A body lift raises the cab and bed off the frame with spacer blocks, usually 2 to 5 inches, and adds no ground clearance. A suspension lift raises the whole truck, frame and axles included, and adds real clearance under the truck. For off-road use or bigger tires, the suspension lift is the one that does the work.
Most of the lifts we install at our Tyler and Longview shops are suspension lifts and leveling kits from Rough Country, from 2 inch kits up to 6 inch builds. Every one leaves aligned.
This post is part of our guide to leveling kits vs lift kits. If a leveling kit is already enough for you, that guide will save you some money. If you want real height, this is the fork in the road.
What is a body lift?
A body lift raises the truck's body off its frame using spacer blocks between the two. The frame, axles and suspension stay exactly where the factory put them. According to RealTruck, a body lift raises the body 2 to 5 inches "but it's important to remember that your ground clearance will remain unchanged."
So the body goes up and the parts that actually hit rocks stay down. It's a bit like standing on your tiptoes in a flood. You look taller, and your boots are just as wet.
What a body lift does buy you is room in the wheel wells for a bigger tire. A taller tire does raise the axle a little, so the clearance you gain comes from the tire, not the blocks.
What is a suspension lift?
A suspension lift raises the whole truck by changing the suspension parts that set ride height: taller struts or spacers up front, new knuckles or control arms, longer shocks, and blocks or new springs in the rear. Frame, body and axles all go up together.
That's why it adds real ground clearance, and why it costs more and takes longer to install. More parts come off, more angles change, and the alignment matters even more afterward. RealTruck's comparison lists suspension lifts going all the way to 12 inches, though most of what rolls through our bays lives between 2 and 6.
A suspension lift also changes how the truck drives. A good kit keeps it civil on Loop 323. A bad one turns every expansion joint into a small earthquake you feel in your fillings.
| Body lift | Suspension lift | |
|---|---|---|
| What moves | Cab and bed only | Frame, body and axles |
| Typical height | 2 to 5 inches | 2 inches up to 12 |
| Ground clearance | No change from the kit | Real added clearance |
| Ride and handling | Close to stock | Depends on the kit quality |
| Bigger tires | Yes, more wheel well room | Yes, usually the most room |
| Alignment after | Usually not needed for blocks alone | Yes, every time |
Body lift vs suspension lift: the trade-offs
A body lift is the cheaper way to make room for bigger tires. A suspension lift is the way to make the truck actually sit and work higher. Both get the look, but only one lifts the parts that hang lowest under the truck.
A body lift can leave a visible gap between the body and the frame, and bumpers sometimes need brackets to line back up. That's common shop experience, not a rule for every truck. A suspension lift changes front-end angles, so it needs an alignment and good parts to stay smooth over the years.
Which lift is right for your truck?
Pick a suspension lift if you go off-road, want 35s or bigger, or want the truck to sit higher everywhere, not just at the cab. Pick a leveling kit if you just want the nose up and one tire size bigger. A body lift is the niche option for bigger tires on a budget when clearance doesn't matter.
- Daily driver that wants the look: a leveling kit, or a 2 to 3 inch suspension lift
- Hunting lease, ranch roads, mud: a suspension lift, sized to the tire you want
- Tow rig: tell us what you pull before we pick a kit, because lift height changes how the truck handles a trailer
Not sure which way to go? Tell us the truck and what it does all week, and we'll spec the lift. See our suspension lift installs in Tyler and Longview.
Whatever you pick, the warranty question comes next. A lift doesn't void your warranty by itself, and we cover how to keep it that way in does a leveling kit void your warranty.
Suspension lifts we've built
I've been in the tire business since 2007, and the honest truth is that most of our lift customers want the same three things: height, a bigger tire and a truck that still drives straight. Here's what that's looked like lately.
- 3.5 inch Rough Country lift on a Ram 1500 at the Tyler shop, with 22 inch Fuel wheels and 33x12.50R22 tires.
- 3 inch Rough Country lift on a 2017 Nissan Titan XD Cummins with 22x12 Fittipaldi wheels and 33 inch Predator tires.
- 2 inch lift on a 2024 Toyota 4Runner.
J. Thomas, from our Tyler Google reviews: "Updated my suspension with the new Rough Country 7 inch M1 struts and upper control arms. Very helpful and they recommended me which struts I should get. They told me the parts fit perfect and aligned well with the 6 inch lift kit I had already."
Lift questions
Does a body lift increase ground clearance?
Is a suspension lift better than a body lift?
Do you need an alignment after a lift?
Can you combine a body lift and a suspension lift?
Ready for real height? We install Rough Country suspension lifts at both shops and align every truck before it leaves. See our lift and leveling kits in Tyler and Longview, or call Tyler at (903) 630-1114 or Longview at (903) 807-9484.
Read this next Leveling kit vs lift kit: which one your truck needs