Anyone install a Readylift leveling kit?

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mattastic13

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Am I right in assuming that the stock shocks are retained, so I am good to use the Bilstein 5100 shocks? I pulled the trigger on the lift AND the shocks without thinking, so now I need to make sure I don't need to return the shocks.
 

PHIL NOWASKI

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Wheel size is 20" and tires are M&S LT295/60R20 and measure 33"tall. My Expy is an XLT FX4 and does not have ccd. The lane keeping sensors were not lowered and work fine, so no need for brackets. And you can keep your stock shocks with the lift kit
 

95cobby

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Am I right in assuming that the stock shocks are retained, so I am good to use the Bilstein 5100 shocks? I pulled the trigger on the lift AND the shocks without thinking, so now I need to make sure I don't need to return the shocks.

Where did you get the shocks from; they are for the 18-19 Expy?
 

Black

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Am I right in assuming that the stock shocks are retained, so I am good to use the Bilstein 5100 shocks? I pulled the trigger on the lift AND the shocks without thinking, so now I need to make sure I don't need to return the shocks.

You DO NOT want to run 5100s with spacers on top.
You can retain the OEM shocks with the Readylift if you want.
 

16plati

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ahhh, you don't relocate the sensor you just use a longer arm. Smart and easy. appreciate it.

(just being curious....Did you actually lift a platinum?)
I lifted my platinum
 

julijn

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ahhh, you don't relocate the sensor you just use a longer arm. Smart and easy. appreciate it.

(just being curious....Did you actually lift a platinum?)
I have a Limited 2018 with the ccd. I have the ready lift but im trying to decide on wheels..i will keep posted.
 

Black

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Any reason why you can’t use those shocks on a Max XLT?

You can if you are not using a spacer.

You can’t safely run a spacer on top of a 5100. The 5100 body and shaft are not the same length as the factory shock. Even though there is a factory ride height setting the spring perch ring is not the same height as factory and the body and shaft being longer adding a spacer to the top will likely bend your shaft.
To top it off a 3” spacer combined with the OEM height notch on the 5100 will likely give you a combined lift of 4” if not higher due to the design of the 5100.
And from personal experience 4” of lift on these rigs is not a good thing. I did it for a week and it was not fun.

So at this point in the game for 18+ models with the available options you are stuck with a 1.5” lift and better shocks using the Bilsteins or a 3/2 lift and stick with with factory shocks.
 

jolexey

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You can if you are not using a spacer.

You can’t safely run a spacer on top of a 5100. The 5100 body and shaft are not the same length as the factory shock. Even though there is a factory ride height setting the spring perch ring is not the same height as factory and the body and shaft being longer adding a spacer to the top will likely bend your shaft.
To top it off a 3” spacer combined with the OEM height notch on the 5100 will likely give you a combined lift of 4” if not higher due to the design of the 5100.
And from personal experience 4” of lift on these rigs is not a good thing. I did it for a week and it was not fun.

So at this point in the game for 18+ models with the available options you are stuck with a 1.5” lift and better shocks using the Bilsteins or a 3/2 lift and stick with with factory shocks.

Can you explain what you experienced? I’d like to get 1” more out of the rear as I think it looks like it’s sagging about that compared to the front.
 

Black

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How much are you sagging? There are a number of 2.5” rear spacers on eBay. Have not seen a 3” rear spacer. 3” in the rear MIGHT be doable if you can find someone to make them (couple of the eBay folks will do custom heights).
Or you could go to a 2” front spacer though may need some trimming for 35s though.

If you have the 3/2 lift theoretically you should not be experiencing a visual sag to the rear.
Did you measure before and after heights? Something else could be awry.

I can only speak to the issues of 4” of lift in the front. At that much length the strut was pretty close to full extension and while there was space between the UCA and the spring it was very minimal.
Hitting bumps that pushed the wheel/suspension up we’re not too bad one could could just tell the strut was being overworked. Hard to describe but the dampening had a very rigid feel not smooth and fluid.
As for holes and major dips, where your wheel/suspension goes down, old on to your butts!
You could hear and feel that strut was way over extended even at slow speeds. At higher speed, I never made it over 60 and usually kept it around 45 and made sure to stay way from holes and the like as much as possible, you could feel the entire corner of the truck drop since there was no more ability for the strut to extend and you would get a pretty serious clunk. I presume the UCA meeting the spring.
You hit a hole in a turn there was zero dampening and your wheel would jerk even further in the direction it was turned.
Couple bad pucker moments for sure when that happened.
Not fun at all and truly not safe. I drove it very very little at 4”.
Granted you have a newer generation but even when I had 4” up front and 2” in the rear I had no noticeable rear end sag. This is still with stock tires.
83AF3223-85F6-4279-BE17-97E7FB5EF3D3.jpeg
 

16plati

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How much are you sagging? There are a number of 2.5” rear spacers on eBay. Have not seen a 3” rear spacer. 3” in the rear MIGHT be doable if you can find someone to make them (couple of the eBay folks will do custom heights).
Or you could go to a 2” front spacer though may need some trimming for 35s though.

If you have the 3/2 lift theoretically you should not be experiencing a visual sag to the rear.
Did you measure before and after heights? Something else could be awry.

I can only speak to the issues of 4” of lift in the front. At that much length the strut was pretty close to full extension and while there was space between the UCA and the spring it was very minimal.
Hitting bumps that pushed the wheel/suspension up we’re not too bad one could could just tell the strut was being overworked. Hard to describe but the dampening had a very rigid feel not smooth and fluid.
As for holes and major dips, where your wheel/suspension goes down, old on to your butts!
You could hear and feel that strut was way over extended even at slow speeds. At higher speed, I never made it over 60 and usually kept it around 45 and made sure to stay way from holes and the like as much as possible, you could feel the entire corner of the truck drop since there was no more ability for the strut to extend and you would get a pretty serious clunk. I presume the UCA meeting the spring.
You hit a hole in a turn there was zero dampening and your wheel would jerk even further in the direction it was turned.
Couple bad pucker moments for sure when that happened.
Not fun at all and truly not safe. I drove it very very little at 4”.
Granted you have a newer generation but even when I had 4” up front and 2” in the rear I had no noticeable rear end sag. This is still with stock tires.
View attachment 29973
Looks like your truck goes to the gym and always skips leg day
 
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