Considering a Custom Lifted Truck?

Here’s What You Should Know

Custom lifted GMC trucks are perfect for drivers who love to head off-road to find new adventures. Find out what you need to know before buying one.

Not everyone realizes that there are different kinds of lift kits or that leveling kits and spacer lifts don’t fall into these categories. Before heading to a dealership to look at custom lifted GMC trucks, buyers should familiarize themselves with the basics so they can find a truck that meets their needs.

The Three Main Categories of Lifts

Lifted trucks fall into one of three categories. They have factory-installed lifts, factory-approved lifts, or aftermarket lift kits. Factory lifts get installed during manufacturing, and they’re becoming commonplace on off-road-focused models.

Factory-approved kits get installed after the truck is sold. However, they use lift kits that the manufacturer has approved. So, custom lifted GMC trucks with factory-approved kits are available through dealerships on new trucks and do not void the warranty.

Aftermarket lift kits are designed, manufactured, and installed by non-dealer-affiliated parties. Some aftermarket brands are reliable, but budget lift kits can cause trouble. Even a high-quality aftermarket lift kit will also void the factory warranty.

Body Lifts, Leveling, and Spacers

The simplest type of lift kit is a body lift. These kits let mechanics install risers between the body and frame for a taller ride height and the ability to install larger tires. However, they do not increase ground clearance or make the truck more capable off-road.

Leveling kits only raise a truck’s front end. They offset the fact that factory truck suspensions usually have the rear riding higher than the front to accommodate heavy loads. By improving ground clearance and approach angle, they can make trucks more capable off-road.

Spacer kits are simple suspension lifts. They allow mechanics to lift the truck slightly by adding spacers to the existing suspension without replacing any of its expensive components. However, you’ll only be able to get an extra inch or two of lift.

True Suspension Lifts

The most versatile type of lift is the suspension lift, which replaces a truck’s factory suspension components with an all-new system specifically designed to increase ride height. A suspension lift can increase ground clearance and articulation, improve ride quality, and more.

High-quality suspension lifts replace all of the components necessary to create a perfect suspension geometry so the truck performs well and reliably. As a general rule, the higher the lift, the more difficult it is to engineer an effective system that preserves ride quality.

Choose OEM Lift Kits for Custom Lifted GMC Trucks

It’s never worth trying to cut corners by using aftermarket lift kits. Even the ones made by reputable manufacturers can leave drivers with voided warranties and potential damage.

The best way to avoid cheap aftermarket lift kits is to only buy custom lifted GMC trucks from reputable dealerships. These dealerships can either order and install factory-approved lifts on new trucks or verify the origin of lift kits on used models.