Leveling Kit vs Spacer Lift vs Full Suspension Kit — What Makes Sense for the GX 550? (3 Viewers)

[Matthew@LC250Mods]

As more GX550 builds start taking shape, I’ve been getting a lot of questions about suspension options. The three most common approaches right now seem to be leveling kits, spacer lifts, and full suspension systems.

Here’s a quick breakdown of how they differ:

Leveling kits:
• Subtle height adjustment, only in the front
• Reduces/eliminates factory rake
• Maintains factory ride feel
• Great option for daily-driven builds wanting a more balanced stance

Spacer lifts:
• Additional height for tire clearance
• Cost-effective approach
• Primarily aesthetic + clearance focused
• Does not increase suspension travel
• Essentially a leveling kit for both axles

Full suspension systems:
• Springs and shocks engineered to work together
• Noticeable improvement in ride control and stability
• Better suited for added weight (rack, sliders, gear)
• More complete long-term solution if you plan to build it out

At higher lift heights, some setups may benefit from upgraded upper control arms to maintain proper alignment and geometry, as the further the UCAs extend downward, the more your alignment changes.

There’s no universal “right” answer — remember, all suspension, even OEM suspension, is a compromise. Each has pros and cons and with some thoughtful planning, you'll end up with a setup that suits your needs very well. Happy to answer any questions or just discuss!

What direction are most of you leaning so far on the GX?

 

[nonamex]

Hey Matthew,

I currently have the King suspension with Camburg Kinetic UCAs at 26K miles. Probably will have to rebuild around 60K. Which suspension is comparable to the King but doesn't require maintenance?

I'm looking at maybe swapping suspension components while I wait for the rebuild which may take several weeks. Rebuild will be cheaper but quite inconvenient as this is my daily driver.

Thanks in advance.

 

[S SUBERI]

Hey Matthew,

I currently have the King suspension with Camburg Kinetic UCAs at 26K miles. Probably will have to rebuild around 60K. Which suspension is comparable to the King but doesn't require maintenance?

I'm looking at maybe swapping suspension components while I wait for the rebuild which may take several weeks. Rebuild will be cheaper but quite inconvenient as this is my daily driver.

Thanks in advance.

When you say re-build what does that entail and why so soon?

 

[nonamex]

When you say re-build what does that entail and why so soon?

The King shocks are meant to be rebuild very 50K. Maybe you can extend it to 60K or 70K if you don't race the vehicle in the desert.

The rebuild includes disassembly, replacement of seals, cleaning, fresh oil, and so forth. The cost for King to rebuild the shocks is $165 per corner. That means you would need to unbolt everything and bring the shocks to them. Another option is to find a shop that will do everything for you and of course, that will cost some dollars and change.

Third option is to have a second pair of shocks so you won't be out of commission for so long. I'm just thinking ahead at this point.

 

[kulhand182]

I went with the ARB/OME MT64.

In truth, I don't offroad so it is total overkill but after hearing from some folks on the ride quality of the spacer lifts like westcott, I made the call to go with a full suspension. I do like that it is adjustable so I could get the "levelness" of the truck set where I wanted it. And since I do the work myself, I saved on that aspect vs a shop to help justify, in my mind, the overkill of a full suspension.

 

[Matthew@LC250Mods]

Great question! That's a hard setup to beat from a strictly performance standpoint. The tradeoff, like you mentioned, is that true race-style dampers are built around rebuildability. That’s part of what makes them so tunable and capable, but it does come with downtime. If you’re looking for something that’s still high-performance but with more realistic service intervals for a daily driver, I’d recommend going on of the following directions:

Dobinsons MRR:
• Threaded bodies + a few spring options
• Huge fluid volume to withstand tons of dessert abuse
• Dobinsons' valving philosophy is about as solid as it gets for dual purpose rigs
• They are rebuildable, but have a much longer lifespan per rebuild than a full-blown race damper
• A bit more daily-driver friendly without sacrificing much in terms of raw capability

Old Man Emu MT64:
• Sealed, heavy-duty monotube design
• Insane longevity and performance doesn't seem to degrade much with age
• Great composure on-road and trail
• Not race-oriented, but a tremendous value and seems to last almost indefinitely

It really comes down to how aggressively you're still using the truck. If you're pushing it hard and want adjustability, MRR makes a lot of sense. If you're mostly daily driving with moderate trail use and want something you can install and forget for a long time, OME is tough to beat.

Does your rig see a lot of heavy abuse and heat?

 

[Matthew@LC250Mods]

I went with the ARB/OME MT64.

In truth, I don't offroad so it is total overkill but after hearing from some folks on the ride quality of the spacer lifts like westcott, I made the call to go with a full suspension. I do like that it is adjustable so I could get the "levelness" of the truck set where I wanted it. And since I do the work myself, I saved on that aspect vs a shop to help justify, in my mind, the overkill of a full suspension.

That's a solid choice whether or not you off-road much. Suspension is such a finicky thing that can really make or break the experience of driving the truck both on and off-road. The OME kits are as close to a jack of all trades as you can get! I've owned a number of their kits over the years and some outlasted the rigs they were installed on.

 

[nonamex]

Great question! That's a hard setup to beat from a strictly performance standpoint. The tradeoff, like you mentioned, is that true race-style dampers are built around rebuildability. That’s part of what makes them so tunable and capable, but it does come with downtime. If you’re looking for something that’s still high-performance but with more realistic service intervals for a daily driver, I’d recommend going on of the following directions:

Dobinsons MRR:
• Threaded bodies + a few spring options
• Huge fluid volume to withstand tons of dessert abuse
• Dobinsons' valving philosophy is about as solid as it gets for dual purpose rigs
• They are rebuildable, but have a much longer lifespan per rebuild than a full-blown race damper
• A bit more daily-driver friendly without sacrificing much in terms of raw capability

Old Man Emu MT64:
• Sealed, heavy-duty monotube design
• Insane longevity and performance doesn't seem to degrade much with age
• Great composure on-road and trail
• Not race-oriented, but a tremendous value and seems to last almost indefinitely

It really comes down to how aggressively you're still using the truck. If you're pushing it hard and want adjustability, MRR makes a lot of sense. If you're mostly daily driving with moderate trail use and want something you can install and forget for a long time, OME is tough to beat.

Does your rig see a lot of heavy abuse and heat?

Main reason for the King + Camburg + Dobinsons springs is for heavy load (7K lbs rig), trail running at 4 - 7 scale, and some desert running in the winter. Wouldn't categorize as heavy abuse and heat but you never know.

 

[Matthew@LC250Mods]

Main reason for the King + Camburg + Dobinsons springs is for heavy load (7K lbs rig), trail running at 4 - 7 scale, and some desert running in the winter. Wouldn't categorize as heavy abuse and heat but you never know.

Right on! That's definitely a heavier use case than most, which is awesome! I would definitely steer you towards the Dobinsons MRR. I think you'll find that they take heavy use like your truck sees extremely well and require a lot less maintenance than the King setup. Good luck with whatever you decide and I'm always here to help!