A Fun Automobile for Your Teenager

Posted on: 21 April 2020

One of the great things about owning a truck or a sport utility vehicle is the ability to install a lift kit that raises the ride height and ground clearance of the vehicle. With a lift kit, you can even increase the tire size on your vehicle. If you are considering such an investment, there are a few things to consider to ensure that you get the final result that you're hoping for.

Consider The Laws

Every state handles vehicle suspension lifts differently. Some states have no restrictions, but many states have limitations on how high you can lift your truck. In most cases, the lift height restriction is based on the height from the bottom of the bumper or the bottom of the frame rail to the ground.

Make sure you know what your state's lift laws are before you invest in a lift kit so that you don't inadvertently buy a kit that puts you over the legal height limit. Remember, too, that you'll gain an additional inch in height for every two inches you increase your tire size with the lift, so account for that when you calculate your allowable lift height.

Choose Your Lift Type

There are a few different types of lifts that you can invest in. Choosing the right type for your needs is important. First, if you're only looking for a little bit of lift, you can gain an inch or two by increasing your tire size by two to four inches. If you need a little more clearance, you can buy a body lift. Body lifts are usually pucks that are installed on the body mounts to lift the body up a little bit.

For pickup trucks, a leveling kit will raise the front end of the truck up to match the height of the truck bed. This can help to balance out the look of your truck. Most pickup truck beds sit an inch or two higher than the front end, so adding a leveling kit will balance it out.

Alternatively, you can get a full suspension lift that raises both the front and the rear of the vehicle. There are many different types depending on the type of suspension your vehicle has. Leaf spring suspensions can be lifted with either all-new springs or add-a-leaf lift kits. You can also add lift height with a spring-over conversion, which places the leaf spring over the axle instead of beneath it.

Coil spring kits add lift by adjusting the size of the coil springs. You can increase your ride height with larger springs.

Remember, though, that when you change the suspension height, you change the entire geometry of the suspension and drive train. You'll likely need to replace the driveshafts, torsion bars, stabilizer bars, and more when you increase your truck's ride height by more than an inch or two.

For more information, contact a truck lift kit supplier.