How to Choose Your First Nissan Lift Kit

The reason why Japanese vehicles as a whole are preferred a lot more by people when it comes to having a fuss-free vehicle in their driveway. This is typically the case with most Japanese car manufacturers and the same goes for Nissan. Being one of the leading car brands when it comes to having a value-for-money vehicle in your hands this Yokohama-based car brand also boasts about its safety systems.

Nissan is one of the most technologically-advanced car manufacturers when it comes to making safe vehicles with front-side airbags and rearview cameras being a standard practice. But Nissan vehicles aren’t perfect hence why some aftermarket upgrades are needed.

Nissan Titan lifted.
Source: flickr.com

Benefits of Lift Kits

Versatility

The biggest reason why you should make use of a lift kit is to make your Nissan more versatile when off-roading. If you have a big 4×4 such as the X-Trail, you’ll want to make it more nimble on the beaten path by using a proper Nissan lift kit.

Access

Having your Nissan lifted means you get easier access to undercarriage components, You don’t have to be going up and down hills to make use of a lift kit for Nissan. Servicing it will be a lot easier and you’ll also do things like adding an anti-rust coating to the underbody.

Safety

With a lifted ride you get to make your Nissan even safer both on and off the road. Sitting higher up means a better view of the traffic around you and you get to avoid scraping any components that sit under your car such as the exhaust. 

Looks

With more space between the road and the skirts, you will definitely make your Nissan look more aggressive. No need to add bulky fenders or bumpers, just use a Nissan lift kit.

Tyres

Another way to make a Nissan look more aggressive and more capable off the road is with bigger tyres. But if you don’t have the space for them how will you make use of larger tyres? With a lift kit for Nissan, that’s easy since the increase in ground clearance also makes for more space between the tyres and wheel arch.

Nissan Navara, Lift Kit.
Source: wikimedia.commons.com

Types of Lift Kits

Leaf

Depending on the type of suspension your Nissan comes with, you’ll need to choose either between a coil spring or a leaf spring kit. A leaf spring kit makes for a rather easy upgrade since all they usually involve is replacing the springs. There are also different solutions when it comes to leaf spring kits.

Add-a-Leaf

An add-a-leaf kit is exactly what it sounds like as you’re able to add an individual leaf to the suspension. You can add multiple if you want but it’s not mandatory. This way you have a more versatile solution in how big of a difference you’ll make with your Nissan’s ground clearance. Just keep in mind that the higher the increase in spring rate the rougher you’ll make the ride of your Nissan.

New Leaf Spring

If you want a better alternative than an add-a-leaf kit, then you should consider getting a new leaf spring kit. These lift kits for Nissan, essentially replace the springs with a completely new pack of leaf springs. This way you know that there are no springs that are going to be worn out more than the other ones you added individually.

Longer Shackles

For those of you who own a Nissan with a coil spring suspension system, you should consider getting a lift kit for Nissan with longer shackles. With shackles, you get a 50% lift which means that if the shackle is 5 cm you get a 2.5 cm lift. The downside of these lift kits is that the size of the shackles can have a negative effect on the pinion and shackle angle.

Coil Spring

You can also use a full-on coil spring lift kit which comes with either longer coil springs or spring spacers. There’s one downside with coil spring lifts though and that has to do with the angle of the radius arm and track bar which can be changed. The same goes for the location of the axle.

It can end up being changed and moved towards the centre of the truck. This can be quite compromising as it shifts the centre of gravity of you Nissan towards the centre too which can affect it handles in a negative way.

Suspension vs Body Lift Kits

A suspension lift kit like any of the above is made to increase the ride height of your Nissan by adjusting suspension components. This means that the chassis is raised too and it can be a better option if you want to explore unknown terrain without a worry.

Body lift kits may do the same thing as suspension lift kits for Nissan but instead of the chassis, what they help lift or rather separate is the frame of your Nissan from the suspension. This can be beneficial in some ways but definitely not when it comes to handling.

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