LOW-BUCK LIFT
Premium Lift System is a hybrid leveling/body lift kit with a new approach for heavy-duty work trucks
By Dan Sanchez
Workers on the job site often rely on heavy-duty tools to get their work done reliably and on schedule.
Often equipped with a hefty supply of tools, many would say that the one they need the most, has four wheels and a tailgate.
Pickup trucks carry heavy loads and often need to access un-paved job sites that are typically covered in dirt, rocks and rubble.
For these instances, a few extra inches of ground clearance can make a big difference in simply helping you get there.
But lifting a truck can be expensive and simple leveling kits don’t always raise the vehicle enough to get larger tires under the vehicle.
The Premium Lift System is a combo body/leveling kit is a low-buck alternative for those who want to install taller tires under their work truck.
This is one of the reasons companies like Performance Accessories, decided to combine a leveling kit with a body-lift to provide enough ride height for truck owners to add up to a 33 or 35-inch diameter tire, depending on the make and model of truck.
Raising the truck five to six- inches can add as much ground clearance as a full suspension lift, but this system can do it at a fraction of the cost and without sacrificing the factory ride, warranty or towing capabilities.
Premium Lift Systems retail for less than $800 and include a quality body-lift, a leveling kit, and urethane Gap Guards that conceal any gaps visible between the body and frame once the lift is installed.
The body-lift portion of the kit involves the installation of high-quality nylon-reinforced body blocks that sit on the factory body mounts and raise the truck three inches above its frame.
Body-lifts have been around for decades and because they don’t affect the operation of modern suspension systems, they’ve grown in popularity again, as an easy and reliable method to gain tire clearance on late-model applications.
Different leveling kit
The leveling-kit portion of the system is different from most.
Typical leveling kits will feature a one or two-inch steel spacer that sits on the top of the coil spring and shock mount assembly. Others simply use a one or two inch thicker urethane spacer that replaces the factory coil spring isolator.
Performance Accessories splits the amount lift in both of these areas, using a shorter top steel spacer, and a shorter urethane coil spring isolator to achieve a one or two-inch lift of the front suspension.
Dividing the lift offers some advantages by limiting the amount of coil spring pre-load, to prevent a harsh ride, and minimizing the overall length of the spring and shock assembly to prevent premature wear on the truck’s ball joints and tie-rod ends.
This added feature is an important factor in maintaining the truck’s reliability, and is also carried over to other areas like a CNC machined steering extension, and precision laser cut bumper relocation brackets that are included in the kit.
Filling the gap
Visually, you can’t tell that the body sits taller on the frame, especially after the urethane Gap Guards are installed.
These simply attach to the truck’s wheel wells and also work to keep dirt and mud from splashing into the engine compartment. Add a set of nerf bars and you won’t even see the truck’s frame from its side profile.
A Premium Lift System typically takes about six to eight hours to install and can be accomplished by an experienced home mechanic.
When installing the leveling coil spacers, Performance Accessories recommends using a quality coil spring compressor to safely remove the coil spring and top shock mount.
If you don’t have access to one, you can take the assembly to a suspension shop where it can be done safely. – Pro
Source
Performance Accessories; (928) 636-7080
