Lift & Level
RISING RISING
TO THE OCCASION
A BUYERS’ GUIDE TO SUSPENSION LIFT & LEVELING KITS
By Tom Jackson f you’re a contractor who drives off-road a lot, the nosedown, tail-up stance of trucks rolling off the assembly line is problematic. The low front end scoots perilously close to dirt, rocks and debris commonly found on jobsites. And if you strap on an aftermarket bumper/winch combo, the extra weight further decreases approach angles. Plus the standard size tires that come in this configuration don’t give much traction in mud or soft soil, and their rolling height doesn’t provide the ground clearance many contractors seek for tough conditions. And taller tires require more fender clearance than what the factory suspension provides. The good news is a moderate suspension lift and/or leveling kit can solve most of these problems—and give your truck a sharp looking stance to boot. The challenge is to figure out what kind of kit best suits your needs and applications from among hundreds of products. These can range from front-suspension leveling spacers that cost as little as $50 to body lifts retailing at a little over $200 to a fullon suspension lift that can cost as much as $3,000. To sort it all out the first question you have to ask is: What do you want to accomplish?
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ALL-STAR LIFT
The 2-inch forged torsion bar leveling kits from Daystar are available for a wide variety of makes and models that take into account the multiple different factory keys that can vary up to 18 degrees. The kits also include extended shock brackets so the factory shock absorbers can be retained. www.daystarweb.com; 800-595-7659
WALKING TALL
“What a leveling kit does for contractors, especially for late model trucks that have an extreme rake from the factory, is to raise them up anywhere from 1-½ to 3- inches,” says Trent McGee, director of marketing for Daystar. “It provides room for a larger and more aggressive tire.” The optimum lift height is 2 to 3 inches, McGee says. “That picks up the front end, but doesn’t affect the ability to get in and out of the vehicle—and you’re not affecting your ability to get access to the bed of the truck either,” he says.