Common Ram 1500 Leveling Kit Problems: Learn Issues about Leveling Kit for Dodge Ram 1500
When driving your Ram 1500 truck, there are some leveling kit problems that you will encounter. To be on the right side, it is essential for you to read this blog to understand what types of problems you will encounter and how to deal with them.
Leveling kits have an exceptional look, and it does great things to your truck. However, when not often checked, it may cause more harm to your truck than good. Therefore, if you have plans to install a new leveling kit to your Ram 1500, getting to know how it works inside out to be on the safe side.
With so much debate going around whether you need a leveling kit on your truck or not, checking out this blog will help you get started.
Common Ram 1500 Leveling Problems
The steering is positioned differently in different trucks, resulting in an issue over time, especially with the lifted truck. Therefore, getting to know about the issues long before they occur can help you in understanding how to prevent them. Here are the top issues that you should lookout.
Height Level
Getting that cosmetic upgrade on your truck seems like a lifesaver adventure. However, before installing the leveling kit for your Ram, measuring your vehicle might be helpful. A common problem in leveling kit is when you have the wrong measurements.
When you have the wrong measures, it can cause alignment issues, which over time may result from faster wear and tear of the wires. Considering that the tires are expensive, it is critical that you get everything right before you start spending extra money.
The wrong measurement is one of the reasons the 2018 Ran 1500 leveling kit developed problems.
Wrong Angle
When your leveling kit is poorly made or installed, avoiding severe damages is quite inevitable. The last thing you would want to install in your truck is a cheap and poorly made part. This is because it will lead to numerous breakdowns on various components of the truck.
Some of these issues will be noticeable when you are driving at high speed. A wrong angle will make your truck feel shaky, making it a challenge to hold it together. Alternatively, you will find yourself visiting a mechanic frequently to have a particular problem resolved.
To avoid such minor issues from changing your truck's operation, it is essential that you do thorough research before ordering the Ram level kit.
Too Much Mileage
With too much mileage, there comes a lot of unexpected costs to maintain your truck. An easy way to check on your truck's mileage is to monitor whether your truck has terrible gas consumption or you keep replacing the tires.
If you are experiencing such issues, it might be obvious that your level kit has a problem. Therefore, if you are tired of encountering huge gas costs and constantly replacing the tires, checking on leveling kit could be ideal for resolving the problem.
Damaged Suspension
If your level kit is poorly installed, it could affect the suspension system. The mere touch on the suspension system means that the truck's operating system will be altered. What makes this quite risky is that there are some parts that are fragile, and if the job is poorly done, it could get damaged or even break.
Therefore, if you notice any issues on your suspension or it gets damaged, the easiest way to handle the issue is to check at the leveling it. However, the best way to keep your suspensions secure is to ensure that the level kit is installed right. In case the suspension is damaged, then replacing it to prevent far components damage.
Defective Driveshaft
When you install a defective leveling kit, it automatically affects the driveshaft leading to premature wear and tear. Whenever you hear a nasty noise while you are trying to shift your truck while on the road, or you regularly feel your truck shaking while on the move, the problem could be the driveshaft.
The problem could be related to the leveling kit, and so it should be checked before it gets out of hand.
Worn Out Pinion Gears
Another problem that is associated with leveling kit is the quick wearing of the pinion gears. If you drive your truck for a couple of miles and your level kit is faulty, it could eventually damage your truck.
Although pinion gears are designed to wear out, when there is an underlined issue, the wearing process accelerates when there are issues that interfere with the entire vehicle's operation.
Lack of Maintenance
Maintenance is one way of ensuring that your vehicle moves around effectively. Lack of maintenance enhances the possibilities of wear and tear. Whether you have your leveling kit installed right or wrong, maintenance should not be optional. Performing regular maintenance not only saves you money but also guarantees you safety. All you need is to create some time and schedule a visit to your mechanic.
How to Install the Leveling Kit Right Way
With all the information on the problems that are related to the poor installation of leveling kits, the only fair thing is to know how you can avoid the problems. This only happens by ensuring that you install your leveling kit in the right way. When you install the leveling kit right, you will save yourself money in gas mileage problems, damaging driveshaft, etc. Here are a few steps that will guide you through the installation process.
What You Need
For you to get started, you will first need to gather the right tools for the job. However, if you are a regular in performing your car maintenance, accessing these tools shouldn't be an issue.
- A wrench
- A drill
- 4 jack stands
- 2 floor jacks
- Vice grips
With the right tools, here is a step-by-step guide
Jack the Truck
The first step towards installing your reveling lit right is by ensuring that your car is well lifted. Find a proper space which is flat where you can lift the car for a better experience. When lifting, ensure to use the jack stands to minimize chances of accidents.
However, if you feel like you need help perfectly placing your jack, there are no limitations to it. A simple way to get it done is placing the jack stands on both sides behind the radius arms and then using the jack floor on the jack floor.
Loosen the Brake Line
Start by preventing any tension on the truck by loosening the brake line brackets. Take your time and loosen the brake bracket on both sides. Whether you are experienced o
r you are doing it for the first time, installing the leveling kit while in a rush is among the reasons that Dodge 1500 leveling kit problems.
Remove the Sway Bar Link
If you are doing this for the first time, it's good to know that this step is quite tricky. It requires you to pull some strength to help you get started.
With the right tool, however, dropping the sway bar is possible. Use the vice grip to hold onto the nut and remove it gently. Ensure to do this on each side to ease the process of installing the leveling kit.
Take the Shock Out
From the top and bottom sides, take off the brake line mounts. This part is quite sensitive, and it requires you to be extra careful. Therefore, don't rush on this with a wrench; remove the bolts on each side carefully.
Once the bolts are removed, add a little pressure to remove the shock and do it quite slowly. As you remove the parts, ensure to place them at a safe place where you can find them when it's time to return them.
Remove the Coils
You have reached one of the easiest parts of the entire process. However, this doesn't mean that you should lose focus. Lower the axle on the front gently. This will make it easy for you to remove the coil.
Install the Spacer
At this point, you are almost done with the leveling kit installation process. Installing the spacer can be a little challenging, but it can be done. All you need is to ensure you hold the spacer in place even when it gets messy.
Remember the Spring Isolator
While putting the spring isolator, you have to be careful and do it right. Start with the passenger's side, then move to the driver's side. While putting the coil back, however, you will require to put in a little pressure to get it fitting to the right place.
Return Each Piece in Place
Once you are done installing the leveling kit, it's not time to tire each nut, each bolt, and every piece together. Ensure to return all the pieces as they were to avoid developing unexpected problems.
Final Thoughts
By now, saying that most Ram 1500 leveling kit problems are associated with mediocre installation won't be wrong. For you to be on the safe side and to enjoy riding a truck, you need to start by ensuring you install the leveling kit right.
