How Does a Body Lift Compare to a Suspension Lift?

A body lift or a suspension lift are essentially two ways to lift your Jeep truck or SUV. Both methods have their pros & cons that are typically focused on price performance & ease of installation but let me explain the difference between the two.

A suspension lift can use taller springs spring spacers lift blocks differential drop brackets cranked up torsion bars or any combination thereof to raise the vehicle’s frame chassis away from ground.

A body lift raises the vehicle by lifting the body away from frame with spacers. This keeps the frame at its existing distance from ground.

A suspension lift is recommended for anyone planning to spend a lot of time off-road. A body lift is recommended for anyone that wants to make their vehicle look lifted with no true intentions of going off-road. This doesn’t mean that a body lifted vehicle can’t go off-road. It just won’t perform as well as a suspension lifted vehicle because it hasn’t gained any ground clearance.

Suspension lifts typically range between 2-inches to 6-inches though there are some companies that produce “extreme” kits in excess of this while body lifts range between 1-inch to 3-inches.

Suspension lifts are more complicated than body lifts because they alter the suspension components that give the vehicle its factory ride characteristics. Taller springs are typically stiffer than factory springs so the vehicle will have a harsher ride quality than with original equipment factory engineered springs. Longer shock absorbers will be needed. The vehicle will also have a higher center of gravity because the entire weight of the vehicle everything except the axles will now be raised further from ground. Depending on the vehicle the transfer case may need to be lowered & the rear differential repositioned to minimize driveline vibrations. This is especially true for short wheelbase vehicles such as Jeeps because of their short rear driveline that isn’t readily accepting to increased u-joint angles.

Pros Increases ground clearance increased approach & departure angles allows fitment of larger tires.

Cons Expensive installation usually takes longer driveline angles are increased more susceptible to vibrations re-route or lengthen the brake lines new shocks needed raised center of gravity.

A body lift is relatively simple in that it primarily consists of a set of spacers that are inserted at the mounting points between the frame & body of the vehicle. This leaves all the heavy parts of the vehicle frame engine transmission transfer case etc at their factory locations so the vehicle’s center of gravity though increased will not be increased as much as a suspension lift.

Pros Inexpensive can be installed quickly with basic hand tools allows fitment of taller tires simpler all parts necessary come in a small box .

Cons Appearance depending how tall the body lift is there will be a gap that size between the body tub & the frame extra leverage is placed on the mounting points the higher the lift the more leverage there is working against it ground clearance remains the same.

Ultimately a body lift provides no benefits other than allowing the installation of larger tires whereas a suspension lift is designed for improved performance off-road while also allowing the installation of larger tires . If you’re on a budget & want to make your 4WD look like a tough off-road vehicle but have no real intentions of ever going off-road then a body lift would be adequate for you. However if cost isn’t a factor & you’re looking to make your 4WD more off-road capable & trail ready then a suspension lift is highly recommended.

Whatever route you choose the internet’s largest selection of body lift kits can be found at MY4BY.com. They have an impressive selection of off road parts for domestic & import vehicles.