An anti-lift kit is an aftermarket part that you can add to a cars suspension setup. It has the primary benefit of improving grip under power and reducing wheel hop.
What Is an Anti-Lift Kit?
An anti-lift kit (sometimes referred to as an anti-dive kit or ALK) is an aftermarket part fitted to the front lower control arms.
Anti-lift kits help to improve traction and grip under power. It does this by increasing the static caster and improving the front end suspension geometry.
Most anti-lift kits come with stronger mounts and stiffer low compliance bushings. These uprated bushings help improve initial turn-in response and reduce understeer significantly.
Benefits of an Anti-Lift Kit
Anti-lift kits have several advantages over OEM suspension setups, such as those listed below.
- Improves grip under acceleration.
- Improves road tracking resulting in increased traction.
- Improves braking.
- Reduces the possibility of understeer.
- Reduces front-end lift when under hard acceleration, especially from a standstill.
- Sharpens the steering and turn-in response.
- Sharpens the feel of the car and improves overall vehicle handling.
Usually, a stronger mount and more robust bushings come as part of an anti-lift kit. This increased durability results in a longer lifespan of the part.
They’re also almost always powder-coated, virtually eliminating any corrosion and rust. Overall, an anti-lift kit is excellent for improving the handling and traction of a car.
How Does It Work?
In this section, I go into much more detail on how this works; skip to the next section if you want to know if you should get one.
An anti-lift kit alters the location of the side view instant centre on the front suspension.
The side view instant centre is the pivot point for the side view swing arm (also the pivot point for the suspension at that instant).
It is a line drawn from the tyre contact patch to the side view instant centre (for acceleration, it is drawn from the wheel centre).
The angle of this swing arm (the position of the instant centre) defines the amount of anti-dive and anti-lift present in the front suspension.
Should You Get an Anti-Lift Kit?
It depends on what your goal is for the car. If you want a car optimised for superior handling, then an anti-lift kit is a good option.
However, you will get more value from installing uprated anti-roll bars or a Coilover setup first.
The anti-lift kit is usually installed after more significant modifications such as these. In terms of the most difference in handling, it is above the uprated bushings and suspension components category.
It is pretty good value for money, though. One of the most well-known suppliers of anti-lift kits is Whiteline.
