Hilux has enjoyed years of success in Australia, and has constantly topped the commercial selling charts, exceeding the sales of any other uti or van on the market by a fair margin. In fact, the Hilux is coming close to being the best-selling vehicle in Australia in every category, beating small hatches and Aussie-made sedans. For your average tradesman, it’s hard to argue against the Hilux, as it stands out and above every other uti simply because of its dependability.

The Hilux can easily be adjusted to fit anyone’s needs. Whether it’s for form or function, you can adjust it to suit your needs, such as lifting it. Lifting a truck is something that can be easily done and there are two basic methods of doing it. If you’re indecisive which method you want to approach, worry not. In this article I’ll compare the two methods – lifting and leveling, and what the differences between them are.

Lift Kits

Before looking for a Hilux lift kit for sale, know that they come in two varieties: suspension and body lift kits. A lift kit lifts your entire truck, both rear and front in any height necessary. Body lifts utilise spacers and blocks to lift the body higher onto the frame of the Hilux without altering the suspension geometry. With these, your ground clearance remains the same, but the extra height allows you to put larger tyres and wheels. You’ll find that a body Hilux lift kit for sale is more affordable and easier to install than the suspension Hilux lift.

Suspension lift kits for sale might be more expensive and their installation needs much more involvement, nevertheless, the results are worth it. They usually involve replacing the struts, control arms, to the  trailing arms and leaf springs, and often times even the steering components and driveshafts. Upgrading or replacing these gives your Hilux more suspension articulation, the ability to run even bigger tyres, improved ground clearance, and makes your vehicle all-around more capable of off-road driving. Driving dynamics and stability can also be affected.

Leveling Kits

A Hilux leveling kit, well…levels the Hilux. It does so by raising the frond end, thus eliminating the factory rake in bringing the front to the rear’s level. Most Hilux trucks come with a certain rake built in their suspension, which means their rear sits slightly higher than the front. This is mostly done for looks, but can also improve your ground clearance and give you the ability to put larger tyres. A big benefit of these is their ability to raise the front of your truck only instead of lowering the rear, which allows your payload capacity to remain the same. They’re simply designed and utilise strut extensions, coil spacers or torsion keys. Most of them can be installed without jacking up your vehicle.