4 Signs That a 4WD Lift Kit Was Poorly Installed

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Welcome to my blog! My name is Adrian and I would like to write a series of articles offering you my latest advice about how to get the best deal on your next auto purchase. I am not a professional auto dealer but I have many years experience of negotiating with used car dealers, auto accessories suppliers and auto parts salesmen. I learnt all these skills from my older brother who works in the auto trade. I want you to get the best deal that you can, so I decided to start this blog. I hope you enjoy it and find it useful.

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4 Signs That a 4WD Lift Kit Was Poorly Installed

7 April 2016
 Categories: , Blog


It can be challenging to evaluate the quality of the work done when a lift kit was installed on a 4WD. It may also be very expensive to hire a mechanic to inspect each used 4WD that you are considering to buy. However, there are some warning signs that you can look out for as you check a used 4WD that you want to buy. This article discusses some of the warning signs of a poor installation job in a used 4WD that has a lift kit.

Observe the Appearance of the Body

Take a close look at the body of the used 4WD vehicle. Does it look even when you look at all sides of the vehicle? Is one side of that 4WD vehicle (such as the passenger side) clearly higher or lower than the other side? Such unevenness may be an indicator that the lift kit was not properly installed.

Check the Tyres

Inspect the tread depth of all the tyres on that used 4WD that was lifted. Be on the lookout for signs of uneven wear on the tyres. You can mark off how deep a small screwdriver gets into the tread on different parts of a tyre to judge the evenness of wear. Any unevenness may be caused by several factors, such as poor wheel alignment or defective lift kit installation.

Turn the Driving Wheel Fully

Test-drive the used 4WD vehicle. As you do so, turn the steering wheel so that the tyres turn fully. Do the tyres rub against the body of the vehicle? Rubbing tyres may be a sign of a poorly installed lift kit. Note that some tyre rubbing may be acceptable on lifted vehicles, so you should consult a professional in case the rubbing you observe seems excessive.

Check the Speedometer

Test-drive the vehicle on a road that you frequently use. As you do so, observe whether the speedometer reading reflects the speed at which you are driving. Any mismatch between the speedometer reading and your judgment of the speed at which you are driving may indicate that there was a problem that affected the speedometer as the lift kit was being installed.

Use the warning signs above as something to prompt you to ask a professional to perform a more detailed inspection of that vehicle. That mechanic will advise you on the steps that are needed to correct the anomalies observed. You can then decide whether to go and ahead and buy that used 4WD vehicle, or keep looking for an alternative. For more information, contact companies like Wilkinson Suspension Centre.