Widening Stance After Lift

[bawesomfels]

While browsing FB today, one of the pages I follow claimed for every inch of lift gained, you should widen the stance of the rig by an inch as well. Whether it be by spacers, aftermarket wheels, etc., the 1:1 rule should be followed. I suppose I understand the claim so stability can be kept since the vehicles center of gravity is changing, but this was the first time I've seen it come up. Has anyone else heard this before?

 

[slomatt]

Definitely, as you lift your vehicle it raises the center of gravity (COG) which makes it more prone to rollovers. This is because the higher the center of gravity the smaller the angle required to move it "outside" of the wheelbase, resulting in a roll. By making the track wider you can keep the COG inside the wheelbase at higher angles (aka off camber).

The problem is how to best increase the track. You can use spacers or wheels with less offset, but these can lead to problems with bump steer. The best option is wider axles or a long travel IFS suspension but these are obviously really expensive solutions.

Many offroaders recommend keeping the COG as low as possible and lifting the absolute minimum amount required to fit your desired tire size.

 

[slomatt]

Now with pictures!

Roll Over and the Center of Gravity >> 4x4 Off Roads

www.4x4offroads.com

 

[bawesomfels]

Now with pictures!

Roll Over and the Center of Gravity >> 4x4 Off Roads

www.4x4offroads.com

Thanks for that! 100% makes sense to me, that's just the first time I had actually come across someone saying it. I lifted my old XJ 3.5" and my Frontier is ~1.5". Never thought a thing of it nor saw anything on the forums. Whoops I guess

 

[MazeVX]

Normally you don't lift without a serious reason, in most cases this will be the wish do drive bigger tires or more clearance under the belly.
With aftermarket rims you will have lesser offset and rims will be wider than stock rims in most cases.
There you have your widened track and everything fits.
Lifts often comes with stronger/better shocks which helps keep control or even increase control and safety over stock.

But it's not really necessary, it comes down to "know your ride" and that doesn't mean knowing it in your comfort zone, it means you need to know how your vehicle reacts outside your comfort zone.
You need to check immediately after the lift if you feel confident and road safe if not you need to make more steps.

 

[Northernlady]

I am considering replacing my stock coils with heavy duty ones so my Jeep can better handle the load of my overland gear. I have been told this "may" result in up to a 2" lift. I am currently running 265/75/17 on my stock rims. Will I need to worry about widening my stance for this? New rims are high on my list of future mods but the budget doesn't allow it right now.

 

[MazeVX]

I am considering replacing my stock coils with heavy duty ones so my Jeep can better handle the load of my overland gear. I have been told this "may" result in up to a 2" lift. I am currently running 265/75/17 on my stock rims. Will I need to worry about widening my stance for this? New rims are high on my list of future mods but the budget doesn't allow it right now.

No, you don't need to worry.
Just keep an eye on your shocks, you may want to replace them if you really have a lift of 2".
Try measuring your height before and after.

 

[Northernlady]

No, you don't need to worry.
Just keep an eye on your shocks, you may want to replace them if you really have a lift of 2".
Try measuring your height before and after.

Thank you. I will probably replace my shocks at the same time as I do the coils. I was just really hoping I wouldn't have to mess with wheel spacers for now.