my '18 as well as my classic c10s on my channel as well. Keep providing solid content.
Thanks for the support man!! I love the aggressiveness she gives as well with the blocks in the rear!! I'll check your channel out!!
I had the rough country leveling kit pucks and i liked them then i upgraded and got fully adjustable shocks with the bigger springs , the the shcoks with the springs are the leveling kit themselves. So its all suspension. Which it makes the truck sit a little higher then then pucks, and i like this way better then the pucks. The pucks are a cheaper way to go. Keep up the good videos man.
Matt Danilchak yeah this is just to start.. I’ll probably upgrade to an entire new strut assembly at some point up front and the add a leaf or something in the rear!!
I haven't yet got my leveling kit but will be soon. They say the pucks keep the same ride quality could you tell the difference? And how does upgrading the whole strut change the ride? Smoother than the puck? And by adding both style leveling kits did you ever get a floaty feel in the steering once leveled ? Thanks your feed back would be greatly appreciated!
Zak P with just these pucks, the ride quality is exactly the same as it was stock.. you won’t start messing with ride quality until you start looking into a full strut set up, as the springs and shocks may be stiffer or softer than OEM depending on the brand and all. No floating feeling for me, truck remains solid as it did day 1 which was my overall goal! Same ride quality, leveled look. Hope this helped man!!
John Wargo thanks for commenting back your feedback did help out! Looks like ill definitely get mine done by next week! 👍
Looks great. I was thinking about going with a 3” kit on my 2016 but after seeing yours lifted I think the 2 1/2” is the perfect size. Great video
Robert Morrison thanks man!! Glad to have helped!!
Same me here thanks for the vid
Always get that front end alignment when raising or lowering any vehicle. If you don't it will chew your tires up pretty quickly and also make front end parts wear out prematurely. So please just spend about $100 bucks now instead of spending thousands later on!
Oh yeah, I said that all weird in the video... I took it up for an alignment the very next morning after the install!!
Great job and it looks great. Reading through the comments, you changed my mind on the size I was going with. I have an 18 Z71. The difference from the front and back is 3.25”. I was gonna go with the 3” kit. I’m now think about the 2.5”. Shouldn’t be noticeable sitting there, but with my boat hooked up, it should still ride level.
GeauxCoastal I did a 2.5. It’s level now
Great video John! Truck looks great! Thanks for sharing
Bro had the same issues on my 2018 Silverado when installing the 3 inch leveling kit from MOTOFAB. Upper ball joint was a bitch. The other side was much easier since I already knew what I was doing. Looks good!
Pau Lo yes! Was definitely a bitch popping those bad boys out, lol. Second side was cake 🎂
How do you the the 3 inch compared to the 2.5 inch he installed?
Your truck makes me want a white double cab chevy lol, looks great
ncurc 97 haha thanks man!!!
Looks MUCH better!
I would definitely get an alighment. Firestone has lifetime alignments. Pays off after your second alignment and I have a coupon for money off if you want it.
Don Hoge Jr I got it aligned about 20 minutes after I stopped filming this 😋 toe was off about a full degree in each side. Glad I got it done.
Anytime you take apart suspension or steering parts you want to get your vehicle aligned... I lifted the truck which threw off the angles of everything and if I didn't get it realigned it might wear my tires very unevenly.
You made that look easy....
Awesome truck and video brother
Thanks my man! Appreciate it!
You don't need to remove the calipers and abs wires and all that stuff? What did you remove?
Did you replace the upper control arms as well or did you leave them stock? If so, how's your ball joints wearing? I've got a 2015 Silverado that I'm looking to do the 3inch front and 2inch rear. I just don't wanna wear out my front end components.
Scott Shuttleworth no aftermarket uppers yet, still riding on the stocks, balljoints seem to be hanging in there fine after 16k miles to date... I do hear that the 3” you will 100% have to do uppers because it’ll make the stock ones sit on the bump stops just sitting in a level parking lot. That’s why I went with the 2.5” kit up front.
Hey John, I was in the process of putting a 2.5” leveling kit on my Sierra and wanted to see how did this kit actually hold up. Any issues with anything? Thank you!
Elmo Bascle dude I’m 33k miles I’m so far and all is still well! No issues to date!
JOHN WARGO Oh nice!!! Well it looks like I will get this installed next week and take your for it! Thank you for you quick response and honest opinion! 👌🏻
Does your truck have electric power steering and was there any issues with it once you installed the kit. Have a friend that has a 2015 and he’s being told by shops not to put the level kit due to the fact he has electric power steering
Dean Almeida yes, it has the electric steering assist, and no, no issues after installing the level 🤙🏼
John Wargo thanks for the reply
After doing the 2.5" leveling kit.
Do you here a creeking sound when turning the wheels
abraham vazquez no, I haven’t. Got about 13k on the level and haven’t had any issues to date.
@@JohnWargo93 update?
@@dominodan6934 yeah brother, have about 4-5 update videos since the install. Check out my 2nd to newest upload, it’s the most recent, 30K mile update and review!!
@@JohnWargo93 yeah just checked them out. Thanks for uploading
Hey John do you have any clearance issues with the upper control arms ? And how do the angles look ? Does it seem like a lot of stress on the ball joints? Trying to decide between this kit or just doing a ReadyLift
Hey Robert, check out this video here I made... ua-cam.com/video/SFUnqbKxSrk/v-deo.html ... Around 6:40 is where I show the uppers and you can see the CV angles. Personally I don't think they're too bad. There are no signs of premature wear at this point yet, although I am going to be going with aftermarket uppers in the near future just in-case! Also, check out and give @stockredsierra a shout if you have Instagram. He put a ReadyLift level on his truck and ended up taking it back off and going with a MotoFab and I forget the exact reasons why... Thanks for watching!!
Thanks for the reply man.
John Wargo did you measure your leveling kit? Was it 2 inches? Because I got mine and they measure 1.5 inches...
Hey man, no I never thought of measuring it, but it does state on their website that the spacers are NOT a 1:1 ratio, so they're not going to be the size you're ultimately getting after they're installed... So mine were probably around 2" or something and ultimately after installed it gave me 2.5" of lift. Hope that makes sense!!
Awesome Look, I am thinking of doing the same thing to my 2017
Did you notice any difference in the way the car drives and feels after the install? I also have a 2018 Silverado and I’m looking to do the same thing. just trying to get a little insight
Matt Carter feels bigger but ride quality remains the same. I have about 26k miles on it now and am very happy with it
JOHN WARGO I appreciate you brother I’m gonna order the kit right now!
Do you think this can negatively impact the vehicle when going off-roading? And does it feel different when daily driving?
LiL Normandy haven’t had any issues to date, just hit 30K miles with it leveled.. and no real difference in driving experience that I could tell, however I only drove the truck 800 miles before installing it so I might just not have a good feel for the truck 100% stock.
Did u use uca that fix the ball joints angle...for 2.5-3.5 lifts
Lift looks great!
Nice, I have the bottom spacer on my truck. But I want to add the puck on top with it also will that work in this original strut to run both on front ?
Alvin I don’t believe the UCAs will stretch far enough to let you run both top and bottom spacers.. I’ve heard guys with just a 3” top spacer maxing out the UCA angle.
Do you have a video of before and present of your truck build ? I’m bearly starting on my leveling kit thanks to your videos 👍🏽
love the look, definitely something I'm going for!
what's the difference of height between the front and rear?
Thank you! Right now, the rear is sitting about .75" higher than the front... Perfect for me, exactly what I was going for. I can still throw some weight in the bed and not have to worry about it squatting too low and looking funny rolling down the road, lol.
John Wargo awesome, thanks for the response
Hi John. Does the leveling kit void any warrantys the truck might have?
Richard Therien I gotta be honest man, I’m not entirely too sure. Maybe someone else in the comments will have more info
Hey how hard were those spacers to install? I've never done anything like this before but really wanting to level my truck out. Is there a lot involved?
Wasn’t too bad honestly.. did them in my driveway in a few hours with standard tools!
bad ass truck im about to do the same with mine!
Dave thanks man!! And good luck with yours!!
I’ve got everything unbolted completely but cannot get the control arms to free up to allow for space to bolt the strut back in any tips? The bolts are off but a simple tap with a hammer did not do enough to free it up
Simple hammer tap might not work. I’ve worked on trucks that you had to beat on pretty hard to get it to free up!
For trucks with factory warranty. Will your warranty be void by doing these or do they accept it and has to be under certain terms/conditions? Just wondering because I have the same truck just z71 and it will be nice to level it too with the back...thanks in advance.
Miguel Ramos I’m honestly not too sure man.. from what I’ve heard, is that if you take your truck in for warranty work that’s unrelated to suspension it’ll be fine and they’ll never look. But if you have a balljoint or control arm fail or something like that they will probably cause it on the leveling kit and not cover it.
I installed mine today the ball joint with knuckle was a pain to get it out. Tried it with difrent methods until it broke free. Gotta say truck looks awsome.!!! Almost a whole day job for me. But overall it was worth it. 👌
angel sanchez thank you sir!! Yeah, the balljoints for me were a pain too... took a lot of beating and stuff to get them free. Glad you got yours on!! Remember to tighten everything up again in a couple hundred miles!!
Does the 2.5 make it look nose high or just right I am not sure what to get on my 2018 Chevy 2” or 2.5”
Jiu-Jitsu Plumber the 2.5” level made my truck 100% level. Measured and true. Looked nose high from the naked eye but measured out to be 100% level.
Ok thanks
Great Video...Truck looks great..... Im still not sure if i should do spacers or a lift kit...
Thanks for the support! Good luck with yours! How big you looking to go?!
thinking 3" maybe 3" 1/2
Doug Tocchio ahhh yeah I might recommend an actual lift. I kinda wish I would’ve went that route to begin with.. ended up throwing on a 2” block it for the rear this past week. That video will go up next Wednesday!
Did you have any problem with the bottom strut mount? When I rotate my strut 180 degrees the bottom does not line up
Hmmm I did have a bit of trouble getting it all to align back up... ended up getting lucky I guess in moving the whole assembly around a bit until it finally worked!! Good luck with yours man, don't give up on it!!
Dude, great video and quality. I'm curious, what do you film with or what is your setup?
luis hernandez appreciate it! Film with a Nikon D3600 at this point and an Amazon $30 microphone. Wait with Adobe Premier Pro.
@@JohnWargo93 nice. Keep them videos coming!
so, I have a stock 2016 LT.......My understanding is you are pushing UP the front end, the rear stays the same correct?
Matt Shaw correct 👌🏼
Nice job. Looks good.
Looks like a tough job as I’m thinking of putting a Leveling Kit on my Truck for a bigger tire size, I have a 275/55r20 now, but would love to put a 275/60r20 but can’t because it’ll rub against the fenders.
Yeah.... it's a little involved overall, another set of hands would help the process a lot!!
Hey man by chance do you remember if your strut mounts were sticking out above spacer or not??
Hey man, no they did not, so no trimming necessary... I believe though if you get the 3" spacer you will have to trim the original studs! Hope that helps!
+1 on getting an alignment
YES! Got the alignment next morning after filming this... Toe was off pretty bad.
Have you noticed any difference in fuel economy? And was the alignment needed?
Jeffrey Laubach yes for the alignment, fuel economy wasn’t effected enough to notice 🤟🏼
This lvl kit give you problem when you drive on highway? Live vibration or thing like that. I install same kit on my silverado 2019. I have alignement done. On integrale mode it shake at 120 km/h...
No sir, I’m 30k miles deep with the level and no issues to date
Well done John...I just bought a 2018 Silverado and cant wait to do same thing. Did you consider the 2.5 Rough Country leveling kit? Also how long would you say it took you to complete job?
Thanks man! Appreciate it! Yea, I do consider the 2.5" Rough Country Level and decent kit, although I do have a coworker that put one on, and it didn't give him the full 2.5" of lift up front, it gave him only about 2" total... From what it seems, the kits that use the spacers that go on the bottom of the shocks don't give the full lift amount that they say they will, you have to go with the spacer pucks that go on top of the struts to get it. Also, this took me a good 3 hours to install myself! Good luck with your truck man, let me know if you have any other questions!
So with this kit is sounds like an easier self install since you not adding the bottom spacers then. A Flowmaster outlaw exhaust would look and sound really sweet on your truck...check it out and best
Ummmm... I think the bottom spacers might actually be a bit easier, because you don't have to pull the strut assembly out completely like I had to for this level, but don't quote me on it, I'm not 100% on that. And yes, exhaust mods coming soon!! I'll check out the Outlaw, thanks for the recommendation!!
Nice stance man did you have to grind the studs on the spacers I have read some forums online that some kits you have to grind I'm looking forward to do this motofab level but I do not want to grind or cut anything just direct bolt up thanks in advance
Lil Tee no, I didn’t have to do any grinding of the studs... I read the same with some kits, and didn’t wanna do it either. From what I read, kits 2” and under you need to grind the studs down. This was 2.5”, so the studs didn’t stick out enough to need any modifications!!
Looks good, any issues ? How's the ride quality so far ?
Zak P thank you... about 3500 miles on it so far, no issues. Rides like it did stock which is nice!
John Wargo Awesome ! Thanks for the reply !
The lift looks great man, I got the same truck and thinking about doing the same thing. Thanks for posting oh how much did that lift cost?
Than you sir!! $90 from Motofab's website!!
@@JohnWargo93 I'm definitely ordering it
@@thewanderingrays5131 Let me know if you have any questions!!
@@JohnWargo93 will definitely keep you posted
was you able to put the wires back on top of the strut bolts? my bolts was short and they wouldn't go back on just wondering how you secure them back on?
Jay Gee no, I wasn’t able to either. Same situation, the bolts are too short. Honestly, I just left them hang. Figure they don’t have too much play, and they’ve been fine since. A good 6k miles on it now, they haven’t gone anywhere so far 😝
@@JohnWargo93 thanks for the reply.. was just curious.. nice truck by the way
Jay Gee thank you sir!!
if the riser lifts 2.5 inches what size is the riser itself. I'm new and I bought a 3" front lift my riser itself is 1.5". trying to find out what size the riser is per lift ability.
That’s interesting... these spacers measured out a good and full 2.5”. Same truck? Brand level?
How has the kit held up? Any difference in ride quality?
casey stromain its been great so far! A good 500 miles on it, no issues. Ride is the same as OEM, you just see a little more good now and have to climb up a bit higher to get in, lol.
Looks great man
Bear Brewer appreciate it!!
Did you have to use a vice to rotate struts 180
@@Ttow49 use a vice? Not sure I fully understand the question. I just put them in 180 degrees than they came out. Just a quick flip flop. 🩴
Did you adjust the headlights downwards after the install?
K. A. K. I did not no, just because I knew I was adding a block kit to the rear otherwise I would. If you’re just doing a level I’d recommend adjusting headlights. Got tons of people flashing me until I got the blocks on in the rear.
Great job. looks great.
Man I want to do that but my last truck I did and when I towed 7500lbs even with weight distribution I looked a little funny. Leave you towed yet?
Bryan E yessir, towed a few trailers and didn’t like the squat, so ended up putting a block kit on the rear to get the rake back. Towed a Jeep and then a 8x24’ enclosed not long after and it still sat pretty good when hooked up!
can always get a hitch drop, or a hitch with adjustable height. will solve that squatting issue.
Dude, did you rotate the shock or were you able to the shock mounts?
pecsxj yeah the struts has to be rotated 180 degrees to go back in with the spacer up top
@@JohnWargo93 what i meant was did you rotate the shock or just the lower mount tabs. The instructions say the lower mounts will rotate but mine will not rotate, even in a vice with all the force i could give wouldn't turn the damn things.
pecsxj hmmmm if I remember right I’m pretty sure I rotated the entire assembly 180 degrees 🤔 sorry man it’s been so long. Lol
How often should you get a wheel alignment after you do the first ? Like should you get one once year after the install ?
Swolegang it’s a good idea to get your trucks alignment checked annually, yes. But if you see any uneven tire wear, you feel yourself having to fight to keep your truck in a straight line, or things along those lines it’s a good idea to get one done ASAP.
John Wargo thx and how’s the level kit holding up ? No problems still ? Getting mine installed this week
Swolegang kit is holding up well!! Almost 3k miles on it and still no issues, I’m very pleased!!
John Wargo doesn’t ride stiff ?
It doesn't... rides the same as it did before installing the level, just looks bigger! I think if you end up going with a full strut assembly kit and things along those lines is when you'll really start messing with the ride quality.
Looks sick!!!
Tactical Canadian thank you sir!!
Will this work on a 2wd?
Outlander10002015 I believe that it will, yes. Should have the same strut setup up front so I think you’d be good to go!
Did you have to rotate the struts 180 degrees cause I just bought this kit and I'm curious if it said the same?
Sean Henton yup! 👍🏼
@@JohnWargo93 just wondering how you did that?
Sean Henton just had to pull the strut out completely, install the lift pucs, and you’ll see the way the new studs line up you have to just rotate the strut to get it to bolt back in. It’s the only way it’ll bolt back up
@@JohnWargo93 using a pry bar I guess while the top is bolted in?
Sean Henton was able to drop the drop the entire knuckle enough to fit it in nicely. Just had it all apart again recently to do the UCAs and had to pull the struts out again. It’s not too bad either time
Hey buddy I was wanting to know how good your cv axle angles are and if your having any trouble yet
Billy McCubbin yo yo, I’ve had no issues yet to date, and I’m about 7k miles in since the install. Check out this video I did here ua-cam.com/video/s8O5YwoQpDg/v-deo.html where I do show the angles and everything up underneath the rig.
Thanks buddy I'm thinking of doing a 3 2 lift with differential drop what do you think
Billy McCubbin I think it’ll looks pretty sweet!! It’s a nice, economical, daily driver set up. So if you watch any of my newer videos after I did the 2” blocks in the rear, your truck will sit similar, just .5” taller in the front 🙌🏼
What upper control arms would you get if you use this kit? I wnt your exact set up on my 18 just dont want to wear any suspension parts out. Thanks!
Aaron D my man, I’m looking at UCAs from ReadyLift.. I see a good bit of guys run them and like em!!
I’m so frustrated right now. Got everything torn down and the spacer installed and the whole strut assembly back on and could not for the life of me get the ball joint to move up into place. Pitting a floor jack under the lower control arm would actually lift the truck up. Fought with it for 4 hours only to tear it back down and remove the spacer and reassemble it back to factory. I’m lost as to why the assembly wouldn’t rotate up.
Oh wow! Yeah, mine was a pain to get back into place as well... just took a lot of repositioning and trying new things. You gonna retry or have a shop install it?
Gonna retry today with a buddy who has more experience.
Ended up doing it myself at work today. Flat ground and some patience did the trick. 1 1/2 on first side, 45 min. On the other side. Thanks for the tips.
GeauxCoastal that’s awesome! Glad you got it on! You like??
John Wargo looks great. 3/16” difference from front and rear. Getting an alignment in the morning.
Did you keep the stock blocks in the rear?
Originally yes, added 2” lift blocks a few weeks later
Looks awesome
So I have a 2WD 2018 chevy silverado. My buddy said 4WDs sit higher in the back than a 2WD so a 2.5 would be a little too big for my 2WD. Can anyone concur or will the 2.5 be fine for my 2WD?
I think 2.5” will be fine, although he is correct.. 4x4 trucks generally sit a little taller in the rear. Hell, they sit a little taller in the front too. Best way to find out is to measure fender height front to rear to see how much difference is really there!
What’s torque specs for joints when installing everything back together
Bronavan Richard ehhh I’m honestly not too sure, just cranked em tight 😜
John Wargo lol n everything still riding like factory?
Yes, it does from my perspective. Have had it on now for about 4K miles, still no issues!
Do you think you’ll need an upper control arm with this leveling kit ?
Michael Boudnikov eventually 🤷🏻♀️ i went about 28K miles without UCAs.. only did them recently because I was sponsored and got a set fo free. Lol
I know this is a few years old now, but what control arms did you install? Thanks John
Nice truck
Thanks!!
Any idea if it affects the factory warranty?
Bill, I'm not 100% sure about this.. Some people say it does, some say it doesn't.. Me personally, if I need to take it in for anything suspension wise I'll take the level off before taking it in probably. A pain in the ass, but gotta cover it, lol.
Do u touch the cv joints when removing?
Anthony Bravo no sir, just the UCA and ball joints, sway bar ends, and steering links.
How much did you pay for them? And where did you buy them at?
Everything was roughly $2k in total... Got a wheel and tire package deal from Extreme Customs online. Came mounted with lugs and TPMS sensors and all. www.extremecustoms.com/
How's the ride? Hear those spacers make it rough.
posjoey me personally, don’t notice any difference... I’ve had no experience with any rough ride or anything. Zero issues to date and I’ve been really happy with it so far... about 5-6 months in now, 6-7k miles. I do see a lot of guys posting and even commenting on this video saying I’m bullshit, haha. Just my opinion I guess, I’m not too picky maybe. Well worth it in my opinion sir 👌🏼
John Wargo Right on! I've got a 2016 z71 crew cab and I'm looking into this. Might go with the actual 2.5" lift kit. Mine is the same white as your truck. Almost twins. Lol.
posjoey ayyy where you from? And yeah eventually myself I may take this level off and go with an actual lift... just taking baby steps right now, lol.
John Wargo It takes time! I'm in central California.
After your lift did it sit any higher in the front at all?
Matt Carter yeah man, a full 2.5” of lift up front.
JOHN WARGO I meant like did it have any extra lean. My mechanic was trying to tell me mine was going to yesterday but he was wrong. Thanks for the response
Matt Carter ohhh okay, no. It ended up sitting 100% level. Measured the wheel gap from the front and rear and she sat perfectly level.
How’s the level kit holding up?
Still no issues to date, and I just hit 10k on the truck!!
Update please.. how far off was the alignment after installing the kit?
FLY EAGLES FLY Bleed Green it wasn’t bad at all, but take in mind my truck was brand new with only 1k miles. Camber bolts were only adjusted like 0.1mm and that’s all. Now the truck has 25k miles on it and it’s been holding up just fine 🤙🏼🤙🏼
I also have a 2018 and has 15k now on it.. waited a year to do this to see the reviews and how people like it.. thanks a ton for responding.. appreciate it. Be safe and happy motoing
Do you rub your uca? I installed a 2 inch and rub at full lock
Kyle Anthony no, no rubbing issues with the stock wheels and level
What made u go double cab
Car Bug bed length.. wanted the standard bed size not the short bed. It’s hard to find a crew cab with standard bed in my area in a decent price range.
Same with me☝️. And I think they look better.
Did you have to turn your strut around
Sure did, 180 degrees
looks good
thanks!!
How much higher is the rear than the front ?
Manuel, after installing the 2.5” level and parking on a level surface to measure.. the truck sat 100% level. Since this video, I’ve installed a 2” rear black kit on the truck. She now sits 1.25” higher in the rear. All measurements done from the ground to the middle of each fender. That video is on my channel as well! Hope this helps!
Looks great
Dude wht about rear axle, have u leveled it as well? Im planing do same thing with motofab 3 front, 2 rear. But my buddy told me it will hurt the ball joints as well as cv joint angle
Randhi Saputra no sir, the rear is all stock. Just did the 2.5” up front from Motofab. Your buddy is right, it’ll be hard on the CV angle and ball joints. I recommend aftermarket UCAs at some point to correct that. That’s my plans for the future as well!
Thanks brother, I have seen on web for UCA motofab it cost 499 bucks, have u seen lesser than this? Let me know if you found it
Readylift has them for $419.95.. I'd say you're looking at least $400 for any decent brand. I haven't done them yet... I'll post when I do!
Will the angle of the ball joint really matter if I only have a Rwd?
Yeah still have the chance to blow them out prematurely with excessive wear unfortunately.. just keep your eye on em!!
JOHN WARGO I just got my truck and I stumbled across your channel and really enjoyed your content so I Subbed immediately. Thank you for the reply!
Max Espinosa thanks man appreciate the support 🤙🏼🤙🏼
What did you torque it too?
Christian gotta be honest man I don’t have a torque wrench or anything.. just cranked it all down tight enough then went back through after about 1000 miles to make sure it was all good
Looks great!
Peter Badalamenti thank you sir!!
Looks good
Mauro Pasillas donka!!
I ordered the 2.5inch spacers just now
Dude I’m 30K mile deep, no issues to date 👌🏼
I can't wait to put them babies in my 2017
How u broke that upper ball joint I been having trouble to make it separate
It was really really tough to do!! I just beat the shit out of it with a hammer until they finally separated... I know they make a ball joint separator tool, but I was pretty determined to get her to pop free! Haha I did gringe though beating the UCA up...
will this work with stamped control arms?
Ray Adamo I’m not 100% man you’d have to check out their description on them
JOHN WARGO you have stamped control arms givin the year, did you every have any issue with your UCA? I’ve heard that the 2.5in maxes it out and it can literally pop out
Ray Adamo nope, just hit 30K with the level and haven’t had a single issue to date 🤞🏼 I hear horror stories with guys who went with the 3”. I finally did UCAs about 5K miles ago but I only did them because they were free with a sponsorship otherwise I’d still be riding around with the OEM ones for sure. Everything still tight and what not.
Can you post the link to where you bought the kit?
Thomas Gutshall here you are man! www.motofablifts.com/07-18-Chevy-GMC-Silverado-Sierra-1500-2-5-Front-p/ch-2.5.htm
Does it only go on the front
Yes sir
Any trimming in the strut bolts??
Yoi Wrx no sir.. I hear though if you go with the 3” you’d have to trim them
Are those 18 inch tires and wheels
mike glass yessir, stock 18s
can you post a pic of the cv angle ?
Can you do it without taking the upper arm off
1bjcj ehhhh someone else might be able to chime in... but I’m not too sure. It’d be tough for sure because you have to turn the strut assembly 180 degrees ones you mount the spacers up top.