Truck Suspension Made Easy. A Quick Overview of What Makes a Great Suspension Lift

So you are looking to lift your truck? Then you have reached the right place to learn about what is really involved in shopping for the right lift system. Shocks, coil springs, control arms, tie rods, spacers, blocks, end links and more can go into making up a suspension lift system. Lifting the suspension is also one of the most popular modifications made to a vehicle, especially trucks. But why change what the factory gave you? Some may view this as a daunting task or just another chance to just mess something up and ruin their truck, Jeep or SUV. But with a little knowledge of how these components work, you can take all the worry and stress out of the equation and focus on making your suspension exactly how you want it whether you are going off-road, performing a mild lift or just looking to install bigger wheels and tires.

Take a quick look under the front and rear of your truck, Jeep or SUV. Go on, I’ll wait… Look confusing? In fact, it is a relatively simple group of moving parts that are designed to allow you to enjoy driving on those terribly paved, cracked and pot-hole ridden strips of asphalt that we call roads. The truth is, even the best roads are rather unforgiving and without a good suspension system, you better be prepared to feel like a bobble head going over every bump and pebble.

While vehicle manufacturers use different combinations of suspension setups like, leaf springs, torsion bars, radius arms, coil over struts or solid axles, identifying which type of suspension you have is relatively simple. Identification of what you need for each individual suspension type is especially quick and easy when using guides and catalogs put together by aftermarket manufacturers like ReadyLIFT® Suspension Inc. In most cases, you need only enter your vehicle’s year, make and model to view which custom lift and suspension parts you should be using for your truck, Jeep or SUV. The rest is up to you to choose which lift height or style you were looking to achieve with your new suspension lift. Were you looking to go off-road? Looking for a larger lift? What if you are looking to adjust only the front or the rear? Simple guides and product categories lead you to the best options based on what function you may need.

The thing to remember is that all trucks come from the factory with the rear higher than the front. This raked angle is to accommodate a payload in the bed, or assist when towing. It’s common knowledge that a large portion of people that own trucks rarely use the vehicle for towing or carry much of anything in the bed.  So to make the truck’s stance more level, you can lift the front alone or lift both the front and rear to accommodate both the look and functionality you want from your truck.

For example, let’s take the 2014 Chevy Silverado 1500. This truck’s suspension design consists of rear leaf springs, with struts in the front. The 2014 Silverado also has two different styles of front suspensions with either steel or aluminum parts depending on the model. By entering in your Chevy’s information in our vehicle look up tool, we will provide you with the full listings of parts that will accommodate and lift these styles of suspension setups. If you were looking for a mild leveling lifts to big kits we have you covered. Our kits are easy to install in a short amount of time by either a professional shop, or at home with the right equipment. An added benefit to these suspension parts is the guarantee against breakage or defect as well as ensuring that they do not require any modifications to the vehicle or require you to compress the factory springs or cut strut studs, making it nearly impossible to change the truck back to stock or make other future upgrades should you need to. These are important elements you will have to decide upon. Do you want no modifications or irreversible modifications?

But what if you are doing more than just a simple leveling job for your truck, Jeep or SUV? What about going bigger? What types of effects would this have on the geometry of my suspension? Is it safe or will it just create more wear and tear on my truck meaning more money spent repairing the vehicle? These are questions that need to be considered before choosing a suspension company and the products in their catalogs, or trusting the recommendations of the guy behind the parts counter. Fortunately, ReadyLIFT® SST Lift kits have been through all the rigorous testing, and are engineered to keep the same factory geometry which means you keep your factory ride without the worry of parts failing or having excessive wear due to poor design and inferior quality parts.

ReadyLIFT® SST Lift Kits offer all the components needed to lift your vehicle. The designs for most models are full of features including:

– E-coated finish on the strut extensions, rear blocks and u-bolts will last as long as your vehicle.
– Strong DOM powder coated tube steel upper control arms with new ball joints and bushings.
– Precision crafted upper strut extensions designed to position the strut in the same mounting angle position.
– And the list goes on and on……

But can I go off-road? How much punishment can my suspension take? For many trucks, the answer to this question varies. AND, the type of suspension you choose will determine if off-roading with the vehicle is even an option. While certain models like the Jeep Wrangler or the Ford Raptor SVT are made to be quite at home in the dirt, other vehicles would require some additional suspension upgrades to tackle the dirt, rocks, sand or mud you could find when venturing off the beaten path. Taking a leap forward from simple lifting and leveling, ReadyLIFT® Suspension delivers yet again with its off-road line of suspension lifts and components.

Let’s take the mighty 2020 Jeep Wrangler as an example. Jeep has been a dominant name in off-road since their beginning. But with so many different off-road situations you may run into, having a higher performing suspension lift could prove far more useful, and in some cases safer than just the stock setup alone. This is why ReadyLIFT® has introduced its off-road line of lifts. With 4 inches of lift and a maximum suspension flex, our kits can assist with tackling some of the most unforgiving terrain out there. Best of all, this bad boy is bolt-on with no need for extra body work like cutting or drilling.

In breaking down each of the situations where a suspension is a key player to the performance of the vehicle as well as the fun and comfort experience by the driver, it is clear to see that it takes a lot to engineer, test and present a full line of suspension lift and leveling products that not only outperforms the rest, but also makes it easy to understand and choose what is right for you. Check out more of ReadyLIFT’s full line of suspension lifts, leveling kits, performance shocks and off-road components at www.readylift.com or ask your local parts dealer/installer about ReadyLIFT®.