When it comes to sorting the suspension on your 4X4, a 50mm increase in ride height is the generally accepted benchmark. While there are bigger and smaller lift kits available, a solid 2-in lift is enough to fit a size or two larger tyres as well as gaining you a useable increase in clearance under the sills. Also, perhaps most importantly, a 50mm lift kit will be road-legal and will not take a bat to your vehicle’s handling or suspension, steering geometry and pinion angles as larger lifts can do.
We should probably point out that this list is not a definitive guide for your specific four-wheel drive. It’s more intended as a jumping-off point for your search for the right suspension. Not all of the companies listed will do a lift kit for your Asia Rocsta or 1973 International Harvester, for that you may need more of a specialist. But if you’re chasing something for your modern ute or wagon, these are great places (listed alphabetically) to find something that’ll tick the boxes.
ARB
ARB’s range of Old Man Emu suspension has been around forever and is well-proven in Australian conditions off and on-road. With more options than the Aldi centre aisle, there’s something for almost everyone in the OME catalogue. Regardless of whether you’re building something to race at Finke or cart a tray-load of tools around day in and day out, your local ARB store will be able to hook you up with a lift kit.
BDS
BDS are a fairly recent addition to the Aussie aftermarket, but they’ve been around in America for nearly three decades, supplying lifts for US trucks and Jeeps, as well as Toyota. Their kits commonly include top-end components, such as fabricated control and trailing arms and Fox shocks, for the utmost reliability and performance.
While they’re not on the cheap end of the scale, you know you’re paying for some of the best gear on the market that’ll transform your ride and off-road capability.
Bilstein
Bilstein has been around for over 140 years, and the German company is one of the top names in springs, shocks and suspension bits globally. Even though they’re perhaps not as well established in Australia as some other brands, they’ve put in the work with their kits all rigorously tested in Aussie conditions before being released.
Their 5100-range of shocks are a mainstay on the US wheeling scene, and the locally produced B60s are up there among the best on the planet, allowing the driver to hit washouts at warp speeds without upsetting the ride. For the price, the quality is up among the best.
Cal Off-Road
Cal Off-Road has been around for over thirty years now and has a solid reputation for selling a wide range of lift kits that are guaranteed to work for you. Everything from Wranglers to Pathfinders to MUXs are catered for, and they only sell high-end gear to ensure that the results are worth it.
With shocks and springs that are both made in-house and brought in from companies like Bilstein and Fox, you can be sure to find a 50mm kit that’ll transform your vehicle into whatever you’re currently daydreaming about.
Dobinson
You know those buzzwords start-up businesses like to throw around? Things like “we’re disrupters!” and “innovation is our blood type!” Yeah, they’re pretty wanky, but the thing is, you could legit apply them to Dobinson. Where they were once just a spring manufacturer, a while back, they branched out into the shock and full-suspension-kit world and are offering some pretty high-spec gear for not a huge amount of money.
With quality features like using Fuchs shock oil, a 3-stage sealing system that offers the lowest friction levels and composite piston wear bands, there’s a bunch of innovation in their gear, and they’re fast earning a solid rep as being able to handle anything you care to throw at them.
EFS
EFS has more suspension kits for sale than a porn star’s body count. Everything from entry-level gear to “driving on a cloud at a buck eighty on the Gibb River Road” is on offer, and none of it is what you’d call overpriced.
These guys have been around since the 1960s and are well-known for making good gear at the right price. Is it comparable with a brand like Fox or King Suspension? No, but nor is it priced anywhere near the kidney you have to donate for such high-end clobber. That makes it pretty darn attractive to a huge section of the lift kit market, we reckon.
Fulcrum
Fulcrum is aimed at the budget end of the market and produces its own brand of Formula 4X4 products. Even with that said, they still have a solid range of gear, and their remote-res shocks are right up there in the bang-for-buck stakes.
They also have a sweet click-n-fit service through their website, which makes buying your suspension and getting it fitted up as easy as it gets. A great idea in the internet age that does away with waiting for six weeks for your local workshop to be available.
Ironman 4X4
Ironman 4X4 is not exactly small-time in the 4WD accessory business, with stores all over the country as well as in the US. They offer a massive range of aftermarket gear, and their suspension range is both priced well and built to perform.
Their Nitro shock absorbers are at the entry-level end, while the Foam Cell shocks step up a few bucks while delivering a big leap forward in ride comfort and capability. As one of the largest retailers in the game, Ironman 4X4 is a known quantity with tens of thousands of fans both here and abroad, so you can’t really go wrong with an Ironman lift kit.
Outback Armour
With a mammoth 5-year unlimited km warranty, Outback Armour would represent great value with nothing else needing to be said. Even so, they also have an extremely good reputation for manufacturing springs and shocks and all the other fiddly bits required for a full lift kit.
They have a bunch of different spring rates and adjustable shocks, so you can tweak things to suit your driving and your loads to a fine degree. As an all-rounder suspension that gets it done, they’re one of the nicest options on the market.
Superior Engineering
Superior Engineering has been around since the early naughties and has gone from being a hardcore wheeling hub to a top-tier suspension specialist. They’re now importing high-level US brands like Icon, Metalcloak, Carli and Dynatrac, as well as offering a huge in-house range that has been developed with one word in mind: off-road performance (ok, two words).
They’re one of the industry leaders and are responsible for a monster range of products that not only make your 4X4 waaaaay more capable, but they have a strong emphasis on keeping things completely road-legal, too. Hit up their website to find out what they can do for you.
Terrain Tamer
One of the OG parts suppliers for the Aussie off-road scene, Terrain Tamer has proven, solid and reliable suspension kits available for a large range of vehicles. Everything from a basic 40mm lift kit to a full GVM upgrade is on offer, all able to be sourced through one of the most comprehensive distribution networks in the country. Replacement parts can reach you pretty much anywhere in this wide brown land.
They’re also one of the main retailers of parabolic leaf springs, which are a great option for a lot of ute owners, many of whom swear by them.
The Ultimate Suspension
These guys are not what you’d call a retail outlet so much as a bespoke suspension specialist. They build a system around your specific requirements and tailor things based on what you carry, where you’ll be driving and what the vehicle will be used for. They measure headlights, test braking, and perform wheel alignments in-house to give maximum performance out of your suspension and save you money.
If you’re looking for the personal touch (aren’t we all?), hit up Ultimate Suspension.
TJM
Another big player in the “decking out 4X4s for touring” game, TJM, are well known for delivering high-quality gear at reasonable prices. They’re consistently updating and upgrading their suspension gear, with their XGS Roamer range being the latest out of the gates. It’s backed up with a tidy three-year 100,000 km warranty and plenty of high-performance additions to the shocks.
A solid 2-in lift that’ll tick a lot of boxes for a lot of people.
Tough Dog
With a metric buttload of lifts available for a massive range of vehicles, Tough Dog is one of the premier suspension specialists in the country. One of the pioneers of the adjustable shock in Australia, they’ve got an enviable reputation as being both moderately priced and excellent value.
With options for spring rates, adjustable or non-adjustable shocks and the choice to fit upper-control arms, the Tough Dog package is a proven thing and well worth looking into.
Not sure why you didn’t list Peddars. You also didn’t list them in your GVM upgrade article. They are a big player in the suspension market.
Keeping things Legal??
VSB-14 NCOP 11 states that you can increase the ride height by UP TO 50mm but you must retain 2/3’s of suspension droop travel, so unless your IFS equipped 4wd has 150mm of droop travel then you cannot increase the ride height by 50mm. Most IFS 4wds have between 90mm and 120mm of droop travel so this limits the increase in ride heights to between 30mm and 40mm.
If the suspension only has 90mm droop travel then you are only legally allowed to raise the vehicle ride height by 30mm, basic math!
When you run out of suspension droop travel, you get unwanted activations of the ABS and TC systems both on and off road.
Time for some industry and media truth telling!