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Suspension Lift vs Body Lift

Discussion in '2nd Gen. Tacomas (2005-2015)' started by wilikilia, Jun 10, 2009.

  1. Jun 10, 2009 at 8:31 PM
    #1
    wilikilia

    wilikilia [OP] Active Member

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    Tint, TRD Cold Air Intake, WeatherTech Side Window Deflectors, Retrax Retractable Tonneau Cover, Flowmasters SingleIn-DualOut 50 Delta Series w/ Black Chrome Tips, Smittybilt Sure Steps, Camburg 4" Lift Spindles, Camburg 2.5" Coilovers, Bilsten 5100s Rear, 17" Predators, Pro Comp 33"
    What's the difference between suspension lift and body lift? Any pros and cons? What do you guys prefer?
     
  2. Jun 10, 2009 at 8:34 PM
    #2
    The_Hodge

    The_Hodge Volunteer Moderator

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    Seeing the third gen section forced me to get a Ford...
    everyone will tell u suspension is the best. body lifts are unstable and can break on the trails easier than suspension. u get ground clearance as well as tire clearance from suspension and only tire clearance from a body lift.....other will fill in more
     
  3. Jun 10, 2009 at 11:12 PM
    #3
    toku58

    toku58 Well-Known Member

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    21' TRD OffRoad 2" 887 OME on Bilstein 5100's. 285/70R17 General Grabbers G3 17x8.5" Icon TRD wheels (Gun metal gray) 4.75" BS
    Hey another Hawaiian!:D

    You know that you can't run any BL bigger than 2" here in Hawaii. You won't pass safety check.
    That being said. There is only a 3" BL kit available for our trucks. Unless you have them custom made.

    BL allow for larger tires, and they will keep the full range of suspension articulation. But they won't provide much in the way of ground clearance. (The added ground clearance will come from taller tires)

    Isn't very nice because you will expose the frame.

    Suspension lifts will give you added ground clearance. Allow you to fit larger tires. But they will require the addition of UCA's to maintain good handling.
    A 3" suspension, because it increases the ride height. It reduces the amount of down travel you will have. So if you offroad you will be prone to loss of traction on uneven surfaces.

    So there is a trade off with any type of lift you decide to go with.:D
     
  4. Jun 10, 2009 at 11:16 PM
    #4
    Kenny650

    Kenny650 Well-Known Member

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    Toku

    Can you go into depth on what exactly is down travel/long travel? Such a noob question but I can't quite figure it out.
     
  5. Jun 10, 2009 at 11:21 PM
    #5
    t.hornstra

    t.hornstra Well-Known Member

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    Little this. Little that 4x4 Swap’d PreRunner
    You can have 1,2,or 3" Body Lifts made by Roger Brown here:
    http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/ForSale/BodyLiftKit.shtml

    its in California but im sure he would ship to you..
     
  6. Jun 10, 2009 at 11:27 PM
    #6
    t.hornstra

    t.hornstra Well-Known Member

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    Little this. Little that 4x4 Swap’d PreRunner
    down travel is how far the strut, can extend from normal ride height, right now my taco only has 1.5" of down travel becuase i have a spacer lift and its pushed out.

    Long travel is a special kit that is pretty expensive that pushed the whole assembly out, using lover Control arms, (both Lower and Upper) this, along with muuuchh longer springs and struts enables a muuch larger degree of travel of the IFS.

    you can tell the difference by looking at the setup. If im correct,
    This is IFS with normal Coilovers:
    http://bajabumpers.com/wp-content/uploads/wppa/86.JPG

    This is IFS with a Long Travel Kit:
    http://bajabumpers.com/wp-content/uploads/wppa/90.jpg

    see the difference?

    hope this helps.:eek::)
     
  7. Jun 10, 2009 at 11:29 PM
    #7
    Kenny650

    Kenny650 Well-Known Member

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    Yes now I do get it. What are the benefits of having a long travel vs. down travel? If any..?
     
  8. Jun 10, 2009 at 11:45 PM
    #8
    t.hornstra

    t.hornstra Well-Known Member

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    you will always have down travel, it just depends on how much. its all dependent on what lift you have, anything in coil compression or coilovers have the least down travel, as you go to long travel or a dropbracket lift (normally 4+ inches) you regain that downtravel becuase the geometry is more "stock" and the control arm is back to normal pitch.

    long travel is mostly used for the "prerunner" look. and the trucks you see flying thru the desert that almost look like the front it lifted a ton but the bed is low.

    long travel is just an option and type of lift. longtravel, IMO is for people who do desert and fast offroad driving, you can 100% get by with a 3" lift and larger tires, at most 6". it all depends on what look/ or what kind of offroad you do.
     
  9. Jun 11, 2009 at 12:00 AM
    #9
    toku58

    toku58 Well-Known Member

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    21' TRD OffRoad 2" 887 OME on Bilstein 5100's. 285/70R17 General Grabbers G3 17x8.5" Icon TRD wheels (Gun metal gray) 4.75" BS
    Very good!:thumbsup:
     
  10. Jun 11, 2009 at 1:29 AM
    #10
    wilikilia

    wilikilia [OP] Active Member

    Joined:
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    Honolulu, Hawaii
    Vehicle:
    2009 PreRunner TRD Sports Debadged
    Tint, TRD Cold Air Intake, WeatherTech Side Window Deflectors, Retrax Retractable Tonneau Cover, Flowmasters SingleIn-DualOut 50 Delta Series w/ Black Chrome Tips, Smittybilt Sure Steps, Camburg 4" Lift Spindles, Camburg 2.5" Coilovers, Bilsten 5100s Rear, 17" Predators, Pro Comp 33"
    Appreciate all the feedback from everyone. That explains a lot. Toku thanks for the tip on the 2"+ BL not passing safety check. Good stuff to know.
     

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