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

[Mountain Whiskey]

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?

Hey Tyler,

Did you get this figured out? I just did the 4" BDS on my truck. The intention was to do the lift then take it down to Discount Tire and have new rims and tires put on. That didn’t work so well. They called me from the shop to tell me the stock wheels did not fit with the BSD. They hit the steering knuckles since the offset is too much. Fortunately the wheels were ready at Discount waiting on me so the shop sent someone out to get them. All is good.

 

[SkeeterJackson]

Hey Tyler,

Did you get this figured out? I just did the 4" BDS on my truck. The intention was to do the lift then take it down to Discount Tire and have new rims and tires put on. That didn’t work so well. They called me from the shop to tell me the stock wheels did not fit with the BSD. They hit the steering knuckles since the offset is too much. Fortunately the wheels were ready at Discount waiting on me so the shop sent someone out to get them. All is good.

Mountain Whiskey (Sweet name by the way),


The stock wheel and steering knuckle thing is great to know. I wouldnt have thought of that. I haven't gotten my lift yet or new tires. I live up in northern minnesota so the the winters get pretty bad. My plan is to get the lift installed this fall, basically just so I put new tires on that are better in the snow. I dont want to buy 275's now and then replace them with 295's in a couple months. The tires that come from Ram are so bad. I figure I can run out this summer with a stock truck because the roads are fine and I can deal with any warranty issues that come up in the next couple months without complicating things with a lift. I only have 4k miles on the truck so I want to wait awhile to see if anything has problems.

But when I do get the lift installed, my plan is to get 1.5" bora spacers which should provide enough room for the new knuckles. If my math is right, with 1.5 inch spacers and a +19 offset wheel, my offset will be -18, which should give me a little poke but not too much. I will definitely make sure to have the spacers on hand when I bring the truck in for the lift.

do you have any pics of your truck? How does it ride since you put it in? I am curious to see how it looks and the wheel tire combo. What size tires did you get? What offset wheel?

 

[Mountain Whiskey]

Mountain Whiskey (Sweet name by the way),


The stock wheel and steering knuckle thing is great to know. I wouldnt have thought of that. I haven't gotten my lift yet or new tires. I live up in northern minnesota so the the winters get pretty bad. My plan is to get the lift installed this fall, basically just so I put new tires on that are better in the snow. I dont want to buy 275's now and then replace them with 295's in a couple months. The tires that come from Ram are so bad. I figure I can run out this summer with a stock truck because the roads are fine and I can deal with any warranty issues that come up in the next couple months without complicating things with a lift. I only have 4k miles on the truck so I want to wait awhile to see if anything has problems.

But when I do get the lift installed, my plan is to get 1.5" bora spacers which should provide enough room for the new knuckles. If my math is right, with 1.5 inch spacers and a +19 offset wheel, my offset will be -18, which should give me a little poke but not too much. I will definitely make sure to have the spacers on hand when I bring the truck in for the lift.

do you have any pics of your truck? How does it ride since you put it in? I am curious to see how it looks and the wheel tire combo. What size tires did you get? What offset wheel?

Just a couple pics.

A lot of people compare ride quality of a lifted truck to stock. This is never a truly fair comparison.

Simple fact is the same front springs are used and the back is replaced with taller ones. The springs compress comparable to stock. Front shocks are stock. Rear are replaced. The actual shock absorption is smooth. If you came from an older leafspring truck it still rides smooth as glass.if you came from a short wheel base like a jeep, no comparison.

I think the difference in ride simply comes from height. The taller truck moves you around more. Think of holding a ruler upright and waving it side to side. At the one inch mark moving it one inch back and forth is not much movement. Move up to the 5 inch mark with the same amount of movement and it moves a lot more.

No a few inches does not seem like much but it does make a difference in the pitch and yaw of your truck. This tosses you around more and feels like a diminished ride quality. That is what you give up in adding a lift (well and gas milage and tire cost and ability to fit in some garages).

You are not going to get the same ride quality as stock with the obscene amount of R&D auto manufacturers spend on vehicles. But it does ride nice. Better than I would expect. Plenty say "it rides better than stock!" These guys are justifying the money spent on lifting a truck that will probably never go off road and was only lifted for cosmetic reasons. Mine is probably 90% in that category too but I am not fooling myself either.

If you like it, lift it!

No, I did not take measurements or anything. Be aware that the front lifts more than the rear so it levels a bit. This also makes it not true 4 inches.

4" BDS. 35 x 12.5 x 18 Firestones (actual 34.5") 18 x 9 x -6 rims. No rub, no trimming.

 

[Bctexascrazy1]

View attachment 92819

Are you running spacers to fit your 35/12.5’s? I want to run 35s and keep my stock night edition wheels they’re starting to grow on me, but I won’t run spacers , and are you still running stock UCA’s?

 

[SkeeterJackson]

Just a couple pics.

A lot of people compare ride quality of a lifted truck to stock. This is never a truly fair comparison.

Simple fact is the same front springs are used and the back is replaced with taller ones. The springs compress comparable to stock. Front shocks are stock. Rear are replaced. The actual shock absorption is smooth. If you came from an older leafspring truck it still rides smooth as glass.if you came from a short wheel base like a jeep, no comparison.

I think the difference in ride simply comes from height. The taller truck moves you around more. Think of holding a ruler upright and waving it side to side. At the one inch mark moving it one inch back and forth is not much movement. Move up to the 5 inch mark with the same amount of movement and it moves a lot more.

No a few inches does not seem like much but it does make a difference in the pitch and yaw of your truck. This tosses you around more and feels like a diminished ride quality. That is what you give up in adding a lift (well and gas milage and tire cost and ability to fit in some garages).

You are not going to get the same ride quality as stock with the obscene amount of R&D auto manufacturers spend on vehicles. But it does ride nice. Better than I would expect. Plenty say "it rides better than stock!" These guys are justifying the money spent on lifting a truck that will probably never go off road and was only lifted for cosmetic reasons. Mine is probably 90% in that category too but I am not fooling myself either.

If you like it, lift it!

No, I did not take measurements or anything. Be aware that the front lifts more than the rear so it levels a bit. This also makes it not true 4 inches.

4" BDS. 35 x 12.5 x 18 Firestones (actual 34.5") 18 x 9 x -6 rims. No rub, no trimming.

View attachment 95245 View attachment 95246
View attachment 95247

Everything you mentioned about the ride quality makes sense to me. I had a rough country 3.5 inch lift on a Sierra a few years ago and the ride quality went out the window as soon as I put it in. It really didn't bother me at all and it looked really good. That lift sucked performance wise and I had to replace about 6 CV axle's over the course of about 3 years. For anybody reading this, I would not suggest rough country or any other 500 dollar lift. I know rough country makes a 5 inch that is getting good reviews but I will never go back. I am assuming the ride quality will be better than that with the BDS. Either way it wont bother me at all. Only difference now and a few years ago is I have a wife and baby, so she might not like a rougher ride, but she'll get used to it.

I am really glad you took a picture of the tire poke and mentioned there is no rubbing or trimming with that offset. I was thinking I would have to go -18 to get good tire poke, but I see now that that would be way too much. Your set up is just about what I want on my truck.

I think now my plan is to get 1.25" spacers and hopefully my stock tires have the pockets for the OEM studs. That will give me -13 offset. That paired with 11.5 inch tires should be pretty close to the same as what you have.

 

[BiGJZ74]

Are you running spacers to fit your 35/12.5’s? I want to run 35s and keep my stock night edition wheels they’re starting to grow on me, but I won’t run spacers , and are you still running stock UCA’s?

Need a .25" spacer to clear the UCA's. I have a RL 3.5" SST kit w/o preload and 5100F @ #4/5160R Bilsteins. Would never run Stock UCAs on a 3.5"lift. 295/65's fit which are 3.5's but just under 12" wide

 

[Chuck19]

Just a couple pics.

A lot of people compare ride quality of a lifted truck to stock. This is never a truly fair comparison.

Simple fact is the same front springs are used and the back is replaced with taller ones. The springs compress comparable to stock. Front shocks are stock. Rear are replaced. The actual shock absorption is smooth. If you came from an older leafspring truck it still rides smooth as glass.if you came from a short wheel base like a jeep, no comparison.

I think the difference in ride simply comes from height. The taller truck moves you around more. Think of holding a ruler upright and waving it side to side. At the one inch mark moving it one inch back and forth is not much movement. Move up to the 5 inch mark with the same amount of movement and it moves a lot more.

No a few inches does not seem like much but it does make a difference in the pitch and yaw of your truck. This tosses you around more and feels like a diminished ride quality. That is what you give up in adding a lift (well and gas milage and tire cost and ability to fit in some garages).

You are not going to get the same ride quality as stock with the obscene amount of R&D auto manufacturers spend on vehicles. But it does ride nice. Better than I would expect. Plenty say "it rides better than stock!" These guys are justifying the money spent on lifting a truck that will probably never go off road and was only lifted for cosmetic reasons. Mine is probably 90% in that category too but I am not fooling myself either.

If you like it, lift it!

No, I did not take measurements or anything. Be aware that the front lifts more than the rear so it levels a bit. This also makes it not true 4 inches.

4" BDS. 35 x 12.5 x 18 Firestones (actual 34.5") 18 x 9 x -6 rims. No rub, no trimming.

View attachment 95245 View attachment 95246
View attachment 95247

1,000,000% agree!!! Finally someone who speaks the truth about the reality of lifting a vehicle! Thank you for speaking the truth!

 

[singlerail]

Need a .25" spacer to clear the UCA's. I have a RL 3.5" SST kit w/o preload and 5100F @ #4/5160R Bilsteins. Would never run Stock UCAs on a 3.5"lift. 295/65's fit which are 3.5's but just under 12" wide

bds 4" kit comes with large steering knuckles keeping uca arm at proper angles