I'm not real fond of big body lifts either (I have a 2" BL), but they do give you a few advantages that you just can't get otherwise. It's not just for fitting larger tires. Some things to consider:

First and foremost, the fuel tank is an anchor. You can raise it about 3 inches with even just a 2" BL.

The BL can give you that little extra bit of premium space under the hood that may be needed if you're planning a motor swap.

A BL gives you more room underneath to route things like exhaust higher and out of the rocks. You can clock your t-case higher, etc. This is more important with longer wheel bases.

This may be a marginal difference, but a 2" BL will still give you a lower CG than 2 more inches of suspension lift.


The biggest negative to a BL is the longer bolts and leverage on them. Since you've stripped it right down to the frame, just weld permanent spacers with their own nuts/threaded holes to your existing body mounts. Add a bit of gusseting to them and you don't have any of the downsides. Stock length bolts will work and no extra leverage from unsupported lift pucks.

--Dan