A leveling kit is a kit that allows jeep owners to raise one side of the jeep to create a smooth flat leveled look. Many love the benefits they provide, while others are against them. If you are thinking about investing in this item, you might wonder, does your Jeep need a leveling kit? Or should you stay away from them?
Generally, Jeeps do not need a leveling kit. While there are some advantages to having one, it’s not a necessity. Many Jeep owners opt for a leveling kit because they are easier to install and cheaper than a lift kit. A leveling kit can add some clearance to a Jeep quickly and inexpensively.
Read on to learn more about the Jeep leveling kit. There are many unique benefits it can offer, but also disadvantages that some may prefer to avoid. By the time you finish reading, you can decide if a leveling kit is the right choice for you and your vehicle.
Do Jeeps Need a Leveling Kit?
In terms of necessity, Jeeps do not need a leveling kit for you to enjoy all that they offer. You can still have an enjoyable experience on the road without making the extra effort to utilize a leveling kit on your car.
However, there are some benefits you will get with a leveling kit that you cannot get simply by leaving your Jeep in the same condition you bought it.
These kits are constantly up for debate in the Jeep community as drivers determine whether they are worth the money or a complete waste of time and energy. You can decide for yourself by the end.
Here’s a video showing a Jeep Wrangler getting a 1.5 inch level so you can see for yourself:
Reasons Why You Might Need a Leveling Kit
There are a few reasons why your Jeep may need a leveling kit. Understanding these can help you determine if a leveling kit is beneficial to your car or an unnecessary add-on that will take from your overall driving experience.
The four reasons that support investing in a leveling kit include:
- Its affordability compared to the lift kit
- Its ability to slightly alter the Jeep’s look
- Its installation simplicity compared to other add-ons
- Its benefits for casual drivers who don’t go off-road
Leveling kits can provide unique advantages to Jeeps that are difficult to find anywhere else. Knowing more about these can help you make the best choice for your vehicle, whether you intend to go off-road or drive to work every single day.
It’s a Cheaper Alternative to Lift Kits
Lift kits are the more extreme version of leveling kits. Rather than providing slight cosmetic alterations, lift kids raise the suspension of a Jeep to an extreme level and make it look completely different from what it once was. This change makes the lift kit very expensive, impractical for many Jeep owners.
In contrast, the leveling kit is much cheaper. Some examples of leveling kit prices available on Amazon include:
- The TeraFlex Leveling Kit for around $200
- The Rough Country Leveling Kit for around $60
- The Alloy Leveling Kit for around $100
These are just a few examples of price points a leveling kit may fall at on the market. Many vary depending on the company and the quality of the components.
Though leveling kits don’t do as much as lift kits, they are a cheaper alternative for those who want to make a change to their Jeep. Those looking to save money while making changes to their Jeep will enjoy the affordable price points offered for leveling kits compared to lift kits for their vehicle.
It Provides a Slight Cosmetic Tweak
Jeep leveling kits can make tiny changes to your Jeep that may not be super noticeable to outside viewers. For those who don’t want a drastic cosmetic change, a leveling kit is excellent. It can make changes without doing something intense to your vehicle, providing a unique change to your everyday ride.
A Jeep leveling kit will:
- Make the tires slightly bigger on the front or back of the car
- Increase the suspension slightly, allowing both ends to match up
These changes are tiny but distinctly still there. Jeep lovers will note these alterations with ease.
Those who want to make a slight change but don’t want anything drastic will enjoy the minimalism of the leveling kit.
You can get quite a bit out of it without paying a lot of money or drastically altering the look of your vehicle. It will make the appearance smoother, rather than drastically raising anything.
It’s Simple to Install
- Compared to other kits that you can add to the Jeep, the leveling kit is simple to install for any user.
- Those who get overwhelmed by complex systems will enjoy the ease that a leveling kit offers to them.
- The simple installation process is unlike any other, so it will cost you less time and money to complete.
When the time comes to install the leveling kit, some instructions come with the item you order. You also have access to YouTube videos and online tutorials that give extensive construction for confused owners. Jeeps who desire increased suspension may need a leveling kit simply due to how easy they are to add to the car.
It’s Ideal for Those Who Stay on the Road
If you don’t go off-roading, a leveling kit is a great choice. It won’t help with driving on rough terrain, but it will make your car look classy on the way to work. Those who tend to stay on the road can enjoy what a leveling kit has to offer without worrying about how much off-roading the suspension can handle.
A Jeep leveling kit is excellent for those:
- Who regularly commute to work
- Who often travel on the road
- Who shifts between locations in their weeks
When you level a car, there is a risk for lower fuel economy when you travel. This factor and the fact that a leveled Jeep operates better on the road makes a leveling kit excellent for those who use the Jeep as transportation, rather than something that can make driving on a rough dirt road more exciting.
Reasons Why You Might Not Need a Leveling Kit
Of course, there are also some strong reasons against investing in a Jeep leveling kit. It can provide unique advantages but also disadvantages critical enough for Jeep owners to understand before investing. You can compare these to the benefits to determine what the best choice is for you.
The four reasons that go against investing in a leveling kit include:
- It could potentially void the warranty on your car
- It could cause the suspension to wear out over time
- It doesn’t make that much of a change to the look of the Jeep
- It’s not ideal for off-roading on rough terrain
Keep reading to learn more about the reasons why you might not need a leveling kit. It’s a unique option to select for your vehicle, but it might not be the right choice for your Jeep.
The choice is up to you in the end. You can compare the benefits and disadvantages of the leveling kit with each other once you finish reading.
It Could Void the Warranty
A leveling kit typically does not void the warranty on a Jeep. However, if any damage happens during the installation process, there is a chance that the warranty could be voided. If you are prone to breaking pieces during installation, keep this in mind to avoid harming the agreements you have on your vehicle.
To avoid voiding the warranty on your Jeep, you should:
- Leave the installation in the hands of someone with experience installing kits on Jeeps
- Ensure you understand your warranty and all it entails before you make any changes
These actions will ensure you take care of the requirements of your warranty ahead of time.
If you’re worried about the warranty you have on your Jeep, a leveling kit may not be for you. Take this into consideration if you want to make physical alterations to your Jeep with a leveling kit.
A warranty is critical if you desire for aspects of your vehicle covered in the case of damage. A leveling kit is not worth damaging that if your coverage is specific.
It Might Wear Out Suspension
- A suspension kit alters the entire structure of the Jeep suspension kit.
- In turn, this could cause the suspension to wear out over time.
- If the leveling kit is not installed correctly, it could wear out even further.
- There are definitive risks you are taking when you alter the structure of your vehicle.
If taking the risk of wear and tear on your suspension doesn’t appeal to you, a leveling kit might not be the right choice for you. Leaving your Jeep construction as is the best way to keep it in as pristine condition as possible. After all, you need to preserve your vehicle for as long as possible for the best value.
It Doesn’t Alter the Appearance Much
The leveling kit doesn’t alter the appearance of the car that much. If you want an apparent lift in the suspension and enlargement of the tires, a leveling kit may not be the best choice for you.
It only adds a slight change, rather than a larger one. Those seeking a drastic shift may be disappointed.
Some ways you might see an alteration in appearance include:
- Slightly enlarged tires for the vehicle as a whole
- Minimally lifted suspension for the car to match both ends with each other
These are the two ways a leveling kit will impact your vehicle on the road, leveling out the car so that it looks like one smooth plane.
If you want a drastic shift in appearance, you might want to invest in a lift kit rather than a leveling kit. It levels the front with the back, adding a slight alteration all around rather than a massive one. It essentially smooths things out rather than changing them.
It’s Not Ideal for Off-roading
The leveling kit does change the suspension slightly, but it is not ideal for off-roading. The suspension and wheel sizes help to adapt the car but are not enough to handle intense terrain.
Those who choose to utilize a leveling kit rather than a lift kit will not be as suited for taking on environments off the paved road.
If you off-road extensively, you might want to invest in a lift kit. Although it is more expensive, this action may be necessary because:
- It will increase the suspension to permit driving on even the harshest roads
- It will make the tires bigger to drive over anything you want to both on and off the road
Both of these reasons stand against investing in a leveling kit, as the lift kit will give you much more for your vehicle as a whole.
If you love to take on the outdoors with your Jeep, a leveling kit is not necessary. Go straight for a lift kit to ensure that your Jeep stays as safe as possible while you drive over rugged terrain and uneven surfaces.
Conclusion
Owning a Jeep is a unique experience. There is a world of add-on options available to you and a vast community with varying opinions. Between lift kits and leveling kits, it can feel impossible to decide if installing new equipment on your car is the right choice for you.
After all, many factors support and don’t support this option. Overall, your Jeep doesn’t need a leveling kit. If you want one, it can bring about some unique benefits.
However, you don’t need a leveling kit to enjoy all that your Jeep has to offer on the open road. You can leave your Jeep as is or even invest in a more expensive lift kit to explore the outdoor abilities of the Jeep.