Many heavy-duty truck owners choose to install a suspension lift kit today. They want to take their vehicles off-road driving or find they must make modifications to a vehicle to accommodate larger tires. Before upgrading the truck, the owner must choose a well- designed lift kit, one that is made for their specific truck model. Doing so ensures the vehicles will retain proper handling, ride quality, and reliability.
Match Lift Height to Tire Size
One of the most common reasons truck owners choose to lift their vehicle’s suspension is to have enough wheel well clearance to run larger all-terrain or mud-terrain tires. Installing a lift kit that boosts height substantially more than the planned tire size requires is not necessary. For example, acquiring an 8-inch lift kit to make room for just 35-inch tires would overly stress components and cause issues like reduced suspension droop when articulating off-road. Most trucks do well with more moderate lift heights of 4-6 inches to suit 33- to 35-inch diameter tires. Consider measuring current tire clearance at full lock and compression to calculate the ideal lift height range. Talk with staff members at a great big truck parts store to determine the amount of lift needed for the tires being purchased.
Prioritize Ride Quality
While a taller truck stance aids off-road traverse, lifting the suspension often degrades stability and ride comfort, especially if low-quality aftermarket components are utilized. Seeking out lift kits that use adjustable coil springs and high-performance shock absorbers tuned for carrying heavy loads can help compensate. Upgrading to tubular steel suspension arms with urethane or rubber bushed pivot points also absorbs vibration better. Many quality lift kits come loaded with these replacement parts that bolster damping capacity and suspension fluidity both on and off-road.
Get the Right Geometry
A suspension lift kit significantly alters the geometry of steering and suspension parts. Changing pivot points from their factory positions can introduce bump steer issues, wandering, and poor handling if components are not precision-engineered. The highest quality lift kits use extended steel steering arms, track bar relocation mounts, and strut extensions designed to retain correct alignment angles. This maintains proper steering feel and predictable truck behavior in turns, over bumps, under heavy braking, and acceleration. Confirm any lift kit you install is engineered explicitly for your truck’s make and model year.
Mind the Weight
Since heavy-duty pickups must already manage hefty curb weights plus cargo loads, adding a suspension lift complex introduces even more poundage to lug around. Some steel-intensive lift kits can tack on up to 200 additional pounds or more, which hampers acceleration and braking performance, fuel mileage, and hauling capacity. Prioritizing lighter-weight aluminum components over thick steel pieces can help mitigate this issue. Strength remains a priority in certain critical areas, but using thick, heavy steel parts for the entire lift kit is often overkill. Reducing lift kit weight also puts less strain on shocks, springs, and bushings contributing to longer service life.
Carefully matching lift height to planned tire upgrades, upgrading key ride quality components, retaining factory suspension geometry, and limiting unnecessary added weight sets truck owners up for success. Investing in a well-engineered lift kit tailored for a specific heavy-duty truck model yields ideal ground clearance improvements without sacrificing critical handling, braking, and load-carrying capabilities. Once this lift is installed, you will have the truck of your dreams.
