Car and Truck Lift Kits and Parts
Whether you are a heavy-duty off-roader or just want to give your car or truck a unique appearance, lift kits can be a great way to modify your vehicle to enhance its capabilities. Lift kits can vary in height from a fraction of an inch to several feet. Multiple types of lift kits are available to fit your exact needs.
What are the different types of lift kits?
- Body Lift Kits: A body lift is the simplest way to raise your car or truck. With this kind of lift, you essentially just install some spacers between the frame and the chassis of your vehicle. This allows you to use larger wheels and tires but does not improve the ground clearance. These lift kits can only be used with body-on-frame vehicles.
- Suspension Lift Kits: A suspension lift is slightly more complicated. It requires replacing all suspension components, including control arms, leaf springs, shocks, and struts to raise the vehicle's suspension. The upside to this approach is that it raises the entire vehicle, so if increased ground clearance is a priority, this could be a good choice. These kits also support big wheels and tires and can be installed on unibody as well as on body-on-frame vehicles. It's important to note that suspension lift kits can considerably change the ride of the car or truck.
- Leveling Kits: Most pickup trucks are designed so that the rear of the pickup sits higher than the front of the pickup, which makes it easier to haul large payloads. A leveling kit raises the front of the truck so that it is at the same height as the rear. Leveling can improve the aesthetics of your truck and may allow you to use bigger wheels and tires without considerably affecting the ride of the truck.
What suspension parts are included in a suspension lift kit?
A typical suspension lift kit comes with front and rear shocks, front coil springs, rear leaf springs, sway bar links, tubular control arms, brake line relocation brackets, and rear shackles. Depending on the vehicle's drivetrain, it may also include a transfer case drop kit. Suspension lift kits vary from model to model, so make sure that you purchase one that fits the model and year of your car or truck.
What parts are included in a body lift kit?
Body lift kits typically include spacers, a steering extension, and brackets as necessary to accommodate the lift. Body lift kits typically only exist for lifts of up to 3 inches and are available with as little as half an inch of lift.