(jingle bells)
(heavy upbeat music)
(heavy metal music)
- They smell like. Elmer's glue, it's kinda,
I mean, I don't hate it, come here, smell me.
(sniffs)
- [Man] Smells like a real man.
(laughs)
- What!
Buying a lift kit can be quite a daunting task,
I mean, there's a ton of different kits
on the market at all sorts of price points,
from all sorts of manufacturers, and it can be really tough
to determine exactly what kit is right for you.
I mean, do I need Coilovers or will spacer lift do the job?
Will a four-inch lift work, or should I go six inch?
How big a tires can I fit under there?
I'm Dustin, you could find me @Dusty.co on Instagram,
and today we're gonna be going over our top five mistakes,
when it comes to purchasing a lift kit.
Before we do that though, if you need a lift kit
for your truck, you could find that @custom offsets.com.
We also sell wheels and tires, and bumpers
and lighting, and all sorts of other build parts
that'll help you get your truck looking right.
Also, we're doing a giveaway, in addition to TIS wheels,
Toyo tires, and a BDS lift kit, we're also giving away
a full set of rock lights from black label lighting,
and for the first time, we're giving away
a road armor Spartan Series from bumper.
Seriously, this is a true full build giveaway,
and you're not gonna wanna miss it.
First things first, one of the biggest mistakes
you could potentially make when buying a lift kit is,
not picking up the right set of wheels and tires
to go with it.
Now trust me, I know what you're saying
this isn't technically the lift kits fault,
but the fact still remains, too small the wheel
and tire package for your truck, can leave you looking
like the guy who skipped leg day.
On the flip side, if you end up getting a wheel
and tire package that's too big,
you could have all sorts of clearance issues and robbing,
which also is, really not a good time.
Not to mention, most kits will tell you the minimum diameter
and backspacing or offset needed to avoid issues.
For best results, we'll recommend taking a look
at our gallery, which is home of no joke,
like a 100,000 different vehicles
with all sorts of fitment information.
Wanna know if you can clear 14 wides on a leveling kit?
We got that, wanna know if you need to trim on 20 by 12's
and 35's on your 1500? We have that too.
Seriously, one of our number one recommendations
is to check out the gallery before you purchase your lift,
so you know exactly what will and won't work for you.
Up next is something you probably didn't think about
when it comes down to actually installing your lift,
which is taking care of any preventative maintenance
before you put the lift in.
Well yes, a lift kit can and will impact
component longevity, keeping your suspension maintenance
up to date while you're in there, is also, pretty important.
Things like Tie rod ends, ball joints, et cetera,
can all wear out and cause your truck to drive
less than ideal down the road.
This is only further amplified with a lift kit,
as the lift often puts more strain on these components.
Also, when you're in there, consider components
that you'll need to take out, to install lift kit.
The older the truck, the happier those control arm bolts
are where they are, and they're not gonna wanna come out
very easily.
Along the same lines, it's important to remember that
after you install your new lift kit, you're gonna need
a few things.
For starters, an alignment is always necessary, as it helps
keep wheels and tires going straight down the road,
saving tire wear and ultimately getting you more life
out of your tires.
Additionally, it's pretty important to check
and, or re torque your components after you install a lift,
as this ensures everything is snug, and won't come
loose on you, driving down the road.
Moral of the story, if you plan to install
the lift kit yourself, do your research
and read the damn directions, they send them with it,
it's right there.
Probably the biggest mistake we see guys make when it comes
to buying a lift kit, is shopping on price alone.
I mean, I get it, I understand the allure, lift kits
can be expensive and it can be really easy just to head
on over to the website, enter your year make model in,
and then click the little drop down, and sort by price.
Much like many other things, when it comes to building
your truck though, you do get what you pay for.
Oftentimes, some of the less expensive lifts
may increase angles on things like CV axles and ball joints,
meaning that they can put a lot of additional wear
and tear on these components.
Also, these less expensive kits may not always come
with some of the major replacement parts, like Tie rod ends,
or hardware, that some of the more expensive kits do have.
Now, with that being said, we also don't recommend
just going out and buying the most expensive lift kit either
is oftentimes it, may be more than you need.
Just because you spend a ton of money
on a big old 18 inch lift, doesn't necessary make it
any better than some of the other smaller lifts
on the market.
And that Coilover conversion kit, may be
really freaking cool, but it may not be worth
the couple extra thousand bucks for how you use your truck.
For best results, we recommend really taking a look
at the lift kit, to ensure it comes with all the parts
you're looking for, and none of this stuff you don't need.
Lastly, and we see this a lot, believe it or not,
is do not purchase a lift kit thinking it will fix
the ride quality or broken components of your truck.
Generally speaking, the older your truck is,
the less parts you're gonna get with a lift kit.
Older trucks are just more simple.
This means that, you're gonna need to reuse
or replace a majority of those 20 year old parts,
and if you need to replace stuff, there can be some costs
that's actually more than what the truck costs itself.
On the flip side of that spectrum
is lifting a brand new truck, is not going to increase
the ride quality.
While most kits at least maintain some of the factory ride,
once you're lifted the truck, will ride
and handle differently.
It's a fact, that's just the nature of the beast,
this isn't your grandpa's Cadillac Sedan.
Did we miss a big mistake you might've made,
let us know down in the comment section below
and as always be sure to like the video
smash that subscribe button,
so we can keep making the truck content you guys love.
Peace.
(upbeat music)