Leveling a DC the right way the 1st time.

I recently picked up a clean 2006 DC 2wd and would like to explore options for leveling the truck (lifting the front) sometime in the coming year.
I've read on here about bilsteins . . .spacers . . .new coils . . . UCA's/LCA's sway bar links. . . brake lines etc. etc.

If you were going to start from scratch and wanted to do it the right way with the best 'over the counter components', available (not custom fabrication etc), what would your set up be? I would be looking at very mild off road usage, gravel roads / graded roads at low the medium speeds. I do tow a small boat, and truck camp a few times a year, but the truck will mainly be on the street. I would consider going up 1 size from my current 265/65/17 tires, but that's about it.

I'm not against leaving it stock. If there is going to be significant front-end / tire wear which will require additional maintenance / cost etc. I'm out.

(Back-story)-Years ago I purchased a 2wd F-150 w/o a clue of how those trucks 'should' be lifted . . . the prior owner used every shim/cam/ spacer / block etc. to get it to 'look' the way he wanted . . . but it drove like crap, fry'd and rubbed the tires to shreds. A friend of a friend was into those trucks and I paid him to fix it right . . .he literally removed the ENTIRE front & rear end and did it all 100% correctly . . . even new heat-treated and extended i-Beams, etc. It was like a new truck, super capable 0ff-road, rode nice, drove nice, tracked perfect, and was super easy on tires. Lesson learned . . . buy once, cry once.

So if I do decide to level this truck 1 1/2" - 2" 'MAX' I wanna do it right. If it can be done where reliability/ drive-ability (hopefully improve) I'm in . . . but if not, forget it.
I'm ok with leaving the rear springs stock and upgrading the shocks.

So what would you consider the 'ideal' set-up, and is it even worth it? I'd like to start setting aside some money, but will explore other projects on the truck if it's a waste.

Thanks for any input.

 

What is your budget?

 

I'd like to keep it around $3.5K +or- . . . I'd use my current wheels.

 

DIY or having a shop do the work?

 

Prob. have it done .... that coil/shock compression gig spooks me.

 

About 2.5 years ago, I had my front end rebuilt. $3300 roughly 50/50 labor and parts. A score at the time. I think everything has doubled since then.

1) New Billy 5100’s on all 4 corners.

2) New LCA arms (Toy OEM) including bushings.

3) New Cams Bolts (SPC)

4) New aftermarket CV Axles.

5) New Rotors and Pads.

6) High Dolla Alignment.

 

Thanks. Yeah .... if it’s gonna be pushing $7K I’m out ... that’s over 1/2 what I paid for the truck. Not saying it’s not worth it to someone who ‘needs’ that, it’s probably just not cost effective for what little I’d get out of it. Appreciate the heads-up.

 

I'm not a big fan of leveling, especially if you want to tow. I guess it's useful for heavier off roading. Just my opinion. Sounds like you will be using the truck much like I will. My truck came with recently installed 5100s (yay!) and was at or near the top setting (2"+). I didn't like it, the front felt a little stiff and I preferred it lower since I will be doing some heavier towing. So I had the front lowered two notches to one groove up from the bottom (about +0.75 inches over stock). I like it there and it drives better.

My question to you is...what is the current condition of the suspension? If it's good, I'd just leave it the way it is, buy some 5100s and put the front at the stock (bottom) or up one groove and see how you like it. Sometimes the stock setup can be slightly low in front (I happen to have the Off Road package), so going up one groove can take care of that.

My future plans include the TRD Pro SEMA wheels (they are light) and 255x70x17 tires. Why? That's all I need. Those tires are slightly taller than stock and I don't want any additional issues. Considered larger tires, but I've heard of people having issues with the transmission hunting between 4th and OD with tires as small as 265x70x17. That basically convinced me to stick with the 255s. I'll spend the money on some light wheels and good tires.

If you feel the need to level it up to 2", you can do that later.

 

@Captain Tenneal Thanks for the reply. I've decided to leave it at the stock height. I would only want improvement in ride/ handling etc. if I was gonna drop that kind of cash. Plus the truck clears my garage by less than an inch.
The suspension seems very good, no squeaks, creaks, pops, or rattles. It tracks true and no wheel shake, or unusual tire wear. I purchased the truck from my neighbor with only 56K, he used it very lightly, took good care of it/ garage kept. He just put a new set of shocks on it, so I should be good at least for a little while.

That's interesting about the transmission hunting, I could see that happening. I'm still getting used to the 5-speed/ V8 combo coming from a 2003 AC V6 4-speed . . . I've gotta adjust my driving a bit to get used to it. The truck has the stock 17" alloy wheels, with a new set of 265/65/17 Yokohamas. They seem like a decent tire. I tow 2 different boats and I really don't want a fussy tow vehicle, I really like the truck as it is and think I'll leave 'well-enough' alone.

BTW, you mentioned that the TRD Pro wheels are lighter. How much weight are you talking over stock alloys ? Thanks again for the feedback.

 

That 56k is low miles so your front end hasn’t been beat up. My front end started deteriorating at around 130k and by 150k she was toast. You should be fine leaving well enough alone.

 

I just weighed the wheel on the bathroom scale. 25.5 lbs including center cap. I believe I read the stock 17" alloys are around 29 lbs. They aren't terribly expensive wheels, $710 for a set of 4. $56 for four sets of black OEM lug nuts and $37 for black OEM locks. Freight (from Puyallup, WA) was $133 but I also ordered some trim pieces.

 

Good call. Especially since your truck only clears by less than an inch. Most people lift their trucks for the look. I know I did. I didn't expect any better of a ride. I expected it to look better to me, get worse gas milage and cost me a couple of grand. It worked out as expected. Luckily...I still have about an inch to spare going into the garage.