How to Install a Lift Kit on a Truck
One of the cheapest, as well as easiest, ways to lift your truck is by using a body lift kit. Installing it can seem a lot more difficult than it actually is. Installing a lift kit is very similar no matter what kind of truck you have. The article below explains how to install a lift kit on a truck.
How to Install a Lift Kit on a Truck
- You need to make sure you have all the items to install a lift kit. This includes a jack, jack stands, a block of wood, 3/8" ratchet and socket set, a reciprocating saw and a welder. You will also need someone to help you do some of the heavy lifting.
- Disconnect the battery.
- Using the 3/8" ratchet, remove the hood and fenders and put them off to the side.
- Using the 3/8" ratchet, remove the body mount bolts. There should be two underneath the core support and four underneath the cab. If the truck has an extended cab, it will have six.
- Place the block of wood on the jack and lift the passenger side of the truck around 6" in the air. The wooden block will prevent the jack from scratching the paint.
- Remove the stock cab mounts. Replace the stock mounts with the new body lift mounts. Some kits come with body lift mounts that fit on the old mounts. If this is the case, follow the directions that came with the kit.
- On older trucks, and trucks with a manual transmission, make sure that the shifter linkage will still work properly. If not, you may need to modify the shifter linkage to work with the body lift.
- Using the jack again, life the core support and remove the mounts for the stock cab. Use the newer body brushing to replace the old mounts and bolt them in place.
- Reinstall the fenders and hood.
- Remove the eight bed bolts using the 3/8" ratchet and using a Torx-Head driver, disconnect the gas filler neck.
- Have someone lift the bed and place the bed spacers, that were included in the kit, where the old bolts were. Loosely bolt in the bed bolts. Next, repeat the same thing on the other side of the truck.
- Tighten all the bolts.
- You can either remove the back bumper or use the lift brackets that should be included in your body lift kit.