Lift Kits and Parts to Give Your Chevrolet K20 an Off-Road Edge
The beauty of owning a pickup is that it can accommodate a higher suspension because of the nature of its design. Doing so increases the overall height of your truck, giving it additional off-road capabilities along with a ton of load capacity from the heightened suspension on some types of lift kits.
What Is a Lift Kit?
- Leaf Lift Kit: This upgrade increases the payload capacity of your truck or Suburban SUV. It boosts the strength of the rear pre-installed leaf springs by adding extra springs. You can raise the height of your truck up to three inches with these kits, but this is a mere added bonus to the increased rear payload capacity and strength of your Chevy truck or Suburban.
- Body Lift Kit: This upgrade raises the body and engine block of the truck but retains the height of the frame. This allows you to run bigger tires and get a ton more clearance for increased off-road performance. Get up to six inches more height with this upgrade.
- Suspension Kit: This type of upgrade raises the front and rear frame of the truck and also allows for tons more clearance to let you run bigger tires and achieve higher clearance in the wheel wells. These can be more expensive than body lifts but will benefit you in the long run if you have a long list of upgrades planned for your truck because most require a lifted suspension.
How Does a Lift Kit Affect Ride Comfort?
- Increased Roll: One noticeable difference in a lifted Chevy truck is in the steering. Upon turning corners or generally making turns at moderate speeds, you will notice a larger tendency to roll. This is remedied by reducing speed for better control and more safety.
- Better Ride Comfort: Since the clearance is increased between the top of the tires and the wheel well, along with the shocks being longer than stock, ride comfort is significantly increased. Potholes, moderate bumps, and speed bumps will have a reduced impact.
What Are the Drawbacks of Installing Lift Kits?
- Reduced Gas Mileage: Bigger tires require more power and torque. This means that the Chevy engine will have to work extra hard to turn the tires but mileage losses are minimal but quantifiable.
- Center of Gravity: Since your pickup or Chevy Suburban sits higher, the center of gravity becomes lower especially on body lift kits. This increases the chances of a steering rollover, especially when turning at high speeds.
- Time Consuming: Prepare to spend extra time modifying your pickups body or suspension because a ton of parts needs to be removed and replaced to complete the job. In body lift kits, the bumper stays at the same height as the frame so you need to buy gap guards to block the gaps.