For those with BDS suspension lifts

SilverIceZed71 · January 9, 2021

Hey everyone, been searching these forums for a several months trying to learn as much as I can about the T1 platform. Bought my 2020 Silverado RST last July and have been wanting to get it lifted ever since, just been saving the coin so I can do it all at once.

So, my plans are for a BDS 6” lift w/ Fox 2.0 lift struts (or maybe Zone) and Yoko Geolander MT 35” tires. Regarding the lift kit (whether BDS or Zone):

Can anyone offer advice or experience on using the strut spacers (basic kit) for the front lift instead of the Fox lift struts? Any opinion on how these ride? What about the ride of the Fox lift struts?

Are the BDS UCA’s really worth $300 more than the Zone UCA’s?

I’m looking at going with a 20x10 wheel with -18 offset, does anyone know how much they will extend beyond the fender? Pennsylvania vehicle code frowns upon that without the use of flares and even then you are limited.

Anyone running 37x12.50’s? According to BDS, you can run these as long as you use a 20x9 wheel with 5.5-6.25” of BS

Truck won’t be seeing any hard off-roading. I appreciate any insight you can offer or any thread links you can point me to.

Supercup · January 10, 2021

I have 2020 AT4 with BDS 2.5" lift (so 4.5" over stock). I have 2.5" Fox adj coilovers - Fox 2.0's in the back - stock UCA's. I don't have big tires.

I did run into issues as I already had method NV 18 x9 - 18mm offset - I had to use 1.5" lug extensions to clear the tie rod. 20" wheels are "more flexible" as the tie rod will go "inside" the wheel barrell on the larger wheel.

Their is a ton or "inboard" room for tire, if you clear the tie rod. You have more wheel well room, than my GMC - but that will be the issue on larger tires - some trimming is likely with 37's. I plan to get new wheels with -12mm offset and go with 33's or 34's if I can fit them.

You can save a few dollars going zone over BDS - pretty much the same stuff, and if not going offroad a lot, it is all you need. I would say if you can upgrade to 2.5" Fox adj coilovers, they are very nice and you can dial in the ride you like. I have street, tow and off road settings I use. Super happy with the set up.

Here are photos of mine and the various clearance areas FYI

Note nice straight axel - no angles for CV's like level kits.

Lots of inboard tire room

2 fingers up front when straight with 275/65/18 duratracs

A bit more clearance at the rear

Rubs in reverse at 2/3rds locks with stock 275/65/18's

Not a ton of extra room

No rub but no extra room at full lock

SilverIceZed71 · January 10, 2021

Supercup, thanks for your response. I did see your truck in another thread, very nice looking truck. Nice to know you have quite a bit of inboard room to play with. Although I prefer more tire and less wheel, I am going with 20” wheels and try to preclude any steering component interference with the wheel as you mentioned.

Those are some nice CV angles and that is one of the main reasons I am going with a proper lift kit over a leveling kit. Really like those Fox coilovers, but they will probably have to wait a bit.

I will possibly looking for another wheel with a higher offset as the lower offset wheels seem to cause more trouble than they’re worth. I may also consider going with Zone for the lift, but I really like the BDS warranty and the higher clearance subframes.

Ahh...decisions, decisions.

Supercup · January 10, 2021

On wheels - had I known when I bought mine I would of purchased a wheel with 0 offset or a "slight" negative offset - would try to stay -18mm or less so they don't stick out too far. I just did not know and the supplier said your stock 18's are 26mm offset and these at 18 mm were be perfect and for the Ready Lift SST level kit I did to my 2019, the were fine - but for the BDS/Zone lift not the right offset.

I always want to find the right wheel and avoid spacers or wheel lug extensions - but since I had the wheels and the stock 18's would not work for sure - I went with the extensions until I sell the OEM wheels, then I will get new one's with proper offset and then sell these to someone just staying stock or doing a level.

Knowing where you want to end up, at the beginning, is important, otherwise you will buy parts you can't use as you progress. But live and learn .

Good luck with your set up, truck will look great and Fox 2.0's will be very nice upgrade to stock Ranchos. Not bashing the stock Rancho's the GM engineers set them up very nice to meet the needs for most on road folks and for light off road duty, which most of these trucks will never see (just like the Raptors). They are a $90 shock, so they can only do so much - the Fox is a big upgrade, but you have to pay for that!

JAEDEE · January 11, 2021

I have the BDS 6 inch lift on my 2020 Sierra SLT. Went with the spacers at first and then decided to sell some of my paintball markers and bought the fox coilovers. DO NOT even waste your time with the spacer setup. The coilovers are literally better in every way except cost. The ride quality is awesome and tunability is simple. On my GMC, there is no way I could run a 37, as the 35inch Toyos rub like a mother at full lock. I have cut my wheel wells twice now to get rid of the rub. I've been told the wheel well profile on Chevy vs GMC is way more open and forgiving when it comes to tire choices, so 37s may be in your future.

clowe1243 · January 11, 2021

I'm running 37's on my factory 22's with no rubbing. The CO kit is actually a 6.5" lift. The UCA's are worth it if you dont want to have to replace them after regular driving wear around 20k miles. I have my factory UCA's if you dont want to spend the BDS coin. Need to take pictures of all the factory parts and get them up on the net. The UCA's after lifts usually sell first.

Bgill · January 11, 2021

2 hours ago, clowe1243 said:

I'm running 37's on my factory 22's with no rubbing. The CO kit is actually a 6.5" lift. The UCA's are worth it if you dont want to have to replace them after regular driving wear around 20k miles. I have my factory UCA's if you dont want to spend the BDS coin. Need to take pictures of all the factory parts and get them up on the net. The UCA's after lifts usually sell first.

What effect did this kit have on of your HC technology and the general operations of items such as; auto high beams headlight aim, ESC, Camera and Trailering systems, tire size speedometer,.tranny shift points, etc.? And how did you address each item to maintain their proper function?

Edited January 11, 2021 by Bgill

clowe1243 · January 11, 2021

42 minutes ago, Bgill said:

What effect did this kit have on of your HC technology and the general operations of items such as; auto high beams headlight aim, ESC, Camera and Trailering systems, tire size speedometer,.tranny shift points, etc.? And how did you address each item to maintain their proper function?

Only been 4 days since the install but:

Auto High Beam
- Never used it. Pretty bright all around the area I live in. Kind of just an annoyance to argue with the truck if I need extra lighting.
ESC
- Seems to function just fine, but notice I get closer to lane lines before notification/action.
- Nothing really noticeable for stop assistance/notification.
Camera (Tech Package)
- Looks just fine and seem pretty accurate other than parking line on the camera when going forward or reverse. Appears wider than when the factory tires. Never used trusted them before. More or less just rely on mirrors and cameras.
Speedometer
- For every ten miles and hour, it appears to be off by the tens digit. Verified with GPS.
  - Example: Displaying 63 mph, is actually more like 69 mph (6.3 mph faster). Displaying 45 is more like 51 (4.5 mph faster).
  - Range Pulsar LT should be here in a few days.
Trans shift points
- Seems normal, but I notice I dont shift as frequently as with factory setup.
  - Probably because travel doesnt match MPH or something. But could be just because I'm paying more attention.

Bgill · January 11, 2021

20 minutes ago, clowe1243 said:

Only been 4 days since the install but:

Auto High Beam

Never used it. Pretty bright all around the area I live in. Kind of just an annoyance to argue with the truck if I need extra lighting.

ESC

Seems to function just fine, but notice I get closer to lane lines before notification/action.

Nothing really noticeable for stop assistance/notification.

Camera (Tech Package)

Looks just fine and seem pretty accurate other than parking line on the camera when going forward or reverse. Appears wider than when the factory tires. Never used trusted them before. More or less just rely on mirrors and cameras.

Speedometer

For every ten miles and hour, it appears to be off by the tens digit. Verified with GPS.

Example: Displaying 63 mph, is actually more like 69 mph (6.3 mph faster). Displaying 45 is more like 51 (4.5 mph faster).

Range Pulsar LT should be here in a few days.

Trans shift points

Seems normal, but I notice I dont shift as frequently as with factory setup.

Probably because travel doesnt match MPH or something. But could be just because I'm paying more attention.

Thank you for the insight. As soon as the kits for 3.0 Duramax are released I'd like to get back in the game, right now just gathering info to understand my options and any tradeoff's or considerations I would need to account for... BTW your truck looks great!

SilverIceZed71 · January 11, 2021

JAEDEE, thanks for your input regarding the strut spacers. I wasn’t really interested in those, but was interested in opinions about them. Thank you for what you posted, you e pretty much confirmed my suspicions about them. Most likely I won’t be going with the Fox 2.5 coil overs for awhile (a little too much $$ right now), but I am planning to use the Fox 2.0 coil over lifted struts, I think BDS refers to them as their snap ring coilover.

Clowe1234, that’s awesome that you were able to fit 37’s on your truck, it looks great. Unfortunately my RST didn’t come with factory 20’s but I think I am going to look at aftermarket wheels with a higher positive offset that would allow me to run 37’s without have to cut up my new truck. Not interested in spacers either because I don’t care for them and PA state vehicle code prohibits anything more than a 1/4” spacer. Appreciate the insight on how the lift/tires has affected your electronic systems, this is good, real world information on what should be reasonably expected. I’m also planning to use the Pulsar LT to correct my speedo and get rid of the AS/S and DFM.

I am planning on replacing the UCA’s due to the ball joint angle the lift will create, I’m just not sure if it’s worth spending the extra $$$ on the BDS UCA over the Zone UCA.

TyGriff13 · October 25, 2021

On 1/11/2021 at 9:21 AM, clowe1243 said:

I'm running 37's on my factory 22's with no rubbing. The CO kit is actually a 6.5" lift. The UCA's are worth it if you dont want to have to replace them after regular driving wear around 20k miles. I have my factory UCA's if you dont want to spend the BDS coin. Need to take pictures of all the factory parts and get them up on the net. The UCA's after lifts usually sell first.

This looks great! I've got a very similar set up on my 19 LTZ and want to get some insight from you...I currently have the 4" BDS with King adjustable coilovers, bought them separately after the lift went on, and 35's. Called BDS today and I'm going to convert the 4" to a 6", actually a lot easier than anticipated, just have to throw a new 5" block in the back and adjust the CO's to 6" for the front. Doing this with the goal to be running 37's on stock 20's. The place I get all my work done is telling me that it just can't be done at all, maybe with 2" spacers but that's not really what I'm looking for. So my question is, do you have any issues with this set up at all? Do the factory 22's have a greater offset to clear the 37's? Maybe I'm just missing something.

Anyways, I sure would appreciate any help you have to offer or some more specifics on your setup. Truck really does look fantastic!

Bgill · October 26, 2021

BDS 6" kit 1804H for the 3.0 Diesel

- No issues with any of the technology on the truck surprisingly completely compatible and mine is fully loaded

- Did not have to re-aim my headlights (another surprise and no oncoming flashes after a month of driving with the kit)

- I did need the Hypertech device to recalibrate the Speedometer (was off by ~8% but now back to spot on)

- The recalibration was also needed to restore my original shift points otherwise it was very noticeable, felt like it was dragging or hangin up (all good now)

- The kit came with the upper control arms so that's a plus

- I'm using the front spacers from the kit but upgraded to Bilstein 5100's set to stock height up front

- Running the standard BDS shocks that came with the kit in the rear (no issues, ride fine)

- Wheels are 22x10 -18 offset Nitto Ridge Grapplers are 295/55/22and did a lot of mud flap trimming and will most likely add flares soon and totally remove the mud flaps as with this much poke it slings water, mud, etc down the sides

- Overall very happy with the upgrades and especially the way the truck looks and rides (very smooth, controlled and predictable)

- Also the Auto 4wd feature still seems to function normally to date in limited testing

- What would I do differently to do it over again? I wouldn't have procrastinated so long about upgrading to BDS, the extra cost is definitely well worth it after coming off a well known low cost alternative on my last truck

Edited October 26, 2021 by Bgill

clowe1243 · November 24, 2021

On 10/25/2021 at 6:01 PM, TyGriff13 said:

This looks great! I've got a very similar set up on my 19 LTZ and want to get some insight from you...I currently have the 4" BDS with King adjustable coilovers, bought them separately after the lift went on, and 35's. Called BDS today and I'm going to convert the 4" to a 6", actually a lot easier than anticipated, just have to throw a new 5" block in the back and adjust the CO's to 6" for the front. Doing this with the goal to be running 37's on stock 20's. The place I get all my work done is telling me that it just can't be done at all, maybe with 2" spacers but that's not really what I'm looking for. So my question is, do you have any issues with this set up at all? Do the factory 22's have a greater offset to clear the 37's? Maybe I'm just missing something.

Anyways, I sure would appreciate any help you have to offer or some more specifics on your setup. Truck really does look fantastic!

The factory offset is within spec of the lift I got.

timothycan · May 8, 2022

On 10/25/2021 at 10:47 PM, Bgill said:

BDS 6" kit 1804H for the 3.0 Diesel

- No issues with any of the technology on the truck surprisingly completely compatible and mine is fully loaded

- Did not have to re-aim my headlights (another surprise and no oncoming flashes after a month of driving with the kit)

- I did need the Hypertech device to recalibrate the Speedometer (was off by ~8% but now back to spot on)

- The recalibration was also needed to restore my original shift points otherwise it was very noticeable, felt like it was dragging or hangin up (all good now)

- The kit came with the upper control arms so that's a plus

- I'm using the front spacers from the kit but upgraded to Bilstein 5100's set to stock height up front

- Running the standard BDS shocks that came with the kit in the rear (no issues, ride fine)

- Wheels are 22x10 -18 offset Nitto Ridge Grapplers are 295/55/22and did a lot of mud flap trimming and will most likely add flares soon and totally remove the mud flaps as with this much poke it slings water, mud, etc down the sides

- Overall very happy with the upgrades and especially the way the truck looks and rides (very smooth, controlled and predictable)

- Also the Auto 4wd feature still seems to function normally to date in limited testing

- What would I do differently to do it over again? I wouldn't have procrastinated so long about upgrading to BDS, the extra cost is definitely well worth it after coming off a well known low cost alternative on my last truck

Did it have any issues with alognment. I have a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 SLT and just added the 4 inch BDS kit. I also added 33x12.50 20 General Grabbers. Issue is that the shop who was recommned by BDS in my area cannot get the truck back in GMC specs with alignment. I have the same front end set up. Billstein 5100 set at stock. Thanks for any input.

dieselfan1 · May 8, 2022

8 hours ago, timothycan said:

Did it have any issues with alognment. I have a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 SLT and just added the 4 inch BDS kit. I also added 33x12.50 20 General Grabbers. Issue is that the shop who was recommned by BDS in my area cannot get the truck back in GMC specs with alignment. I have the same front end set up. Billstein 5100 set at stock. Thanks for any input.

I would take it to place that has a big rack for doing big trucks.

I had to do that with my 18 w/ 9" Mcgaughys. What's your 10-20?

Edited May 8, 2022 by dieselfan1