The short and simple answer is: yes. You should go for an alignment after you have installed a leveling kit.
If you choose not to do an alignment, a variety of problems can occur, such as unpredictable truck handling, abnormal wear of tires, instability and so on.
For these reasons, you should know what impact a leveling kit has on your vehicle.
No worries, because here, I have discussed the main points you need to know about leveling kits for you!
So without any more of your time, let’s dive right in.
Does Leveling Kit Affect Alignment?
Leveling kit basically upgrades the overall look of your vehicle.
Larger vehicles usually have a slightly downward rake. In simple terms, the rear remains higher than the front.
What a leveling kit does is, it adds a bit of added height to the front suspension. So once a leveling kit is installed, modification of the suspension occurs.
And this is why you need a wheel alignment, to maintain the stability and prevent abnormal wear of the tires.
So yes, a leveling kit does affect the alignment, that’s why you should do a realignment of the wheels after the installation.
Alignment After Leveling Kit f150
You have to be a little careful while doing alignment of wheels after placing the leveling kit in your f150. It’s better if you do it from a good alignment shop.
Otherwise, poor alignment might cause some problems, which include popping noises and the need of a camber kit.
Alignment After Leveling Kit Silverado
Since you would be modifying the suspension of the vehicle by installing a leveling kit, the ideal scenario is to go for a wheel alignment.
So, you should get your alignment checked after installing a leveling kit on Silverado.
Common Alignment Problems After Installing A Leveling Kit
There can be a lot of reasons why you might consider installing a leveling kit on your truck or SUV.
Typically, If you want to upgrade the looks of your vehicle, a leveling kit installation is a great way to do that.
However, problems arise when you don’t do the wheel alignment just after that.
Leveling kit increases the height of the front suspension. So, changes on the suspension is a definite scenario, no matter what type of leveling kit you are using on your vehicle.
The first and the most obvious problem that might happen is: the vehicle may become unstable. And this instability will be a hindrance towards the smooth performance of your vehicle.
Then, the suspension of our vehicle may wear out much faster.
Another obvious problem is: abnormal wear of the tires. This in turn will quickly destroy your tires, and cause unpredictable truck handling.
So, to avoid changing tires every month, which will cost you way more that an alignment, every time there is a change in the suspension of your vehicle, you should go for a wheel alignment.
Do You Need Wheel Alignment After Leveling Kit 2wd?
The size of the leveling kit that you want to use on your vehicle actually depends on you.
However, if you choose to go for a 2wd leveling kit, typically you won’t need to do major adjustments on your vehicle. But after installation, you should definitely check if everything’s normal or not.
Some usually notice little to no changes, while others seem to have slight problems without alignment of wheels.
But it is best to remain safe, isn’t it? So no matter which size you are going for, a wheel alignment does no harm, rather improves the overall performance and activity of your vehicle.
How Much Does An Alignment Cost?
It actually depends on you. If you go for a single alignment, it should cost you around $50-$100. And if you choose to do a full alignment, it will be around $200.
Checking just one set of wheels is a single alignment. Similarly, if both sets of the wheels are checked, it’s called a full alignment.
So, What Should You Do After Installing a Leveling Kit?
If you have gone through the discussion thoroughly, you should be able to know what to do after you have installed a leveling kit.
A leveling kit primarily elevates the outlook of your vehicle. Other than that, it hardly does anything positive.
So, if you want your vehicle to run smoothly without any problem, then you should definitely do wheel alignment after installing a leveling kit.
And if you don’t, sooner or later, depending on the condition of your vehicle, you will need to do that. So why risk the performance of your truck or SUV?
Go smart and easy, take a little time, put some effort, and do a wheel alignment after you’ve installed a leveling kit!
How to Perform Wheel Alignment by Yourself – Video
Credit: 1A Auto: Repair Tips & Secrets Only Mechanics Know