For truck owners, one of the many questions of adding the best lift kits for trucks is common. Most trucks serve multiple roles like hauling, towing, plowing snow, off-roading. If a vehicle has a multi-use role, the mission is to search for the right balance between on-road drivability and off-road capability. The decisions you make regarding truck lift kits are very important ones and there are several questions to be asked.
What is a lifted truck?
A lifted truck has a raised suspension. When it is used to increase ground clearance and accommodate larger rims and tires, the truck is looked different and adding some stronger performance parts and accessories which can be added to allow it to drive more extreme performance than a standard truck.
Reasons to Install Lift Kits on Trucks
For a variety of reasons, many vehicle owners install lift kits on their trucks. There are main three reasons:
- Increase Clearance: Increasing clearance is the first reason to install a lift kits. If you want to raise your truck’s ground clearance to reduce potential damage from debris on the road, add a lift kit to your trucks. That will raise the suspension a few more inches from the road.
- Raise the Profile: This is another reason to add a lift kits on a trucks. People install it to add a few inches to the overall height of the truck and raise their truck’s suspension. As a result it allow to tower over other vehicles even similar trucks.
- Allow for Larger Wheels: Truck owners install lift kits on a truck to add larger off-road wheels that aren’t just for show. These wheels allow trucks to go off-road and drive through mud, snow, rocks smoothly and they are tougher, last longer.
How To Choose The Right Lift Kit for truck
Choosing the right lift kits for your trucks requires some compromises and there are a few things to consider before making a purchase decision.
How high do you want to go?
Every lift kits aren’t the same. They have different aspects and functionality to serve. Before choosing the perfect lift kits and suspension for your truck you have to decide if you want to go big or low-key? You need to ask yourself that is this a work truck or others? If you want to keep it on the highway for an extreme look, this option will greatly influence the products. Or if you want to get a flashy look with noticeable height, the kit will need to reflect that.
Leveling Vs Lifting
The difference between leveling and lifting is very slight. When you need to get level or equal in front of your ride, you will be needed to purchase a leveling kit. The style of leveling kit and leveling parts vary from vehicle to vehicle. But if you want to increase the lift of the front and rear of your trucks, you should purchase a lift kit. Lift kits style and components are also varied.
Desired Tire Size
Tire size is an important factor to choose the right lift kits for your four-wheeler. Tire size is made up of 3 components:
- The width of the tire measured in millimeters.
- The sidewall ratio in relation to width, usually shown as percentage
- The diameter of the tire
Considering Shocks
Considering shocks are one of the best ideas while selecting your lift kits or leveling kits. Factory shock absorbers are engineered to operate in a specific range of motion. If the shocks are fairly new, there are several shock mount extenders available to purchase with lift kits.
Is it for Performance?
Some truck owner uses their vehicle on highways. If you want to use your truck on highways and seeking more suspension for load support, your ideal kit will be a different aspect of the truck owner who is looking to be off-road ready. According to using, terrain and load pertaining to your vehicle will greatly alter the lift height, shocks, and suspension of your truck.
Pre-installed lifting inspection
This is another important consideration while selecting your lift kits. A previous owner of the truck may have installed lift kits in the past. If your truck is already installed with lifting equipment, it will need to be removed before adding new products.
Types of Truck Lift Kits
There are three types of lift kits available on market now.
- Body Lift Kits: A body lift kit is the cheapest of all and generally consists of a set of spacers that separate the frame from the truck’s suspension. This type of kit is less expensive than full suspension lifts and less effect on ride comfort, handling, and steering geometry. For this body lift kit is ideal for trucks that see extensive street. It allows for larger tires up to 33 inches. Body lift kits have some disadvantage. It can create a space between truck body and frame, limited lift range provides less tire size flexibility.
- Suspension Lift Kits: A suspension lift kit creates addition clearance. It allows larger tires while fully suspending the vehicle frame. Suspension lift allows for extra large tires and adds ground clearance. Suspension lift kits are typically more expensive than body lift kits. For hardcore off-roader, it is the best choice. Suspension lift kits have also some disadvantage. It can affect ride quality and changes overall suspension geometry.
- Leveling Kits: Leveling kits are relatively easy to install than body and suspension lift. If the best tire are added, it improve towing or hauling performance. Some leveling kits are made from steel to be strong thus allowing your vehicle to be same level with the back. For daily driver, tow truck or hauler, leveling kits are the best that see extensive street use. It has also some disadvantages. It has no improvement in off-road performance or suspension travel and has minimal additional tire clearance.