How To Choose The Right Lift Kit

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Posted on: 24-07-2015

When selecting the right lift kit for your truck or SUV there are a few things to consider before making a purchase. Here is a quick rundown on how to choose the best lift kit for your ride!

Step 1 – Identify Lifting Effect

The first step is to identify the lifting effect you desire. A good place to start is to park your vehicle on a level surface and measure the distance from the top of the wheel well to the ground at both the front and rear of the vehicle.

This will give you a baseline for your ride height as well as indicate any variation in ride height from front to rear. For various reasons, many trucks are designed to sit higher in the back than the front and this measurement will help determine the difference between the ride heights.

Step 2 – Leveling vs. Lifting

There is quite a bit of talk regarding a Lift Kit vs. a Leveling Kit but the difference is slight. Let’s say that after completing Step 1 you discover the rear of your vehicle is 1.5” higher than the front, and you are satisfied with that height of your rear. If you want the front of your ride to be equal, or level, with the rear, then you should purchase a 1.5-inch front leveling kit. The style of leveling kit, amount of lift needed, and leveling kit parts will vary from vehicle to vehicle.

Typically, a Leveling Kit will come with the following parts:

Now, if you decide that you want to increase the lift of the front and rear of your vehicle while leveling the front and rear, you should purchase a Lift Kit. Not only will a Lift Kit raise your truck or SUV, it can also level your vehicle. Make sure that you select lift sizes to compensate for the difference in ride height that you observed in Step 1. In our example, that would mean lifting the front of the truck 1.5” more than the rear.

The styles and components that are associated with Lift Kits will also vary. Lift Kits will usually come with the following components:

Step 3 – Considering Shocks

While selecting your lift or leveling kit, it is also a good idea to consider your shocks. Factory shock absorbers are engineered to operate in a specific range of motion and raising your ride height can cause damage by causing them to overextend.

Additionally, if your shocks have more than 50,000 miles on them, installing a fresh set with the lift or leveling kit is a great idea as the original shocks are likely at or near the end of their service lives. Many aftermarket shock suppliers offer models that can compensate for a longer travel due to the presence of a lift kit and will restore a like-new quality to the vehicle’s ride.

If the shocks are fairly new or adequate aftermarket shocks are not available, there are several shock mount extenders available for purchase with many lift and level kits that permit the safe use of stock shock absorbers on a lifted vehicle.

Step 4 – Pre-Installed Lifting Inspection

Another consideration is whether the vehicle already has lifting products installed. Body Lift Kits will not interfere with Suspension Lift Kits and/or Leveling Kits, but a few trucks get delivered from the factory with rear lift blocks. Additionally, a previous owner of the vehicle may have installed a lift kit in the past. If your truck is already equipped with lifting equipment, it will need to be removed before installing new products. For example, if your truck has 1” lift blocks installed from the factory and you wish to lift it an additional 2”, you will need to remove the factory blocks and install 3” blocks to achieve your desired ride height.

It is ill-advised and, in many municipalities, illegal to stack multiple lift spacers on a single axle. Click here to check your state’s lift kit laws.

Step 5 – Pulling the Trigger

Once you’ve decided on how much lift you’d like to achieve, there are several options to fit a variety of budgets and skill levels. We highly advise that you contact one of our ASE Certified Representatives to help you with choosing the best kit for your truck or SUV. Don’t forget to use Promo Code LIFT10 to receive 10% off whatever you order from Supreme Suspensions!