davidsmith1307
Well-Known Member
Wasn't there a guy who used to be on here who make really good quality ones? I'll try and find a name.
davidsmith1307
Well-Known Member
htr
Well-Known Member
Lift kits lift the body and give the wheels greater articulation. The lowest bits are your diff' and the front lower suspension arms. The only way to lift them and gain greater ground clearance is to fit taller tyres. Factory st'd tyres were 195/80/15 you could look at 215 or 225 75 15. The latter would give you about 25 mm lift.
A point to think about is tyre costs rise with bigger rim sizes.
Hope this helps.
A point to think about is tyre costs rise with bigger rim sizes.
Hope this helps.
davidsmith1307
Well-Known Member
Because 80% of 195 is less than 75% of 225...
GrumpyGel
Well-Known Member
The only advice I'd give is not to buy 'cheap' with something like that - they basically hold your suspension together - you don't want them breaking.
You should also search around on here because there are implications. As said above, bit (eg drive shafts) wear out a lot quicker - but you may also need to take chuncks out of the bodywork/chassis to allow for greater travel in the suspension and extend brake/ABS lines. You'll also want to get to get bigger tyres which cost and increase gearing which isn't a great thing without a low-range box. As a noob to 4x4 I would suggest you go out on some lanes with people who are experienced first, then decide how you want to adapt your car.
You should also search around on here because there are implications. As said above, bit (eg drive shafts) wear out a lot quicker - but you may also need to take chuncks out of the bodywork/chassis to allow for greater travel in the suspension and extend brake/ABS lines. You'll also want to get to get bigger tyres which cost and increase gearing which isn't a great thing without a low-range box. As a noob to 4x4 I would suggest you go out on some lanes with people who are experienced first, then decide how you want to adapt your car.
GrumpyGel
Well-Known Member
That's fair enough.
htr
Well-Known Member
The bits that are hitting the ground are not necessarily going to be raised with a lift kit. On my FL1 it's the lower front sus' arms, the engine bash plate [ a worthy mod' /accessory to fit! ] front cross and rear crossmember, diff ...
Re 'taller' tyres:
Your tyre sizes - 215/65/16 -
215 is the tyre width,
65 is its aspect ratio, that is the distance from the rim to the tread's 'face' - that distance in this case is 65% of the tyre's width which is nearly 140mm.
The 16 is the rim's diameter.
So, 215/65/16 has a diameter of 685.9mm
215/70/16 has a diameter of 707.4mm [ + 21.5mm from st'd] or a lift of about 10mm
225/70/16 has a diameter of 721.4mm [ + 35.5 from st'd] or a lift of about 18mm
You mightn't be able to get those tyres sizes.
If you do go for 'taller 70 or 75 series tyres' you may well need a lift kit and possibly wheel spacers as well to allow room for the larger tyres.
'Taller' tyres will effect performance, slower acceleration, and poorer fuel economy - except for long steady motorway driving where you may get an advantage!
A lift kit can effect handling, fuel economy [ increased air resistance?], ride quality and may cause drive train / suspension parts to wear more quickly.
Finally, rim width plays a key factor on the width of tyre you can fit. 16" rims are 6J or 6 inches wide. Best to consult your tyre supplier of specific tyre sizes for your FL. 16" tyres seem to be dearer than 15" and 17" more so again.
I've raised my FL1 with aftermarket springs and I hope to soon fit 215/75/15 MT on a spare set of rims. My diff'... should be about 25mm higher. Total clearance then should be 225 mm, possibly a bit more.
I hope everyone's contributions help and not confuse!
Re 'taller' tyres:
Your tyre sizes - 215/65/16 -
215 is the tyre width,
65 is its aspect ratio, that is the distance from the rim to the tread's 'face' - that distance in this case is 65% of the tyre's width which is nearly 140mm.
The 16 is the rim's diameter.
So, 215/65/16 has a diameter of 685.9mm
215/70/16 has a diameter of 707.4mm [ + 21.5mm from st'd] or a lift of about 10mm
225/70/16 has a diameter of 721.4mm [ + 35.5 from st'd] or a lift of about 18mm
You mightn't be able to get those tyres sizes.
If you do go for 'taller 70 or 75 series tyres' you may well need a lift kit and possibly wheel spacers as well to allow room for the larger tyres.
'Taller' tyres will effect performance, slower acceleration, and poorer fuel economy - except for long steady motorway driving where you may get an advantage!
A lift kit can effect handling, fuel economy [ increased air resistance?], ride quality and may cause drive train / suspension parts to wear more quickly.
Finally, rim width plays a key factor on the width of tyre you can fit. 16" rims are 6J or 6 inches wide. Best to consult your tyre supplier of specific tyre sizes for your FL. 16" tyres seem to be dearer than 15" and 17" more so again.
I've raised my FL1 with aftermarket springs and I hope to soon fit 215/75/15 MT on a spare set of rims. My diff'... should be about 25mm higher. Total clearance then should be 225 mm, possibly a bit more.
I hope everyone's contributions help and not confuse!
Epicuser
Ex Freelander Owner
When I had a Freelander I fitted SES88's 40mm lift kit. The inner wheel arch needed to be cut away and the fuel pipe needed relocating. Then I had camber pins fitted to correct the suspension as it was all over the place. Then I had a proper 4 wheel laser alignment done on one of those expensive machines. I also fitted 215/70 R16 tyres (which are for sale in the for sale section) which further increased ground clearance. It ended up being roughly 75mm taller than a standard Freelander.
What I ended up with was ground clearance not dissimilar to a standard Defender. Not quite but very close. I went off-road and never never had a problem when out with Discos and Defenders.
It is not cheap fitting a lift kit if it is done properly and you have to pay somebody to do it.
Oh and the driveshafts went a year later. Not cheap. And the facelift ones were difficult to source oem ones as the cheap ones were crap and caused wobble through the steering.
What I ended up with was ground clearance not dissimilar to a standard Defender. Not quite but very close. I went off-road and never never had a problem when out with Discos and Defenders.
It is not cheap fitting a lift kit if it is done properly and you have to pay somebody to do it.
Oh and the driveshafts went a year later. Not cheap. And the facelift ones were difficult to source oem ones as the cheap ones were crap and caused wobble through the steering.
Ging33
New Member
I will be fitting it as Iam a mechanic and also own a 4 wheel laser tracking so I just need the spacers to do it then will get some bigger tyres after I lift so I know that I got good clearance for the bigger wheels have you got a link for the tyres you are selling thank ging33
