Lifted Ram 1500 BDS 4 inch - New wheels necessary??

[SkeeterJackson]

I have searched through a lot of discussions about lifts and what everyone is running and it looks like everyone has aftermarket wheels. Are they necessary?

I have a 2021 bighorn night edition (black wheels - 20 inch) that I want to put a 4 inch BDS lift in. If I go this route I would put on 35/11.5 tires, but I would like to keep the stock rims. Will there be rubbing issues? Will my wheels be sucked into the wheel well too far instead of a wider stance? Is there a solution where I can keep my stock rims?

I am fine paying the 3-3.5K for the lift installed plus new tires, but I don't want to pay for new rims. Mostly because all I would want are black rims, and I already have those.

Does anyone have this specific lift with stock rims? Pics?

 

[BiGJZ74]

I have searched through a lot of discussions about lifts and what everyone is running and it looks like everyone has aftermarket wheels. Are they necessary?

I have a 2021 bighorn night edition (black wheels - 20 inch) that I want to put a 4 inch BDS lift in. If I go this route I would put on 35/11.5 tires, but I would like to keep the stock rims. Will there be rubbing issues? Will my wheels be sucked into the wheel well too far instead of a wider stance? Is there a solution where I can keep my stock rims?

I am fine paying the 3-3.5K for the lift installed plus new tires, but I don't want to pay for new rims. Mostly because all I would want are black rims, and I already have those.

Does anyone have this specific lift with stock rims? Pics?

I did a 3.5" Readylift w/ Stock 20's

 

[GATORB8]

x2 you can fit those tires with less lift.

BDS’s website says min backspacing of 5”, you can probably use wheel spacers to make that happen.

 

[Mpharis]

I have searched through a lot of discussions about lifts and what everyone is running and it looks like everyone has aftermarket wheels. Are they necessary?

I have a 2021 bighorn night edition (black wheels - 20 inch) that I want to put a 4 inch BDS lift in. If I go this route I would put on 35/11.5 tires, but I would like to keep the stock rims. Will there be rubbing issues? Will my wheels be sucked into the wheel well too far instead of a wider stance? Is there a solution where I can keep my stock rims?

I am fine paying the 3-3.5K for the lift installed plus new tires, but I don't want to pay for new rims. Mostly because all I would want are black rims, and I already have those.

Does anyone have this specific lift with stock rims? Pics?

I did rough country 3.5 lift 285/55/22 nitro trail grabbler no rubbing rides great

 

[Dragonmaster13]

The wheels should fit no problem. Worst case scenario you might need a 1.5-2” spacer for $150, no need for new wheels.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SkeeterJackson]

I did a 3.5" Readylift w/ Stock 20's

Do you have any pics? What tires did you get?

 

[SKT Customs]

You’ll probably need wheel spacers (both for clearance and for looks) but other than that it should be fine!

 

[SkeeterJackson]

You’ll probably need wheel spacers (both for clearance and for looks) but other than that it should be fine!

Do you know much about wheel spacers. The little I have heard about them is mostly negative. Don't they wear down other components very quickly? I have also heard the further you go out, the worse it is. Is 2 inches too much for a spacer?

 

[GATORB8]

Do you know much about wheel spacers. The little I have heard about them is mostly negative. Don't they wear down other components very quickly? I have also heard the further you go out, the worse it is. Is 2 inches too much for a spacer?

Biggest impact is probably wheel bearings since you’re increasing the distance from the bearing to the load application, although I believe with some spacer/wheel combinations you may have to cut down the studs.

 

[rubrduk]

whoa whoa whoa...

1.
high quality, hub-centric, 1-2" spacers do not put any more stress on the bearings differently than a wider wheel with correct offset...that's an old wives tale that's been disproved many times. If you are using 6" ****ty ebay spacers,...yes, you are going to die

- the key points here are to use high-quality, hub-centric spacers that can be torqued correctly and are precision balanced like BORA brand spacers

2.
Night Edition wheels have pockets between the lug holes, so there is no need to trim the studs when using a 1.25-1.5" spacer

- Night Edition wheels are 20x9 +19 offset, so when using a 1.25" spacer, you are effectively changing to 20x9 -13 offset or you can go with a 1.5 spacer which is effectively 20x9 -18, both of which are extremely common offsets for aftermarket 9" wheels

 

[GATORB8]

whoa whoa whoa...

1.
high quality, hub-centric, 1-2" spacers do not put any more stress on the bearings differently than a wider wheel with correct offset...that's an old wives tale that's been disproved many times. If you are using 6" ****ty ebay spacers,...yes, you are going to die

- the key points here are to use high-quality, hub-centric spacers that can be torqued correctly and are precision balanced like BORA brand spacers

2.
Night Edition wheels have pockets between the lug holes, so there is no need to trim the studs when using a 1.25-1.5" spacer

- Night Edition wheels are 20x9 +19 offset, so when using a 1.25" spacer, you are effectively changing to 20x9 -13 offset or you can go with a 1.5 spacer which is effectively 20x9 -18, both of which are extremely common offsets for aftermarket 9" wheels

But, both the spacer and aftermarket wheels in your example have a similar increase to leverage on the bearing compared to stock. I wasn’t saying it’s a big issue (wheel bearing replacement is reasonably cheap and easy).
As you mentioned there is a minimum spacer size to prevent cutting.

 

[Chuck19]

I did rough country 3.5 lift 285/55/22 nitro trail grabbler no rubbing rides great

Any Pics?

 

[SKT Customs]

Do you know much about wheel spacers. The little I have heard about them is mostly negative. Don't they wear down other components very quickly? I have also heard the further you go out, the worse it is. Is 2 inches too much for a spacer?

As long as you get hub centric high quality ones you should be good. I would try to stick to as little as possible while still giving you the look you want. Probably around 1” I’m guessing. I used to think spacers were dangerous but if duallys come from the factory with huge spacers for the front wheels & they trust those trucks to last hundreds of thousands of miles and tow crazy weight, I feel like they’ll be safe on our trucks as long as you get high quality ones. Don’t cheap out and buy $50 spacers.

 

[Mountain Whiskey]

But, both the spacer and aftermarket wheels in your example have a similar increase to leverage on the bearing compared to stock. I wasn’t saying it’s a big issue (wheel bearing replacement is reasonably cheap and easy).
As you mentioned there is a minimum spacer size to prevent cutting.

^^^^^^^^This^^^^^^^^ I tried explaining this to a friend and he could not grasp that moving the center of the wheel load out is the same whether by spacer or by using a wheel with the offset manufactured into it. Either way the wheel moves out from the bearing. Yes a bit more stress but it is done all the time.

 

[AA1mike]

any experts out here? is this correct? i just learned this a shot while back. i am still trying to pic a lift and i have factory 18x8 rims.
when you add wheel spacers you decrease backspacing.
example..2 inch spacer with a factory wheel with 5 inch backspacing you will end up with a backspacing measurement of 3 inches.
now if the spec is minimum back spacing of 5 inches for the lift kit then this will not work.
now your calipers and or your control arm have interference.

backspacing and offset are different.
offset is the distance from center of the wheel.
backspacing is distance from wheel mounting surface to outer lip of the wheel.

 

[GATORB8]

any experts out here? is this correct? i just learned this a shot while back. i am still trying to pic a lift and i have factory 18x8 rims.
when you add wheel spacers you decrease backspacing.
example..2 inch spacer with a factory wheel with 5 inch backspacing you will end up with a backspacing measurement of 3 inches.
now if the spec is minimum back spacing of 5 inches for the lift kit then this will not work.
now your calipers and or your control arm have interference.

backspacing and offset are different.
offset is the distance from center of the wheel.
backspacing is distance from wheel mounting surface to outer lip of the wheel.

The recommended backspacing is normally a minimum value, but too “little” backspacing can cause issues with wheel well clearance.

backspacing is inner lip to mounting surface.

 

[rubrduk]

any experts out here? is this correct? i just learned this a shot while back. i am still trying to pic a lift and i have factory 18x8 rims.
when you add wheel spacers you decrease backspacing.
example..2 inch spacer with a factory wheel with 5 inch backspacing you will end up with a backspacing measurement of 3 inches.
now if the spec is minimum back spacing of 5 inches for the lift kit then this will not work.
now your calipers and or your control arm have interference.

backspacing and offset are different.
offset is the distance from center of the wheel.
backspacing is distance from wheel mounting surface to outer lip of the wheel.

I’m no expert, but I can math decently

backspace and offset are 2 different ways to measure the same

backspace is simple math just like you said....measure mounting surface to the rear rim outer surface using a straightedge and a precision measurement. This measurement is typically expressed in inches and fractions thereof

Offset is based on the wheel center of the rim width

offset is from the 0 degree center of the wheel and is measured in 1 millimeter increments

Night Edition wheels are 20x9 +19 offset,...this means they are 19mm positive offset

 

[SkeeterJackson]

whoa whoa whoa...

1.
high quality, hub-centric, 1-2" spacers do not put any more stress on the bearings differently than a wider wheel with correct offset...that's an old wives tale that's been disproved many times. If you are using 6" ****ty ebay spacers,...yes, you are going to die

- the key points here are to use high-quality, hub-centric spacers that can be torqued correctly and are precision balanced like BORA brand spacers

2.
Night Edition wheels have pockets between the lug holes, so there is no need to trim the studs when using a 1.25-1.5" spacer

- Night Edition wheels are 20x9 +19 offset, so when using a 1.25" spacer, you are effectively changing to 20x9 -13 offset or you can go with a 1.5 spacer which is effectively 20x9 -18, both of which are extremely common offsets for aftermarket 9" wheels

rubrduk,

Thank you for your post. You have calmed most of my fears with wheel spacers. I have had a cheap lift on one of my old trucks and components failed very regularly. I want to make sure to do this one correctly, so I dont plan on skimping on the lift or anything else, such as spacers.

I was not aware of the pockets in the Night edition wheels. If that is the case, I would most likely get a smaller spacer, 1.25-1.5 as you stated.

For the BDS 4" lift, it is stated that you need a minimum of 5 inches of backspacing to prevent rubbing with an 18" wheel. I have 20" wheels. What does that mean for me? Do wheel spacers decrease the amount of backspacing your rim has? Also, I want to do a 35"/11.5" tire instead of a 12.5". Will that cause more problems or alleviate more problems?


Anything you can answer will be very helpful to me. I have no idea what I am doing haha I just like lifted trucks.

 

[rubrduk]

rubrduk,

Thank you for your post. You have calmed most of my fears with wheel spacers. I have had a cheap lift on one of my old trucks and components failed very regularly. I want to make sure to do this one correctly, so I dont plan on skimping on the lift or anything else, such as spacers.

I was not aware of the pockets in the Night edition wheels. If that is the case, I would most likely get a smaller spacer, 1.25-1.5 as you stated.

For the BDS 4" lift, it is stated that you need a minimum of 5 inches of backspacing to prevent rubbing with an 18" wheel. I have 20" wheels. What does that mean for me? Do wheel spacers decrease the amount of backspacing your rim has? Also, I want to do a 35"/11.5" tire instead of a 12.5". Will that cause more problems or alleviate more problems?
View attachment 92177

Anything you can answer will be very helpful to me. I have no idea what I am doing haha I just like lifted trucks.

1. remove a wheel from your truck, and confirm you have the pockets between the lugs, there are a few varieties of Night Edition wheels, the 20x9 has them.
- In this specific case, the 20” wheel offers very good clearance for all components (UCA’s and brake calipers)

2. BORA spacers only!! There might be other brands that are good,...but why risk it?!

3. Backspace minimum 5”:
- if you are using a 9” wide wheel, your target is 4.5 to 4.25” backspace (lower number pushes the wheel out farther)

- you do not want to go too far howe...that will possibly cause the tire to hit the outer edge of the fender, and it looks stupid

• The factory 20x9 +19 wheel is a 5.75” BS,...that will not clear without a spacer based on BDS’s minimums
• 9” wide rim a 1.25” spacer, you have a -13mm offset equivalent 4.5” BS
• 9” wide rim with a 1.5” spacer, you have a -18mm equivalent 4.25” BS

4. 35x11.5 gives you more clearance,...you most likely with not have to trim anything, but you will need to check the inner mud flap on the front


Don’t just take my word for it,...do your homework, I’m just a guy on the internet




You can visualize and confirm these specs by look at the handy dandy CustomOffsets gallery and match your lift, tire spec, and wheel spec

I’m not pushing CustomOffsets by any means,...they just have a great gallery that is easily searchable by specs.

They’ve done damn good work building their website and their video information series on YouTube, and also have a great online reputation.

 

[BiGJZ74]

Do you have any pics? What tires did you get?