How To Lift A Truck Without A Lift Kit

Posted by PickupTrucks.com Staff | July 23, 2010

Lifted Ford Pickup
By Dan Sanchez for PickupTrucks.com

Truck owners are always looking for ways to improve the appearance and performance of their vehicles. Raising the ride superlative is one of the most pop upgrades, as it allows you to add together larger-diameter wheels and tires without whatsoever rubbing or contact against the vehicle'due south fenders.

A slightly taller truck with some aftermarket all-terrain or mud-terrain tires non only looks great, only it can also dramatically add to ride comfort and improve traction in a variety of road conditions. Heavy-duty and piece of work trucks can also benefit from being lifted, as bigger tires oft carry an increased load rating, which tin can meliorate the ride and prophylactic when hauling heavy tools or cargo, and for vehicles that constantly tow a trailer.

There are many methods to heighten a pickup that range in price from under $100 for simple coil spacers to well over $three,000 for a full break system.

For the average truck enthusiast, a low-budget method is e'er the offset selection. Here are the best low-cost methods to lift your pickup that won't void your truck's warranty, withal still give your vehicle the corporeality of ride height it needs to add the tires and wheels you want.

Related: Pickup Trucks 101: How to Lift a Pickup

Torsion Keys

Aftermarket torsion keys can add ane to ane.5 inches of ride height on pickups with a torsion bar suspension system. But different the mill torsion keys, these forged keys from Trail Chief Intermission don't add more spring preload and can provide a smoother ride.

Many four-wheel-drive trucks use a torsion bar suspension system. Torsion confined are actually springs that twist rather than compress like a curlicue bound. The vehicle'due south factory torsion keys hold the confined in place and provide some preload so the bar can keep the vehicle at a mill-set ride top. Adjusting the manufactory torsion keys is tempting and will add together some height, merely it can come up at the expense of excessively preloading the suspension, which can result in a harsh ride and add premature wearable to the rest of the suspension.

Aftermarket torsion keys price anywhere from $100 to $150 and will add 1 to 1.five inches of ride height that's good for a tire well-nigh one inch taller than the manufacturing plant size. Aftermarket torsion keys tin besides maintain the factory preload settings to maintain a polish ride and will often come with shock extensions that go on the shock's range of travel within factory specifications.

Look for forged keys, which are stronger than cast units and volition provide much longer service life, especially if the vehicle will exist under heavy loads.

Leveling Kits

Leveling Kit Spacers
Leveling kits can consist of a variety of components. These steel spacers from ReadyLift fit on meridian of the coil-bound strut assembly to raise the front end just enough to keep it level with the rear of the vehicle.

Leveling kits are extremely popular and tin add together i to iii inches of ride height to most pickups using a front coil bound or whorl-over strut suspension system. The term is derived from the fact that most pickups are taller in the rear than in the front, and raising the front pause allows the truck to sit level.

Depending on the vehicle'south make and model, leveling kits tin can use a diverseness of methods to lift the vehicle. These include polyurethane gyre jump spacers that fit between the coil spring and the inside of the spring perch. Some utilise aluminum spacers or strut extensions that sit down on summit of the coil-over strut unit. Others employ blocks and U-bolts that will raise the ride elevation on leaf-spring vehicles.

Leveling kits cost equally little every bit $30 for simple polyurethane roll spacer kits to $500 or more for kits that include shocks, anti-sway bar end links and other components needed to keep the suspension geometry in its original location.

Coil Spring Spacers
Some leveling kits use a simple whorl spring spacer that fits on top of the bound within the coil-bound strut. Shown here is a standard spacer (correct) compared with a leveling kit spacer (left).

For the depression toll, leveling kits work groovy for adding tires that are one to ii inches taller than your truck'south original tires. They are besides easy to install for the experienced domicile mechanic, but some kits may require a spring compressor tool. The tool is necessary to remove the curl bound preload on models using a factory coil-over strut assembly. If y'all don't have access to this tool, you should have a qualified mechanic or truck specialty shop practice the installation.

The reward of a leveling kit is that it doesn't bear on the ride of the vehicle or crusade any warranty bug. If your truck or SUV is on a lease program, the leveling kit can be easily removed and restored to stock. In addition, there are leveling kits for just about every make and model pickup available (front-wheel and four-wheel bulldoze), making these kits one of the most popular methods to lift your vehicle.

Body-Lifts

Body Lift Block
Torso-lifts are another pop and cheap way to heighten a pickup truck. Shown here is a Performance Accessories torso-lift providing 3 inches of extra ride meridian on an F-150.

Before trucks and 4x4s had independent pause systems and integrated coil-over struts, body-lifts were a popular way to add every bit much every bit three inches of ride height. The advantage of a torso-lift is that information technology doesn't touch on the vehicle's pause and provides enough ride height to fit tires that are 2 or three inches taller than the original tires (typically a 32- to 33-inch tire).

Body-lifts are pop considering they are inexpensive, ranging from $110 to $600. Depending on the truck's make and model, they tin can provide more than ride height than leveling kits lonely.

Trunk-lifts use urethane blocks that are stacked on top of the manufactory torso mounts to raise the torso in a higher place the frame. Because a wider gap is formed between the truck's body and frame, the bumpers and some components of the vehicle as well need to be altered. This is accomplished with heavy-duty bumper brackets and spacers that are typically included in the kit. In improver, the steering shaft must be extended. Because of this, many truck owners look for kits that include a loftier-quality CNC machined steering extension too equally Gap Guards that fit in the vehicle's wheel wells and hide the space betwixt the frame and body.

Body Lift Kit Bumper Brackets
Torso-lifts also require readjusting the height of the factory bumpers. This Operation Accessories kit has bolt-on bumper brackets on this 2009 Nissan Titan.

Body-lifts typically take six to eight hours to install, depending on the vehicle, but the overall upshot provides plenty of bike and tire clearance for most popular tire upgrades. Furthermore, they don't affect the factory ride or crusade any warranty problems with your vehicle.

Premium Lift Systems

Premium Lift System Kit
A Premium Elevator Arrangement combines a trunk-elevator with a leveling kit to provide the aforementioned lift as a full suspension but at a fraction of the toll. Shown here is a PLS kit from Performance Accessories that provides 5 inches of lift to fit 35-inch-tall tires on a Ford F-150. The kit costs around $800.

A relatively new concept is to combine a leveling kit and body-lift to provide a comparable ride tiptop to that of a full interruption kit at a fraction of the cost. Depending on the vehicle, a Premium Elevator System can provide up to vi inches of elevator without affecting the vehicle's factory suspension geometry and ride. For enthusiasts wanting to get big and add 33- to 35-inch off-route tires, a Premium Lift System makes a perfect choice.

Premium Lift Systems include everything from ringlet jump spacers, bumper brackets, torso-lift blocks, hardware, a steering column adapter, Gap Guards and everything else you need to enhance the vehicle in about half dozen to 8 hours.

Depending on the vehicle make and model, a Premium Elevator System tin cost $219 to $900, leaving y'all with plenty cash to elevator the vehicle and buy the tires yous want all at once.

Lifted Chevrolet Silverado

Because these types of systems don't affect the manufactory warranty, many truck dealerships are installing them onto some of their inventory, appealing to customers who want the wait of a total-suspension system with aftermarket wheels and tires direct off the showroom floor.

No thing which method y'all cull, look for high-quality parts that are made in the U.Southward. Beware of lower-priced "bargains," as they often don't include all of the components and you'll end upward purchasing more parts to get the chore done in one sitting. Either way, your final decision will ultimately depend on the size of tires you want to fit under your pickup. With the diverseness of inexpensive lifting methods, the price of personalizing your truck has become much more than affordable and enjoyable.

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