A lift kit may look simple once it is installed on your truck. A few precisely machined components disappear into the suspension, the vehicle sits higher, the stance changes, and you gain room for the wheel-and-tire combination you wanted.
But there is a lot more behind those parts than most people ever see.
At Westcott Designs™, our lift kit components don’t simply arrive at our shop ready to put into a box. We manufacture them through a carefully controlled process that starts with raw aluminum and moves through cutting, CNC machining, finishing, inspection and packaging before a kit ever reaches your vehicle.
And we do it at scale. Our manufacturing operation processes approximately 3,000 lift kits every month, with many kits containing four to six individual machined components.
Here is what actually goes into making them.
It Starts With Solid 6061 Aluminum
The process begins in our material processing shop with solid 6061 aluminum round stock.
6061 aluminum is widely used in automotive, aerospace and structural applications because it provides an excellent combination of strength, machinability and corrosion resistance. For a precision suspension component, it also gives us the ability to machine the exact profiles and dimensions required for the application.
Long sections of round stock are loaded into our automated processing saw. The system feeds the material forward, clamps it into position, cuts an individual blank and moves the finished piece out of the cutting area.
Those aluminum blanks are the starting point. Next, they head to the CNC shop.
Why CNC Machining Matters for a Lift Kit
Once the aluminum blanks have been cut, they move into our CNC machining operation. This is where a simple piece of aluminum becomes an actual suspension component.
Computer Numerical Control—or CNC—machining allows us to repeatedly manufacture complex parts to controlled dimensions. That is particularly important for suspension components because the machined surfaces have to interact correctly with factory springs, shocks and other suspension hardware.
During the machining process, the top surface of the component is cut to create the area where the spring will actually sit. That is not a cosmetic surface. Its geometry matters to how the component interfaces with the factory suspension.
Look closely at a finished Westcott Designs™ component and you will also notice the details around the edges. They are beveled, chamfered and cleanly finished. We put time into those details because precision manufacturing is not just about getting the basic dimensions close enough.
Manufacturing Thousands of Lift Kits Every Month
One of the challenges of American manufacturing is maintaining quality while producing enough components to keep up with demand.
At Westcott Designs™, we process roughly 3,000 lift kits per month. Depending on the application, a kit can contain approximately four to six individual pieces. That means our manufacturing operation needs to produce thousands of precision-machined components consistently.
We use multiple CNC machines to keep that process moving. Some of our mills can run for 14 to 15 hours at a time. For some of our highest-volume components, such as rear lift pucks, multiple machines may be producing parts simultaneously.
It is manufacturing at production scale—but production volume cannot come at the expense of the finished part.
A CNC Robot Running 24 Hours a Day
Automation is another important part of our manufacturing process.
Inside our CNC shop, we have a robotic system that operates 24 hours a day, five days a week to help produce rear lift spacers. The robot is synchronized with the machining cycle so the next component is ready when the machine completes its operation.
That allows us to maintain production volume while retaining the precision of CNC machining.
It also illustrates something important about Westcott Designs™: we are not outsourcing a finished product and simply putting our logo on the box. We have invested in the machines, automation, tooling and processes required to manufacture these components at scale.
Large Billet Components and Future Manufacturing
Our manufacturing capability extends beyond the smaller components used in our lift kits.
In the shop tour, Jeff walks through one of the larger CNC machines, a VF-7-series machine capable of accommodating parts up to approximately 84 inches. That gives Westcott Designs™ additional capability for larger billet components and future products.
When engineering, prototyping and manufacturing can happen within the same operation, it creates opportunities to develop, test and refine products with greater control over the process.
Raw Aluminum vs. Black Anodized Lift Kits
Many Westcott Designs™ lift components are available in either a raw aluminum finish or a black anodized finish.
Aluminum does not rust like steel, but it can oxidize. In corrosive environments, oxidation can eventually produce the familiar white, chalky appearance sometimes seen on exposed aluminum. Anodizing provides an additional protective surface layer.
There is an appearance advantage too. Some customers want the raw machined-aluminum look. Others want their suspension modifications to be nearly invisible. A black anodized component can blend into the suspension and create the OEM+ appearance many Westcott customers prefer.
Every Anodized Part Gets Inspected
Sending a component through the anodizing process does not automatically mean it is ready for a customer.
When finished components return from anodizing, we inspect them. If the finish is not up to our standards, it can go back. If a component has been nicked or damaged during handling, we do not simply decide that it is good enough because the mark may be hidden underneath the truck.
It does not go to the customer.
When you are producing components every day, quality control cannot be something you do occasionally. It has to be part of the manufacturing flow.
Why the Small Machining Details Matter
Pick up one of our finished rear lift pucks and you will see details that would be easy to eliminate if the only objective were making the cheapest possible part.
Edges are beveled. Surfaces are cleanly machined. Profiles are carefully finished. Spring contact areas are machined specifically for their application.
Could you manufacture a simpler-looking piece of aluminum? Absolutely.
But that is not the point. Our goal is to make the component the way we believe it should be made, whether the customer sees that detail every day or it disappears underneath the truck after installation.
Quality still matters when nobody is looking at it.
Lift Kits for Toyota and Lexus Platforms
The CNC operation supports lift kits across a growing range of Westcott Designs™ applications, including Toyota Tacoma, Toyota Tundra, Toyota Sequoia, Toyota 4Runner, Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus platforms.
Each vehicle has different suspension geometry and different requirements, which is why fitment-specific engineering matters. The goal is not to create a universal spacer and make it work on as many trucks as possible. It is to manufacture the correct components for each application.
CALL TO ACTION: Shop Westcott Designs™ Suspension & Lift Kits to find the correct application for your Toyota or Lexus.
Front-Only Kits vs. Complete Lift Kits
Not every customer is trying to accomplish the same thing.
Some owners simply want to correct the factory rake and level the front of the vehicle. Others want a complete front-and-rear setup. That is why Westcott Designs™ offers both front-only and complete lift-kit configurations for applicable vehicles.
The right choice depends on the truck, factory suspension, tire size, desired stance and how the vehicle is going to be used.
Before ordering based solely on a lift-height number, consider the factory suspension, desired tire diameter, wheel width and offset, front-to-rear stance, clearance requirements, and whether the vehicle is primarily a daily driver or an off-road build.
CALL TO ACTION: Not sure which lift kit fits your truck? Contact the Westcott Designs™ team before ordering. We work with these Toyota and Lexus platforms every day and can help determine the right setup for your build.
Quality Control Does Not Stop at the Machine
A precision-machined part can still arrive damaged if it is not packaged correctly.
Westcott Designs™ full and front-only lift kits are packaged using fitted foam inserts designed around the individual components. A protective foam layer goes over the parts to keep them secure inside the package.
The finished Westcott Designs™ product box is then placed inside an additional shipping box to protect both the parts and presentation packaging during transit.
Individual replacement components or certain small orders may ship in appropriately sized protective packaging rather than the complete presentation box. Regardless of package style, the objective is the same: protect the machined components during shipping.
Made in the USA Means More Than a Label
“Made in the USA” gets used frequently in the automotive aftermarket. For Westcott Designs™, it describes a manufacturing process customers can actually see.
Raw aluminum enters our processing operation. We cut the blanks. We CNC machine the components. We machine the spring seats. We bevel and chamfer the finished parts. Automated systems help us maintain production. Components are finished and inspected. Orders are organized by application. And the final parts are carefully packaged before heading to the customer.
That is what goes into a Westcott Designs™ lift kit before you ever open the box.
Why In-House Manufacturing Matters
There are several reasons we have invested heavily in manufacturing.
Quality control: We can see how components are being produced instead of relying entirely on a finished part arriving from a supplier.
Consistency: CNC machining allows us to repeatedly manufacture application-specific components to controlled dimensions.
Capacity: Our equipment, automation and production workflow allow us to manufacture thousands of lift kits each month.
Product development: Having machining capability gives us greater control when developing and refining new products.
Accountability: If a part does not meet our standards, it is our responsibility to correct it.
That is the kind of control we want over a component that is going into your suspension.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of aluminum does Westcott Designs™ use?
The manufacturing process shown in the video begins with solid 6061 aluminum round stock.
Are Westcott Designs™ lift kits CNC machined?
Yes. Westcott Designs™ uses CNC machining to produce lift-kit components, including the surfaces and spring seats required for specific applications.
How many lift kits does Westcott Designs™ process?
Jeff explains in the shop tour that the company processes approximately 3,000 lift kits per month, with individual kits containing roughly four to six components depending on the application.
Does Westcott offer black lift-kit components?
Yes. Applicable components are available in raw aluminum and black anodized versions.
Does aluminum rust?
No. Aluminum does not rust in the same way iron or steel does, but it can oxidize. Anodizing provides an additional protective surface layer.
Are Westcott Designs™ lift kits made in the USA?
Westcott Designs™ manufactures its lift-kit components in the United States through its Phoenix, Arizona manufacturing operation.
See How Your Westcott Designs™ Lift Kit Is Made
Most customers will never see the CNC machine that made their lift kit. They will not see the aluminum round stock being loaded onto the saw, watch the robot tending the machining process, or see an anodized component rejected because the finish is not right.
But we see those things.
That is why those details matter.
At Westcott Designs™, quality starts long before installation. It starts with the material, the machine, the process and the people responsible for deciding whether a finished component is good enough to carry our name.
Ready to build your Toyota or Lexus? Explore Westcott Designs™ Lift Kits & Suspension Products to find the correct setup for your vehicle.
Not sure which kit, lift height or configuration is right for your build? Contact our team at sales@westcottdesigns.net or call (480) 750-8747.
Forge Your Path.