What’s up truck people!
This article is about planning. Plan it before you build it! Most things work out better when planned especially automotive modifications. Your stock truck drives great right out of the box because it was designed to do so. All of its parts, like a clock, were designed to work together according to a plan. Modifying a vehicle will alter an already successful plan. And that leads to problems, yes, modified vehicles WILL have problems and always will. But with a great plan you can reduce those potentially dangerous problems to a minor nuisance.
Warnings
Modifying a vehicle alters the manufacturer’s specs. In this case, lifting a truck will drastically change the way it handles. When lifting your truck, you’re also raising the center of gravity increasing body roll and the risk of rollover. Choosing to get bigger tires, which you probably will, will increase the overall wheel diameter which effects your brakes, your stopping distance and brake temperature! While driving a lifted truck on the streets reducing you speed will greatly lower the risk of losing control. Increase your following distance! It will greatly reduce the risk of rear ending the Prius in front of you. Which might have kids in the back seat 🙁 Basically you’ll have to get used to your truck all over again. So, PAY ATTENTION WHILE DRIVING!!!
Do You Have The Right Truck?!
One of the costliest mistakes people make is starting with the wrong truck for what they want to do. Don’t lift anything with a ride control system! it’s a lot of extra money for nothing, keep it simple. And already having a truck is not a reason to build it! Build what you want. Don’t settle! This part takes a lot of thought, take your time. This is the most important part of your plan. You have to make a decision and you must stick with it. Start by thinking about how you ARE going to use it and not how you WANT to use it. For example, I picked my truck because it would suit me no matter what I did to it AND parts are cheap and AVAILIABLE! (Pick something common!) I originally planned to build it for mostly off-road and after thinking about it, for about a year, I finally changed my plan to mostly street use because I drove it daily. And it’s too nice to bash. I couldn’t be happier with my truck! and that’s the feeling you’re aiming for!
The Master Plan
Now that you have the right truck and you know it’s intended use, you can grab a pencil, some paper and start building your plan. Now you need to figure out height and tire size. Keep in mind the tire diameter will add to total height. If you choose a 6-inch lift and go from 33-inch tires to 37-inch tires, you truck will be 8 inches taller. Also think about parking. Do you use underground parking at home? Or a parking structure at work? If so, note the heights. Bigger tires may require bigger parts. Upgrading axle shafts, steering and brake parts is always a good idea but not always necessary. Remember, go big on tires, go big on parts. Re gearing should also be done when you increase tire size to add torque and reduce strain on expensive drive train parts. Newer trucks will have to be programmed for the change in tire size and gear ratio so add a programmer to your parts list. If you picked an older truck, except worn out parts and hardware and maybe some leaks! They MUST be fixed. Some worn out parts might be replaced when the lift kit is installed, for instance If you have worn out control arms, it’s a good time to upgrade them. You can’t know about all the worn-out parts, so just be prepared to buy parts not included in the kit. Keep in mind, there’s always extra costs and nothing is just “bolt on”. The main thing to keep in mind is…… lifted trucks cost a lot! So, plan accordingly. Do NOT do a budget build! If it’s a bigger build, do it in sections. Otherwise, you’d be a lot happier in your reliable stock truck. The expensive way IS the right way. Trust me.
Down Rodeo
This is where it gets fun. Start WINDOW shopping. Don’t buy anything yet. With your truck built on paper, get more paper and start your parts list. Personally, I think the best way to find good parts that work is to go to your local off-road park or even some car shows and talk to everyone! There are so many new companies popping up, I don’t even know them all, but they do, and they know what works. If you picked a common enough truck like you should have, you might see you truck there, then you can actually see how these parts held up. They may not be the same parts you need, but you’ll get a good list of solid companies. If that’s not an option, go to the inter webs and start looking. READ REVIEWS! you won’t know the longevity of the parts, but you’ll know if they fit. Stay away from Amazon and eBay, they’re mostly junk peddlers. Stick with U. S companies. You can Google your parts and make a list of companies then search each company. Dedicate one page to each company you like and write down what they have for your truck, part numbers, contact info and location. Good companies will have on their site, pictures and videos of their project trucks with their prototype parts REALLY being put to the test. These guys bash their trucks! And since they build and test all of their parts, they can answer any questions you might have. To me, all the research, designing, testing, redesigning and material wasted doing so is well worth the extra cost. So, think long-term and choose your parts wisely.
I Love It When A Plan Comes Together
Yes, I grew up watching The A-Team, love it! Anyways, if you stick to your plan, this is where all your hard work and time and money pays off. When you start your build, you’ll have a confidence in yourself and your truck that wasn’t there before because you had a plan. You’ll be ready for the big problems that come up, and they will, you’ll have solutions to those problems because you had a plan. If you don’t bash your truck too hard, you’ll be driving it home unlike those budget guys paying for tows because you had a plan. Following your plan isn’t just for the truck, it’s actually more for you. You are going to learn so much about your truck, every part you chose and how they work then YOU will be one of the guys you talked to about parts because you had a plan. The point of all this is to have fun. So do it right and go have fun!
If you have any questions, drop them in the comments box and I’ll try to answer them the best and soonest I can.
Best of luck and play safe, Ryan.