Offroad Trailblazers and Envoys

Front Only Kit

Products offered by our vendor: BDS

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by BDS Suspension » Wed Apr 07, 2010 4:06 pm

Some time ago we were getting requests for the front 2" strut kit to be sold seperately. Well, I finally got around to doing just that but we have yet to get it into the catalog or on to the website. The kit # is 121201. This can be purchase through any of our dealers which you can find here: http://www.bds-suspension.com/Distribut ... lookup.php . Call your local dealer for the best price. These are instock and have been since last summer.

Thanks
Matt
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by Mooseknuckle » Wed Apr 07, 2010 11:24 pm

Matt not sure if this is an over asked question or not but are there plans to make the lift kits 2.5" front and rear instead of 2" front and rear?
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by BDS Suspension » Thu Apr 08, 2010 7:34 am

No plans currently. There are a couple of small issues with going to 2.5" by just adding top spacer. We're very picky about our stuff...not just about how if fits and performance but also how it effects other components. We want our stuff to be the best and last the longest.
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by Saxis » Thu Apr 08, 2010 11:32 am

Any elaboration on the issues with a top spacer? I know there are CV issues with going 3"+, at least what the people have experienced here. Is cutting it off at 2" just a safety measure for the CV, or are there other issues as well?

Just wondering, as my BDS kit is on the delivery truck right now, and I plan on adding a .5" spacer like many have done here.
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by BDS Suspension » Thu Apr 08, 2010 12:45 pm

Our kit incorporates a top spacer and preload combination into one piece. What that does is physically increase the overall mounting length of the strut assembly, effectively increase the amount the suspension can droop. When we made the kit we designed around the acceptable working limits of the factory suspension setup. Adding more top spacer will exceed these limits that we felt were the max working range. Things such as ball joints, CVs and knuckle clearance to the coil spring/strut assembly are carefully considered. I am not saying adding the spacer won't work...it will just exceed what we feel is an acceptable working range for the suspension.

Adding a spacer to a 100% preload style kit like Suspensionmaxx or the other guys is a little different because that style kit doesn't add length to the strut (top spacer) while ours already does. Ideally you don't want to be using your suspension at it's limits. We set ours up to still have plenty of functional suspension travel (compression and extension). Some other kits don't take all factors into account...yes they may give you 3" of lift or more but that isn't necessarily a good thing. Most of these tall kits are either excessively preloaded...bad on struts or excessively top spacer...bad on ball joints, CVs, tie rod ends, etc.

There is a lot of mis-information out there when it comes to the very popular "strut spacer" kits that are available for just about every vehicle made today. The real problem is that very good suspension companies have jumped into the market out of necessity and have made sub-standard product because it sells. This is compounded by a ton of small start-up "mom and pop" shops making product and selling it at crazy low prices on ebay, etc...I am not picking on just one person here, there are a lot of them. Making a product that gives lift is one thing (that is the easy part)...making one that lifts and properly functions is a whole different game and few people do it right. There are alot of performance, safety and reliability issues with many of the kits out there (speaking in general for several models). Price and ease of installation have become the driving force in kit design and quality, function and reliability have taken a back seat. We do things a little different around here.

I'll leave it at that. I could go on all day about this and probably confuse more people then it is worth. If you have specific questions I will do my best to answer them.

BTW...Thanks for buying BDS. We very much appreciate it.
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by The Roadie » Fri Apr 09, 2010 12:50 am

If anybody was around on the Other Site in the days of what I dubbed the "Kuwaiti Death Trap" you'll know what I thought of a 4" entirely outside-the-strut spacer made for a 2WD truck by some ghetto welders. Even they figured out 4" wouldn't work, then they cut it down to 3" and then found it couldn't be forced to align so they TOOK OFF THE STEERING KNUCKLES and torched them soft so they could straighten them out a bit on an anvil and change the camber! :hissyfit: :slap: :wallbash:

I still shudder to think about amateurs who own welders and anvils and no lift design experience.
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