I bought a new truck--a 2012 Toyota Tundra. After buying it, I realized that it had a front end leveling kit--a front end lift that is intended to raise the front of the truck to be the same height as the rear and eliminate the rear end rise that is designed into a truck. So the problem is that the rear end rise of the truck is intended to compensate for a load so that your rear end does not sit lower than your front. That concnered me a bit. So I just got my WDH adjusted right and indeed, the rear end of the truck sits about an inch lower than the front with the trailer hooked up. (this is with the trailer loaded up with all but water--not sure how a full tank of water would affect it)Should I be concerned about this? If so, I am thinking that adding air bags to the rear may help to fix this problem. What do you think?thanksMatt

Tundra owner here; my first choice would be to remove the front end leveling kit. However, if you're only 1/2" lower in the rear, I would not worry about it. I went with Timbrens on the rear of my Tundra btw.

I think I would remove the front end leveling kit and forget about adding air bags to the rear.Ron

Yeah...removing the leveling kit is an option. I am not mechanical myself--not sure how much labor it would be to do that / how much it would cost me. My idea of the airbags was that it might actually be cheaper to get those than to remove the leveling kit, or comparable in price perhaps. Also, just modified my post--the rear end is actually about an inch lower than the front and not a half inch. Matt

Removing the leveling kit would be the best option, how difficult it is depends on how it was installed....if it's a bolt on it should be easy to remove. However if they replaced OEM parts with new/different kit parts, then you will be looking at parts costs in addition to labor costs to remove.Maybe snap a few pics of the front suspension and post on one of the Toyota forums and see if anyone can identify the kit and tell you what's involved in removing it. There's likely only a couple of kit options for your specific truck, so somebody should recognize it, not like there's a hundred choices....This Rough Country Kit says it's easily removable and easy to return the vehicle to its stock height.Here's an assortment of kits at Summit Racing, see if you can see one that looks familiar.

Just for costs comparisons sake, we had air bags installed last week in our '12 Dodge 1500 Laramie. It was $243 labor and materials. In California where everything is more expensive....

Rear End Sag with Tundra Suspension Leveling Kit???

15 Replies

murphysranch
Explorer
Jun 05, 2014
Just for costs comparisons sake, we had air bags installed last week in our '12 Dodge 1500 Laramie. It was $243 labor and materials. In California where everything is more expensive....
BurbMan
Explorer II
Jun 05, 2014
Removing the leveling kit would be the best option, how difficult it is depends on how it was installed....if it's a bolt on it should be easy to remove. However if they replaced OEM parts with new/different kit parts, then you will be looking at parts costs in addition to labor costs to remove.

Maybe snap a few pics of the front suspension and post on one of the Toyota forums and see if anyone can identify the kit and tell you what's involved in removing it. There's likely only a couple of kit options for your specific truck, so somebody should recognize it, not like there's a hundred choices....

This Rough Country Kit says it's easily removable and easy to return the vehicle to its stock height.

Here's an assortment of kits at Summit Racing, see if you can see one that looks familiar.
bowler1
Explorer
Jun 05, 2014
Yeah...removing the leveling kit is an option. I am not mechanical myself--not sure how much labor it would be to do that / how much it would cost me.

My idea of the airbags was that it might actually be cheaper to get those than to remove the leveling kit, or comparable in price perhaps.

Also, just modified my post--the rear end is actually about an inch lower than the front and not a half inch.

Matt
Ron_Gratz
Explorer
Jun 05, 2014
I think I would remove the front end leveling kit and forget about adding air bags to the rear.

Ron
Ron3rd
Explorer III
Jun 05, 2014
Tundra owner here; my first choice would be to remove the front end leveling kit. However, if you're only 1/2" lower in the rear, I would not worry about it. I went with Timbrens on the rear of my Tundra btw.

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Rear End Sag with Tundra Suspension Leveling Kit???

15 Replies

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