Having the right gear for your vehicle when you go off-road can mean the difference between making it home in time for dinner and being stranded out in the middle of nowhere. When it comes to equipping your vehicle for the trail, few components matter as much as your suspension. 

In this article, we go over five of the most impactful upgrades you can make for your suspension. We'll discuss what these components do and how they can improve your 4x4 performance.

Why Should I Upgrade My Suspension for Off-Roading?

First things first, let’s talk about why your suspension is so important to your off-roading success. Your suspension is the system in your vehicle that keeps the body level, stable, and seated at the correct height. It is what absorbs much of the force of maneuvering and stopping your vehicle. 

That means that in off-road situations, your suspension is what prevents you from rolling over while crawling over difficult terrain — or at least it should. Your stock suspension is likely fine for highway driving and beginner-level trails. But it isn’t built to handle the challenges of the country’s most famed 4x4 excursions. 

That’s where an upgraded suspension comes in. Specialized off-road suspension components are designed for high-impact trail use, allowing you to climb over rocks and traverse inclines without losing control or breaking a vital part. A few key components can transform your vehicle from an easy rider to a wilderness wanderer, preparing you for a new level of adventure.

The 5 Best Off-Road Suspension Upgrades

Your suspension isn't the only part of your vehicle that you can better prepare for the trail. However, if you’re taking your first steps toward converting your vehicle into an off-road beast, the suspension is a great place to start. In this section, we go over the five components that provide the most impact when you upgrade them.

Steering Stabilizers

Also known as steering dampers, steering stabilizers absorb feedback from your vehicle's suspension in the steering linkage. This damping power limits vibration and shaking in the steering wheel. Even if your vehicle came with stabilizers from the factory, they may not be able to handle rougher courses.

 

Upgraded steering stabilizers are an inexpensive investment that makes your vehicle substantially safer to drive on demanding trails. By reducing steering wheel shimmy — where the wheel can drift due to excessive feedback — more robust stabilizers help you maintain control over your vehicle while traversing difficult terrain.

Control Arms

The control arms in your suspension system allow each wheel to move independently and help regulate wheel travel to keep the vehicle stable. They also work to maintain consistent contact between your wheels and the driving surface. 

Factory control arms are built for mostly on-road driving, which requires less vertical wheel travel. Upper and lower control arms designed for off-roading allow for more vertical travel, which enhances a vehicle’s ability to crawl over obstacles. Off-road control arms are also generally more robust than stock control arms and less likely to fail or break under the stress of uneven weight distribution and awkward angles.

Track Bars

While control arms regulate the vertical travel of your wheels and suspension, track bars help control their lateral (side-to-side) travel. Also called panhard bars, track bars help prevent your axles from moving sideways. This is important in any driving situation, but in off-road applications where your suspension is often flexing, they are critical to keeping your axles in the proper position. 

Upgraded track bars provide more stability while also enabling more precise and responsive handling. That can be useful in especially challenging scenarios where a few inches or seconds can make the difference between getting stuck and safely clearing an obstacle. More durable track bars are particularly important for lifted vehicles where axles are more vulnerable to shifting due to altered geometry.

Lift/Leveling Kits

A lift or leveling kit is one of the most impactful upgrades you can add to your vehicle. These kits are typically a combination of enhanced strut assemblies, spacers, and hardware designed to raise your ride height and provide a more robust suspension at the same time. Lift and leveling kits can significantly improve 4x4 performance in several key ways that include:

 

• Increased ground clearance: By lifting your vehicle’s, these kits put more space between the bottom of the chassis and the driving surface. This allows it to safely pass over more obstacles and crawl over peaks and out of pits.
• Tougher suspension: Our lift and leveling kits come with stronger, more durable strut assemblies that are designed to withstand the additional stress of off-road driving.
• Improved approach angle: Leveling kits reduce or eliminate factory “rake” — or, the standard vehicle stance where the front end is lower than the rear. With a more level approach angle, vehicles can more easily travel over steep inclines and declines.
• Bigger tire compatibility: Larger tires provide more traction, higher ground clearance, and increased capability, making them an important upgrade for off-roading. Lift kits create more room under the body of your vehicle to allow for bigger tires.

Off-Road Shocks

The shocks on your vehicle are key components in its suspension system. They are what absorb a majority of the force from the driving surface and do the bulk of the work of keeping your vehicle stable. 

Factory shocks are built for highway driving, which doesn’t demand as much from your shocks as taking your vehicle off-road. Trail driving can put your vehicle in positions that the factory shocks weren’t designed to support, which can easily lead to them not providing the stability and support you need or even breaking under the stress. 

Our off-road shocks, however, are built for the challenge. These upgraded shocks are more robust, enabling them to withstand the unusual angles and weight distribution of off-road driving while still providing stability and a smooth ride.

Make Your Suspension Off-Road Ready

There are a lot of upgrades you can make to your vehicle when you want to transform it into a trail-conquering machine, but your suspension is perhaps the best place to start. By making your suspension more resilient, enhancing its capability, and adding a few inches to your ground clearance, you’ll have a vehicle that’s ready to take on the great outdoors in all its glory.