Choosing The Right Size Lift For Your 4WD Vehicle

1
Choosing The Right Size Lift For Your 4WD Vehicle
2
Keep in mind Even if you KNOW that you want a 3"
or 4" (or larger) lift, you should always start
with a small lift first and eventually work your
way up. The reason is this The faster you build,
the more problems you're likely to encounter.
Building in steps allows you to work out the
kinks along the way. So, your best bet is to
start small, and learn to handle your vehicle in
increments -- a little bit taller at a time --
rather than going for the VERY tall lift right
away.
3
You also need to determine whether you will do
the install yourself, or whether you'll leave the
job to a trusted mechanic. True, there are a
number of lift kits that you can bolt on right in
your driveway, however you need to be realistic
about the complications which could arise.
Just know that if you install the lift yourself,
you will likely spend hours under your rig
tweaking everything over and over again... until
it is just right. The real issues usually don't
become evident until after the lift is installed
when you have to get the steering, alignment,
track, and everything else back to spec. So,
before you even start the install, consider how
the control arms, steering linkage, slip yoke,
drive shaft length, U-joint angle, brake lines,
gearing, braking and axle strength will all be
affected by the vehicle's new height.
4
Some things you should know straight up If
you're going for a larger lift (3" plus), then
you will most likely need longer lower control
arms and longer shocks. You will also need to
lengthen the front and rear brake lines. If you
lift 4" or more, then you will need longer upper
control arms as well. Plus, you will want a
longer trackbar, and you might need to add longer
emergency brake lines.
NOTE If you tend to do a lot of offroading and
you still are uncertain about which type of lift
you really need or want, or you think you want
more than a body lift can provide, then check out
this great article which explains the different
types of lifts -- from spring over axle, to
shackle reverse, coil suspensions, lifted
springs, shackles and body lift 
5
Body Lift Kits Explained If you want to lift your
ride a bit (or a lot!), and you're eager to have
a smoother ride on larger tires, then a body lift
might be just what you're looking for. The
following information will help you choose the
right size lift and get the job done right --
whether you choose to do the work yourself or
have it done by a professional. Keep in mind
Even if you KNOW that you want a 3" or 4" (or
larger) lift, you should always start with a
small lift first and eventually work your way up.
The reason is this The faster you build, the
more problems you're likely to encounter.
Building in steps allows you to work out the
kinks along the way. So, your best bet is to
start small, and learn to handle your vehicle in
increments -- a little bit taller at a time --
rather than going for the VERY tall lift right
away.
6
You also need to determine whether you will do
the install yourself, or whether you'll leave the
job to a trusted mechanic. True, there are a
number of lift kits that you can bolt on right in
your driveway, however you need to be realistic
about the complications which could arise. Just
know that if you install the lift yourself, you
will likely spend hours under your rig tweaking
everything over and over again... until it is
just right. The real issues usually don't become
evident until after the lift is installed when
you have to get the steering, alignment, track,
and everything else back to spec. So, before you
even start the install, consider how the control
arms, steering linkage, slip yoke, drive shaft
length, U-joint angle, brake lines, gearing,
braking and axle strength will all be affected by
the vehicle's new height. Some things you should
know straight up If you're going for a larger
lift (3" plus), then you will most likely need
longer lower control arms and longer shocks. You
will also need to lengthen the front and rear
brake lines. If you lift 4" or more, then you
will need longer upper control arms as well.
Plus, you will want a longer trackbar, and you
might need to add longer emergency brake
lines. NOTE If you tend to do a lot of
off-roading and you still are uncertain about
which type of lift you really need or want, or
you think you want more than a body lift can
provide, then check out this great article which
explains the different types of lifts -- from
spring over axle, to shackle reverse, coil
suspensions, lifted springs, shackles and body
lift
4wheeldrive.about.com Image from
www.suspensionstuff.com.au