Can’t find lift for my vehicle

  • HTML tutorial

Enthusiast I

231
Kentucky, USA
First Name
Danny
Last Name
Philpott
Hello everyone! I’ve been working on my 2006 Ford freestyle for a month now, and one thing I would like to add is about 1-1/12” lift to it. I have experience working with cars, but not so much the suspension. I can’t seem to find a lift kit for the car anywhere. Is there a way to lift this that I do not know about? Any suggestions will help!
 
D

Deleted member 14476

Guest
After doing some research, I think the safest thing you could do would be to run bigger, more aggressive tires to achieve that lift. Seems like nobody makes a legitimate suspension lift kit for these, just because the oem design doesn’t look capable of one. Since it’s a unibody design, you can’t use body spacers to achieve the lift either.

If I find anything, I’ll post an update. It seems right now your two, very different options are to: 1. Run bigger tires or 2. You or a fabrication shop design a complete suspension package. Option 2 is going to be expensive, macgyver’d, and honestly just not worth it.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Enthusiast I

231
Kentucky, USA
First Name
Danny
Last Name
Philpott
After doing some research, I think the safest thing you could do would be to run bigger, more aggressive tires to achieve that lift. Seems like nobody makes a legitimate suspension lift kit for these, just because the oem design doesn’t look capable of one. Since it’s a unibody design, you can’t use body spacers to achieve the lift either.

If I find anything, I’ll post an update. It seems right now your two, very different options are to: 1. Run bigger tires or 2. You or a fabrication shop design a complete suspension package. Option 2 is going to be expensive, macgyver’d, and honestly just not worth it.
I appreciate it! I think I will look into bigger tires eventually, I don’t plan to have this vehicle for more than a year so I would hate to spend all that money for a suspension fabrication. Thanks a lot!
 

smritte

Rank V
Launch Member

Member III

2,827
Ontario California
First Name
Scott
Last Name
SMR
Member #

8846

Ham/GMRS Callsign
KO6BI
I have this conversation quite regularly. Its either one of my students or a random person I meet. "I own ..... and I want to mod the suspension/engine".
First rule on modifying anything, start with the correct chassis.
You can build anything into anything with enough money. If you cant find the correct parts to do whatever it is you want to do, there's probably a good reason.

Stronger tires would be a good start but, can your steering hold up to moderate dirt roads, how about ball joints? Just because it hasn't broken yet doesn't mean its a good choice. I'm sure your probably aware that any of these things means more maintenance. Having custom suspension built means your the first and you get to run with a prototype. That hardly ends well.

Aside from all that, does your vehicle have struts on all 4 corners? If so, small spacers will get you some lift. Remember, ball joints have a range of motion. Exceed that and they fail. An .5-1 inch may be all you can get safely. If its a coil spring/trailing arm rear, you can still space them with a trailing arm rear being the most forgiving. Just be careful on the front. Measure things, do a bit of research and you may find something that will fit.

As I mentioned, I have this conversation regularly and my answer is always the same. Figure out what you want to do and buy a common vehicle. You want something someone else has already done the math on and parts are plentiful. When I'm asked about building track cars by someone who has never raced, I point them at a Miata. Why? Good chassis and a ton of parts available to mod it. Build and drive something common then decide where to go from there.
 

Enthusiast I

231
Kentucky, USA
First Name
Danny
Last Name
Philpott
I have this conversation quite regularly. Its either one of my students or a random person I meet. "I own ..... and I want to mod the suspension/engine".
First rule on modifying anything, start with the correct chassis.
You can build anything into anything with enough money. If you cant find the correct parts to do whatever it is you want to do, there's probably a good reason.

Stronger tires would be a good start but, can your steering hold up to moderate dirt roads, how about ball joints? Just because it hasn't broken yet doesn't mean its a good choice. I'm sure your probably aware that any of these things means more maintenance. Having custom suspension built means your the first and you get to run with a prototype. That hardly ends well.

Aside from all that, does your vehicle have struts on all 4 corners? If so, small spacers will get you some lift. Remember, ball joints have a range of motion. Exceed that and they fail. An .5-1 inch may be all you can get safely. If its a coil spring/trailing arm rear, you can still space them with a trailing arm rear being the most forgiving. Just be careful on the front. Measure things, do a bit of research and you may find something that will fit.

As I mentioned, I have this conversation regularly and my answer is always the same. Figure out what you want to do and buy a common vehicle. You want something someone else has already done the math on and parts are plentiful. When I'm asked about building track cars by someone who has never raced, I point them at a Miata. Why? Good chassis and a ton of parts available to mod it. Build and drive something common then decide where to go from there.
Great advice, thank you so much! I really appreciate the thought out answer. Not sure how long I will have the car for, planning on another year to year and a half. So maybe it wouldn’t be worth it to put money into the suspension like that. Thanks again for the reply!
 
  • Like
Reactions: smritte

Sparksalot

Rank VI
Launch Member

Influencer III

4,312
Bastrop County, TX, USA
First Name
Rex
Last Name
Drake
Member #

19540

Ham/GMRS Callsign
KI5GH
Service Branch
Air Force
You might determine if the suspension components are shared with another model. I’m thinking Edge or Explorer. If so, lifts for those May work fine on your Freestyle.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Danny Philpott