One of the nicest and least expensive upgrades you can make to your new Toyota Tundra would be to add a leveling kit or front-end lift. Leveling kits are usually spacers that are added to the front suspension. They raise the front end of the truck to make it level with the rear without dramatically changing the vehicle’s suspension, ride, or handling. When installed, a leveling kit will improve the look of your truck without altering the operation and “feel” of your truck.
Leveling kits compensate for the fact that the rear-end of a new Tundra is about 2″ higher than than front. The rear end is higher because it’s designed to compensate for natural suspension sag when the vehicle is fully loaded. But because most of us drive our trucks when they aren’t at max payload, we don’t usually see the benefit to having the rear-end raised up higher than the front. By adding spacers to the front suspension we can level the truck while empty, improving it’s appearance. Best of all, because a leveling kit is nothing more than spacers, neither the ride of the stock Tundra nor the vehicle factory warranty are affected.
The benefits to a leveling kit include improved appearance and the ability to install a larger set of wheels and tires. The only downsides to adding a leveling kit, aside from the cost, are slightly higher step-in height and the possibility of premature tire wear if the kit is installed poorly or incorrectly. Again, adding a leveling kit won’t affect your Toyota factory warranty as long as it is properly installed. If you do have a part fail because the leveling kit was installed incorrectly, your warranty will not cover the problem. This, combined with some more reasons given below, is a good reason to have your kit installed by a mechanic.
A typical leveling-kit will include strut spacers, drop differential spacers, and the some new hardware. Good kits will cost you anywhere from $120 to $200. We like leveling kits with metallic components over kits made from polyurethane because the plastic kits usually require re-tightening within a few thousand miles (if they last…check out the photos below). When shopping for a leveling kit, we suggest you read through the installation instructions before you buy so you understand exactly how the kit works and what steps are needed to install it. We’ve found that the least expensive kits usually require the most labor. Obviously, a kit that only costs $100 but that requires 6 hours to install may not make as much sense as a kit that costs $200 but only takes 2 hours to install. Reading through the directions (often available online) is a good idea.
Urethane leveling kit spacers before installation:
Urethane leveling kit spacers after some wear and tear:
When considering installation, most leveling kits we’ve found suggest that they can be installed at home in 2 to 4 hours with simple hand tools. We don’t think that’s true for most people. While almost everyone handy has the basic tools needed for an install, just about every kit we’ve found requires a strut compressor and a pair of hydraulic jacks. Most home mechanics we know don’t have a strut compressor, and a lot of people don’t have more than one hydraulic jack. Even if you do have all of these tools and you can put the parts on at home you’ll still need to take your Tundra to get a new front-end alignment ASAP. Finally, the most complex portion of the installation is making sure that both front struts are properly indexed. If the struts aren’t indexed correctly the kit will need to be taken off and re-installed. Considering the complexity, the need for renting some extra tools, and the fact that you’re going to need a mechanic to align the front-end anyways, we would suggest you pay $150-$200 in labor (2-4 hours) and have the kit installed by a professional mechanic. The good news is that even with paid installation, a completed leveling kit should only cost $350 to $450 making it a very affordable Tundra accessory.
If you decide to have a mechanic install your leveling kit make sure that the shop has a modern alignment rack as well as some sort of labor guarantee on both the alignment and the kit install. Also, if you’re adding a larger set of wheels and tires to your Tundra you might want to have your mechanic check the bump stops for tire rub after the leveling kit is installed. Finally, make sure you keep the stock parts in case there’s a problem with the kit.
When you’re all done, you will have a hard time telling that your truck’s suspension has been modified. The steering, ride, and overall handling of your Tundra should feel the same.
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Some “Lift kits” also level the Tundra by lifting the front more than the rear. Our 3″ kit lifts the front 3″ and the rear only 1″ to level. There are also front only kits that lift 2″ front only for leveling.