UPDATED…3 inch superlift disappointment

RST_n_JAX · August 12, 2021

I purchased the superlift 3 inch lift a while ago and just had it installed at a shop this week. When I picked the truck up I was immediately disappointed in how it looked. I know we all expect something for how our own trucks look compared to how others perceive it. When I got home I did some measurements and it seems I’ve only gained 2 inches of front lift compared to stock. The rear gave me the exact 1.5 lift as advertised but the front not so much. To give reference to you all, I started out at stock height with 37.75 ground to fender in front and 39 ground to fender in back. After install I sit at 39.75 front and 40.5 back. In theory I should be slightly nose high after lift but most importantly I should have gotten a full 3 inches in front lift. I could’ve saved some money and just done a level if I would have known it wouldn’t be a true 3 inch lift kit. I contacted superlift and gentleman was nice but only could say he would ask around and call back. First two pictures are after the one in parking garage is before. Anyone else have this issue?…

after working with the superlift engineer over several phone conversations, he kept coming back to the spacers in the wrong order being the issue. So I took the truck back to the shop provided them with the info from superlift along with pictures they gave me of strut and install. The shop took it all apart and reassembled the lift. It did in fact have some results on the height of the truck. I will post a picture comparison below of the truck the day I got it back the first time as well as the second time. Now I did not get the same measurements the superlift engineer said I would but it did come up some. I’m not trying to be too terribly picky but I did not accomplish what I had envisioned in the end. I see no real issues with the lift itself other than in my experience it will not accomplish the lifted level look I was trying to achieve. May not matter to some on here but giving my honest personal opinion. Will probably change rear blocks to a smaller size to get what I’m looking for. Hope this may provide insight to someone else looking at this kit specifically. Top is after initial install and bottom after correction of spacers.

Edited August 20, 2021 by RST_n_JAX

Gangly · August 12, 2021

Are the wheels and tires the same as when you first measured? Also make sure the pre-load spacer, as well as the strut spacer, got installed.

Edited August 12, 2021 by Gangly

RST_n_JAX · August 12, 2021

18 minutes ago, Gangly said:

Are the wheels and tires the same as when you first measured? Also make sure the pre-load spacer, as well as the strut spacer, got installed.

Wheels are same, tires are not went from essentially a 32.8 to a 33. I sent a picture to superlift and a rep with them said it seemed to have everything installed on it correctly but the measurements are way off. He said minimum I should see 25.5 inches from center cap to fender. I’m only at 24.5. He’s supposedly getting with their engineer to figure it out. I spoke to shop who installed and owner said it had all spacers installed as he over saw the tech doing the work. I am not mechanically savvy to this so I’m in the dark as what this issue could be.

Gangly · August 12, 2021

Just now, RST_n_JAX said:

Wheels are same, tires are not went from essentially a 32.8 to a 33. I sent a picture to superlift and a rep with them said it seemed to have everything installed on it correctly but the measurements are way off. He said minimum I should see 25.5 inches from center cap to fender. I’m only at 24.5. He’s supposedly getting with their engineer to figure it out. I spoke to shop who installed and owner said it had all spacers installed as he over saw the tech doing the work. I am not mechanically savvy to this so I’m in the dark as what this issue could be.

The owner isnt normally going to sit and watch a tech do the work, so I would climb under the vehicle and look. Your missing 1" of lift, which just happens to be about the thickness of various spacers. I'm not saying they didn't put all of the spacers in, but that coincidence alone would get me to go look for myself and verify its presence.

Gangly · August 12, 2021

The shiny silver spacers are easy to see, you can crawl under and check for those quickly and easily.

RST_n_JAX · August 12, 2021

17 minutes ago, Gangly said:

The shiny silver spacers are easy to see, you can crawl under and check for those quickly and easily.

I’ve already done that. I sent those photos to the tech with superlift. I’ll attach what I have.

Gangly · August 12, 2021

The shocks don't look the same as those shown in the 3"kit on the superlift website. They look like they have been on there a bit, but they definitely aren't Rancho's. Do you have Adaptive Ride Control on your truck?

RST_n_JAX · August 12, 2021

9 minutes ago, Gangly said:

The shocks don't look the same as those shown in the 3"kit on the superlift website. They look like they have been on there a bit, but they definitely aren't Rancho's. Do you have Adaptive Ride Control on your truck?

I do not have adaptive ride control and I do not have the the ranchos because my truck isn’t a z71. The shocks with the superlift kit are rear shocks. The shocks in the picture have definitely been on there for a while as I bought the truck in 2019 right after they were released to dealers. As best I can tell from looking myself and talking with the install company all three types of spacers are there. The engineer from superlift is saying the amount of thread left on strut bolts indicate everything is installed as should be. His next step is to take the strut out of the shop truck they have with this lift and compare that. I don’t quite know how that will help solve the issue being I’m nowhere close to their location but there is always someone smarter than myself. As I explained to him, if everything is done correctly as it should and I only have 2 inches of lift, I could’ve saved some money but just installing a leveling kit.

Gangly · August 12, 2021

Well, I'm out of ideas, lol. Please keep us informed so that we can all learn something.

RST_n_JAX · August 13, 2021

So after someone with a little more mechanical knowledge than me took a look at it, he seems to think the spacers may be placed in wrong order. Says it looks too him that the larger spacer should be on the very top of strut and it looks to be in the middle of the other spacers. He does not know if that would actually effect the height of the truck though. What’s the opinion on this? Does anyone have an idea if this would in fact cause me to be short an inch or so?

Gangly · August 13, 2021

Spacer location shouldn't matter as far as the lift height is concerned. As long as the spacers are between the upper shock mount and the lower shock mount your total height shouldn't change regardless of their order.

Edited August 13, 2021 by Gangly