Leveling kit???

Yes it will help the look a little bit. I would wait till you get it to see how you like it as is. Check with dealer first mine doesn't want it to be lifted unless they do it. But yes I think it makes it look better overall.

It's a personal preference sorta thing.

In my opinion... bigger tires make a MUCH bigger difference than a leveling kit or a lift kit. One of my pet peeves is people keep their stock tires but add on a 4"+ lift kit on their vehicle. Usually makes it look real dumb in my opinion, the best way I can describe it is that it looks like the vehicle is standing on its tippy-toes.

But a 1" leveling kit won't look bad at all on the Black Diamond, and it is a cost-effective way to give your vehicle a little bit of a more-capable-looking stance.

Put me in the group of matter of preference.
I've seen a BD 2 door that looked just fine with the stock tires.
I also think in some pictures, 4 dr. BB's, the tires look small. In real life, not so bad.

In my opinion, leveling it with the stock tires will make your tires look smaller (and I don't like that look). Hell, I'd put 33's on there 1st. If I did go leveling kit, I'd bump it up to 295's or 315's. But in the end, I keep the rake in my Bronco because I also tow my trailer from time to time, so don't want to risk the rear end squatting (appearing so) under load.

It really just boils down to the look you prefer.

Edit: Keep in mind, if you never plan on off roading, plenty of people have already put 35's (315's) on stock suspension without rubbing (remove crash bars).

RagnarKon

It's a personal preference sorta thing.

In my opinion... bigger tires make a MUCH bigger difference than a leveling kit or a lift kit. One of my pet peeves is people keep their stock tires but add on a 4"+ lift kit on their vehicle. Usually makes it look real dumb in my opinion, the best way I can describe it is that it looks like the vehicle is standing on its tippy-toes.

But a 1" leveling kit won't look bad at all on the Black Diamond, and it is a cost-effective way to give your vehicle a little bit of a more-capable-looking stance.

I agree 33" tires would almost certainly have a greater impact to the look but come with a significant cost. I'm seeing leveling kits for around $60.

Cyraj

I agree 33" tires would almost certainly have a greater impact to the look but come with a significant cost. I'm seeing leveling kits for around $60.

Yeah it's hard to argue with the price on a leveling kit.

Once you get above a 2" you'll start having front suspension geometry issues and it gets expensive in a hurry. But 2" and under, I can't argue with the price.

Which reminds me... if you do install a leveling kit, don't forget that you probably should get your Bronco aligned at a shop—even if it is a 1" kit. Adds on to the cost a bit.

RagnarKon

Yeah it's hard to argue with the price on a leveling kit.

Once you get above a 2" you'll start having front suspension geometry issues and it gets expensive in a hurry. But 2" and under, I can't argue with the price.

Which reminds me... if you do install a leveling kit, don't forget that you probably should get your Bronco aligned at a shop—even if it is a 1" kit. Adds on to the cost a bit.

Probably safe to say you can remove "probably should", with IFS I'd definitely expect an alignment to be required. When we did the 2" level lift on the BIL's Big Bend, he absolutely needed an alignment done. I'd expect the same for a 1" level.

EvlNvrDys

Probably safe to say you can remove "probably should", with IFS I'd definitely expect an alignment to be required. When we did the 2" level lift on the BIL's Big Bend, he absolutely needed an alignment done. I'd expect the same for a 1" level.

Thanks for that added bit of info Re alignment. Something else to consider :confused:

Cyraj

Thanks for that added bit of info Re alignment. Something else to consider :confused:

I think the BIL paid like $150 +/- for the alignment.

Still cheaper than 5 new tires. But the BD doesn't look too bad with the tires it has. Can always just run with them and do something when they wear out.

Anyone have a leveling kit installed and ride suffers?? Now I feel every bump where before it was really pretty smooth. Big Bend Sas here!

I installed a winch on my 2 Door BL Sas. The extra weight out front made it sit lower and felt really heavy during braking. I installed a 1" level kit and it seemed to restore the stance and feel back to what it was pre winch.

Any comments about the ride with just a leveling kit??

nautoncall

Any comments about the ride with just a leveling kit??

I don't have a leveling kit installed, but am considering one...
I've found a HUGE difference in ride just with tire pressure. So are you running the same pressure before and after?
The kits that I've seen are just flat spacers that mount above/below the Billstein shocks. Was it just a 1" (or so) front level to reduce the rake?
What was the brand? Did anything else change?

nautoncall

Any comments about the ride with just a leveling kit??

My BIL said really no difference in ride with his kit.

He also says mine rides nicer. But I got Squatch so I have the Bilstein shocks and he has the Hitachi or whatever the standard shocks are.

Cyraj

Hi,

I have a BD 4DR auto ordered. I really don't want to upgrade the tires right away, but was thinking of adding a 1" leveling kit. Would adding this give it a better look?
I'm a novice when it comes to this stuff. Thanks.

From what I've seen and read. The bronco sits pretty damn level as it is. Most guys are just removing the crash bars and getting away with alot. I plan to see how I like it stock and move on from there. Mine will also never leave a paved road so there's that. Just about looks for me. I don't have the chedder some of you guys have to go beat the shit out of a brand new car for "fun"

I got it taken off. I’ll let you know. I did t check pressure but unless the shop added air to the tires because I didn’t .

Cyraj

Hi,

I have a BD 4DR auto ordered. I really don't want to upgrade the tires right away, but was thinking of adding a 1" leveling kit. Would adding this give it a better look?
I'm a novice when it comes to this stuff. Thanks.

For several reasons, this is the one to get. This type of lift is beneficial to suspension geometry as it keeps the overall length of the strut assembly in factory spec. Other kits that use a "puck" style spacer actually lengthen the overall strut assembly which creates a more severe angle of the driveshafts. This one is harder to install however it is better for your front end components.
https://www.grtoffroad.com/products/non-sasquatch-equiped-bronco-level-kit

So leveling kit removed and I can definitely tell the difference. With the leveling kit any road bumps were just really harsh. With it removed it is just a softer bump.

nautoncall

So leveling kit removed and I can definitely tell the difference. With the leveling kit any road bumps were just really harsh. With it removed it is just a softer bump.

nautoncall

So leveling kit removed and I can definitely tell the difference. With the leveling kit any road bumps were just really harsh. With it removed it is just a softer bump.

Yeah, the springs are designed to hold the weight of the vehicle at basically at neutral buoyancy. Then the shocks are designed to absorb the bumps potholes etc. Typically in a progressive manner. Meaning that the more it gets compressed the firmer it gets and then eventually hits a bump stop. Therefore, it makes sense that if you add a leveling kit that pre-compresses or stretches the suspension in someway that the softer part of the suspension at the beginning of its flex gets eliminated. For a long time auto manufactures have used different electronically controlled suspension systems. Ones that allow you to select firmness from the dash. In fact, the most advanced suspension systems work by knowing speed, breaking etc. His suspension system checks 1000 times a second and it adjusts with these live valves to give maximum control and ride under any circumstances. That means it fims up or softens the suspension based on speed, breaking, rpm, etc. Hence the name live valve. Like the suspension is alive constantly adjusting to the situation. Previous to these or not as sophisticated as these are the bypass socks. they get firm at both ends and are soft in the middle. Giving a more comfortable ride. Even though the stock suspension package from Ford on the bronco is very good for what it is, it is not going to be the same as going to a true off-road suspension system. Most of your normal shocks range in price from like $50-$200. Entry level into high end shocks is around $800-$1000. https://www.filthymotorsports.com/King_OEM_Bronco_Shocks_p/king-25001-392.htm the nice thing about these types of systems is that you can adjust the spring to match the weight of your bronco. And the dampener can be adjusted, by spining a dial, to match your current driving conditions. In conjunction with changing out the upper control arm, you can get the ride height you want and the ride quality you like. A Best of both worlds thing without breaking the bank. If you consider 5K not breaking the bank. In my situation I have a first edition Bronco 4-Door. This vehicle weighs more than any of the other Broncos. So much so, they did not allow towing as an option because of vehicle weight. Guess what, they did not increase the springs to match the additional weight. When going through whoop de-dos at about 15 to 18 miles an hour I land on the bump stop every time, It's horrific. I can be in a line of 10 or 15 other Broncos that are all lower trim levels and they are not hitting their bump stop at these speeds. However, every time I come down I hear a thud as I hit the bump stop. So, I can replace my springs with slightly stronger ones keep the factory shocks or replace the entire coilover. Might as well replace the upper control arm and get more travel if i'm going to go all the way to new coilovers. The last thing that I would point out is tire air pressure. This makes a much bigger difference than I had originally thought. If you're over the psi suggested by Ford then you're going to have a firm ride. Airing down for off road makes a huge difference.

Awesome information. I think the majority of people think that just adding a spacer doesn’t change anything but with the complex computer control suspensions of today’s vehicles that it does make a difference. The dealer I bought the vehicle from put the leveling kit on to make it look better but again it made it drive dramatically different. I drove the vehicle before they put it on.