BDS kit, wider stance.

LaserBlueZ71 · January 2, 2013

So I have decided I want a 4 inch lift with 33's, my only issue is I cannot decide between the CST or BDS kit.

What bothers me about the BDS kit is the front track width is increased by 1.5 inches. To me it just looks goofy to have the front wheels sticking out more than the rears. Obviously the upside to the CST is it maintains factory track width.

What seems to be the downside to CST is the kit seems to just use strut spacers, where I believe the BDS comes with new struts all together. Also, the CST uses blocks in the rear, the BDS is available with new leaf springs. The CST angles look even better than the BDS angles, funny enough.

This truck is my daily driver, so I need ease of maintenance, lower operating cost, and reliability. I only want a 4 inch lift, and nothing more. I have no desire to move up to 35 inch tires.

If you had to pick a kit, which would you go for?

ruggedlife · January 2, 2013

1.5 body lift and 2.5 level kit. 4 inches. way cheaper. no increase in track width. otherwise i'd go bds. but i'm partial because i've owned it before and really enjoyed it.

SouthCo · January 2, 2013

I can only agree that the lifts that push the front wheels out further than the rears look funny to me as well. I wouldn't have a lift that did that.

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TimmyG · January 2, 2013

My 3in zone Body lift says it will clear 33s, cost under $400

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Big Whiskey · January 2, 2013

If money isn't a concern, then go with the CST. However, my vote is also to go with the body lift & level kit combo, if you're only wanting around 4" of lift.

Prokopchuk_9 · January 2, 2013

I vote NO body lift and the BDS kit.

cracked_up · January 2, 2013

I went with the CST kit NO Complaints. Great quality it is pricey when compared to the level and body lift. I figured if I went with the BDS I would need flares anad the price would be comparable.

LaserBlueZ71 · January 3, 2013

What about the Rancho 4 inch kit? I have heard this nets around 5 inches of lift and with a true 33 inch tire, looks perfect for stance.

i know nothing about Rancho, is their quality comparable to CST and BDS?

So far I am leaning towards CST, but cannot find anyone who stocks it in Canada as of yet. I am on hold now until I learn more about the Rancho kit.

cracked_up · January 3, 2013

The Rancho yields ~5-6" of lift and also pushes the front track out. It is also a good quality kit though.

LaserBlueZ71 · January 3, 2013

The Rancho yields ~5-6" of lift and also pushes the front track out. It is also a good quality kit though.

NUKE_1

How is your CST lift holding up? Was it an easy kit to install? Would you go with it again if you could do it over?

Just curious, how far do your wheels stick out past the body of the truck? I have mudflaps I want to keep, and they stick out 1 inch past the body, so I am hoping with the CST lift and the same offset as you have, I will have minimal tire sticking out past the mudflap.

One last question, what is your fender height measure out at?

Thanks.

cracked_up · January 3, 2013

I only have 8K miles on the truck with the lift, only average 5K/yr no issues with it yet. It took 8 hours to install without busting my but and i'm sure I could do it faster. That was using a lift in the garage with all the right tools available. I would use the kit again, but would look and see what else is available, maybe FTS? Tires don't stick out enough for me to want flares, fenders are at ~41.5 Both Front and Rear I am thinking of adding a 1" higher block in the rear and changing from the CST shocks to Bilsteins. only changing shocks because the CST's would be too short if I added another inch. The mudflaps may or may not clear, I did do a little trimming on the plastic and the fender still have minor rub in reverse at full lock. I will switch to a little shorter tire in the future, probably go with the terra-grappler next time. I need to get the truck re-aligned again since putting miles on the truck and the front end settling a little after the initial alignment.

ruggedlife · January 4, 2013

i vote if you do a 1.5 body lift nobody will know so why not go the cheap route keep the ride almost identical (with adding a 2.5 level kit) youll get your 4 inches with no issues at all and it can be returned to stock easily. save your money to spend on other things like the wheels and tires

LaserBlueZ71 · January 4, 2013

i vote if you do a 1.5 body lift nobody will know so why not go the cheap route keep the ride almost identical (with adding a 2.5 level kit) youll get your 4 inches with no issues at all and it can be returned to stock easily. save your money to spend on other things like the wheels and tires

I've been debating this. The original reason I considered the 4 inch lift was because with the BDS kit, it only takes a few parts to switch it over to a 6 inch. I have considered a 6 inch lift to guarantee I won't have any rubbing issues. The only reason I am considering 4 and not 6 is because the 6 inch lift with 33's seems to look weird. There is just too much gap in the wells, and the truck sits so much higher than the tires.

I've been reading more lately and now it seems the 4 inch CST doesn't get you a full 4 inches of lift. In the few photos I have seen, the BDS kit sits quite a bit higher than the CST. I love BDS and their products, the ONLY thing stopping me from the BDS lift is track width. I cannot stand front wheels sticking out wider than the rears, it just isn't natural.

The shop I phoned for a quote yesterday told me BDS makes 2 versions of lifts, ones that maintain track width and ones that widen it. I have never heard that, and I need to phone BDS yet to confirm.

Frogfish · January 4, 2013

Why not just get rear wheel spacers?

LaserBlueZ71 · January 4, 2013

Why not just get rear wheel spacers?

Well, a few reasons. To begin with, I can't find any good chrome wheels that I like, that will come even remotely close to fitting in the wheel well without sticking out, on a BDS lift. Since the track width is increased, wheels that would have fit flush on the front before, don't now, which limits my options drastically. The second reason is I have heard spacers can cause issues such as broken studs or lug nuts coming loose. I haven't looked into it much, but my old boss, a 30 year mechanic suggested I stay away from them. I've been meaning to research them but haven't as of yet.