Upgrading the suspension on your diesel truck isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about performance, ride quality, and long-term durability. At Deer Park Diesel, we recently tackled a major lift and traction upgrade using Carli Suspension’s 6-Inch Radius Arm System and heavy-duty traction bars. Here's a breakdown of why we chose this setup and what you should know before investing in your own diesel performance build.

Carli Suspension 6-Inch Radius Arm System: Is It Worth It?

If you're planning a serious lift kit for your Cummins, Duramax or Power Stroke, Carli’s 6-Inch Radius Arm System is a top-tier upgrade. This fully bolt-on suspension system is designed to improve ride stability, wheel alignment, and suspension travel—perfect for truck owners who want off-road reliability without sacrificing on-road comfort.

These radius arms are extremely heavy-duty and built to last. They help eliminate the slop and flex that cheaper control arms can introduce. However, be warned: this upgrade isn't cheap.

Budget Tip: If your main goal is to fit bigger wheels and tires, you can start with extended control arms and circle back to radius arms later.

Solving Axle Wrap with Traction Bars

One of the biggest problems we faced after the lift was axle wrap. When you punch the throttle and your axle hops, you're not getting clean power to the ground—and over time, that can destroy components.

Our Fix: Installing traction bars immediately tightened up rear-end performance, especially during acceleration. The truck now feels more planted, more responsive, and better controlled. That said, the bars do hang low, so we’ve sacrificed a bit of ground clearance—something to keep in mind if you plan to take your truck off-road often.

There are high-clearance traction bar options on the market, and we may explore those in a future phase of this build.

Should You Upgrade Your Diesel Suspension Now or Later?

Here’s the bottom line: Not every mod has to be done at once. Your diesel truck build should match your goals, whether that’s daily driving, towing, overlanding, or hitting trails around Spokane, Washington.

We recommend starting with critical upgrades—like traction bars if you're battling axle wrap—and building your way up. Carli Suspension parts are premium for a reason, but you can always stagger your upgrades to fit your budget.

Final Thoughts from Deer Park Diesel

At Deer Park Diesel, we live and breathe diesel performance and these Carli 6-Inch Radius Arm System and traction bars have made a big difference in our build, and we’re excited to see how this truck performs on- and off-road.

📲 Stay Connected

Like what you see? Make sure to:

- Subscribe on YouTube

- Follow us on Instagram and Facebook

- Visit us at deerparkdiesel.com for more updates

- Book an appointment

— The Deer Park Diesel Team

📺 Watch the Full Video:

🎥 Shop Truck Build Ep. 3: Carli radius arms & traction bars on the shop truck