Making the decision between a spacer lift, suspension lift or leveling kit comes down to your personal style, preferences, budget and goals for your vehicle. Do you simply want a a more aggressive look but intend to stay primarily on paved roads, or do you want an off-road beast? Below is a basic run-down of the differences between leveling kits and spacer or suspension lifts. At Carolina Custom, our expert team will review all your options and discuss your vehicle goals with you to find the perfect solution for you. Then our highly-skilled techs will install one of the top-of-the-line kits that we've selected from trusted industry partners.

LIFT KITS

Spacer (Body) Lifts
This type of lift uses blocks and lift spacers to lift the body higher onto the frame of the vehicle without altering the suspension at all. The ground clearance remains unchanged, but the increased height allows you to run bigger wheels and tires. The steering geometry isn't altered, so your vehicle will retain most of its original driving and handling characteristics. Body lifts tend to be more affordable, so if your primary goal is a more aggressive look with larger wheels and tires, it's a great option!

Suspension Lifts
A suspension lift is exactly what the name implies, typically involving replacing everything from the shocks/struts and leaf springs to the control arms, trailing arms and sometimes even the driveshafts and steering components. It's more labor intensive and involved than a spacer lift but replacing and upgrading these components allows for more articulation in the suspension, more ground clearance, and the ability to run even larger tires...resulting in an all-around more capable off-road vehicle.

LEVELING KITS
A leveling kit does exactly what it sounds like...levels the vehicle. By raising the front end up a few inches, you eliminate the factory rake and bring the front end level with the rear. It's primarily for looks but can also add a small amount of ground clearance to the front, as well as allowing for larger tires. Most vehicles come from the factory with a certain amount of "rake" built into their suspension, meaning the rear end sits higher than the front, which accommodates for load weight added to the cargo area. If the front and rear were level and you put heavy cargo in the rear, it would bottom out the suspension and cause the bushings, shocks, etc. to wear out quickly. Additionally, driving with the suspension fully compressed like that would make for an uncomfortable ride and poor handling.

So, does that mean you have to choose between carrying cargo loads or a leveling kit? Not at all! Leveling kits utilize coil spacers, strut extensions or torsion keys (depending on the truck) to raise the front end of the truck, without affecting the rear, leaving your payload capacity unchanged.