How To Ensure Lifting Your Truck Goes Well

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Using suspension lift kits to give a truck more height and ground clearance is a great way to improve its appearance and to make it more useful in off-road applications. Compared to many other vehicle projects, though, putting on truck suspension lift kits can often get very involved. If you want your effort to go without a hitch, pay attention to these four details of the job.

Outline Your Goals

The goals you set out for your project will determine the type of kit you end up utilizing. Spring-over-axle systems are designed for rock crawlers, for example, while shackle reverse models provide smooth road rides.

Using the Right Truck

Unless you're unduly committed to jacking up a specific truck that you love, the easiest course of action is to buy a truck based on its ability to accommodate certain suspension lift kits. Ask around among both people you know and folks on the internet to learn what the pros and cons of putting a kit on a truck are. This will allow you to stay ahead of developing issues, including time and money that go into a project.

Will It Be Legal?

While it's certainly possible to just lift a truck and never care about whether it's street-legal, most folks are going to want to still want to be able to license their rides. Contact your closest state police barracks and ask to speak with a DOT officer. Give them the details of both the truck and the suspension lift kits that you're interested in working on. They'll provide you the maximum specifications that are considered road-legal in your state.

It's a lot better to ask early on in the process than to be stuck having to rebuild your ride due to something you got wrong. A lifted truck inherently attracts police attention, so deal with these concerns right away.

Be Prepared to Work

Trucks that accommodate suspension lift kits without serious modifications are rare. You can expect to engage in a significant amount of modification to the frame and the suspension of your vehicle in order to make everything work. Regardless of what sales pitches you might hear, it's uncommon to find truck suspension lift kits that are truly bolt-on and nothing else.

You should anticipate needing a welder and a torch. It's also a good idea to top off your fuel tanks for both prior to getting started. 


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