Why you want a body lift

[JMT]

Since this train has already derailed.....


I do find it funny we can care so much about a 1/8" in some places but when it comes to tire size it's irrelevant.

37’s, 37’s, who cares about ball joints?!

 

[JMT]

Also interesting to me is the little talk about diff clearance. If all TJ axles (when upgraded) are equally capable of running 35s, why aren’t we all switching to HP30s and Dana35s for the added ground clearance.

Is that an interrogative or an imperative?

 

[JMT]

If that is your idea of being a resource, you suck at it.

Annual dues.

 

[Alex01]

37’s, 37’s, who cares about ball joints?!

I do think I'd be interesting to get a, sticky, thread about true tire size.

I still have 5 new MTRs sitting in the garage so I won't be a test bunny any time soon

 

[PNW_LJ]

Is that an interrogative or an imperative?

That is a pondering of a sleep-deprived TJ Noob.

 

[mrblaine]

When I first installed the body lift, I never did anything to the t case shifter beyond adjusting it. I ran it that way for 5-6 years before the Savvy cable shifter went in.

If you can get a bracket that moves the tub side mount back down to keep the bell crank pivot rod reasonably level, adjusting works very well. That (lowering bracket) goes away if you lift the belly skid and get the relationship between the pivot rod and tub side mount back close to the stock relationship again.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Nope, still don't want one

So you'd rather have, for example, a 4" suspension lift and no body lift than a 3" suspension lift and a 1" body lift? Do you see any particular advantage to either?

 

[srimes]

33.875" effective rolling diameter according to my calculations.

OK so we need to reduce the diameter by .125" before we can mount the spare, or .0625" off the radius.
The MTR has a tread depth of 21/32, and Goodyear considers them worn out when the tread depth is 2/32, so there's 19/32 of useable tread.
With a 30,000 mile rating we'll need to drive 0.0625/((19/32)/30000)= 3,158.89 miles before we can mount the spare. Not too bad.

 

[mrblaine]

So you'd rather have, for example, a 4" suspension lift and no body lift than a 3" suspension lift and a 1" body lift? Do you see any particular advantage to either?

Don't ask me that question because I'll make a body lift look stupid in that scenario.

 

[CMBD]

So you'd rather have, for example, a 4" suspension lift and no body lift than a 3" suspension lift and a 1" body lift? Do you see any particular advantage to either?

I would. If I wanted 4" of lift, a body lift would be no part of it. Like many things Jeep it comes down to preference and opinion.

I wont ever run a body lift. I see no value in it .

 

[Jerry Bransford]

I would. If I wanted 4" of lift, a body lift would be no part of it. Like many things Jeep it comes down to preference and opinion.

I wont ever run a body lift. I see no value in it .

The value is a 3" suspension lift plus a 1" body lift typically has a lower center-of-gravity than a 4" suspension lift does. If you're doing easy trails it doesn't matter. If you're doing difficult trails with off-camber situations it could make the difference.

 

[OldBuzzard]

And a body lift lets you do a tummy tuck and raise your gas tank.

 

[psrivats]

OK so we need to reduce the diameter by .125" before we can mount the spare, or .0625" off the radius.
The MTR has a tread depth of 21/32, and Goodyear considers them worn out when the tread depth is 2/32, so there's 19/32 of useable tread.
With a 30,000 mile rating we'll need to drive 0.0625/((19/32)/30000)= 3,158.89 miles before we can mount the spare. Not too bad.

Tell me you are engineer without telling me you are engineer

 

[L J]

I wont ever run a body lift. I see no value in it .

 

[srimes]

The value is a 3" suspension lift plus a 1" body lift typically has a lower center-of-gravity than a 4" suspension lift does. If you're doing easy trails it doesn't matter. If you're doing difficult trails with off-camber situations it could make the difference.

How much difference does it make, practically? For the same belly height about the only difference is the frame, as the drivetrain and gas tank get lifted too.
I'm not saying it doesn't matter when really pushing the limit, I'm just guessing the difference in CG is similar to having the soft top on vs. off, or maybe doors on/off.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

How much difference does it make, practically? For the same belly height about the only difference is the frame, as the drivetrain and gas tank get lifted too.
I'm not saying it doesn't matter when really pushing the limit, I'm just guessing the difference in CG is similar to having the soft top on vs. off, or maybe doors on/off.

It all adds up and if you're at the very edge, as said above, it could make the difference in making it through or flopping onto your side.

 

[mrblaine]

I would. If I wanted 4" of lift, a body lift would be no part of it. Like many things Jeep it comes down to preference and opinion.

Only if you don't know much. If you know a few things, then it becomes patently clear that there are no 3" springs worth owning and even if there were, the lack of proper shock availability is a deal breaker. If I had to build for 33's, I'd toss the body lift and build around 4" springs with enough free length to make some properly tuned reservoir shocks work. But there again, I'm after making a rig be as capable as possible regardless of what tires are on it.

I wont ever run a body lift. I see no value in it .

The work arounds are out there. Getting them cheaper and more effective than a 1.25" body lift are another thing entirely.

 

[SgtMajor138]

Many often repeat that a body lift is the best bang for your buck mod you can do to your TJ/LJ. It's also one of the few mods that once installed, can stay with the rig throughout it's lifetime without change.

I wholeheartedly agree with these statements, and I wanted to round up a list of all the pros/cons of installing a ~1" body lift on your TJ/LJ:

What is a body lift?
A body lift is nothing simply a spacer that goes on top of your existing body mounts, and raises your tub. Your frame, engine, trans, axles will all remain as they were. Pictured below is a stock body mount bushing (Photo 1), as compared to one with a body lift spacer on top (Photo 2).


View attachment 427580

What type of body lift do I want?
The primary thing to look for is that the body lift pucks be made out of a solid material. Body lifts made of polyurethane (*cough* JKS *cough*), will not hold their height. They WILL squish, not a matter of if, but when. This is bad because: you lose the main purpose of a body lift, it can damage your tub, and it makes it impossible to properly torque down the body mount bolts.

The best options out there for a body lift right now are Savvy (1.25" aluminum) and Black Magic brakes (1.25" acetal). These kits will come with everything you need and will last you for the lifetime of your rig. Currie is also a solid option, but at a significant price premium and being only 1", I'm not sure why one would go this route.


What are the pros/cons of a body lift?

Pros:

• Room for larger tires with less COG and driveline changes than the equivalent size suspension lift
• Proper tummy tuck
• Gas tank skid tuck
• Room for certain suspension mods (such as Savvy midarm which requires a body lift to get proper link separation)
• Easier to install a MML to alleviate driveline angles
• Tucks up fenders and body mounted sliders
• Inexpensive and easy install

Cons:

• Many dislike the aesthetics of a body lift, mainly the gap it creates between the tub and frame mounted bumpers/steps. I think this is vastly overblown, and can be fixed.
• May require an upgraded transfer case shifter.
• May lead to you purchasing more performance-enhancing mods down the road, so install one at your own risk.

I think that about covers it. Let me know if I missed or misstated anything.

Would you please elaborate more on your comment about an "upgraded transfer case shifter"? I have been debating on adding a 1.25" body lift but was not aware that I would have to make any more modifications other than to install the spacers.

 

[RINC]

Would you please elaborate more on your comment about an "upgraded transfer case shifter"? I have been debating on adding a 1.25" body lift but was not aware that I would have to make any more modifications other than to install the spacers.

Cable is better than the mechanical linkage.
https://savvyoffroad.com/product/sav-231s/

 

[andyj]

Would you please elaborate more on your comment about an "upgraded transfer case shifter"? I have been debating on adding a 1.25" body lift but was not aware that I would have to make any more modifications other than to install the spacers.

I'm sure the linkage can be adjusted, so it's not needed just to cater for a body lift. I got the cable shifter because low gear popped out occasionally when hard hitting bumps. I guess the body moving against the chassis caused it.