With the combination of the...
With the combination of the BDS long-arm kit, a set of 37-inch tires, a Fab Fours front bumper with lights, Warn 16.5 winch, and Pro Comp 6x9 off-highway lights, this Mega Cab is ready to hit the trail.
The 6-inch lift is arguably one of the most popular lifts for truck buyers, and it seems to be the bread-and-butter of many suspension companies. It seems like every week we receive a press release from a manufacturer announcing a new 6-inch kit. There are many reasons for this, including the fact that most 6-inch kits allow fitment of the ultra-popular 35- to 37-inch-diameter tire, which is a great all-around size for street or trail.
When Matt Dinelli at Attitude Performance called and asked if we wanted to hang out while he installed BDS Suspension's new 6-inch long-arm kit on a Dodge Ram Mega Cab, we dropped what we were doing (it's too bad we were looking at a new laptop) and took off for his Arlington Heights, Illinois, facility.
The '06-'07 Dodge Ram Mega Cab and the '03-'07 Ram 2500 are basically the same vehicle underneath, so what you're about to read pertains to both vehicles. Read on to get an inside look at what's included in the BDS kit and how it works.
Here are the parts included...
Here are the parts included in the BDS kit we installed. This is the top-of-the-line kit for the Ram 2500/Mega Cab. BDS offers four different kits for these vehicles including a short-arm kit. Depending on the kit, you'll get either blocks or springs for the rear. All kits offer double-powdercoated bracketry with clearcoat to ensure a long-lasting finish.
1. A dropped forged pitman...
1. A dropped forged pitman arm is included to maintain steering angles.
2. New lower control-arm mounting...
2. New lower control-arm mounting brackets mount 25 5/8 inches further rearward on the frame than the stock lower control-arm brackets. After new holes are drilled, they're fastened to the frame using supplied 9/16x5-inch bolts.
3. On the passenger side,...
3. On the passenger side, there's an electrical module that interferes with the mounting of the new lower control-arm bracket. We chose to leave it in the same factory location by just spacing it out from the frame.
4. The new longer lower control...
4. The new longer lower control arms mount to the stock axle-mounting locations using the OE bolts. The new lower control arms feature greasable bushings, so the grease fittings need to be rotated downward for easy access.
5. The new upper control-arm...
5. The new upper control-arm relocation brackets are positioned over the OE upper control-arm brackets, and holes are drilled for the mounting hardware.
6. Here you can see the completed...
6. Here you can see the completed driver-side upper control-arm relocation bracket assembly. Each bracket assembly utilizes five beefy 9/16-inch bolts and a spacer sleeve.
7. The rear of the new upper...
7. The rear of the new upper control arms mount to the OE upper arm location. Here you can see the upper arm as the rear is being fastened in place. Like the lower arms, the uppers feature greasable bushings.
8. Chrysler buried the OE...
8. Chrysler buried the OE rear passenger-side upper control-arm bolt in such a way that it has to be cut out. We made two cuts to the bolt-the head and the body-to remove it. The only way around this is to remove the exhaust system. Fortunately, BDS includes a new bolt and it feeds in from the other direction and solves the problem.