4X4 Suspension lift kits EXPLAINED | Choose the Right Size!

This video is all about suspension lift kits on 4X4 vehicles. I explain everything you need to know about them while comparing 1 and 2-inch lifts to 3 and 4-inch lifts, in terms of both performance and necessary parts.
Choosing the right size suspension lift kit for your 4x4 is not as easy as just replacing the coil springs and shocks. There are lots of different 4WD suspension upgrade options on the market but how can you choose the best?
Today, I’m answering all the questions related to 4x4 suspension lift kits - What are the advantages and disadvantages of fitting a lift kit to your vehicle? What is the best lift kit height for IFS vehicles in competitions to solid axle ones? Which parts do you actually need to get to make a proper lift, and how high should you go?
Ultimately, I will help you decide what suspension lift will be the right choice for your four-wheel drive.
Thanks for watching and please Subscribe to the channel!
Support my work on Patreon:
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/ the4x4lab

[@kakia17]

i have seen many types of videos.this one has the best matching name and content! good job! thank you for the video!

[@The4x4Lab]

And thank you for watching :) I'm trying to stay right on point with my videos and not waste the viewers' time.

[@ccmmrrnn]

@@The4x4Lab dude you did a great job, thank you.

[@ThanasisZ]

2 Years on , and still helps. You made me confident in lifting up my subaru outback dude. 2" spacers ftw! :) You should watch the balance between upselling and good advice in case you hit a deal with someone. I know a lot of "youtubers" that push their store and products in every single paragraph of their script. Great job man keep it up and enjoy your Hilux :)

[@The4x4Lab]

Useful information should always come first, I agree!

[@beataw--ska]

Excellent explanation and accurate visuals. Great job.

[@portugezemonster]

What a good video, so clear and informative. Well done!

[@ccmmrrnn]

Thank you for making a great summary video - it's the perfect balance of the right technical information, straight-forward presentation, effective visual demonstration, simple language, and the right explanations where needed, all under 10 minutes. I already understood a lot of these concepts separately but your video presented them all together in a way that made sense. Your presentation style is calm and re-assuring, and it helps that your voice has a lovely timbre. Also your Jimny is rad.

[@borisluzanov3361]

Excellent video. Such a detailed explanation 👌

[@dfamcamping4895]

Thank you very much for this video! As a newbie SUV owner, this is the easy way (so far) to learn about suspension lift kits.

[@nikolaynikolchev1724]

Great video, George. Great work on your Jimny. Keep going

[@The4x4Lab]

Thanks 👍

[@joegriffin6699]

Great content delivered in a very clear and informative manner. Well done sir.

[@The4x4Lab]

That's exactly my goal! Thanks for the appreciation.

[@HRFSUK]

Second video of yours i've watched and equally as well made - Bravo sir 👏

[@The4x4Lab]

Glad you enjoyed it! More to come...

[@lennartjernberg3512]

Best video on the topic I´ve ever seen. thank you!

[@The4x4Lab]

Thank you! I really appreciate it :)

[@MKlukowski]

Great summary and super informative!

[@The4x4Lab]

Glad it was helpful!

[@sumitschitoll]

Super simple video mate , I like the simple no drama explanation,

[@The4x4Lab]

Glad you liked it! No drama, no waste of time, no selling you something - just info :)

[@zeevaloni6256]

Thank you George for those beautiful videos Especially the technical ones that you presented very clearly looking forward for more

[@The4x4Lab]

Thanks for the application! That's helps to keep you motivated to make more videos :)

[@MrVasho1]

Awesome video, short and concise

[@The4x4Lab]

Trying to keep it straight to the points :) Glad it helped!

[@nigelhelm9528]

Great video and very well explained Thank you

[@kwijukaderek4682]

This video is not famous enuf, but it's the best I have watched, this dude is so clear, thanx bruh

[@jagmasters7392]

I just sub'd to this channel because of this excellent video. Presentation, explanations & videography ... all great! Thanks👍🏽

[@The4x4Lab]

Welcome aboard! 👋 For this video I had a little help from a friend holding the camera - usually it's on the tripod.

[@sebastianmiller4211]

great video. very well explained. well done

[@The4x4Lab]

Thank you kindly!

[@ryanyager7]

this actually an excellent video

[@roddas26]

Just purchased a 2003 Jimny in the same blue. Has 2inch lift and a m16a. This is such an awesome channel. Thank you from New Zealand 🇳🇿

[@The4x4Lab]

Welcome aboard mate! I haven't been shooting videos lately, but I'm about to start again now!

[@seth8005]

Trying to figure out what and how to modify my first 4 x 4 Jimny, and I learned a lot from this video! Liked and subed!

[@The4x4Lab]

So nice to hear that! Thank you 🙂

[@jonathanblackmore4536]

Excellent George.

[@The4x4Lab]

Thank you! Much appreciated.

[@hellderson]

Did find it helpful yes. Good explanation. I'll go for the 2 inch option for my Montero IO pinin. Thanks.

[@The4x4Lab]

Thanks! For the Pinin, definately a 2" max, I think.

[@kevinsullivan4744]

Well done mate simple to understand

[@The4x4Lab]

Then I have achieved my goal - simple and to the point... Thank you!

[@pacopenade]

Thanks for the video, very useful for lifting my jimny

[@The4x4Lab]

Glad it helped. 🙂 What lift did you choose? How many inches?

[@crowcross1453]

Good video from Texas bro !

[@The4x4Lab]

Thanks for the visit :) Very few of my viewers are from the US

[@Johnny-st1zb]

Great Video!

[@The4x4Lab]

Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@matiasflores2451]

Very informative, thank you!

[@The4x4Lab]

Very welcome!

[@cyber9l]

the best explanation lift kit ever

[@harrypotty5643]

great video mate.

[@The4x4Lab]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@eachday9538]

Very clearly explained

[@user-kz6mq9dm7b]

Great video! Thanks 😊

[@The4x4Lab]

You are so welcome!

[@samuelfratti6889]

Thanx 4 the information, Great video!

[@The4x4Lab]

Much appreciated!

[@Simon78]

Nice comprehensive video. ! Jimny power !

[@The4x4Lab]

Glad it helped!

[@Saad-lo7je]

Thanks for the valuable info!

[@The4x4Lab]

And thank you for watching! More to come...

[@trevorwass1056]

Explained very well top video hope he as done more 😃😃😃

[@The4x4Lab]

Thanks! More to come!

[@Kunztmann]

you could not explained better, greetings from Chile

[@The4x4Lab]

Glad you found it helpful :)

[@nettelplos]

Great info - thx

[@The4x4Lab]

Glad it was helpful!

[@nielosoweznaki]

Great video, thanks.

[@The4x4Lab]

And thank you for watching and commenting! 🙏

[@petarkandilarov2074]

Много интересно! Впечатлен съм!

[@The4x4Lab]

Мерси! Старая се всяко видео да бъде по интересно от предходното.

[@chrismajor2501]

Awesome from Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@The4x4Lab]

Thanks for the visit. Cheers!

[@gabrielmessam2374]

Loving all of this information! Looking forward to getting a jimny so I can put it into practice. I have a question though. On jimnybits, they sell lifting springs separate from any other lifting parts (similar to how lowering springs are sold). Is it possible to achieve a lift with only these?

[@The4x4Lab]

Hey there :) Jimnybits sell a lot of things separately. That is just done for convenience I believe. However, longer springs require longer shocks.

[@nikolaykolev89]

Very informative

[@The4x4Lab]

Glad it helps :)

[@andreicalancea4158]

I wanna put 1" spacers of course...forgot to mention 🤝

[@jimdabiri5519]

Thanks definitely thought me a lot of something. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@The4x4Lab]

I'm glad the video was useful for you :)

[@ignatius2230]

Great video for those like me who are newbies to this

[@The4x4Lab]

Glad it was helpful! We have all been there (some still are) :)

[@gutti21]

Love this jimny

[@The4x4Lab]

Thanks :)

[@cocofresh6974]

This video may be unpopular to some, but personally I believe you desserve more views. Despite not being fluent in English you helped me understand a lot more with suspension, thanks a lot bro. This video is underated

[@The4x4Lab]

I'm not a native speaker but I think my English is fluent haha :D Thanks mate, glad you liked the video! Unfortunately, good informative videos will never get a lot of views - they are just not clickbaiting enough ;)

[@cocofresh6974]

@@The4x4Lab lol true.. and anytime bro, video was worth it! btw im planning on upgrading my tyres from 29.5 inch to 31.5 with a 2 inch lift kit. I also plan on getting spacers to widen the tires passed the fenders for balance and aesthetics. im hoping the 2 inch lift kit will be enough as I dont want to affect factory settings just yet. id love to hear your opinion. its a 57 chevy vintage truck btw :)

[@hanshomesteading1276]

Really great video. My Jimny has been lifted with rubber pads and I am about to correct that. I saw some cheap liftkits, i.e. 400 euro for 50mm. should one stay away from them or are they still recommendable and how do they compare to the high end ones?

[@dirtycommtroop]

I wish they could bring this to the US. Everything keeps getting bigger and more expensive when the truth is bigger isnt always better. The size and clearance angles on the Jimny is insane.

[@markfryer2689]

hi, great video! i noticed you have removed the front sway bar for articulation. how does it handle on the road?

[@The4x4Lab]

I haven't noticed a big difference. 😉 Perhaps if there is more weight higher on the vehicle (a roof rack or a rooftop tent) then the lack of a sway bar would be more pronounced... One can always disconnect it just to test it out and make a decision.

[@chefjasonperu]

Wow damn good video sir

[@The4x4Lab]

Thank you for the kind words!

[@georgemullin7772]

Great information I have a 93 jeep grand cherokee zj I'm thinking 3.5 inch lift what do you think , I'm going with 31.5 tires.

[@kendzoadventure]

Nice jimny brother

[@The4x4Lab]

Thank you mate!

[@Kiel1919]

G'day George (apologies if spelling is wrong) I have the same Jimny I believe - 2007 VVT? If so; how have you modified the engine? It sounds very different to mine (have just started some basic mods)

[@dkdanis1340]

Good explanation. But there's few things 1. Higher lifts don't mean bad handling on road with upgraded shocks could handle better than stock (and that's is a regular shock imagine with bypass shocks). People sometimes run wider axles that enhances stabilty for example lots of people when they run big lifts and tires on samurai they upgrade to toyota axles. So overall depends on setup. And if done properly it will be better than before on road too. Also it won't break or wear down if done properly if bushings aren't at steep angle, u joints. Same thing with big tires 35s on a vehicle that had 28s stock plus more power stock axle will work fine but don't be suprised when they break. Now that depends on the vehicle cause some won't even feel 35s.

[@The4x4Lab]

Hey, thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts. :) When a vehicle is designed there is an army of engineers at the manufacturer's HQ that calculate every detail in order to make it work well as constructed... That is hard to beat, but I agree that in theory, it is possible, and one should be able to make it better in every regard and for all terrains. Taking the stability example - you put flanges and negative offset wheels to restore stability but then bearings and other bits start to fail, so you get a stronger axle from Toyota but you cant find someone to wield it at the proper angle with perfect accuracy, even if you do, then the propshafts need replacement with stronger ones, the engine cant keep up with the bigger tires and axles, you swap the engine, then the clutch fails, after that the gearbox and so on and so on. Offroad tuning is an endless and expensive journey but we are all tempted to do it :) I have a 4 inch lift, craw gears, locker and I keep buying hahah :D For the purpose of simplifying the video, I have not gone onto these details... ;)

[@dkdanis1340]

@@The4x4Lab yeah but in general it depends on whole setup for example when some guys put longer front arms to extend the front and make it pretty parallel to the body lowering center of gravity while increasing articulation if there's room for that like on buggys but for vehicle that can't do that have arms underneath the body. For example wranglers on 40s and their lift kits make it lifted while still retaining on road performance depends on arm position and shocks lots of them run interal bypass, depends on swaybars... and more. These directly built kits are like factory fit but you can make good with other car parts if done properly. For example they make lift kits for factory samurai axles and toyota axles.

[@mlugin8050]

I have a landcruiser hzj71, the shortest wheelbase. I use it as often as possible offrod and it’s great. It has a suspension lift and 33 inch tires. OME suspension, all the good stuff. I have a lot of respect for the Jimmys. All the things that were explained here i can fully support. The car has to be reliable, that‘s the first for me. The more extreme you go the more it costs. See where you want to go and then make it the right way. If you can‘t afford it, don‘t go there and wait. The stock vehicle is good allready, there have been some engineers working in it for years. Never go for looks always go for function. Just enjoy the jimny as it is and how you are able to upgrade it the right way. It‘s like offroading, if there is an ibstacle you feel unsafe, avoid it or drive around it. Just don‘t wait for the car to be another car, use it as it was meant to be and enjoy it. I‘ve seen a Jimny in a offroad park in france and it was mostly original exept for the tires. And it went places where all the famous cars went. The driver and passengers were smiling and grinning. And the spectators always supported and cheered when it made it. It‘s a beautiful car with character, it‘s underestimated by lot‘s of people. But it‘s an icon. 4-5 years from now, that car will be sought after like to old fiat panda 4x4 because it has style and it‘s humble. But it gives a massive middle finger to the high end society. The jimny is build like my LandCruiser. Just smaller, cheaper and more practical. This car will be your friend

[@The4x4Lab]

True. The Jimny is in a segment of its own. There simply aren't any other true 4WDs at this price tag. I assume your OME suspension lift is nothing crazy, perhaps +2 inches?

[@mlugin8050]

@@The4x4Lab yes it‘s about 2 inches. Combined with the 33 inch tires it makes an difference

[@greganwhittal]

Hi. Would you recommend putting a lift kit my suzuki if I am going to uses it as my daily drive and maybe only in the future I will uses it as a weekend toy or as just my 4x4 for fun.

[@The4x4Lab]

The best configuration for a daily driver on the road would be the stock one from the factory :) You can use it as a weekend toy just with a set of AT tires and by carrying a few extra items kzbin.info/www/bejne/jH_GpYGqgs-mrqs

[@greganwhittal]

@@The4x4Lab thank you so much. I must say I these suzuki jimny are so such fun little 4x4 that work so great.

[@borisluzanov3361]

Would the death wobble be mainly the result of the suspension modifications?

[@teo_siamidis]

Hi! Nice video! I want to ask: can I fit 235/75/16 on my +2,5" suspension lift and +2" body lift jimny without change my transmission gear? The jimny is 1.3

[@user-wd5mx9ec3p]

yes but it would probably drive like a dog on the road

[@craiglangley8848]

Great video very useful, as a matter of interest did you encounter any death wobble problem during the lift conversation.

[@thatzook]

I have a Jimny as well, bone stock, I’m not sure where to start, whether I go suspension first (2’ only legal in Australia) or do I go for bigger wheels to increase clearance?

[@The4x4Lab]

Probably get the suspension lift first so you can more easily fit the bigger tires :)

[@wiwit41384]

what year model is your Jimny? Nice video for starter and wanting to buy a Jimny.

[@The4x4Lab]

Thanks! It's the earliest model from 1999. There is a dedicated walkaround video of the Jimny that you can check out.

[@nielosoweznaki]

How many inches is this Jimny lifted? Do you have some video or website with the list of mods on it? (Price summary wouldn't be nice as well if possible)

[@The4x4Lab]

I'm actually selling the Jimny now. Check the two walkaround videos on the channel for more details on the mods. :)

[@jargaljalsan905]

Please talk about your rims little bit. Brand, offset etc., also manual hub. How long are using it

[@The4x4Lab]

There is another dedicated walkaround video of the Jimny on the channel. This video is for suspension lifts on any 4WD :)

[@frankf2856]

Hi george i love your jimny and i was wondering do you need a radio licence in Bulgaria

[@The4x4Lab]

I'm not informed on this topic, sorry mate.

[@governorrifleman22]

I have a 4cyl ford ranger manual shift with fiberglass finders what size lift would work the best for me and tires?

[@The4x4Lab]

Depends. But a 2 inch lift will be best in most cases.

[@IrishBadger]

What is your jimney running in this video

[@jordanwright6877]

What lift do you have on that jimny looks ace !

[@The4x4Lab]

I'm running the maximum height that is sensible to do: 4 inches suspension lift and no body lift :) there is also a walk-around video of the Jimny on the channel

[@pux4enator]

Здравейте имам въпрос, извинявам се че не е свързан конкретно със Сузуки Джимни но смятам че тук е подходящо място където бих могъл да попитам. Голям фен съм на този вид джипчета и като цяло философията им. Бихте ли могли да ми кажете нещо за Дайхатсу Териос примерно след 2005г , много е подобно на Джимнито.

[@The4x4Lab]

Здравейте, няма проблем :) За жалост нямам наблюдения над този модел - нямам познати, които да го карат.

[@milengeorgiev6596]

Very educative video! But there is one more option: spend 100k+ for a vehicle with height adjustable suspension :)

[@The4x4Lab]

True... but let me just first sell my kidney if I am to pay that much :D

[@internetttroll1908]

Running 2" and 33"s 10x15 on my jimny. more lift, means top heavy. so the big and heavy 33"s will keep it not rolling in hills. works great, but i ordered 6.5:1 gears now. the low range is awful.

[@piercel.6515]

Is it good to fit a strut stabilizer in the front suspension? I still cannot decide whether to go for 40, 50 or 60mm lift. Anyone can help me out?

[@andreicalancea4158]

Hi.1.5" lift for honda cr-v be all right?Anything affect the car?On standard i have 215/65/r16...if i lift the car 1.5" with the stock wheels,what big tires you recommended???Thank you,cheers

[@The4x4Lab]

1.5" lift with a 1" spacer sounds reasonable for a CR-V. The tire size would depend on a variety of factors, including the rims' offset - just pay attention to how much space you have to the arches when turning the from wheels.

[@andreicalancea4158]

@@The4x4Lab thank you.I have put 235/70/16 on original wheels and it’s rubbing just a bit which don’t affect me to much 😁…Overall looks awesome 😍

[@olga2123]

what is your set up? how many inches and size of tires? thank you

[@The4x4Lab]

There is another dedicated walkaround video of the Jimny on the channel. This video is for suspension lifts on any 4WD :)

[@GPon5675]

@@The4x4Lab which is the link of this video mate? I really want to know your lift kit and your wheels size. It seems the best in my opinion and i want to fix it in my Jimny

[@wirapasaribu7823]

nice one! what size is your tire and rim?

[@The4x4Lab]

Hey! There are 2 walkaround videos of the Jimny on the channel and I have different size of tires and rims on each and I talk about what I have picked and why 🙂

[@martinbyrne6643]

Are u allowed on the road with 4 inch lift , and nobby tiers , public road I mean , will it past an mot test with this done , is it legal , or is it illegal, sorry for asking these kill joy questions

[@The4x4Lab]

Joy killing but reasonable questions... The answer is - it widely depends. In some countries nobody cares what you are driving. In others like Australia, they are very strict and impossible to cut corners. Both the rules and their strictness vary so one must check these things locally.

[@pipimontana]

After 4 sensless hours in the youtube-jimny-letmesellyousomeshit world, i found a unicorn. Thank you!

[@The4x4Lab]

Providing value to the audience should be the priority of every content creator... Thanks you too!

[@ivopenchev5162]

Здравей Какво мислиш за 2 инч лифт от шасито. ? Моето е вдигнато 2 инча от тамопоните и 2 от амортисьорите . Мерси

[@The4x4Lab]

Привет, Това е евтин вариант, за да можеш да побереш по-големи гуми, но пък не увеличаваш артикулацията. Аз бях така отпред на предходния си джип - Витара.

[@danielomarpazzapata1445]

I want to have a 2” lift kit on my jimny with 235/75/r15 tyres just so it can look taller, not for offroad performance… how much does it affect the on road performance??

[@The4x4Lab]

2" is the most conservative option so the changes will be minimal I believe. After all, it's a 4wd, not a car so go for it! :)

[@marcof.3056]

In my opinion I wouldn’t even consider anything more than a 2“ lift for the suspension and no more than two steps above the stock tire size. If I wanted more ground clearance, Portal axels are the only reasonable way to go.

[@The4x4Lab]

Portal axles are the top of the top when it comes to offroad upgrades, no doubt about it. However, they are difficult to find and expensive to buy.

[@marcof.3056]

Well, there is a German company called TIBUS that makes portal axles for lots of 4x4 including the Jimny. As far as I have heard prices start at 10,000€. That’s indeed not what I’d call inexpensive, especially if you compare it to the price of a Jimny. But on the other hand, if you ad up the total cost of all the modifications that go into a higher lift, maybe the difference is not that much anymore. By the way, portal axles have a hidden feature not everyone knows about. As they are literally just small gearboxes, you can get them with a built in gear ratio reduction to match bigger tires. Therefore you don’t have to work on your gearbox and save some money. In the end it’s more that I just wonder why they are not a way more popular modification on the more expensive rigs like in the US or Australia,for example.

[@oliversutton1382]

Do you need all 4 castor corrected arms or just 2

[@The4x4Lab]

Having the rear arms changed will help with the springs sitting straight but I don't think that is essential.

[@fountofmemories634]

Страхотно видео и разяснения!

[@The4x4Lab]

Лесно и разбираемо :) Мерси!

[@chefjasonperu]

Is this a JB33 or JB43?

[@The4x4Lab]

It's JB33 :) why do you ask?

[@chefjasonperu]

@@The4x4Lab just bought one.. looking for ideas

[@dudsmtb447]

What size lift does your jimny have in this video?

[@The4x4Lab]

I have always had a 4" lift but I have tried different brands. There are 2 walkaround videos of the Jimny on the channel where I talk about the suspension. 🙃

[@rubenpantophlet]

🎉

[@The4x4Lab]

😎

[@7Supernova7]

thanks for the video, helped me decide to actually not lift it for now

[@The4x4Lab]

You are welcome! Yes, all vehicles are calculated to work best as stock... Best as an all-rounder that is, not the best for offroad :)

[@7Supernova7]

@@The4x4Lab i did get some new shocks though

[@forgottenknowledge8917]

You need rock sliders so you don't dent the rockers

[@The4x4Lab]

I have pushed the Jimny hard over the past 5 years and never needed rock sliders. It's such a short wheelbase that it's unlikely that anything will damage that part. At least in my style of driving 😉

[@dimitarivanov7233]

Може ли БГ субтитри

[@The4x4Lab]

Ако трябва да съм честен, този път не сложих субтитри и не го споделих в БГ групи, защото 2/3 от термините не ги знам на български :D иначе на разходките слагам :)

[@sayainpegeta]

Pretty sure a body lift is for tyres 🤔

[@The4x4Lab]

A body lift is solely for tires :)

[@markjennings2315]

That engine sound ‘loud’ tappety

[@The4x4Lab]

There is always something to fix when going offroad and pushing to the limits... 🙂

[@koryceo3087]

I want to lift my vehicle 😭😭

[@The4x4Lab]

Sooner or later we all do :D What vehicle do you own?

[@francismartinpanes7025]

should seen this sooner before I got my lift

[@The4x4Lab]

What lift are you running now :D