Shop TalkCoil Springs Versus Coil Spacers -Which is right for your 4x4?

You may notice that Rough Country sometimes offers a 2.5-inch lift in both a replacement coil and spacer lift for your vehicle. While both kits are designed to net the same amount of lift, a spacer will achieve this lift by being placed either above or below the factory coil spring.

Coil spacer construction varies, but each serves the same purpose. Rough Country offers powder-coated steel and polyurethane spacers for many truck and SUV applications. Both are engineered to maintain lift height, so you don’t have to worry about losing lift years down the road.

A common misconception is that a spacer lift is inferior to a replacement spring lift. This simply is not the case. Vehicle manufacturers spend millions of dollars fine-tuning spring and shock rates before the vehicle is ever released to the public. It’s why modern vehicles drive and ride as well as they do. By pairing the factory coil with a coil spacer, you are effectively preserving the ride quality and suspension performance that was engineered at a factory level. Simply put, if you like the way your vehicle rides now, going with a spacer lift won’t change it.

The other side of that engineering equation is that nearly all truck and SUV suspension systems are optimized primarily for on-road performance. What this often equates to is a shock and coil that isn’t ideally tuned for serious off-road adventure. This is where the aftermarket steps in with full replacement coil springs. Here, companies like Rough Country can optimize a spring that will not only generate more lift for the vehicle but increase travel and off-road performance. Depending on the application, aftermarket springs may also take into account additional accessories such as a winch bumper.

No matter if you are opting for a coil spacer or full replacement spring, upgrading your shocks is often necessary to improve on-road ride quality and off-road performance. This is often due to the added weight of larger tires and items such as a winch bumper that add additional sprung and un-sprung weight to the vehicle. Rough Country offers a variety of shock absorbers to match your vehicles needs and performance expectations.

If you are looking to push the limits of your 4x4 even further off-road, then a full replacement coil spring is the way to go. Do you enjoy the ride quality of the vehicle as it is and just want to do a little overlanding? Then, a spacer lift is an excellent solution.