How to install $40 leveling kit on your 2015 to current Ford F-150
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- Опубликовано: 10 фев 2025
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Buy the exact leveling kit I used in this video here: ebay.to/2wjoSef
Complete step-by-step instructions to installing a standard, inexpensive billet aluminum leveling kit on your brand new Ford F-150. No strut disassembly required!
The customer was able to clear 35" tires without trimming anything after this install.
I’ve been working on vehicles for about 30 years, and I just bought a brand new f150 that I’m getting ready to level, and I don’t want to mess it up. I’ve watched at least 20 different vids on this process, and this is the most thorough one that I’ve watched. You made the process look extremely straightforward. Thank you!
Amen
This is one of the best videos I have seen on strut spacer installation. No CV joint removal or brake caliper messing around. Why are the others videos removing them when it is not necessary? Well done!
I haven't done this yet but I can tell you one thing: It's a hell of a lot better video than the ones American Truck (and others) put out. Yours is well detailed and easy to understand while the others are just going through the motions leaving out important details. In other words they are just trying to sell their stuff. Excellent video and will attempt with friend next week. New truck so should come apart ok. Fingers crossed.
What did they leave out? Doing mine tomorrow and it looks like there video tells you how to do it.
Their video does things backwards, harder and unprofessional, as you'll see just from one part of them bashing out the bottom coil studs up they dent the whole bottom
I've put on this leveling kit before but instead of rotating the top hat I just swapped the driver side and passenger side strut. That was so much easier.
dude you just saved me like 2 hours of labor
Can't believe that he didn't think of that before
But how does that work? I am confussed. Can u explain pls
I should have read your comment before my install. I ended up rotating the bottom studs the opposite way with a 1" pipe tube. Not as easy as your method, but much easier than rotating the top hat.
@@kevinbenitez434 did you just go through the process of removing each strut, add the spacer, then swap sides? Thanks
Thank you for the video! I did my truck using your instructions this past weekend with relatively no help. I used hand tools, a couple of floor jacks and floor stands. You literally saved me 200 dollars! Thank you again!!!
"They're very stubborn. So be ready for a fight." You aren't kidding. What a nightmare. I actually couldn't even get mine out. I ran out of time so I had to put it back together and try again another day.
dude, your video blows all the manufacturer installs out of the water that i have seen. i done a lift on my old silverado i had and spent a good few hours longer than i should have fumbling through everything. i figured on my f150 it would be the same thing.
awesome vid man. greatly appreciated and good job
Nothing like a small block for a work bench! Love it
Another thing I found that helps when doing these leveling kits is if you remove the studs from the bottom of the strut before you remove it. Makes it easier to get the strut out as well.
Thanks for putting this up. I appreciate your focus on the details and call outs on the bolt/nut sizes. Nice work all the way around.
Great video. Been a while since I’ve done one of these, and was looking for torque specs. I appreciate you mentioning those. I totally understand why you choose to loosen the lower control arms. You don’t risk damage to the axle shaft, and you’re at a shop and going straight to the alignment rack. It’s the best way to do it. But for me at home, I’m removing to axle shaft from the spindle and leaving the lower control arms alone. You should definitely get your alignment checked after installing, but I’ve done 3, and 2 of them were still within spec, and the 3rd barely out. If you loosen those lower control arms, your about guaranteed to be well out of spec.
Best Instructional video so far i have seen on youtube. I didn;t have to rotate the strut top hat becuase the supreme suspension spacers i have were engineered to pop on the strut and the studs mated up perfect to the mount. Loosening up the lower control arm is critical other wise your in for one hell of fight to get the newly longer sturt in. Cheers!
jhaack79 about to install supreme suspension on mine. nice to know I don't have to mess with struts
I got those too but I can’t get the dang strut assembly back on. Did you loosen the lower control arm? I didn’t and don’t want to but just trying to find out if it’s absolutely necessary
How did your installation go? I'd like to avoid the spring compression and rotating the cap.
Is that a picture of rig 511 for Marathon oil
I’ll tell you what, been working on it today, and getting the struts back in is the biggest pain in the rear. But the way supreme suspension lines up without having to rotate strut head is nice.
I never rotated the top mount of the strut. The lower mount bushing will rotate with a little leverage. Also i loaded the suspension before i torqued the lower control arm.
Thank you so much for making this! I dove into it today, and it took me probably 5 hoursby myself with a few screwups that i had to backtrack :D
I have air tools and plenty of sockets and wrenches. Used a floor jack and two jack stands. I could probably doit in less than2 hours after doing it once.
Btw, I did not rotate the strut cap, I swapped the struts like was mentioned in the comments.
Love the new look of my truck!
Just did this and it worked good. It’s a bit iffy to pull the strut out like that because of the extra stress on the CV joint but it worked out ok. Needed a big pry bar. I didn’t have to loose the UCA or LCA bolts either. If the lower strut bolts are fixed you can cut them off and it makes it much easier to pull the strut out. If you do loosen any of the control arm to frame bolts, mark them so you can get it close if not dead nuts back on the right way so you can still drive it ok before alignment. And make damn sure you torque them back to 258ft lbs per the spec.
Thank you for the great video. Just did the install with your instructions. As others have said no need to rotate the strut caps, just turn the strut 180 and angle the two bottom strut bolts in the opposite direction.
This guy is so good at explaining how to install the spacers. I wouldn’t be able to do it without this video. Thanks!
Real man’s install. All the other videos doing hub disconnect etc is too much. Bottom shock studs are a chore, but use a pry bar like this guy and it’s light work.
PS. If your hammer don’t get the bolts out, use some PB, then torch, then goto town.
I have an Expedition CCD, so couldn’t just swap L with R and vice versa 😅
This is one of the best illustrations I have seen. How anyone could give negative feedback? They must be jealous...Its not easy to take a strut off...I recommend talking to your front end shop where you are getting an alignment, and most will give you a break for get an alignment. Its worth a couple hundred to have done.... Great work
Great video.. Instead of rotating the strut top hat 180 degrees, i was able to rotate bottom shock ears to match angle of lower control arm..
So I installed mine on my truck today. First, I wouldn't have attempted it without your video so thank you very much. Second, it would have been worth it for me to have paid 250$ for it to be installed. It wasnt that hard but it was time consuming, and those bolts on the bottom of the struts were 100% the worst to take out. I had 3 of them pop out after a few good hits but one would not budge for the longest time. That was extremely frustrating. But in the end everything went well and I'm typing this from the auto shop that is currently doing my alignment.
If you pop that 13mm or 10mm or smaller cv axle but you have tons more room to pop that strut in and out too, great video. Clear and thorough
Good vid ..changed my struts today,took an hour per side .. KYB are now working for me
Thank you, thank you. This is the best video I have seen. You also provide torque specs while no other videos really mentioned them. I’m not a mechanic, but this encourages me enough to do replace the front struts myself.
Nice video. Super helpful. Really good to point out the need to torque everything and to use blue Loctite. By the way, the strut can just be turned 180 degrees. No need to rotate it relative to the upper mount. Just change the angle of the lower strut bolts. You can put the assembly in the lower control arm temporarily and pull the top of the strut toward you; the lower strut mount will rotate inside of the rubber bushing. Seemed to work well for me.
I was going to comment with the same advice. The lower strut bolt flange will rotate easily in it's bushing and all you have to do it turn the whole assembly 180 degrees when reinstalling.
This is a good quality instructional video. It's nice and clear in all aspects. Good job!
Dude this was an absolute clinic! Thanks so much for sharing all of the details, I haven't seen a single video that does that.
Free tip friday, spray the sway bar link threads with PB blaster and loosen it and no need to loosen the lower control arm bolts. Itll be stubborn but it'll come off
I'm so glad I found this video cause all those videos I see the strut has one through bolt on the bottom, I have like yours witg the two bolts going down. I had no idea that those bolts popped out
Thanks man for the awesome video, I did mine following your video and it took me 3 hours for everything. I added a 2" leveling kit and my truck now looks great:)
Friend good morning, the kit you bought to level your truck if you had the two inches, I just bought mine and only measures 1 5/16
You sir are the man. Did this exact kit on my brothers 2016 lariat. And we started the process with issues and motofab instructions said noting about this strut system. Their instructions are for the old struts with the single bolt on the bottom instead of the studs. Your video helped alot. The only thing i wish Moto Fab would of noted were the close tolerances that the upper control arm gains after spacer is installed. Spent some time wondering if it was istalled correctly. Once the vehicle was back on the ground that all was corrected. Thanks again
thank you. Here I go...out to the garage to tackle this job... Will let yall know how it goes. At least now I know what sockets to get out, that should save me an hour not running back and forth to the tool chest :)
Gran video AutoRex, gracias!
He does a VERY GOOD JOB of explaining everything and every step. Thank you!
Best level install video ive seen! just took delivery of my 19 and had the leveling kit ordered before i got home lol
Best video out there - AutoFab should sponsor you... but hey rather than turning top of strut, i used another jack to pickup the bottom control arm so the attack angle was aligned so it slid in. I assume you turn it 180 degrees to avoid just installing other way around which I did and it worked no issues as long as you jack lower control arm so the bottom strut bolts line up better..
Thanks again for the video, was the best out there!
Installed same kit on 2017 f150 v8
Just got my 2 inch level done on my 2016 with the help of this video. Thanks!
One of the best instructional videos I've seen and I've seen a LOT! Also showed me I'll be paying to have mine done. Haha. Back in the day...yeah...now...nope.
I used you video to change out my struts for Ranch Quicklift Loaded struts. Very helpful to understand the steps, even though not using a spacer. Just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to make the video. The instructions with the ranch kit sucked!
Just a few critiques from a professional. The bottom bold and nuts on the lower control arm are memory bushings. Which means when tightened with no load will be sprung in the down no load level. This will put extra stress on bushings weight is put on the truck
Martin Lavoie. What do you recommend?
Briggs
I recommend tightening the bolts with load on the control arms if possible with full weight of the vehicle then tighten this makes the bushings not have to twist
@@martinlavoie4002 are you referring to the big long bolts that hold the lower control arm to the frame? Tighten them up while truck is on the ground?
Getting ready to do this and want to do it right.
Also, wouldn't it be even easier to completely totally unbolt the lower control arm from frame to give even more room to remove/replace strut ?
Thanks in advance
I literally just finish doing my following your instructions and it was a breeze, thanks man!!
did you rotate the top to fit or the bottom of the strut? I've read comments of people suggesting both. Or, even swap out the driver and passenger side struts to avoid rotating all together
@@juddly450 Did you get yours done? Did you just swap sides and did it work out ok?
@@juddly450 I try to understand how switching sides would work. But in my mind it seems like the angles are the same on both sides. So switching wouldn't actually work.
Have you tried it?
Great video. Was able to follow it step by step and finished in 3 hours without an impact gun.
Mike Jagusiak did you loosen the lower control arm? For the life of me I could not get the strut back in. I ended up quitting and putting it back to normal, I’m so disappointed in myself...
how
Really good video man, very detailed. I can tell that this is too far outta my wheelhouse with my available tools to do at home, but if I could I would totally be able to walk through it with this guide. Good job
Great video! I put a 2.5" Kit on my 2018 F150. To get enough room to get the strut back in I took the half shaft out of the spindle. Other than that, this video was spot on!.
PeteC357 How are you’re Upper ball joint and CV angles? I ordered a 2.5” Rough Country leveling kit for my 2006 F150. I’m a little concerned about having the local Ford dealership install it. I have read forums and comments that say the 2.5” causes rapid wear and tear on upper control arms/ball joints. What has your experience been like so far?
So far so good. I used a Supreme Suspension kit. I have seen kits with new upper arms that have the angle compensation. Also, I had to spin the top hat. Don't forget to re-aim your headlights.
PeteC357 Thank you.
Well done, bro... definitely the best vid out there for leveling F150's. And yep, hammering out the lower strut bolts was certainly a fight! I used a little PB Blaster to take care of the slight bit of rust and junk on either side of the bolts ahead of hammering them out, maybe it helped, maybe it didn't.
Best tutorial ive seen so far thanks
Great video very thorough, watched a couple of installation videos and yours is by far the best one
Great video. I have a 2021 and was really thinking of having it done because the other videos on the internet were terrible. But your explanation is wonderful, gonna give it a try
Thanks for letting me know I do not have the tools nor the knowledge to do this on my own!
Thanks for the great video, I could not have done it without your help. Saved me a bunch of money and also its nice to have some sweat equity in my truck. Level looks great wheels and tires are next.
One of the best "how to" auto mechanic videos I've seen. Good camera work, too. But at 10:57 am I missing something? It looked like you began to install the bottom strut mount but then worked on the top again before actually doing the bottom.
Awesome video. Very detailed and to the point. I'll be watching it again when I do my install this morning. Thanks.
Nice vid man, thanks... i got the motofab kit too, instructions that came with are pretty detailed, includes all torque values too, but no where says anything about rotating strut
I've installed two fo these MotoFab kits (one on a 2018 F-150 and the other on a 2019 F-150 and did NOT rotate strut... Not sure why he's doing it? Not in instructions?
I wish I had seen your video yesterday. I spent my entire day trying to do this to install a 2" lift kit. The manufacture's directions SUCKED big time. Lots of great advice and information. Thanks!
Amazing vid bro, this is the one I'm using to install my Bilstein 5100 leveling set up. Have never done it on these trucks before but seems straight forward like all others when it comes to removing the shock assembly.... Remove tire, remove all lines that may interfere, remove bolts, and hammer out. I'll probably end up taking the entire assembly in to a shop to have them transfer over the spring and top hats to the 5100. I can save 200$ + if I do the rest myself. Thanks again brother!
Nice video, 2 thumbs up👍👍. All I did for a level was toss 800 lbs in the bed.
Very helpful gunna make it so much easier to do my leveling kit
Just did mine today went smoothly thanks man 👍🏽
Just a thought... could you not switch the driver-side strut to the passenger-side strut and vice versa to eliminate the step of compressing the strut and rotating the cap? You would keep the same angle on the lower mounting bracket.
That was thorough vid man. Nice upload.
Great video ! I’ll b doing mine tomorrow with your video right beside me
Thanks
Great Video with Safety Tips, Thanks I did mine today
Fantastic vid, one of the best instructional vids I've ever seen on RUclips.
Thank you very much.
Thanks for the video it was the most helpful video I could find.
Interesting you do this without removing the axle nut and disconnecting the CV from the hub. 99% of all the other videos include that step but you manage the job without doing it. Are you doing it to prevent extra work? Are they doing it to avoid the CV slipping out on the other end? Your method seems like it would avoid all the IWE issues people seem to have after doing an F150 level.
I just watched a video from a name brand RUclips channel.. that said you had to flip the spacer over Mount it to the strut and then use those bolts from the top that you’d never be able to find the holes..
Good job on the video, you covered every step
AWESOME vid, but as others have mentioned no need to compress the springs and rotate the top 180.......................the lower bushing will go in just fine as is. But I guess to each their own. :)
So I've noticed the 2 different ways people are using this kit. One way is to compress the spring and turn the strut 180 degrees, the other way is to simply put the lower mount on the strut in a vice and turn it to face the opposite angle. The vice method seems way easier, why do it the way where you have to compress the spring?
Or do what the other guy said and just put the driver side strut on the passenger side and vice versa.
Great vid! Pretty confident I can do this on my own now.
Great video. I want a 2'' kit for my F150 but not sure if I want someone disassembling my front end
Great how to... really helped to see it. Thanks !
Really good job of describing the process. Now please come help me fix my 06 f150 !!
Not all heroes wear capes!!
Great video I wouldn’t of been able to do it on my own thanks again great video!!!
Thank You! The instructions that came with my kit were crap - this vid rocks!!
Great job I love real people videos cause show every thing
I wish I saw this video before trying to install mine . I took it to a cheap shop they screwed my truck 2015 f150 .they removed the axle from the hub,vacuum line.
After installing the leveling kit.i got so much grinding noise and ended up damaging the hub and the bearings.
Screw that shop and after all it was my mistake to go cheap.luckily my truck is under warranty still.took it back to the dealer and now waiting if it will be fixed 😬 didn’t mentioned that I had leveling kit and removed them.
So please never go cheap again.
did they fix it??
Awesome tutorial! THANKS! I do have one question though... Is there a reason why I can't just rotate the strut 180 and put it back on instead of compressing the spring and rotating the head?
So if I’m buying the rancho struts that are already 2.5 inch all I have to do is remove the old and install the new
Hey !! great video... do you have any idea why my truck is shacking at 75-80ml/h after I installed the leveling kit ( 2" on a 2015 F-150 Lariat 4x4 ) thanks
Wouldn’t it make sense to leave the strut compressors installed during re-installation? Less fight for the lower strut mounting bolts? Upper A arm would maybe be in the way.
Mark Toy No, it would be a pita to loosen the compressors
Outstanding video. Very well done!
Fantastic explanation!
7:08 I ordered quick struts,,, both are for the same side even tho it says L and R,,, so i can just turn the top hat 180 degrees to make it fit?????
I was asked if I want to put longer up ball joint because of the pitch of the sway arm an the extra Stress on it do to the pitch
Thank you . Excellent video. You saved me hours.
Thanks for the video. I plan on doing this asap. Why do you have to rotate the strut plate 180 deg?
Thanks
I wished that you would of put a before and after pic to see the difference on the height.
I think the shop installed mine wrong, they installed the hex head studs down through the top into the spacer (upside down)
good morning, the kit you bought to level your truck if you had the two inches, I just bought mine and only measures 1 5/16
Thank you for your help the video was great you saved me a lot of time money and stress
I am having a hard time putting the strut back in place (3inch kit), so hard, I did not install it... Beside loosing the lower tab bolts, would you have another trick?
Thanks great vid!!!
If you use the spring compressors, would it be easier to get the bottom of the strut back in? I have installed a strut spacer on a titan before, but I don't like the idea of pulling the CV apart on this one.
Great video
Great video! Only one comment, the torque values you are quoting are Nm, not lb.ft.
Great video, thanks for posting
what size of leveling kit? looks pretty big like a 3-inch. I recently just put on a 1.5 inch Moto Fab leveling kit on my 2015 F150 this video helped a lot thank you.
Do you also have to change the shock it self?
So I did the install of this leveling kit. While this video was helpful, there is no realistic way to drive out the two studs in the bottom of the shock. Perhaps it’s possible on a new vehicle like in the video. I ended up removing the wheel hub, which allowed the axle to come out of the knuckle, so that I could get the lower arm down far enough to get the shock studs back in their correct location. Without doing this, there’s no way to drop the lower arm far enough. Also, be prepared for difficulty in rotating the top spring cap. Even with the springs compressed, it is very difficult to rotate the cap around 180 degrees.
Just swap out the struts from pass to driver and vice versa as they are 180 opposite. No turning needed.