Learn how to measure a lift, off-road vehicle’s suspension height 

What is the height of the suspension or lift in your car? The answer is simple and the measurement will not take much time. Just remember to follow the correct rules for doing it: 

1. Always do the first measurement of the suspension height before installing the lift kit. 
2. Measure according to the correct points from the middle of the wheel hub to the fender. It is also a good idea to mark the place where the measurement was taken on the edge of the fender so that the result is always accurate.
3. Never measure the suspension height from the fender to the ground. If the tire pressure varies or if you replaced the wheels during the lift, the result will be uneven and distorted. 
4. Repeat the measurement on each wheels. 
5. Write down the heights considering the sides of the axle: front, back, left, right. 
6. Measure everything again after installing the new suspension and compare the results. The difference between them will be the height of your lift. Check if it matches the manufacturer’s specifications. 

Okay, now that you know where you stand 😉 This knowledge is so important and here is why. Off-road vehicles, especially expedition ones, are often like small survival camps on wheels. Stuff on the roof, truck cap, additional fuel tank, or just some extra accessories. All that weight matters and may affect the height of the suspension. 

So, before you start doing any suspension changes, you need to make sure if your cars ride height hasn’t changed with extra kilograms equipped. Check if it is not lower on any of the axle – front and rear or right and left side. Otherwise, by lifting your car and changing its center of gravity, you’ll get more problems. On the other hand, if you change the suspension and find out a bad spring was the problem, a new suspension kit can fix it. 

However, new lift kit may cause differences in the car ride as well. For example, you find out that the rear axle sits lower than the front. If you do not know the initial height of your car, it will be difficult to properly diagnose the cause of this condition. 

Okay, you find out that your off-road vehicle is not leveled properly from the start and what then? Don’t just leave it like that. Firstly, unevenly distributed weight leads to worse driving conditions. Secondly, it does not hold to the ground as stable as it should, which is most noticeable during turns, traversing, or driving in ruts. Plus, its braking distance is longer. What’s more, it is not only less comfortable but also less safe. If one of the axles sags due to uneven weight distribution in the car, the solution is to reorganize the equipment or adjust items placement. 

If you notice height differences after installing the lift, it’s probably due to the coil springs. This often happens when their stiffness isn’t adjusted properly for the extra weight on the axles, like non-factory elements added to the car.

But not only will the characteristic of the coil spring winding be important in the case of proper leveling of the vehicle. The springs in your car might look the same, but they may be intended for mounting on either the right or left side. Producers commonly mark them as driver’s and passenger’s site.  

Manufacturers take into account the heavier loading of one side of the vehicle. The right or left spring may be stiffer and longer to compensate, for example, the driver’s weight or fuel tank. So, if you install them the other way around, it will cause a height difference. 

Finally, to be sure whether the achieved suspension height matches the selected lift, you must first take measurements according to our manual.