How to Install a Leveling Kit: Strut Spacers and Torsion Keys

To install a strut spacer leveling kit, you support the truck on jack stands, pull each front strut, bolt the spacer to the top of the strut, reinstall it and torque everything to factory spec. A torsion key kit is different: you unload each torsion bar with a puller tool, swap the factory key for the leveling key, then set the height with the adjuster bolt. Either way, finish with an alignment and a headlight adjustment.

Most bolt-on spacer and key kits on our store cost $49 to $250, while leveling struts start at $149 and leveling coilovers run $775 and up. Shop the full leveling kits collection, or start from your truck: F-150, Silverado and Sierra, Ram 1500 or Tacoma.

The steps below come from Belltech, Rough Country and ReadyLIFT instruction sheets. Your kit's own instructions always win, because the order of steps changes from truck to truck.

Which kind of leveling kit do you have?

Most half-ton trucks with independent front suspension use a coil-over strut, so they take a strut spacer. Older GM half-tons, GM heavy-duty trucks, 2002-2005 Ram 1500 4WD trucks and some SUVs use torsion bars instead. If you are still deciding what to buy, read leveling kit vs lift kit first.

Tools you need

Belltech's recommended tool list for its Ranger strut spacer kit is a good baseline for any spacer job:

• A properly rated floor jack, jack stands and wheel chocks
• A torque wrench that reaches 200 ft-lbs
• Standard and metric sockets and wrenches
• A tape measure and a marking pen
• A dead blow hammer
• Safety glasses

Rough Country's Ram 1500 sheets call for 8 mm through 24 mm sockets and wrenches. For torsion keys, add a torsion bar unloading tool. Never work under a truck held up only by a jack, and Belltech advises against using wheel ramps for this job.

How to install a strut spacer leveling kit

1. Measure first. Belltech says to measure hub to fender at all four corners before you start, from the center of the wheel straight up to the fender edge. Write the numbers down so you can see what you gained.
2. Support the truck. Park on flat concrete, set the parking brake and chock the rear wheels. Raise the front, set stands under the frame rails so the suspension hangs, and remove the front wheels.
3. Free the knuckle. This varies by truck. On the Ram 1500 kits, Rough Country disconnects the tie rod end, drops the sway bar and separates the upper ball joint. On the Ranger, Belltech removes the lower control arm cam bolts instead. If you remove cam bolts, mark their position on the bolt and frame first.
4. Support the knuckle. Put a stand or jack under it. Rough Country warns not to let the knuckle swing out far enough to pull the CV shaft out of the differential on 4WD trucks.
5. Remove the strut. Loosen the nuts on top of the strut tower, remove the lower strut bolt, then take off the top nuts while holding the strut so it can't fall.
6. Fit the spacer. Bolt the spacer onto the strut's top mount with the supplied nuts and washers. Some spacers use stud extensions; ReadyLIFT's billet spacers call for thread locker on the studs. If your kit's spacer sits on the spring, the strut must be compressed and disassembled, which is best left to a shop if you don't own a proper strut compressor.
7. Reinstall. Put the strut back in the tower, start the top nuts, refit the lower bolt the same way it came out, then reconnect the ball joint, tie rod and sway bar. Torque each fastener to the factory spec.
8. Repeat on the other side, refit the wheels, lower the truck and torque the lug nuts. Our lug nut torque chart lists the numbers for common trucks.

How to install torsion keys

Torsion bars store a lot of energy. Rough Country tells you to keep your hands and body clear of the adjuster and puller in case anything slips, and warns that a standard two-jaw puller can bend the crossmember lips. Use a proper torsion bar tool.

1. With the front raised slightly and the frame on stands, measure how much thread shows on each adjuster bolt. You will set the new keys to the same point.
2. Load the bar with the tool, remove the adjuster bolt and nut block, and slide the bar forward so the factory key drops out.
3. Fit the new key, reload with the tool and reinstall the block and bolt. Do the passenger side and keep both bolts at the same setting.
4. Lower the truck onto its wheels and check the height. To fine-tune, raise that side so the tire is just off the ground and turn the adjuster only 1 to 2 turns at a time, then lower and measure again.

Rough Country notes these kits typically need a slight toe-in adjustment, and says to record the ride height at alignment. If the bars settle later, you can adjust back to that height.

Torque specs

None of the instruction sheets we opened lists vehicle-specific torque values for the strut, ball joint or tie rod fasteners. Belltech and Rough Country both say to torque factory hardware to the factory spec, so get those from your service manual. For kit-supplied hardware, Rough Country prints this general chart:

If your kit's sheet gives its own numbers, use those instead.

After the install: alignment, headlights and re-torque

• Check clearance. Cycle the steering lock to lock and check the gap between the tire and brake hoses. Belltech and Rough Country both list this check.
• Get an alignment. Every sheet we read calls for a professional alignment. Raising the front changes camber and toe, and the marked cam bolts are only a baseline.
• Aim the headlights. A higher nose points the beams up. Rough Country says headlight adjustment is required after installation.
• Re-torque. Belltech says to check all hardware at 10, 100 and 1,000 miles. Rough Country says to re-torque after 500 miles and at routine service.

Plan your tires before the alignment. A level truck often gets bigger tires, and the shop should align it on the tires you will run. For truck-specific kit picks and heights, see our F-150 leveling kit guide.

Our picks

• Rough Country 2 inch leveling kit, 2019-2023 Ram 1500, $54.95. A low-cost front spacer kit.
• Borne Off-Road 2 inch front leveling kit, 2004+ F-150, $96.95. A simple spacer for the F-150.
• Borne Off-Road 2 inch front leveling kit, 2007+ Chevy and GMC 1500, $55.95. Spacer kit for GM half-tons.
• Borne Off-Road 2 inch front leveling kit, 2005+ Tacoma, $96.95. For Tacoma owners who want a level stance.
• Belltech 0 to 2 inch leveling strut, 2021+ F-150, $155.40. A complete strut, so no spacer stacked on a worn factory strut.
• Belltech torsion bar keys, 1999-2006 Tahoe, Yukon, Suburban and Avalanche, $175. For torsion bar GM SUVs.

FAQ

How long does it take to install a leveling kit?

About 2 hours for a typical strut spacer or torsion key kit, based on the ReadyLIFT and Rough Country instructions. Rusted bolts or a first attempt can double that.

Can I install a leveling kit myself?

Yes, if you have jack stands, a torque wrench and the service manual's torque specs. The makers recommend a qualified installer, and you still need a shop for the alignment.

Do I need an alignment after a leveling kit?

Yes. Belltech, Rough Country and ReadyLIFT all call for a professional alignment after installation.

Do I need a spring compressor for a leveling kit?

Not for most top-mount strut spacers, which bolt onto the strut's top mount. Spacers that sit on the spring do need the strut compressed and taken apart.

Should I adjust my headlights after leveling?

Yes. Raising the front aims the beams higher, and Rough Country says headlight adjustment is required after installation.

Sources

• Belltech 34938 Ford Ranger leveling spacer instructions
• Rough Country 2012-16 Ram 1500 leveling kit instructions
• Rough Country 2002-05 Ram 1500 torsion key instructions
• Rough Country 1988-98 Chevy/GMC 1500 torsion bar adjuster instructions
• ReadyLIFT 2.5 inch F-150 leveling kit installation guide