Improve Your Truck with These Four Modifications

Last week we talked about what Mark Leslie can do to improve your vehicle’s engine and today we are switching gears to tell you how Mark can improve your truck or Jeep’s suspension. Since suspension mods and lift kits are common for off-roaders, we also touch on the lighting modifications you can do to brighten up your ride for a night of off-roading. Check ‘em out.

Lift Kits

A lift kit adds height to your vehicle and raises the bottom of the vehicle off the ground. Lift kits are a common mod among truck and Jeep owners and they range from 1-inch to almost any height you want. Adding height to your vehicle not only makes it look more aggressive, but it increases a vehicle’s ground clearance, which is important when off-roading. The extra height also makes it possible for someone to add wider and larger tires that otherwise wouldn’t fit in a vehicle’s wheel wells.

The reasons consumers get lift kits and add larger tires to their vehicle varies. Some want the lift purely for style, while others want it for off-roading capability. But chances are, the reason you want the lift kit will affect how much you pay because a lift kit that will improve off-roading capabilities is typically much pricier than a lift kit added for show. It is important to keep in mind that adding a lift kit to your truck or Jeep could void your vehicle’s suspension warranty and the labor could take a few days.

In addition to doing completely custom jobs with any type of heights, parts and tires you want, Mark Leslie offers a couple performance lift kit packages.

‘13-’17 Ram 1500: Performance 4X4 Lift Kit
The lift kit package includes a 6” suspension, 20” x 10” custom wheels, 35” x 12.50” TOYO MT tires, and a re-calibrated computer. The kit plus labor starts at $5,950.

‘07-’16 Jeep Wrangler: 4X4 Lift Kit
This kit comes with a 3.5” Super-Flex Short Arm lift kit with Mono Tube shocks, 20” x 10” custom wheels, 35” x 12.5” TOYO MT tires, programmed, and four-wheel alignment. The kit plus labor starts at $5,600.

Here are two examples of custom jobs Mark has completed in the past.

2016 Ram 3500 Dually with a 6.7-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel
Mods: 7” lift with 22” American Force wheels and 37” Toyo MT tires

Extreme Example
2014 Ford Raptor
Mods: 10” lift kit, RPG off-road suspension, Fox Shocks, 37” tires, 18” clearance in the front, 24” clearance in the rear. This monster can withstand a drop off a 12-foot cliff going 100 mph.

Air Suspension

Many truck drivers like to add an air suspension system to their truck. An air suspension adjusts the vehicle’s height (higher or lower) by a few inches by using airbags. A lot of time people choose these for the looks, especially those who show their truck at shows. However, air suspension can offer practicality for tall trucks when going through lower clearances.

Adding air suspension can make your truck look really awesome at car shows, parked, or on the road. However, doing this to your truck doesn’t come without a few cons to keep in mind. So, know that doing this will most likely void the truck’s warranty, may make a ride less smooth, and if not done properly, air lines can break. Typically, adding an air suspension to your vehicle will take about two days to install.

Lighting

Lights, lights and more lights. Adding lights to the exterior and/or interior of your truck is an inexpensive way to make it your own style. Adding lights of any sort can be done at home, but there is a lot of wiring involved, so we still recommend getting the lights installed here at University Mitsubishi.

Types of lights people add include LED lighting, under the hood lighting, under vehicle lighting, rock lights, fog lights and bed lights. In the last few years, puddle lights (they light up the vehicle below the doors to show if you are parked in a puddle) and car wheel LED laser lights. Some of these types of lights are just for style, but some of them improve visibility when off-roading at night. Lights and labor is probably one of the cheaper modification options for a vehicle.

Want to modify your your truck?

Call 954-745-9380 and ask for Mark to make an appointment today! We also have several used trucks for sale if you need a new truck to improve. Check out our used truck inventory here.