just bought an 06 wrangler X. love it. ive been kinda looking and pricing a small (3 in lift) on ebay and i notice a body lift and then there are suspension lifts. whats the pros and cons of these two? i don't do a lot of offroading but i do like to have the extra ground clearance.

thanks

don't go higher than a 1"-1.5" body lift it makes the center of gravity too high and makes it top heavy and increases the chance of roll over

BL = Body Lift just gives a little extra clearance for tire rubbing issues during flex. If yu go with a BL it's typically used in combination with a MML (Motor Mount Lift). The MML helps with driveline angles and also when you do the BL the fan & shroud will make contact.

Suspension Lift - will give you better flex & offroad prowless

Both allow bigger tires, but the suspension lift depending on size is the best way to go.

If your just looking for better ground clearance and a small lift there are numerous ways to achieve.

You can go with a 2" BB (Budget Boost), 1.25 BL and can typically fit 33's with that.

Teraflex, Full Traction and OME make great 2.5 to 3" kits that are resonably priced and easy to install.

Chris

are the Teraflex, Full Traction and OME suspension lifts?

From what I have gathered the suspension lifts are more expensive

Yes, Teraflex, Full Traction & OME are suspension lift and typically run about $300-$500 depending on what it comes with and the vendor you get them from.

I would not buy a lift from ebay... buy from a vendor that way if you have any issues they usually can help and plus most of them have amazing customer service and can point you in the right direction as well.

David @ Northridge4x4.com always seems to answer his phone and will take the time to help & find whats right for you.

Chris

body lifts are ugly, and do not offer more suspension performance or travel. simply make space between the body and frame.

I'm no fan of tall body lifts but inch for inch, a body lift actually gives a lower COG (center of gravity) than a suspension lift does. A BL only lifts the body up off the frame, a SL (taller springs) lifts everything up higher off the axles so a body lift raises less weight up higher than a suspension lift does.

That said, a suspension lift is preferrable to a body lift for offroading. A body lift only lifts the body up off the frame so it really only creates more room for bigger tires... it does not increase ground clearance.

Finally, a BL is fine for just adding a tad more tire clearance. I have a 4.5" suspension lift but I am also running a 1" body lift. And 1" is as tall as I would go on a body lift. 2" and especially 3" body lifts are more trouble to install and a 3" body lift actually creates a whole bunch of issues that have to be solved, some are not so simple to fix.

The bottom line is that a suspension lift is preferrable to a body lift, you gain offroading ability with a suspension lift that you do not with a body lift... at least not to the same degree.

I have a 2" body lift, and there is non-to very little loss of center of gravity. I take the exit turns off the main roads at the same rate of speed i had before the lift. I have even pushed it a little to see how far my jeep would go before i'd start to feel it out of control. Now maybe with more then 2" there may be a difference. But i can honestly say up to 2" your safe.

The main issue with a body lift isn't so much the CHANGE, it's the LACK of change, sort of
What I mean is, you're now taller, but your spring rates and shock damping curves haven't changed a cent. When you do a spring+shock lift (suspension), you get spring rates and dampers that are set up for X" of lift. With a body lift, you get whatever you had before, with no change. An inch or so is what most people run simply because a basic spring lift isn't that expensive- USUALLY, a body lift is used to complement a suspension lift, to allow a little more room for bigger tires and more flex- Mark W.