RAM TRX Leveling Kits: Which Option is Best?
When you want to elevate your experience with your off-road truck build, a RAM TRX leveling kit can give you the literal elevation you need for more aggressive driving on the roughest trails. Customizing an off-road vehicle is all about building it to fit your specific needs, whether you love mud, climb rocks, or trek cross-country. For many off-roaders who aren’t interested in a full lift or don’t have the budget for it, adding a leveling kit is the best choice for giving them a higher front-end that’s ready for harder off-roading. The RAM TRX is one of the hottest off-road trucks on the market right now, so let’s take a look at what you can do to level it out for more fun off the beaten path.
Leveling vs. Lifting
When you lift your vehicle, you’re investing in upgraded suspension components that help the whole vehicle sit higher, often with the additional expense of refitting some systems with longer hoses or ancillary equipment to fit this new, raised build. TRX leveling kits can give you a front-end raise but usually keep the cost and hassle to a minimum, making them popular for both cost-conscious off-roaders and those without the experience or inclination to tackle a more thorough suspension swap.
When you look at a stock pickup, you will notice it has a raked stance, slanting down from the rear of the vehicle. This is due to the uncompressed heavy-duty rear springs meant to support the use of the truck for cargo or towing. When a weighted load is placed on the rear axle, the leaf springs compress, and the vehicle levels out. A leveling kit raises the front end to even out the vehicle’s stance while the rear springs are uncompressed, creating a level, un-raked appearance.
Far from just a cosmetic upgrade, though, a TRX leveling kit is functional when you want a better off-roading experience. By lifting the front end of the vehicle, you get more clearance for bigger wheels and tires. It also gives you more ground clearance for aggressive angles into, over, and through obstacles. Designed to preload your front springs to create the lift, they can usually be installed without further modifications to your front end, keeping costs lower and making the customization easier–usually taking no more than a few hours.
Top RAM TRX Leveling Kits
We’re proud to offer the top gear on the market for the best vehicles in off-roading. That definitely includes the RAM TRX, a popular off-road powerhouse with a wide range of aftermarket parts and accessories available from leading brands. Every part we carry has to meet our high-quality standards, and every one of us is an avid off-roader ourselves–building out personal vehicles and putting them to the test across the country. We’ve put together a selection of the top TRX leveling kits, and we’re proud to talk about how they can help you build the best off-roader possible. If you need more information or some installation guidance, give us a call. One of our pros will be happy to help you with any of these top-of-the-line leveling kits.
Foutz RAM TRX Front Leveling Kit
One of the easiest kits on the market to install, the Foutz leveling kit uses perch collars to preload your front springs. Made of billet aluminum in either a raw or anodized finish, it sits under your spring, compressing them while maintaining droop and travel, and giving you a lift of 1.5”, 2”, or 2.5” to match your usual rear-end ride height. Simply compress the spring, install your aftermarket collars, and reseat the spring onto the collars for a job well done.
Rogue Off-road TRX Performance Pre-Load Leveling Kit
The Rogue off-road kit is built on the same pre-loading principles–with a robust set of perch collars included–but it adds a second pre-loading method for improved performance. The Rogue kit offers an adjustable lift level, from 0.625” to 1.87” depending on the installation configuration you choose with the anodized aluminum parts. The perch collars alone give a lift of approximately 1-1.25”, a small raise but one that maintains your gentler factory ride. An included top-plate shim can also be installed, adding another .5-.75” to bring your total lift to nearly two inches. The shim can also be installed independently, raising your vehicle by 0.625” without pre-loading the suspension. This keeps a nice, soft ride while adding just enough height for wheels a bit bigger than stock.
ICON Vehicle Dynamics RAM TRX Leveling Kit
ICON is known for engineering off-road parts and accessories that give impressive results, and this leveling kit is no different. While it comes with a similar aluminum .625” top plate shim and a 1.5” spacer to pre-load the front springs, the preloading is done from the top of the spring rather than the bottom. The spring is compressed, the top plate removed, and the spacer is installed. The top plate is reattached, then the shim added, if desired, before the suspension is reattached to the vehicle and the compression is released. With both parts installed, you gain 2.25” of lift to the front of your vehicle for an impressive amount of clearance you can count on.
Brave Motorsports RAM TRX Preload Leveling Spacers
Moving back to RAM TRX leveling kits relying only on pre-load, this set from Brave features two gold-anodized aluminum spacers for a solid 1.5” of lift. It installs the same as the spacers in the ICON kit but does not have the shim plate for added leveling. The steel locator pin helps keep your spacer orientated properly, and the Delrin center isolator helps keep metal-on-metal contact to a minimum. While spacers take a bit more work than collars to deliver preloading, the results are the same when using your vehicle.
Exclusive Offroad Alliance TRX Leveling Kit
We’re in a unique position to work with parts engineers and manufacturers to help our customers build better vehicles based on our own extensive off-roading experience. That’s exactly where the idea for our own TRX leveling kit came from.
Pre-Loading vs. Shim Leveling Kits
As you noticed with the RAM TRX leveling kits we’ve listed, either pre-loading or shimming is used, if not both at the same time. While both can give you the lift you need, they operate on two separate principles which affect your vehicle in different ways. Preloading leaves you with a stiffer ride, as some of your spring’s potential travel and compression remains loaded. Shims, on the other hand, don’t preload your springs, leaving them to travel and compress through their full range. Unfortunately, these move that range down compared to the location your other vehicle components are meant to find it, and this can put more wear and tear on some parts, like CV joints and suspension components. There is no “right” or “perfect” way to level every vehicle, and it’s up to you to determine whether your usual off-roading will allow for preloading, shimming, or both.
Level Your Truck, Own The Playing Field
We’re ready to help you get the front-end lift you’ve been looking for. Get a top-tier RAM TRX leveling kit backed by the old-school customer service you’ve come to expect from us. Order your leveling kits and parts from Offroad Alliance today.
