If you’ve been itching to take to the unsurfaced roads and riverbeds for an exhilarating off-road experience, then lifting your truck may be the next best step. While you may think that your truck’s performance is optimized enough and it’ll do just fine out in the wild, we recommend considering a suspension lift to reduce chances of being caught in muddy and hazardous situations. There are many advantages of doing so, stretching far beyond cosmetic purposes.
Benefits of Lift Kits:
- Enhancing safety when travelling over jagged surfaces
- Increasing overall performance and ability
- Pushing your truck to its limits
- Enhancing comfort
- Increasing visibility
There are several ways to lift a truck, and therefore, it’s essential to understand beforehand which one is best-suited to your needs. This is a not a one-size-fits-all situation, so you’ll be doing yourself a huge favor by researching and seeking advice regarding the available options.
Ensuring that your vehicle is inspected properly, and that it meets your state’s off-roading requirements, is also vital before undergoing any major alterations. Once you’ve understood your responsibilities and had your suspension lifts correctly installed, you should be ready to hit those rocky paths and snow-covered terrains in a safe and optimized vehicle.
Things to know before lifting your truck
How do you actually drive over rough terrain?
Off-roading on questionable surfaces can be a daunting endeavor—especially if you’re new to the hobby. However, there are several techniques that drivers utilize to increase their safety and efficiency when doing so.
Tips and techniques we recommend include:
- Choosing your location carefully and preparing accordingly
- Ensuring that each vulnerable section of your truck is properly secured
- Understanding correct speeds
- Understanding your truck’s limitations
- Ensuring that the tire pressure is correct
- Using your gears wisely
- Carrying out tire maintenance
Ruts can be particularly tricky to navigate if unprepared. It’s important to decipher what conditions they may force upon you, and to address your vehicle accordingly. We suggest taking careful consideration towards your traction control and steering, to maximize safety and avoid accidents.
How much is this going to cost?
We understand that it’s easy to get carried away dreaming of the biggest, flashiest suspension lift available. However, it’s crucial to accurately evaluate necessary funding. While you may have your heart set on a specific suspension kit, your wallet might refuse to cooperate.
If only minor or standard alterations are required, you could potentially be looking at a few hundred dollars to USD $1000. However, the bigger the raise and more ambitious the moderation, you could be looking at spending an average of USD$5000. Additional items/modifications can raise this estimated cost.
What type of lift you should use
Ensuring that you choose the correct lift kit (body or suspension) according to your desired off-roading purposes, is essential to avoid any potential problems.
Lift suspension types include:
- Leveling lift
- Coilovers
- Drop down lift
- Lifted spring
- Shackle reverse
Additional modifications
In order to add some extra flare and practicality to your truck, we recommend looking into additional modifications. These may include:
- Shocks for increased control, cooling and performance
- Tires tailored to your specific off-roading goals
- Re-gearing for lost gas mileage
- Skid plates
- Bull bars
- Grill guards
- Roof racks
- Lighting
Final thoughts
Lifting your truck may be the best step you’ve made yet. By doing so, you’ll optimize your off-roading experience by enhancing your truck’s safety, performance, and comfort. Ensuring that you understand what your specific lifting requirements are is essential before hitting off-roading terrain and patting yourself on the back for a wise and rewarding decision.
