Take the factory rake out of your truck without replacing a shock or a spring. Every platform we build for, every height, and how to pick the right one.
The Short Answer
A spring perch lift collar adds ride height by preloading the spring you already have. It is a machined billet ring that installs on the shock body under the coil, and the height of the collar is the ride height change you get. The spring rate does not change — the spring simply starts from a more compressed position and its own natural rate carries the extra height. Nothing is relocated, cut, or welded, and the shock stays exactly where the factory mounted it, so full droop, full compression, CV joint angle and brake hose slack are all unchanged. Foutz Motorsports machines collars in-house in Mesa, Arizona for the Ford Raptor, Ranger Raptor, Bronco, Bronco Raptor, Ram TRX and Ram RHO, in heights from one inch to three. Most trucks want 1.5" or 2" up front; go taller only if you are carrying real weight on the nose.
Lift collars are the most common thing we ship, and they are usually the first suspension part an owner buys. They are also the part people have the most questions about — what actually changes, whether the factory shocks still work properly, and which of the four or five heights on the page is the right one.
This guide covers all of it: the mechanism, the trade, how to pick a height, and every platform we build a collar for. If you want the deeper argument about lift methods and what each one does to suspension travel, that is a separate piece — Lift Collars vs. Top Spacers.
What a Lift Collar Actually Does
A lift collar is a machined billet aluminum ring that installs on the shock body, under the coil spring and above the lower spring perch. Adding that thickness compresses the spring slightly further at rest, and the spring's own natural rate carries the truck higher. The spring rate itself is not altered — the spring is not asked to do anything different, it just starts from a more preloaded position.
That is the whole mechanism. No shock relocation, no spring swap, no cutting, no welding. The collar height you choose is the ride height change you get.
You will see the same idea sold under several names: spring perch collar, leveling collar, preload collar, spring spacer, shock collar, lift collar. On the rear of a coil-sprung truck the equivalent part often sits on the spring seat instead of the shock body, but it does the same job the same way.
What Changes, and What Does Not
The reason we build lift this way is that a preload collar leaves the suspension's designed limits alone. Because neither shock mount moves:
1. Travel Limits Stay Put
Full droop and full compression positions stay exactly where the factory set them. The shock is still what limits droop — a part designed to be a travel stop.
2. Driveline Angles Unchanged
CV joint angle and plunge at full droop are the same as stock. The axle never sees anything the factory did not already design around.
3. Steering Geometry Unchanged
Ball joint and tie rod end working angles stay inside their designed range, so nothing is binding against its own limit on a hard hit.
4. Lines and Harnesses Unchanged
Brake hose and wheel speed sensor harness slack are untouched — nothing gets pulled further than it was built to stretch.
5. Spring Rate Unchanged
The factory spring keeps its own rate. The collar preloads it further, nothing more — and the shock keeps its full stroke.
6. Reversible and Adjustable
Changing your mind later is the same job as the first install. You are not locked into the height you pick today.
Here is the honest trade. You sit higher in the travel, which means more up-travel from ride height and less down-travel, and a slightly firmer feel in the first part of the stroke because the spring starts from a more preloaded position. It also will not add tire clearance at full compression, since the bump stop still contacts in the same place — if rubbing at full stuff is your actual problem, that is a bump stop and limit strap conversation, not a lift one.
On trucks running a Fox Live Valve shock package, such as the Ranger Raptor, the ride height position can be re-calibrated after the lift so the truck knows where it is now sitting and the electronic side performs as intended. The mechanical internal bypass zones in the shock do not move at all — raising the truck on preload simply means it rides in a lighter zone for normal street driving, without giving up bump zone or travel to get there.
Choosing Your Lift Height
1" to 1.5"
Takes most or all of the factory rake out on the majority of platforms and keeps the truck looking and driving close to stock. This is the right pick if you want the stance corrected and nothing else disturbed.
2"
A clearly lifted, level or slightly nose-up stance, and the most popular choice for trucks running a taller tire than stock.
2.5" to 3"
An aggressive stance, and the right direction if you are carrying real weight up front — a steel bumper, a winch, lights. Worth a conversation before ordering so the height matches what the truck is actually set up to do.
Two things to account for: weight you have added to the front end will eat into the height you gain, and a taller tire changes how the whole thing looks and clears. If you tell us your truck, your tire size and what is on the front bumper, we will tell you which collar to buy.
Raptor and Raptor R
The Gen 3 Raptor and Raptor R both respond well to a front collar, and we build them in enough heights to match almost any build.
Raptor Front Lift Collars
2021–2026 Ford F-150 Raptor and Raptor R. Works with the factory springs and shocks.
For the rear, the Raptor uses spring spacers that sit on the coil seat rather than a collar on the shock body — available in 1/2", 3/4" and 1". Rear height is for a truck that needs to get level again under load — adding it to an already-leveled truck just puts rake back in the other direction.
Ranger Raptor
The 2024 and newer Ford Ranger Raptor arrives with pronounced rake, which makes it one of the most common trucks we level.
Ranger Raptor Front Lift
2024+ Ford Ranger Raptor. Designed around the factory Fox Live Valve shock package.
The Ranger Raptor is also a good illustration of why preload matters as a method rather than just a product. Its rear shocks are mounted in a way that does not allow a spacer to be stacked above them, so rear height on this truck comes from preload or from a heavier spring. There is no third option — a useful reminder that preload is a normal, accepted way to set ride height, not a shortcut.
Bronco and Bronco Raptor
The Bronco Raptor takes collars at both ends, which makes it one of the more tunable platforms we build for. HOSS 3.0 Broncos and earlier Bronco trims have their own kits.
Bronco Raptor Lift Collars
2022+ Ford Bronco Raptor. Front-only or front and rear, in 1", 1.5", 2" and 2.5".
Bronco Lift Collars — HOSS 3.0 and Other Trims
2021+ Ford Bronco. Kits differ by suspension package, so start from the trim.
Ram TRX
2021–2024 Ram TRX Front Leveling Collars
Three heights. A 1.5" collar on its own brings the front of a TRX up just about level.
The 2021–2024 TRX rear spring spacer lift kit is there for a truck carrying weight in the back that needs to come back to level. It is not a default pairing with the front collar — adding rear height to an already-leveled truck just puts the rake back the other way.
2027 Ram TRX
2027 Ram TRX Front Lift
Designed specifically for the new TRX suspension.
On taller front lift for the 2027 TRX: 1.5" is what we ship today. The 2027 truck's electronics need the ride height sensor location addressed before it will accept more front lift than that — this is a sensor-location issue, not a clearance or fitment one. We have a taller front kit that includes the ride height sensor strut in final development. Call us for where it stands.
Ram RHO
Ram RHO Front Lift
2025+ Ram 1500 RHO. Under-spring collar mounted to the shock body.
On taller front lift for the RHO: 1.5" is what we ship today. The RHO's electronics need the ride height sensor location addressed before the truck will accept more front lift — again, a sensor-location issue rather than a clearance one. A taller front kit including the ride height sensor strut is in final development. Call us for current status.
The Next Chapter: Mid Travel and Long Travel
We should be straight about the ceiling, because it applies to every collar on this page. A lift collar is worth a couple of inches of ride height, and that is all it is worth. It changes stance and it makes room for a taller tire. It does not make the truck handle better, and it does not give you more usable wheel travel.
If what you actually want is a truck that works harder at speed, the way to get there is to change what the suspension has to work with. That means a mid travel front suspension kit — bypass shocks, front bump stops, and the arms to go with them. That is a real change in how the front end absorbs terrain, not a change in how the truck looks parked.
On the Ranger Raptor specifically, the next chapter is out back: a rear long travel kit with a coil-over through the bed that adds three-plus inches of wheel travel. When a collar or a spring lift is not enough any more, that is where the conversation goes.
When You Want More Than Stance
2024+ Ford Ranger Raptor rear long travel. For Raptor and Bronco Raptor, start with the mid travel front kits.
Machined In House, in Mesa
Every lift and leveling collar we sell is CNC machined in-house at our shop in Mesa, Arizona, from billet aluminum, and laser engraved with the FMI USA logo. We are not reselling somebody else's part with our name on the box — these are cut on our machines, to our drawings, for the specific spring and shock they sit against.
Finish options vary by kit and are listed on each product page: raw billet aluminum, black anodized, and FOX Orange anodized on select kits. We do not do custom anodize colors.
That in-house capability is also why we can develop a collar for a platform quickly when a new truck lands, and why we can build an odd height when a customer's build genuinely calls for one.
Installation and What Else to Plan For
A front collar install means unloading the suspension, removing the coilover assembly, safely relieving the spring, fitting the collar under the spring and reassembling. It is well within reach of a competent home mechanic with the right spring compressor and a torque wrench, and it is straightforward work for any shop.
Two Things to Plan For
Get an alignment. Any ride height change moves your alignment numbers. This is standard after a leveling kit, not a sign that something is wrong.
Re-check after it settles. Springs settle over the first few hundred miles. Measure again before you decide the height is not what you wanted. And if you are not comfortable relieving spring tension, have a shop do it — a compressed coil spring holds a great deal of energy and deserves respect.
Lift Collar FAQs
What is a spring perch lift collar?
A machined billet aluminum ring that installs on the shock body under the coil spring. It preloads the spring further, which raises ride height by the thickness of the collar, without moving the shock or replacing the spring.
Does a lift collar change the spring rate?
No. The collar preloads the factory spring further and uses the spring's own natural rate to gain the height. The rate is whatever the manufacturer specified, before and after.
Will a lift collar void my factory warranty?
Adding aftermarket parts does not automatically void a vehicle warranty, but a dealer can decline a claim on a component if they can show the modification caused the failure. That is worth understanding before you modify any vehicle under warranty, and it applies to leveling kits of every kind.
Do lift collars affect ride quality?
The spring rate does not change, but the added preload makes the first part of the stroke a little firmer, and the truck sits higher in its travel so there is more up-travel and less down-travel available. Most owners describe it as close to stock with a slightly firmer initial feel.
Can I install a lift collar with the factory shocks?
Yes — that is the point of the design. The collar works with the factory springs and shocks, including electronically controlled packages such as Fox Live Valve. On Live Valve trucks the ride height position can be re-calibrated afterward so the electronic side performs as intended.
Do I need new upper control arms with a leveling collar?
Not for the sake of the collar itself. Because a preload lift does not change where the suspension stops, it does not create the geometry problems that force an arm change. Upper arms become worth considering when you are chasing alignment range on a heavily built truck or you want the strength upgrade for hard off-road use.
Will a lift collar let me fit bigger tires?
It raises the truck, which helps with appearance and with clearance at ride height, but it does not change where the tire stops at full compression. If you are fighting rub at full stuff, the answer is a bump stop and limit strap setup that controls the compression side deliberately.
Will a lift collar improve how my truck handles off-road?
No, and we would rather say so. A collar sets stance and makes room for a taller tire. It does not add wheel travel or change how the suspension absorbs terrain. For that you want a mid travel front kit with bypass shocks and bump stops, or on the Ranger Raptor a rear long travel kit that adds three-plus inches of wheel travel.
Should I add rear lift at the same time as the front?
Usually not. Most factory trucks are nose-down on purpose, so a front collar on its own is what gets you level. Rear height is for a truck that carries weight in the back and needs to come back up to level — adding it to an already-leveled truck just puts the rake back the other way.
Can I change the lift height later?
Yes. Swapping to a different collar height is the same job as the original install, so you are not locked into the height you pick first.
Which collar fits my truck?
Start with the lift and leveling collar collection and filter to your platform, or send us your year, model, tire size and what you have mounted up front and we will point you at the right kit.
Browse every height and platform in the lift and leveling collar collection, read the deeper tech piece on lift methods in Lift Collars vs. Top Spacers, or step up to the mid travel and long travel suspension kits when stance is no longer the thing you are chasing. If you are unsure which height suits your build, call the shop — that conversation is free and it is the part we are best at.