How a Lift Kit Affects Your RAM Truck
Many RAM truck drivers want to lift their vehicles but first want to know what’s going to happen to their RAM. Before you decide to lift your truck, you should understand the effects of a lift kit on your overall driving performance and how they might alter your RAM’s dynamics and handling.
Installing a lift kit can come with a ton of benefits, like the ability to use bigger tires and rims, having better off-road performance, and more. Like any modification you could make to your car, however, there are also some drawbacks to consider. Lifting your truck might not help its fuel efficiency, causing you to spend more at the pump. No matter if you end up creating the massive truck you always wanted to, it’s good to know what lifting a truck actually looks like and how it can change your driving experience.
Suspension Geometry and Handling
By raising your RAM off of the ground even by a few inches, you’re raising its center of gravity. This can largely affect its stability, causing you to turn a little slower on sharp turns. With a higher center of gravity, it can become more likely to tip while turning at high speeds. This is one of the few negatives that higher ground clearance lift kits bring to the table. It’s not the end of the world though, as you’ll quickly get a feel for your truck’s center of gravity once it’s lifted and adjust your driving automatically.
When you lift your truck, you may also experience changes in the steering feel and precision due to the vehicle’s new height. The increased ride height will make your steering feel less precise for a while, but after driving your new truck for a little bit, you’ll make the appropriate adjustments subconsciously.
Off-Road Capability
One of the biggest and most obvious benefits of lifting your RAM truck is the added ground clearance it gives you. This makes off-road driving much easier, as you can avoid a lot of tall debris sticking up from the ground. A larger wheelbase also gives you the advantage of avoiding getting stuck. With smaller wheelbases, small problems like deep water, snow, mud, and sand can quickly become big issues.
When you’re off-roading, you’re heading up cliffs normal cars, and even most trucks, couldn’t dream of. By lifting your truck, you can give it a much better approach and an enhanced departure angle, allowing you to crawl over mountains like a wild animal. Your large wheelbase will allow you to get through deep pockets, and its lifted suspension will get you over large boulders at the same time.
Another key advantage of getting your RAM lifted is the suspension articulation it brings. Lifted trucks can keep all of their wheels in contact with uneven surfaces at once, lowering your risk of rolling over or tipping significantly. It also makes it less likely to get stuck while traversing extremely uneven terrain.
Ride Quality and Comfort
A lifted truck can be much more comfortable for off-road driving. Your higher ground clearance means you can avoid hitting the underside of your RAM on any rocks, branches, or tough patches of dirt a lower suspension would bulldoze right through. Your vehicle will also become a lot more proficient at absorbing bumps, potholes, and other road imperfections with a lifted suspension. Adding more to your suspension means giving your truck more resistance against bumps and time to stabilize after potholes.
Towing and Payload Capacity
Adding a lift kit to your RAM can be a great way to get more out of your towing and payload capacity. Stock suspensions are already level, so a heavy payload can bring your truck down and cause it to sag while you drive. Lifted suspensions fight this problem automatically, preventing your handling and braking from being affected.
Different lift kits can affect your truck’s towing and payload capacity differently. A body lift kit might be the best choice for someone who doesn’t want to negatively impact their towing, while a suspension lift kit might be better for someone who doesn’t tow as often. Consider using a drop hitch to lower the hitch to trailer height as well.
Brake and Tire Considerations
When you add a lift kit to your truck, your braking performance will change. First, you’ll need tire rotations, brake checks, and alignments more often. You’ll also need to get appropriate tires for your lifted suspension to maintain traction and performance. Larger tires can also cause your braking distance to increase. Bigger tires come with more leverage, giving them more power that can make your brakes work harder over time. In short, if you lift your truck, you can benefit a lot from regular brake and tire maintenance.
Fuel Efficiency
Getting your RAM truck lifted can hurt your overall fuel efficiency. If you get bigger tires too, you could end up spending more at the pump by adding more rolling resistance to your truck while you drive. Adding a lift kit to your truck increases its weight and raising it increases its drag, two factors that will slow your truck down as well. They aren’t significant changes, but they are worth considering.
Get a Lift Kit for Your RAM Truck at Sherrod Customs
Installing a lift kit for your RAM Truck can be a great way to get better ground clearance, add huge tires, and get it the look you’ve always been going for. When you’ve decided to take your RAM to new heights, bring it to Sherrod Customs and let the experts get it done for you.
We’ve been working on RAMs for years, so we know exactly what it’ll take to get your truck lifted right. If you have any questions, give us a call at 1-800-824-6333 or use our contact form and our team will get in touch with you.