I apologize in advance for the rant. Some of this is getting old. Sometimes the best thing is to keep my mouth shut, but I don't always do the best thing.
There is one way, and only one way, to get increased ground clearance, and that's by installing taller tires. Or vertical lift jets, like Phil Coulson's Corvette.
Neither the body lift, nor the suspension lift, provide any increase in ground clearance. FACT. The only thing body and suspension lifts do is allow for taller tires. FACT.
Change my mind.
Another way to get taller tires is to install or modify the fender wells. Not cheap, but perhaps the simplest, in many ways. Taller tires can and will raise issues beyond fender clearance, such as suspension and driveline interference, etc. So, there's that.
Unless and Until you install taller tires, you cannot and you will not get any increase in ground clearance. Taller tires move the differential, axle, lower control arms and other low hanging suspension and driveline components higher up from the ground, i.e., increased ground clearance. If the lowest component isn't moved up, then you didn't get an increase in ground clearance. FACT.
There are other reasons for lifting, such as cosmetic, but that's not for me. I do like the looks, but not enough to pay for them if that's all I'm getting for my money.
My opinion between the two is that they both have issues - I tend to see the suspension and driveline issues resulting from a suspension lift as more complex than the issues resulting from a body lift. But, I gather the body lift is more expensive. That's just my opinion. I suspect the actual answer depends on which specific lift on which specific vehicle.
I have tried to be clear about this; I see I have failed. I AM NOT LOOKING FOR "MAJOR" OFFROAD PERFORMANCE. I don't know how to make that any clearer. I go around, not over. I want to be independent of built up roads; I'm not looking for extreme rock crawling fun. If there's any chance of bending the truck, I look for less risky alternatives. I'm not looking for fun in rough terrain, I'm looking to get somewhere without depending on roads.
FWIW, once upon a time, I made my living getting a fleet of heavy offroad wheeled and tracked vehicles where they needed to go without regard to terrain. I went to school for it. It was a lot of fun, but somebody else was paying the bills.
Pardon the attitude. Or don't. frustration grows.
I too am very frustrated at the lack of upgrades for this platform. Obviously, the major reason is that there aren't enough buyers. Darn it.
