LIFTING AN IFS

LIFTING a live axle is simple – taller springs, longer shocks and perhaps a few adjustable arms to keep the geometry this side of horrendous. But lifting an independent front end can open up a world of hurt if done incorrectly. The issue comes down to the angle of the driveshafts and CV joints sending power from the chassis-mounted diff centre to the wheels – the higher the lift, the greater the angle, and the bigger the chance of failure.

To get around this there are three options. The most sensible is keeping lifts moderate – most manufacturers recommend around the 50mm mark. On the more extreme side of things are bracket lifts like Reece is running. In a bracket lift, aftermarket crossmembers, spacers and brackets physically push the front suspension arrangement away from the chassis diff centre, which keeps things reasonably in line with stock geometry. Further to this, some companies offer long travel kits. Longer control arms and driveshafts allow a larger amount of lift for the same CV angle, although often at the expense of illegally increasing the track width.