There are several factors that you have to take into account before you lift your truck or SUVand it includes your own personal reasons. Knowing your reasons will help you decide on what kind of lift kit you should buy. There are different lift kits in the aftermarket with different components to optimize performance. A body lift kit will make your vehicle look cool and standout in the road but it may not be the best option for off-roading.
Deciding on the best lift kit
There are many aftermarket lift kits that are precise for your vehicle but not all of them can give the ground clearance for off-roading purposes. A suspension lift kit will raise the vehicle from the suspension itself to allow for bigger wheels and tires. A raised suspension will allow your vehicle to handle rough terrain easier. However, if the truck is already old, certain parts of the suspension might have become loose and started to sag. If this is the case, your best option might be the add-a-leaf kind of lift that will strengthen the old sagging suspension including the shocks.
If the goal in lifting the vehicle is to see the road more clearly so that you can avoid obstacles, your best choice would be the body lift kit that can raise the vehicle by a few inches. The added height can be achieved through the use of spacers between the body and the frame. Body lift kits are cheaper and easier to install because they do not require fiddling with the suspension system. However, even if there are easy step-by-step instructions in the installation of body lift kits, it is suggested to ask a professional auto mechanic to avoid improper installation that may damage some vehicle parts.
Most trucks have a higher back end than the front part by default. The lift kit that you must use is the levelling lift kit that will raise the front end of the vehicle by an inch or two so that it will have the same height as the backend. It will also give the vehicle a little extra ground clearance but not enough height for the large tires.
The suspension lift kit is easily the most popular for off-roading enthusiasts because it allows for the larger tires that won’t easily get stuck in the mud. However, this type of lift kit is more complicated to install. It will drastically change the way the vehicle handles and may take you some time to get used to the change. Some upgrading may also be necessary on some of the vehicle’s components. The shocks that come with the lift kit might be of poor quality so you might consider buying them separately.
Make sure that the lift kit you are buying comes from reputable brands. Do not be tempted by suspiciously low prices; some essential parts might be missing. Some brands are considered better than others because their lift kits have been engineered to achieve the perfect balance between price, ride comfort and performance.
