Body lift ???

[Divepredator]

Is it hard to do a 2" body lift ?

Is it a good idea or not.

I like the ride of my stock CJ7 but not the look of a stock jeep. 2" would make it look good for me.
ANY IDEA'S

 

[CJKrawler]

the lift itself is not hard to do, but you have to worry about your Transmission linkages where they meet the body.

 

[BajaEdition]

What do you want to achieve with the body lift
I ask this because not to many experienced 4x4 builders that are not in it for a quick buck will not tell you to lift a body unless there is a reason too.
A TJ can use 1 inch of body lift so he can raise the drive line and get rid of the stock skid plat that is known as the "shovel" and put in a flat skid plate. It is known as the Belly up kit.
However a CJ does not have that issue, the drive train is stuffed real good.
Now, when you do a body lift you have to use longer bolts in the body mounts and these are then subjected to a lot of sideways torque during normal operation and soon tend to develop stress cracks. Making the junction of the body to the frame suspect.
Unless you go out and fab up new mounting brackets that sit up higher, remove the old ones and weld in the new ones stability of the Jeep is affected. So you can see that a 2 inch lift using longer bushings and bolts is a compromise.
Another point to look at is added unsprung weight. Once lifted you will be adding heavier tires and rims, these will be added to a spring and shock system designed for a lot less weight. As you run around they start to stress the existing suspension and soon upgrades are needed.
When you lift with new springs you get a upgraded spring and shock system that will handle the amount of weight that is added to the system with the new tires and rims
A point already brought up is linkage, 2 inches may not look like much when measuring you wanky, but when you move around linkage it is a huge amount. It puts a lot of stuff in angles it was not designed to work at and also effects the clearances shafts have to work in.

I do not suggest body lifts. But then they are cheap so many guys go with them.

 

[Vvajk]

What do you want to achieve with the body lift
I ask this because not to many experienced 4x4 builders that are not in it for a quick buck will not tell you to lift a body unless there is a reason too.
A TJ can use 1 inch of body lift so he can raise the drive line and get rid of the stock skid plat that is known as the "shovel" and put in a flat skid plate. It is known as the Belly up kit.
However a CJ does not have that issue, the drive train is stuffed real good.
Now, when you do a body lift you have to use longer bolts in the body mounts and these are then subjected to a lot of sideways torque during normal operation and soon tend to develop stress cracks. Making the junction of the body to the frame suspect.
Unless you go out and fab up new mounting brackets that sit up higher, remove the old ones and weld in the new ones stability of the Jeep is affected. So you can see that a 2 inch lift using longer bushings and bolts is a compromise.
Another point to look at is added unsprung weight. Once lifted you will be adding heavier tires and rims, these will be added to a spring and shock system designed for a lot less weight. As you run around they start to stress the existing suspension and soon upgrades are needed.
When you lift with new springs you get a upgraded spring and shock system that will handle the amount of weight that is added to the system with the new tires and rims
A point already brought up is linkage, 2 inches may not look like much when measuring you wanky, but when you move around linkage it is a huge amount. It puts a lot of stuff in angles it was not designed to work at and also effects the clearances shafts have to work in.

I do not suggest body lifts. But then they are cheap so many guys go with them.

YEP. . . I've heard the same advice. Just save you're $$ and get a real lift later so you aren't a poser.

 

[Kane]

2 inches may not look like much when measuring you wanky,

If I could add 2 inches to my wanky I would do it in a heart beat because then I would be HUGE........... in Japan.

 

[CJKrawler]

Baja, I completely agree with you. If your only reason for lifting is to gain height, and you never offroad, you will not have an issue. You can also gain some mpg's by removing the t-case. I suggest staying away from the body lift, but then again, it all depends on what you want in the end.

 

[Old Dog]

A couple of other things not said yet.
The fan will be hitting your rad. shroud.
Your break lines will need to be streched out.
Your steering shaft will need to be lenghtened.
It's all doable but a spring lift is a better idea.

 

[robert1973]

So would you guys say a one inch BL is just as negative as a two for the most part? I wanna do 2.5" spring lift and 1 BL to get my desired height? Didn't want to do much more in spring lift to avoid as much driveline woes as associated with the bigger lifts and to keep the COG down for stability. And i will be doing some good 4wheeling too.

 

[Vvajk]

I really don't think a 2" - 4" suspension lift is going to kill your ride. I'm not an expert, but from reading what others have posted here, I'd steer clear of the body lift. Get it? STEER Clear? hardy har har har.

Seriously, I have a 4" suspension lift and my ride is fine. Tracks good, drives straight, etc. Think about it though. All that work and hassle for 1" of body lift? Is it really that worth it?