There are 3 primary types of lift kits, suspension lifts, leveling kits, and body lifts. Each has pros and cons to include cost, lift height, installation difficulty and vehicle performance.
Leveling Kits: From the factory, many vehicles,
especially trucks are designed to with a lower ride height in the front. This
is done for a number of reasons to include better aerodynamics for fuel economy
as well as giving the truck a more level appearance when hauling heavy loads.
In many cases the factory suspension can be quickly and easily altered to
increase the ride height to level out the vehicle’s stance front-to-rear
without effecting ride quality, handling or overall vehicle performance.
Leveling kits also have the benefit of allowing a slightly larger wheel/tire to
be installed. These kits are typically more affordable that other types of
lifts and are a great solution to fit a slightly larger tire.
Suspension Lifts: These lifts modify the vehicle’s suspension
by repositioning suspension + steering + drivetrain components down off the
frame to allow more room for larger tires. A well-designed suspension lift kit
will account for changes in the geometry to ensure factory lift handling and
ride quality on road, while improving offroad performance and capability. These
kits are typically based around maintaining the factory suspension design while
accommodating additional lift. These typically require a bit more time to
install, but achieve the best performance results. Some vehicles use solid axles, some use independent front and/or rear suspension (IFS/IRS). Some solid axle vehicles use leaf sprung suspension where others use radius arms, or multi-link suspension designs. Many trucks use independent front suspension (IFS) in a variety of configurations, some using torsion bars, some using coil springs and others with strut/coilovers. Suspension lifts typically have the biggest price tag, but offer the tallest lift heights and best on-road/offroad performance.
Body Lifts: In contrast to a suspension lift that uses taller suspension components between the frame and axles, a body lift installs between the body and frame to raise the body for a lifted appearance. Not all body lifts on the market are not created equal. In addition to the
crushproof body blocks and longer mounting hardware Zone uses, many applications require addition modification to function properly once lifted. Things like steering linkage correction, radiator fan shroud relocation brackets, fuel filler
neck extension, shifter extensions and bumper brackets to retain factory appearance and functionality. Its worth noting body
lifts are designed for vehicles with body-on-frame
construction, and are not available with unibody vehicles (i.e. Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee). Body lifts are typically offered in 1-3" lift heights and are a great cost efficient solution to get a few extra inches of lift independent from a suspension or leveling kits.