Suspension lift ~ is it worth it?

[JumboBeef]

OK, here is a question which I have always pondered.  Is a suspension lift (of any amount) worth the effort?

I mean, you don't actually gain any extra height do you? The lowest point (your axels) remain where they were regardless of how high the body is.  I can see the point of bigger wheels, as everything including the axels are higher.

I've never had a 4x4 with a lift, so there is a (very) strong chance I don't know what I'm talking about, so I would be interested to hear others views on this.

[V8MoneyPit]

The only real advantage is approach, breakover and departure angles are increased.

[JumboBeef]

I suppose it would have helped here:  :lol:

[The Smiths]

One of the biggest reasons to lift is to be able to fit bigger tyres to give more ground clearance.

[Edge]

I noticed a huge difference when i had a 2" lift with 35" BFG muds fitted. Offroad i could get further than landys with just a 2" lift fitted, didnt get stuck in other peoples ruts etc etc.
Road handling suffered... due to tyres :roll: .

[clbarclay]

It depends on the nature of the lift as to whether they actually allow you to fit bigger tyres.

I can't speak for short 4x4s like LR90, but on a range rover for example with a large overhang and long wheelbase the increase in departure and breakover angle can be very beneficial.

[AbyssDJ]

not as much use on a short wheelbase vehicle as they are on a long wheelbase, where the chassis rails are used as skids :roll:   NOT THAT I'VE EVER TOOK PART IN THAT OF COURSE! 8)

[Range Rover Blues]

It helps with aproach and departure angles, especially with an overhang.  If done right you cab also release some extra articulation (not that you need a lift to fit longer shocks) and of couorse your car will be more capable due to your wallet being so much lighter :lol:

Blue is lifted, the LSE is lowered.  Guess which one is easier to drive on the road (ignore the fact that Blue is totally invisible to other drivers, and the LSE is becoming translucent)

[cardiff_gareth]

It also helps you max wading depth

[electricbluebadger]

Dont forget that probably the biggest advantage is that correctly matched lifted springs and shocks will normally have much more articulation than the standard set up, therefore your wheels will stay in contact with the ground and hence you will have traction more of the time when off roading, a wheel off the ground or losing traction means no drive from that axle if you haven't fitted aftermarket diff locks

Cheers Steve

[Lumbering Jack]

I suppose it would have helped here:  :lol:

Looks like my 130!

Tend to agree with the general opinion - more needed on lwb vehicles, and goes well with a removable tow bar.

[Wanderer]

Some advice from a heretic.

Do a body lift before thinking of a suspension lift and only if you're looking at fitting bigger tyres.

The secret is room under the diffs and nothing else.
Bigger tyres get you room under the diffs.
With a body lift you don't have to start making expensive alterations to the suspension set up. You will alter the angle of attack with the bigger wheels on. Other than the fact that you have the weight a bit higher (which is the same as on a suspension lift) with a body lift the suspension will react as normal.

Ed

[davidlandy]

I agree with Ed

the only reason I have lifted mine  2" is to fit the bigger tyres underneath

I wouldnt go any higher as it would handle even worse and start to chomp into my wallet as I would have to start buying new raduis arms etc..

[electricbluebadger]

The secret is room under the diffs and nothing else.

Ed

Sorry to disagree but that statement is a little misguided as a landy front diff is not bang in the centre of the axle....yes diffs will hang in certain circumstances but traction is the secret, maintain it and you will move, uprated lifted longer travel suspension will maintain traction far more than standard suspension.. you WILL get a lot further, your diffs could hang up on the offside (as the front diff is ) but if your axles are capable of another 6" of droop on the nearside due to having uprated raised suspension you will get more traction than standard suspension and poss get out.

Cheers Steve

[winchman]

when I had my sj with a 6" suspention lift, it was good off road but appalling on, almost undrivable.
I much prefer my standard unlifted vitara, no matter what lift you fit at times you will drag your diffs.
If I had the time I would just fit Portal axels to a light weight 4x4 as this will give the most lift and clearance, but as ever time and cash come in to it.
I have had more use and fun from my un lifted standard Vitara than the lifted SJ
Tyres
As some one once pointed out to me look at the event winners in the AWDC a lot run standard size tyres, once you mess with them you mess up the gearing and ride.

[666]

It helps with aproach and departure angles, especially with an overhang.  If done right you cab also release some extra articulation (not that you need a lift to fit longer shocks) and of couorse your car will be more capable due to your wallet being so much lighter :lol:

Totally agree! The suspension lift i did on mine (yes i know its frontera not a landrover) enabled me to fit a front live axle and run my motor on 33 inch tyres! Approach, departure and breakover have vastly improved, and while running 33,s gives my diffs that little extra clearence! With fitting plus 4 shocks it does give loads of articulation too...........

 






Cheers

Mark

[wizard]

I have a 3 inch suspension lift and a 2 inch body lift.
No fancy front radius arms, with castor correction thingies, just added a double carden prop and cranked rear arms.
As everyone said it depends on what you want to do. Some people add all the off road gear and never venture off road.
A standard Disco on a good set of tyres will go most places a lifted one will go.
Bigger tyres and a lift will only tempt you to try bigger and badder obsticals which is great but not really worth the expence if you only use it for a bit of greenlaning now and again.

To get back to your original question of "is a suspension lift worth it"
 I would say yes do it. lift it, fit a set of muds and a snorkel.

wizard

[lambert]

Bigbluemaverick has seemingly been lifted at the back by a previous owner by fitting lwb springs probably for towing, all i have done is jack up the front to match as the front bars had sagged by about 3 inch. Thing is tho if i go much more i'll have no droop left

[Wanderer]

The secret is room under the diffs and nothing else.

Ed

Sorry to disagree but that statement is a little misguided as a landy front diff is not bang in the centre of the axle....yes diffs will hang in certain circumstances but traction is the secret, maintain it and you will move, uprated lifted longer travel suspension will maintain traction far more than standard suspension.. you WILL get a lot further, your diffs could hang up on the offside (as the front diff is ) but if your axles are capable of another 6" of droop on the nearside due to having uprated raised suspension you will get more traction than standard suspension and poss get out.

Cheers Steve

We can all pick circumstances where one will be better than the other.

In reality a body lift WILL be better than a suspension lift any day of the week.

Lift the body and all of the suspension components can be kept to standard. You'll have bigger wheels on so extra room under the diffs and therefore axle.

Raise the suspension and you'll gain the same amount but you might have to have
New bumpstops
New radius arms
New propshaft
along with the rest of the grief that goes with doing a PROPER suspension lift.

It's horses for courses but I wouldn't go straight down the suspension route that I went down the first time around.

Ed

[electricbluebadger]

Perhaps you miss read my post???? At NO POINT did i say one was better than the other!!! I simply pointed out the error in the statement

'Its room under the diffs that counts..nothing else'

which is quite clearly incorrect

its a combination of:

Clearance
suspension
Tyre tread
type of diff
gear selection

and above all driver ability, by far the most important

to state its clearance under the diffs and nothing else shows a lack of appreciation of the many factors that improve off road ability....

oh and dont forget that a suspension raise will also allow fitting of bigger tyres.


Cheers Steve

[Wanderer]

I think I will have to bow to your superior knowledge Steve.
( I am not worthy)

My last word on this.

If sat on flat ground you have 6" of ground clearance under your diffs then you can do everything that you want but it cannot make up for the fact that the diffs will ground out and impede your passage by lessening your ability to gain traction as soon as the tyres are in a rut or mud that is deeper than 6". Regardless of what is fitted.

Gain more room under the diffs and you'll be less impeded. So your prime directive should be get more room under the diffs by fitting bigger tyres or portal axles.

Then spend your money on other things.

Let's have a poll of what stops people's forward (or reverse) motion.
Diffs or chassis?

Ed

[electricbluebadger]

So  just to clarify ....your entire original comment that diff clearance is THE ONLY THING THAT COUNTS revolves entirely on the one situation where ruts are deeper than your diff clearance... my you have a very limited off road experience if you have never encountered other situations where that does not apply


As for your 'Let have a poll' comment, or should I say 'cmon somebody please back me up or I'll cry :) '

Depends entirely on what the obstruction referred to in your poll is:

a ridge under the diff??

a hole that requires more drop on the wheels

mud that clogs tyres with poor tread patterns

cross axle that needs a locked diff

hill that requires an engine with more power

a slope that needs a better approach angle

a departure that needs more rear end clearance

Off road situations are varied and complex as Ive gathered in many many years off off road action in many many theatres (snow, desert, jungle... tarmac :) ) both in my job and in  civilian life... you need to narrow down if you want people to be able to answer with any conviction:

I could go on but you have already been gracious enough to acknowledge my superior knowledge... Thanks

Steve

[Mudlark]

At the end of the day are we not all looking for ways of getting further off-road than our competitors?

Above all driver ability yes - providing the drivers are driving the same spec after all the novice driver with 24" of clearance under the diff with aggressive tyres and diff lock all round is going to get a lot further than a experienced driver with a standard truck on road tyres.

With an equal field of drivers then whatever you do to your truck to reduce drag ie diffs grounding out has got to help you get to where you want to be, Ok  lifting the diff may not be so necessary but if it's done it does help.

How you go about it depends on your own preference at the time, lifting the body has to be not only easier but less of a problem than lifting suspension and all the steering symmetricy problems that you then gain.


Lift for the better aggressive tyres - they start at around 33" and most truck have to be lifted in some way to attain this.

[davidlandy]

I must admit that the most frequent thing to stop me is the diffs hitting or the axles dragging on things

[electricbluebadger]

Lifting the body is easiest??/??//

A 2 " suspension lift can be done in under an hour if the bolts/nuts aren't rusted to crap,

, i toyed with lifting the body on my 90 but....

the rear is easy... spacer plates,

front rear tub... awkward cos the seat belts mount directly through the tub to the chassis.. a 2" lift how do you overcome???? could cut a hole and still mount the belt mounts in original position....

seat box... no issues as it bolts to the body apart from the front edge which has brackets on the chassis for the floor plates

Bulkhead????? the securing bolt is horizontal.. do you  fabricate a complete raised support structure to compensate for the offset???

All this will raise the front of the front wings, and so you should raise the rad brackets but not essential, front panel brackets will need raising etc etc

if its a disco are the brake pipes not on the inner wing so do you stretch or grind n reweld (did that on caz's zuke)

Steering, how much free play is ther in the column will it safely handle the lift

plus IMHO the bumpers on a body lifted motor look crap if not rewelded to sit higher

but if people feel that all this is easier than a quick spring n shock change then crack on???

Cheers Steve

[electricbluebadger]

I must admit that the most frequent thing to stop me is the diffs hitting or the axles dragging on things

quite agree when driving in ruts... but it definately isnt the only thing which is what i originally took issue with

Cheers Steve

[Mudlark]

None of those points you raise are difficult to overcome although I must admit Land-Rover set out to make it difficult :roll:

If you had a kit to do the job it would probably take about 2 - 3 hours, a bit longer than the suspension but with no ongoing steering problems.

[lambert]

It occurs to me. There is a third way.
Leave off lifting various bits and just apply the angle grinder to the arches as needed to get clearance for bigger tires. :twisted:

[Hobnailkelly]

A wise old off-roading friend gave me the following advice:

Know where your diff is in relation to the centre of the bonnet and the front wheels (left of centre - I think) and always try to keep the off-side wheel high so it lifts the diff more.  Seems to work.

What I think:

Increase in tyre size increases stress on half-shafts, diff, etc.
Strengthened half-shafts and diff locks just stresses other bits of the transmission.  Big, powerful engines at the other end of the transmission line help to make things go bang!!!

However:

Suspension lifts enable the owner to do lots of jobs under the car without needing a jack.
Big hairyassed tyres on a lifted motor (body or suspension) look cool!

[V8MoneyPit]

Big hairyassed tyres on a lifted motor (body or suspension) look cool!

 :(biglaugh):  =D>  =D>
Now we are getting to the *real* reason for doing it  :lol:



The original question was:
Suspension lift - Is it worth it?

The answer is (and there is no other answer if we are honest):
It depends on what you want from your vehicle.


If you want greater approach, breakover and departure angles, then yes. The  other options to achieve this are to fit larger diameter tyres or portal axles. Both of which happen to have other bonuses.

If you are not bothered by increased angles, then the answer is no. Unless you just like the look of it as stated above  8)  :lol:


Simple as that. Any other arguments are going off on tangents and should probably be in a new thread titled 'Let's have an exciting discussion on ways of avoiding getting stuck!'. Very different to the title of this thread and always a good one to get people, err, gently discussing the pros and cons of 4x4 modification.  :D