Auto Image in Brick and East Brunswick offers a wide variety of suspension lift kits for your truck, Jeep or SUV. If you are looking for the most ground clearance, the meanest look, and room for massive wheels and tires, then a lift kit is the only choice. Let’s look at how a lift kit works and the difference between that and a leveling kit.
Options for Lifting a Vehicle
Larger-diameter tires, a leveling kit, a body lift kit or suspension lift kits are the four options for increasing the height of your truck. While installing larger tires is often the least complicated, large-diameter tires might contact the body or chassis of your truck. If the clearance issues are minimal, then a leveling kit might be adequate. For a little more clearance, a body lift may give you the space you need. A body lift spaces the cab and bed away from the frame of the truck. If you want the most tire and ground clearance possible, then a suspension lift is your best bet. We can combine a body lift and suspension lift if desired.
Do I Want a Leveling Kit or a Lift Kit?
A leveling kit is a simple and effective way to raise the front of your truck. Leveling kits include front spring spaces or new torsion bar keys to even the stance of your vehicle when it’s unloaded. With more height in the front, you can run slightly larger wheels for more clearance.
Suspension lift kits raise the front and rear of your truck. Kits are available from 1 to 9 inches for most applications, with most falling into the 3- to the 6-inch range. Lift kits increase the height of your vehicle while maintaining acceptable steering, suspension and driveline geometry. Engineering a kit that functions properly takes time and considerable resources, so a lift kit is a significantly more costly investment. With that said, nothing equals a lift kit in terms of overall performance.
What Does a Lift Kit Include?
Different applications require different components. Let’s look at a 4-inch lift for a 2010 Ford F-150 as an example. These kits typically include new front steering knuckles, spacers for the front lower control arms, extended sway bar links, extended bump stops, spring spacers, new shocks, a driveshaft spacer and rear axle spacer blocks. Of course, each kit comes with all the fasteners and hardware required for us to complete the installation.
A 4-inch lift will allow you to run 35-inch wheels, while stepping up to a 6-inch lift will allow for 37-inch monsters.
Suspension Lift Kit Options
Depending on where or how you will be using your vehicle, there are often many options for your suspension lift, including upgrading shocks from companies like Fox and Rancho. You can also choose to switch to a coilover front suspension. Coilover shocks allow us to fine-tune the height of your truck. Some applications include new rear leaf springs that work with relocated mounts and shackle extensions.
Suspension Lift Installation
Unlike most leveling kits, installing a suspension lift requires significantly more work. In many cases, brackets on the truck have to be trimmed or removed to complete installation of the kit. We typically schedule 1.5 to two days to complete most lift projects, but the exact time depends on your specific application and the upgrades you have chosen.
Visit Auto Image for Your Truck Accessory Needs
Whether you want new wheels and tires, a leveling kit, or a full lift kit, the staff at Auto Image in Brick and East Brunswick are available to help you find the perfect solution for your application. For more information, give our store nearest to you a call or send us an e-mail using our online contact form.