In fear of being called a complete newbie when it come to lifting a truck, I have a few questions. What exactly is the difference between a suspension and a body a body lift. About how much would each cost and how do they affect the handeling of the truck. What other ways can you lift a truck. Thanks

 

A body lift only lifts the body of a truck. You actually unbolt the cab and bed off of the frame, slide some blocks inbetween and bolt it back together. A body lift is cheap (around $150), allows for fitment of larger tires and does not affect ride charecteristics. However the maximum height for a body lift is 3", also it is just for looks, it doesn't improve offroad performance or ground clearence (except for the larger tires).

A suspension lift is expensive (around $1000) and is complicated to install. They are available for anywhere from a 2" to a 12" lift. When you install the suspension lift you install larger springs, longer shocks, and all kinds of new steering hardware and axle mounting brackets and transfer case brackets. A suspension lift will give you more frame to ground clearance since you are actually moving the axles farther from the frame with the larger springs. A suspension lift will give you far better offroad performance whether it is for rock climbing, mudding, or messing around in sand dunes. However the suspension lift will probably reduce the ride quality on the highway.

Most people usually go with a 6" suspension lift and a 3" body lift to give them height and performance. But a lot of people will just do one or the other.

-Jon

 

If you want to see what a lifted F150 looks like, here's mine along with the specs.
-Kelly