There are a number of reasons that people decide to lift their trucks. For some, it is mostly about appearance as they simply prefer the look of a lifted truck, while others may want their truck lifted to make it more suitable for mudding or off-roading. In either case, the process for performing the lift is generally the same, but this depends on which type of lift you choose. With this in mind, here are some of the different ways you can lift your truck and how they work.
Using a Suspension Lift Kit
Most people who want to lift their truck do so using a suspension lift kit. With this type of kit, you can easily raise the entire frame and body of the vehicle by as much as a foot or more. If you’ve ever been searching for lifted trucks for sale and came across something that looked more like a monster truck than a pickup, it is guaranteed that that extra height comes from a suspension lift kit.
Installing a suspension lift kit is a very complicated and time-consuming process, which involves replacing the vehicle’s old suspension with a new, taller suspension system. The advantage of this is that it raises both the body and the entire frame of the vehicle. As a result, this type of lift kit can provide you with much greater ground clearance while also allowing you to use much bigger tires. These lift kits also tend not to impact the truck’s handling. The fact that a suspension lifts both increases ground clearance and allows for bigger tires means this is the way most people go when they want to increase their truck’s off-road capabilities.
Lifting Your Vehicle’s Body
Body lift kits are another option for lifting your truck. Compared to suspension kits that lift both the body and frame of the vehicle, a body lift kit simply raises the body so it sits higher above the frame. With this type of lift, you can usually only raise the vehicle somewhere from one to three inches. Still, this is usually enough to allow you to outfit the vehicle with bigger tires. Body lifts are most commonly performed on SUVs as a way to allow for larger tires. Although these larger tires do allow for greater off-road capabilities, it is important to note that the vehicle’s ground clearance will remain the same.
Other Options for Lifting Your Truck
In addition to lift kits, there are a number of other methods that can allow you to lift your truck. However, these other methods usually won’t result in more than an extra inch or two in height. Spacer lifts are one such option, which involves placing a small spacer in between the suspension and body to add some increased height. Depending on your vehicle, it may also be possible to simply adjust the torsion bars to slightly raise the truck’s height. You could also replace your vehicle’s springs. This can be done on vehicles with both coil and leaf springs, but you should be aware that changing the springs will affect how the vehicle drives and handles.
Another option is to upgrade or replace your truck with a truck that is already lifted. There are many dealerships that have lifted trucks for sale. When considering buying a pre-lifted truck, it may be worth asking what type of lifting kits they used so you can better evaluate if it will fit your needs.
No matter what your reasons are for wanting to lift your vehicle, it is essential that you make sure the job is done right. If the lift is done incorrectly, it could potentially damage your truck or make it hazardous to drive. For this reason, it is usually recommended to leave this task to the professionals.
