Let’s say you just bought a new electric pickup, but you want to mod it out a bit and give it a little more height so you can see the road better. Can you lift an electric truck?
Key Takeaways:
In short, you can lift an electric truck, but you need to ask yourself whether you should. This necessitates a deeper exploration of the question.
Why Should You Lift an Electric Truck?
The first question to ask yourself when lifting an electric truck is what you can gain by doing so. One benefit is that lifting your truck enables you to see the road better. You can see other cars on the road, obstacles that might be in your way, weather-related impediments, and more.
The miles per gallon equivalent of electric trucks tends to run much lower than it does for gas-powered facsimiles.
This is why people buy them in the first place, although some wonder how much they’ll actually save if they need their truck to haul regular loads. If you need to haul regularly, some truck owners would actually suggest doing away with the lift.
However, those who do not need to haul oversized loads and simply want to see the road better or desire larger tires for off-roading should feel free to lift their electric truck as they see fit.
If you fall into these categories, the only issues left to worry about are whether you can afford to lift your truck, and how you should go about doing so.
Note that there’s nothing wrong with lifting your truck for purely aesthetic reasons.
For instance, the YouTube channel Bronco Nation decided to lift a Ford F-150 Lightning. In their own words, they did this because it “changes the attitude and look of the truck.” There does not need to be a practical benefit for every truck modification.
What You’ll Need to Lift Your Truck
Users on Reddit clarify the difference between the basic reason for lifting your electric truck and the overall goal of doing so. In most cases, those who wish to lift their trucks are hoping to fit on larger tires.
As a result, they can not only see farther ahead but can also achieve more ground clearance. This clearance, therefore, constitutes the actual goal. For this, you’ll need a lift kit.
If this is your first time purchasing a lift kit, then you may need a quick overview on the basics. Lift kits raise your truck’s suspension by about two to three inches, on average.
A body lift can also go up to five inches. If you want a higher lift than that, you’ll need to opt for a suspension lift instead. These can raise your truck by nine inches.
There are also a few ways to lift a truck without a lift kit, all of which should work fine on most electric pickups. For example:
- Coil-spring spacers can add about an inch or slightly more.
- Install longer stops on your axel housing for a few inches.
- Lengthen your OEM springs by up to six inches.
- Add arching leaves to the leaf-spring pack (if applicable) for up to three inches.
Not All Trucks Can Be Lifted Equally
An important thing to remember when lifting an electric truck is that not all trucks can be lifted equally. Notice in the bullets above that some options only apply to certain styles of manufacture. The same idea rings true when using a lift kit.
Take the Ford F-150 Lightning, for example. There are currently no lift kits available that suit it perfectly. Since the motors are mounted to the frame, Lightning owners suggest not using a body lift, as it may cause problems.
Even in the best of cases, you risk losing efficiency with a suspension lift.
That’s not to say it can’t be done, but it may take a lot of extra work. Some parts may need to be replaced, and less confident gearheads will want to outsource the work to a professional instead of doing it themselves.
Both of these factors can significantly increase cost, which is another consideration to bear in mind before deciding to lift your electric truck.
Factors That Might Influence Cost
The first factor that might affect the cost of lifting an electric truck is the method you use to do so.
Depending on the make of your truck and whether you’re using a lift kit, you might spend as little as $250 or as much as $1500 on equipment alone.
Some lift kits may even put you back ten times as much if you’re shopping for high quality.
If you’re hiring someone else to install your kit, expect to pay an average of $100 per hour spent on the installation. There are pros and cons here.
A professional may not take too long, so that’s a small charge compared to the equipment cost. However, those who’ve spent considerable money on a lift kit may wish to save a bit by putting in the hours themselves.
Anyone getting a lift kit from the manufacturer may wish to inquire about financing plans. Some manufacturers will let you pay off your kit over time. If you want a high-quality kit, then it might suit your budget better to pay anywhere from $20 to $150 a month instead of putting $15000 down upfront.
Conclusion
If you really want to lift your electric truck, you can find a way. Whether you have to do it yourself or outsource the work to a body shop, the first thing you should do is find forums for owners of your specific vehicle.
Others will likely have tried lifting it before, or may have insights to help you. This should help you organize your budget and form a plan.
