The cheapest possible Power Wagon "lift": a pair of 2" coilover spacers up front to level the truck's factory rake. Adds nothing functional — same shocks, same coil, same geometry. removes the factory ~1.5" nose-down stance and lets you clear 33s with a slightly fuller look.
The Power Wagon comes from the factory with ~1.5" of forward rake — the front sits lower than the rear to compensate for the front winch + heavy plow-prep front clip. Visually it looks nose-low.
A leveling kit corrects that look with a coilover spacer. Two paths:
Strut spacer kit ($90) — A 2" polyurethane or aluminum spacer that mounts on top of the factory coilover, pushing the body up away from the strut. Bolts on in 2 hours with hand tools. Keeps the factory shock and spring. Cheapest possible "lift."
Bilstein B6 5100 adjustable ($240 pair) — Replaces the factory front shock with a Bilstein 5100 that has an adjustable upper-spring perch. Set the perch to the "1.85"" position and you get a level stance with better-than-factory damping. The right answer if you're also going to upgrade shocks (see pw-shocks) — kills two birds.
This is NOT a real lift. It does nothing for:
Tire clearance beyond the factory 33s — you still get the same fender clearance
Off-road geometry — no extra ground clearance, no extra articulation
Component longevity — spacer-only kits stack preload on the factory coil
It IS useful for:
Cosmetic level stance
Clearance for a slightly taller AT tire (33.5-34", e.g. Toyo Open Country AT III LT295/70R17)
The cheapest possible step before committing to a real lift
If you want actual capability, skip this and go to a 3" coilover-replacement kit (pw-lift-mid-3in) or higher. If you want the level look and aren't planning to wheel hard, the Rough Country spacer is $90 well spent.
This is a front-only job — the rear keeps its factory ride height. Budget 2-4 hours for a first-timer with hand tools.
Break the lug nuts loose while the wheels are on the ground (M14x1.5 lugs, 140 lb-ft). Then jack the front of the truck at the frame rail and set both sides on jack stands rated to at least 3,500 lb each. The Power Wagon front end is heavy — do not work off the jack alone.
Pull the front wheels and let the lower control arm hang. There is no spring tension to fight on a strut-spacer install because you are not opening the coilover — the spacer mounts on top of the assembly.
Unbolt the three upper strut nuts at the shock tower (typically 18mm). Support the coilover from below with a floor jack so it doesn't drop when the last nut comes off.
Drop the coilover slightly, set the spacer on top of the factory upper mount, and re-stud or re-stack per the kit instructions (Rough Country RC-373 reuses the factory studs with the supplied spacer plate).
Torque the upper nuts to the kit spec (usually 30-40 lb-ft on the spacer hardware — follow the printed sheet, not this number, since it varies by kit), reinstall the wheels, torque lugs to 140 lb-ft, and lower the truck.
Re-torque lugs after 50-100 miles and get a front alignment — even 2" of level changes toe enough to wear the inside edge of new tires.
The Bilstein 5100 path follows the same teardown but you swap the entire front shock and set the adjustable perch to the 1.85" groove before reinstalling. Because you're removing a loaded coil-over, use a spring compressor or have the assembly re-sprung at a shop — see pw-shocks for the shock-swap detail.
Get the alignment. A leveling kit pulls camber and toe out of spec. Skipping the alignment is the single most common way owners chew through a fresh set of 33s in 10k miles.
Don't stack a spacer on tired coils and call it a lift. If your factory coils are sagging at 100k+ miles, a spacer only hides the sag — the spring is still soft and you'll bottom on bumps. At that point spend the money on real coils (pw-lift-mid-3in).
Confirm winch and sensor clearance. The 2" of level can change how the factory front camera and parking sensors read. Most owners see no issue at 2", but verify before you trust the backup display off-road.
Why it works
Cheapest possible cosmetic correction
2-hour driveway install
Reversible — pull the spacers, you're back to stock
Keeps factory winch + bumper geometry intact (which a real lift can affect)
Trade-offs
Provides zero off-road benefit
Spacer-only stacks preload on already-tired factory coils (shortens spring life)
Doesn't clear bigger than ~34" tire
A waste of money if you're going to do a real lift in the next 12 months
Tools required
floor jack
jack stands
metric sockets
torque wrench
PB Blaster
Parts
Part
Vendor
Est. price
Rough Country 2" Front Leveling Kit (Strut Spacers)
Written and maintained by an AZ wheeler and driveway wrencher. Always cross-reference your factory service manual — modifications affect vehicle safety and warranty. Work at your own risk.