Body lift???

Mgossett1489

New member
Does anyone know if there is or will be a body lift for JLs. I put a 1" daystar on my JK Rubicon (on top of the suspension lift) and it was a nice little bonus. On my JL Rubicon I'd like to do the same in lue of a spare tire relocation bracket, as I'm currently running 37s. Just a thought, any feedback is welcome.

Sent from my SM-N920V using JL Wrangler Jeep Forum mobile app
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
While I have run body lifts in the past, I can't say that I've ever really been a fan of them. That being said, I have no doubts that there will be more than one manufacturer that'll have one for the JL and sooner than later. Daystar definitely comes to mind as being one of the first.
 

13_gecko_rubi

New member
Why on Earth would you want a body lift? So u can have gaps to bumpers etc? On old Jeeps it made sense for powertrain but on jk/jl there is absolutely no need.

Sent via....
 

Shots

New member
Why on Earth would you want a body lift? So u can have gaps to bumpers etc? On old Jeeps it made sense for powertrain but on jk/jl there is absolutely no need.

Sent via....
I'd put one on mine. The point is generally for appearance. It just looks good a little higher, and a body lift can do that without any affect on the stock ride or suspension geometry. Or you can do like the OP asked, and add one with a suspension lift for a little extra. I've installed body lifts, in conjunction with suspension lifts on several trucks. Once upon a time, yes you had gaps at the bumpers, exhaust, and any other item not attached to the body. On newer body lifts, they address these areas, and adjust them too.
For example, attached is an image of my '14 Ram, with a 1.5" body lift. No unsightly gaps at the bumper or exhaust. I would absolutely consider a body lift on my JL.
 

Attachments

  • Back after BL.jpg
    Back after BL.jpg
    324.7 KB · Views: 135

doubletapdaddy

Caught the Bug
I'd put one on mine. The point is generally for appearance. It just looks good a little higher, and a body lift can do that without any affect on the stock ride or suspension geometry.

Anytime you raise COG you're going affect to the way a vehicle handles during turns and off-camber situations.
 

Shots

New member
You are correct, but that's true of any lift, whether it's done by body or suspension lifts. That said the COG won't raise a full inch with a 1" body lift anyway so it's minimal. The COG is also affected by the frame, suspension, tires, etc. If you raise the body one inch, it will only slightly raise the COM/COG. Since the frame, drive line and suspension (which will remain unchanged) make up a larger portion of the vehicle's mass, increasing the body height will only minimally affect the the COM/COG. It's a Jeep, they're not meant for high speed cornering, so that 1" of increased height isn't going to affect cornering enough to be noticeable even on an off-camber turn.
Arguably, a suspension lift will make cornering worse, because it raises the frame and engine too, not just the body. It moves more of the vehicle's mass up, than the body lift does, which will raise the COG. Cornering may not be adversely affected because they may combat the increased roll with stiffer springs. However stiffer springs equals stiffer ride. This too can be so minimal that it's imperceptible to the average driver. It really depends on the lift and components used.
In the end 1" of lift isn't going to be so dramatic that the average person driving it will notice any change in handling. You are correct though, that it will have an affect. The affect could possibly be measurable, and/or detectable by a highly trained/experienced driver, but then those people don't usually want the stock ride anyway.
 

Mgossett1489

New member
Is this 1989 all over again?


Sent from my iPhone using JL Wrangler Jeep Forum mobile app
I love the jabs! It's like having conversations with my brothers. I 100% agree that body lifts seem senseless, however, like previously stated...its not for looks. Or performance...it only to prevent installing a spare tire relocation bracket. 1" gaps don't bother me...and new front and rear bumpers will hide it as well. #1989!!!! Lol

Sent from my SM-N920V using JL Wrangler Jeep Forum mobile app
 

doubletapdaddy

Caught the Bug
It just looks good a little higher, and a body lift can do that without any affect on the stock ride or suspension geometry.

I was addressing your use of an absolute. A more thoughtful choice of words might have saved you a 1,243 character response.

Only a Sith deals in absolutes.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
 

Last edited:

Shots

New member
I was addressing your use of an absolute. A more thoughtful choice of words might have saved you a 1,243 character response.

Only a Sith deals in absolutes.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
You can call me Darth Shots. :yup: lol
The key though is in the wording. A body lift won't affect the stock ride. It may have an affect on the stock handling by raising the COM/COG, though the driver's ability to detect it is still questionable.

Ride vs handling:
Ride refers to a vehicle's comfort and effectiveness in insulating the occupants from undulations in the road surface. A vehicle with good ride quality provides a comfort for the driver and passengers by dampening bumps and other roadway imperfections.
Handling is a descriptions of the way a vehicle responds to the inputs of a driver, as well as how it moves along the roadway. It is commonly judged by how a vehicle performs during cornering and stability.

By leaving the stock suspension completely unchanged a body lift will not have an affect on the stock ride because the components which control the ride have not changed. Join me on the dark side Padawan.


PS, you should have let Mgossett1489 think you counted all the characters. :eek:
 

doubletapdaddy

Caught the Bug
Ride vs handling:
Ride refers to a vehicle's comfort and effectiveness in insulating the occupants from undulations in the road surface. A vehicle with good ride quality provides a comfort for the driver and passengers by dampening bumps and other roadway imperfections.
Handling is a descriptions of the way a vehicle responds to the inputs of a driver, as well as how it moves along the roadway. It is commonly judged by how a vehicle performs during cornering and stability.

Although I appreciate your insightful wisdom. I think I have read something strangely similar on Wikipedia...

20180825_110802.jpg

20180825_110738.jpg

You might want to consider changing a few more words next time. :eek:

Let's return to your, er, the Wikipedia definition of RIDE. It clearly states “A vehicle with good ride quality provides a comfort for the driver and passengers” and “Other factors include suspension geometry, vehicle mass and weight distribution.” As I am a competent linguist, I am confident in classifying the concept of comfort as purely subjective. Can we not also agree that changes to COM (by any means including suspension lift or body lift) alters “weight distribution”?

Wikipedia definition of HANDLING also states “Other factors include suspension geometry, vehicle mass and weight distribution.”

So now, by definition - changes to weight distribution has the potential to affect RIDE AND the potential to affect HANDLING. I could rest my case, but I will continue...

You wrote:

A body lift won't affect the stock ride. It may have an affect on the stock handling by raising the COM/COG, though the driver's ability to detect it is still questionable.


I will assert that if something is questionable, then it is still very possible.

Furthermore, you wrote:

By leaving the stock suspension completely unchanged a body lift will not have an affect on the stock ride because the components which control the ride have not changed.


So let us conclude through reasoning…

IF the concept of RIDE is related to the subjective comfort of the passengers,

AND that a body lift may change weight distribution and COM,

AND that the definition of HANDLING includes “weight distribution”,

AND that the definition of RIDE includes “ weight distribution”,

AND that if the driver and / or passengers find either subtle or dramatic change in HANDLING to be satisfactory or unsatisfactory with regards to comfort,

THEN a body lift most definitely has the potential to affect RIDE.

A body lift won't affect the stock ride.

I have just deduced that the above statement is incorrect.


The key though is in the wording.

Precisely.


You can call me Darth Shots…. Join me on the dark side Padawan


I am not a man of words.
Darth Bane , Dark Lord Of The Sith


The dark side blows.
DBLTAP, Semantic Jedi



PS, you should have let Mgossett1489 think you counted all the characters. :eek:


This time I was not compelled to, as most of them were not yours… MIC DROP.
 

Last edited:

Shots

New member
Sorry I didn't realize we were citing references. ;) Yes I used wiki. In full disclosure I did a google search for definitions. I selected wiki version because they referenced them in automotive terms. I then trimmed them because they were a bit wordy. If you are a true wordsmith you'd likely prefer the dictionary definitions since wiki is created by random people and has no official standing.

By definition neither ride nor handling have any specific elements which define them in automotive terms. These words are colloquial and it is generally understood that RIDE refers to the vehicle's COMFORT, whereas HANDLING refers to how the vehicle PERFORMS.

To cite my source for the actual definition of ride and handling I used Merriam-Webster's online dictionary.
Ride per Merriam-Webster: Definition 4. To become supported on a point or surface.. Definition 4. of support is a to hold up or serve as a foundation or prop for
Handling per Merriam-Webster: Definition 1a. the action of one that handles something Definition 6. of handle is a means of understanding or controlling.
Notice ride's closest description references support and handling's closest description mentions control.

Therefore I'll stand by the claim that the ride is unaffected by a body lift. The same support, and comfort originally offered by your stock suspension are retained since the components which provide the foundation/support are unchanged.

All that said. Even if I were to concede to semantics and say that less than 1" of increased COM had the potential to affect the ride it would be indiscernible to the vehicle occupants. If the ride were that sensitive to such a small change in COM/COG having passengers and/or cargo in the vehicle would also hurt the ride because their added weight/mass would also raise the COM/COG. Our suspensions aren't that sensitive that such a minute change will affect how they feel going over bumps and roadway imperfections.

On a side note. I do agree that something which is "questionable" is also possible. I don't dispute that a body lift (or suspension lift) can affect handling. Raising the COM/COG certainly has potential to affect control. I'm not sure how detectable it would be to the driver, with a 1" lift, but it is possible, yes. However that's handling, not ride.
 

Amric

New member
Body lifts have their place. For example if I was already over a 4 inch suspension lift, I would seriously consider a 1 inch body lift before considering another inch to the suspension. With that said, I don’t think many people will need to lift the JL high enough to need to think about a body lift, but I am sure the usual companies will offer them just in case.
 

Top