If you want your truck to soak up whoops and desert roads at speed, you've probably narrowed it down to two options: a long travel kit or a mid travel kit. Both give you more wheel travel than a stock or lifted truck. The difference is how far each one goes, and what else your truck needs to make it work.
What "wheel travel" means
Wheel travel is how far the wheel can move up and down. More travel lets the suspension absorb bigger hits before the shock bottoms out or the tire leaves the ground. That's what keeps a prerunner calm at speed, and it's why travel matters more than lift height for desert driving.
What a mid travel kit is
A mid travel kit adds travel while keeping your truck close to its factory width. It typically pairs longer upper control arms with bigger coilovers and supporting parts, and it bolts to the factory mounting points.
Mid travel is a good fit if you:
- Daily drive the truck and want it to stay street-friendly
- Want noticeably better off-road performance without cutting or new fenders
- Want to stay on factory axles and a lower budget
Dirt King's mid travel kits come in two flavors: PreRunner kits for high-speed desert driving and Trail Runner kits for slower trail use. They're available for the Toyota Tacoma, 4Runner and Tundra, GMC Sierra 1500 and Nissan Titan.
What a long travel kit is
A long travel kit replaces both control arms with longer ones and pushes the wheels out, making the truck wider. Longer arms mean more travel and a more stable truck at speed. For example, the Dirt King long travel kit for the 2009–2018 Ram 1500 gives 13.5 inches of travel, adds 3 inches of width per side and fits up to a 37-inch tire.
Long travel is the right call if you:
- Drive fast in the desert, run whoops or build a true prerunner or baja truck
- Want room for 35- to 37-inch tires
- Are ready for the supporting parts a wider truck needs
What long travel needs that mid travel doesn't
Long travel is more than a set of arms. Plan for:
- Fenders: the wider track usually means fiberglass fenders.
- Axles on 4WD trucks: the longer arms need extended axle shafts or assemblies.
- Spec shocks: most kits are designed around coilovers built to the kit's specification, often with bypass shocks.
- Steering and brakes: tie rod extensions and longer brake lines.
Quick comparison
| Mid travel | Long travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Wheel travel | More than stock | The most |
| Track width | Near factory | Wider |
| Fenders | Usually factory | Usually fiberglass |
| 4WD axles | Usually factory | Extended |
| Best for | Daily driver with off-road speed | Prerunners and desert builds |
| Cost | Lower | Higher |
Which one should you pick?
If the truck is your daily and you want it to handle dirt roads and the occasional desert trip better, start with mid travel. If you're building a prerunner and speed in rough terrain is the goal, go long travel and plan the whole package at once.
Not sure which kit fits your truck? Browse our suspension or email sales@bajaracingparts.com and we'll help you match the parts.