How Do F-150 Leveling Kits Affect Ride Quality and Handling?

There’s a universal truth among truck enthusiasts: modifying your vehicle is a lot of fun. Whether you use your truck for work, adventure, or commuting, there’s always room to upgrade it and make it better. And for many truck drivers, that means upgrading the suspension and installing a lift kit of some sorts. When it comes to lift kits, there are two common options to choose from: an F-150 leveling kit, or a full suspension lift kit. Leveling kits are a popular modification for F-150 drivers, because they can dramatically increase the style of your truck for a fraction of the cost of a suspension lift kit. But leveling kits do more than just bring out the best in your truck’s style. They can also make life much better behind the wheel. Here’s what you need to know.

What Are Leveling Kits?

Leveling kits are a basic suspension modification that counterbalance rake, giving your F-150 a much better look. Your truck drives off the lot with a front end that rests lower than the rear end. The reason for this is to maximize balance, control, and traction when your truck bed is loaded with heavy cargo, which forces down the rear of the vehicle. But as a result, your F-150 comes stock with rake, which is the term for when the front of a vehicle looks lower than the rear. It gives your truck an almost tipped appearance and makes it look less aggressive and less tough. A leveling kit lifts up the front of your truck so that it’s even with the rear. By doing that, your F-150 will maintain an even body from front to rear, which looks so much better. This is distinctly different from a suspension lift kit, where the actual suspension is replaced, lifting the entirety of your truck’s body higher in the air.

How Leveling Kits Impact Handling

While leveling kits are known for enhancing the style of trucks, arguably, their greatest impact is on the way your vehicle will handle. Rake causes your F-150 to not have even weight distribution, as more weight is pulling on the front of the truck. A leveling kit will even out the body and thus make the weight distribution much more even. That can dramatically improve the balance and stability of your truck, which will give you much better handling. You’ll especially notice this when braking hard while driving in conditions where you don’t have great traction, such as on wet roads, icy roads, gravel paths, or muddy trails. As you brake, the weight of the truck shifts forward, further diminishing your traction. When your vehicle has a lot of rake, it already has the weight forward, so the braking will exacerbate the issue, and you won’t have much control over your vehicle. Leveling the body of the truck and the weight will keep you from losing as much stability when braking during these conditions. If you are regularly driving around with a lot of heavy cargo in your truck bed, then you might not notice the impact of a leveling kit as much; after all, that’s exactly why your F-150 comes with rake. But for anyone using their vehicle around the city or on dirt trails, the handling will really improve with a leveling kit.

Handling While Off-Roading

It goes without saying that if a leveling kit improves your handling, stability, and balance, that it will make your truck better for off-roading. But leveling kits have an even further impact for off-road enthusiasts. By lifting the front of your F-150, you’ll gain notably more clearance, allowing you to take on larger challenges on the trail. And most importantly, a leveling kit will make it so you can install larger tires and wheels than before, so you can level up your truck’s footwear, and make it even more equipped for all your off-roading adventures.

How Does a Leveling Kit Impact Ride Quality?

Leveling kits don’t have too much of an impact on your truck’s ride quality. In a vacuum, they won’t really make your ride notably smoother or quieter, though they definitely won’t adversely impact it, either. In reality, though, leveling kits can impact ride quality because of how much they impact handling. The more balanced your truck is, the smoother you’re able to drive it. The smoother you’re able to drive it, the better the ride quality inside the cabin. So while a leveling kit doesn’t diminish the way bumps in the road hit your suspension, they will allow you to drive in a way that is much nicer for both you and your passengers. If you think a leveling kit might be the next modification for your F-150, then you’ve come to the right place. We have plenty of different options and a team of sales techs standing by to help you out, so you can find the perfect product for your truck.