Professional vs. DIY: How Much Does It Cost to Lift a Truck?
Lifting your truck is a great option if you want more ground clearance and room for extra tires, or you just love the idea of sitting behind the wheel of a large truck. But, as is the case with most vehicle modifications, lifting your truck costs money. Whether you plan on lifting your truck yourself or hiring a professional, you’ll need to spend some cash. Your total lift kit cost all depends on the type of vehicle you own, how much of a lift you want, and whether you hire a mechanic to install the lift for you. Learn more about how much it costs to lift or level a truck.
Cost of Truck Lift Kits and Leveling Kits
First, you’ll need to decide between a lift kit and a leveling kit. A lift kit will raise the body of your truck anywhere from two to twelve inches or more, while a leveling kit will raise either the front or back of your vehicle, usually by about two inches, to give it a more level stance. If you have a lot of heavy accessories on one end of your vehicle, such as a winch or a plow, you might want to raise it to give your truck more of a factory stance.
Generally, lift kits tend to be more expensive than leveling kits, considering they raise all four corners of your vehicle instead of just the front or the back. The larger the lift, the more the lift kit will cost, but most people are only looking to lift their truck a few inches.
- Smaller truck lift kits, those that raise the body by two inches, usually cost anywhere from $400 to $12,000.
- Larger truck lift kits, those that raise the body by six inches or more, usually cost anywhere from $11,000 to $14,000.
- Leveling kits tend to cost even less, usually ranging from $200 to $1,000, depending on the make and model of your vehicle.
Many kit manufacturers and distributors, including Superlift, also offer financing plans, so you can spread out the cost of the kit over time instead of having to pay the total upfront. Depending on which kit you choose, you can usually pay anywhere from $20 to $120 a month.
DIY Lifting
Now, let’s move on to installing the kit. You should only attempt to install the kit yourself if you’ve installed them in the past. It might sound like a simple job, but, once you get going, you could easily damage your vehicle if you don’t know what you’re doing. Repairing that damage will cost you more than the price of a kit itself.
If you’re an experienced mechanic, you can install a kit in just a few hours. After you’re done, it’s a good idea to visit your local mechanic and make sure everything is performing as it should be. You might need to have your wheels realigned or your steering components adjusted, which can cost you anywhere from $75 to $200 or more.
Hiring a Professional
If you want to make sure your lift kit or leveling kit is installed correctly, you should hire a professional to do the job for you. You’ll have more peace of mind knowing that your vehicle is ready to go, instead of worrying about whether you made a mistake during the installation process.
The cost to install a lift kit or leveling kit all depends on which body shop you choose and the make and model of your vehicle. Generally, the installation fee is around the same price as the kit itself.
So, if you buy a relatively inexpensive leveling kit for a couple hundred dollars, installing the kit will cost around $200 as well. If you buy a larger lift kit for several thousand dollars, installing the kit could easily cost $2,000 or more. This could also be more if the mechanic needs to service other parts of your vehicle as well, such as realigning the wheels, adjusting the shocks, etc.
Adding It All Up
So, to wrap things up, buying and installing a leveling kit can easily cost anywhere between $200 to $1,000, if you do things yourself, and $400 to $2,000 if you hire a professional.
Depending on the size of your lift, buying and installing a lift kit can easily cost anywhere between $400 to $4,000 if you install the kit yourself. If you hire a professional, it could cost between $800 and $8,000.
You should have a better idea of how much it costs to install truck lift kits. Ask questions and do your research to make sure you find the right kit for your vehicle.