Whether you’re eyeing your first lift kit or mapping out a full-blown custom build, the path to your dream truck isn’t always clear-cut. Do you take the hands-on approach and wrench it yourself? Trust a custom shop to bring your vision to life? Or should you spring for a factory-upfitted truck that’s turnkey, backed by a warranty, and ready to hit the road?
Each option has its advantages and tradeoffs. It's a balancing act between control and convenience, performance, and peace of mind. What matters most depends on the kind of truck owner you are and what you want out of the build.
In this guide, we break down the pros and cons of DIY builds, custom shop work, and factory-upfitted trucks to help you find the right fit for your build goals.
DIY LIFT KITS: FREEDOM, FLEXIBILITY, AND COST
Why DIY Truck Builds Appeal to Enthusiasts
There’s a certain sense of pride when it comes to modifying your own truck. It’s about time spent in the garage, building skills, making mistakes, possibly creating memories with friends, and then ultimately, seeing the finished product. When you’re the one doing the work, it can feel like you have total quality control, from workmanship to the choice of brands or parts used.
That kind of freedom appeals to a lot of truck and car enthusiasts alike. However, when things go wrong, the responsibility (and cost) is on you. DIYers tend to accept that risk from the beginning, and care more about the overall process.
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How Much Does It Cost to Lift a Truck Yourself?
The cost of a lift kit for your truck truly depends on your goals. Are you trying to accommodate larger off-road tires? Or are you just going for the lifted look? Depending on whether you’re installing yourself or having a shop do it, installing a lift kit can range from $100 to $15,000. Full systems with coilovers, control arms, and supporting mods can reach $5,000 or more.
Installation is an additional cost ranging anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000 depending on complexity. Don’t forget to add an alignment, re-gearing, or any other performance upgrade you may need.
The Hidden Tradeoffs of DIY
DIY takes time, space, and tools. Without a lift, air tools, or a well-lit shop, installation is more time-consuming and physically demanding. It also requires experience or a willingness to learn on the fly (YouTube university, anyone?).
Then there’s sourcing. Along with space and tool challenges, ordering parts takes even longer nowadays than years prior. Backorders, compatibility issues, and shipping delays can turn a weekend job into a multi-week process. Depending on what truck you have and the year, your neighborhood parts store may not even carry parts for it, which means fabricating your own or ordering online.
Truck enthusiasts with a love for the DIY process are all too familiar with these struggles and often accept it as the tradeoff for saving a bit of money. If that challenge isn’t appealing to you though, you have options.
The Factory-Built Advantage
The Benefits of buying pre-lifted
If you want capability without hassle, a factory-upfitted truck is the answer. Brands like Black Widow and Rocky Ridge take on new OEM platforms and build them into fully compliant, off-road ready vehicles. Not to mention they’re engineered and tested to meet FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety) standards, not just pieced together from a parts list. Everything works together, as intended, with no surprises.
You won’t have to worry about alignment, drivability, or whether the lift kit you choose is compatible with your truck. Just take the keys, get in, and enjoy the ride.
What Comes Standard with a Factory Lift?
The difference between factory-upfitted trucks is that you gain confidence in the performance of your truck and skip trial and error or time in the garage. You can roll off the showroom floor and show up to any truck meet or off-road event ready to show off or hit the trails.
Professionally installed suspension, wheels, and accessories
Fully financeable package
No vehicle downtime or install delays
3-year/36,000-mile upfit warranty
Factory warranty remains intact
Serviced at your local dealership
Why Not Use a Custom Shop Instead?
Going through a third-party custom shop is your next option. Some shops do excellent work, but you’re taking a gamble on quality. You'll need to vet the shop, confirm their experience with your platform, and make sure they stand behind the job.
Even well-executed shop installations can create complications. If you’re the kind that likes to take advantage of the OEM factory warranty, you’ll have to forgo that to get custom work done. Even well-executed aftermarket installs can lead to warranty issues if the dealer or OEM deems the lift to have an impact on the vehicle's systems.
Similar to DIY custom lifted truck builds, you can expect some downtime, possible shipping delays and parts sourcing issues. There’s also no guarantee the shop offers any kind of warranty on the work done. If you choose this route, make sure you do your homework and get clear on what parts of the build are covered should a problem arise.
Does Lifting a Truck Void the Warranty?
Whether you install the lift kit yourself or have a shop do it, you’re always at risk of losing your factory warranty if it’s a new truck. This could include anything from steering, suspension, or driveline components.
When it comes to factory-upfitted trucks, like the ones from Black Widow or Rocky Ridge, their OEM warranty stays valid despite it being modified for 3 years or 36,000 miles. The difference is that the parts system used on all the Fox Factory Vehicles brand custom trucks are thoroughly tested with factory fit and finish.
This means no guesswork on what does or doesn’t fit and helps with the overall resale value if you should decide to trade it in later. If any of the parts need servicing, approved dealerships would be able to service your truck as well. However, if you decide to take it upon yourself to make your own modifications on top of what’s already been done, the warranty will expire then as well. It all comes down to your priorities in your dream truck.
Should You Build or Buy?
Whether you build it yourself or buy it pre-built, your truck should fit your lifestyle.
DIY is about freedom, control, and the joy of the process. Factory-upfitted trucks are a reliable system with the custom look and feel. No matter where you land on the path to your dream truck, Fox Factory Vehicles will walk with you every step of the way.
