Question for all lifted CTD.

[draken]

Just curious on what lift you CTDs are running? I was thinking about getting a BDS 6" Long arm kit. I don't know what i have on now since i bought the truck already lifted, however i know it rides like crap and that its a short arm kit around 5". So what lift kit are you running and hows the ride quality? pictures would be great as well.

 

[6.7CumminsDrvr]

Carli, Thuren, KORE seem to be pretty popular, wanted a Carli setup for the '10 CTD I previously had.

 

[brandonjansen]

A long arm kit will make a HUGE difference over the short arm kit that's on it now. That much lift with short arms puts them at way too steep of an angle and transfers the force from bumps straight up into the frame rather than letting the suspension absorb it.

BDS is a great all around kit for sure. Comes with pretty much everything you need lift wise and will last as long as you'll own the truck. Plus has a lifetime warranty for the original owner so if you do have any issues they'll replace it.
Pure Performance would be another good company to look at but they do cost more money and I believe you'll have to piece a few parts together yourself. Not overly difficult just takes some more coordination.
Then there's Carli however I personally couldn't justify spending the money on their 6" kits. It just isn't worth it to me. If I was going to spend that much money I'd be going to a bagged lift.

 

[6.7CumminsDrvr]

+1 on the long arm

 

[R/T_Fire]

This is another decent kit out there also

03-13 RAM 2500 6" Triple Threat

I have never ran one as I had a mismatch of Carli parts but read alot of guys like this set up. Was thinking of using their long arm system before Carli came out with the radius arm kit.

 

[draken]

Thanks for the input guys, Carli and thuren as much as i would like a setup from them, way to expensive for my taste.. I will look up the triple threat R/t.
Brandon, is there a huge difference in going with the 6" or 8" BDS? Obviously there the height but is it really that much higher? Also with all the options they offer while adding to cart what should i get for improving ride quality the best?

 

[brandonjansen]

Thanks for the input guys, Carli and thuren as much as i would like a setup from them, way to expensive for my taste.. I will look up the triple threat R/t.
Brandon, is there a huge difference in going with the 6" or 8" BDS? Obviously there the height but is it really that much higher? Also with all the options they offer while adding to cart what should i get for improving ride quality the best?

As you stated, obviously the overall height is the main difference. Then there's components that change because of that (coils, rear blocks, shocks, transfer case indexing ring, etc.). Really the decision comes down to how high you really want the truck to be and what wheel/tire setup you plan to run. A 6" will ride slightly smoother because the long arms will be more horizontal than an 8" however I don't think that will be noticeable enough to factor that into your decision.

I would upgrade the shocks from the BDS 5500's that come with it no questions as they're just a generic white body shock. I've been happy with the Fox 2.0 shocks that came with my BDS lift. I would definitely recommend a dual steering stabilizer setup as well. Again, I run the Fox 2.0 shocks and don't have any complaints. My truck handles great and drives straight as could be down the highway without even touching the steering wheel. You don't really need anything else from BDS however an adjustable track bar wouldn't be a bad idea and if you're doing the 6" kit, a transfer case indexing ring wouldn't hurt either.
As far as other extras go, I would get a steering box brace if you don't already have one.

 

[R/T_Fire]

There is another long arm set up out there but for the life of me I can't remember who it is, but it was a 8" coil over set up but was big money like the Carli kits

 

[draken]

As you stated, obviously the overall height is the main difference. Then there's components that change because of that (coils, rear blocks, shocks, transfer case indexing ring, etc.). Really the decision comes down to how high you really want the truck to be and what wheel/tire setup you plan to run. A 6" will ride slightly smoother because the long arms will be more horizontal than an 8" however I don't think that will be noticeable enough to factor that into your decision.

I would upgrade the shocks from the BDS 5500's that come with it no questions as they're just a generic white body shock. I've been happy with the Fox 2.0 shocks that came with my BDS lift. I would definitely recommend a dual steering stabilizer setup as well. Again, I run the Fox 2.0 shocks and don't have any complaints. My truck handles great and drives straight as could be down the highway without even touching the steering wheel. You don't really need anything else from BDS however an adjustable track bar wouldn't be a bad idea and if you're doing the 6" kit, a transfer case indexing ring wouldn't hurt either.
As far as other extras go, I would get a steering box brace if you don't already have one.

Makes sense, I will probably go with the 6". Just to double check a 6" on a CTD sits higher then a 6" on a 1500 correct? I had Zone 6" with 5" rear and bilsteins on my last truck (2010 ram 1500), just trying to get a little higher then that for this truck. Also as far as lifting in the rear, i noticed their is two options block and leaf springs.. Would getting the progressive springs be highly more noticeable then rear blocks?

 

[R/T_Fire]

I'm not sure if 8Lug Truck gear is a vendor here but George is a good source for info and has good prices on the Pure lifts

6 inch lift kits

 

[brandonjansen]

There is another long arm set up out there but for the life of me I can't remember who it is, but it was a 8" coil over set up but was big money like the Carli kits

BDS makes an 8" coilover kit and Pure Performance used to but they stopped making 8" kits for some reason. 6" is the highest they go now.

Makes sense, I will probably go with the 6". Just to double check a 6" on a CTD sits higher then a 6" on a 1500 correct? I had Zone 6" with 5" rear and bilsteins on my last truck (2010 ram 1500), just trying to get a little higher then that for this truck. Also as far as lifting in the rear, i noticed their is two options block and leaf springs.. Would getting the progressive springs be highly more noticeable then rear blocks?

Yes it will definitely sit higher than your 1500. By a long shot. The 10-12 2500/3500's sit about 2-3" taller than a 1500 stock so essentially a 6" lift on a 2500 will sit about 2-3" taller than your 1500 did.

I run the blocks however I've been thinking about swapping out to leaf springs. Partially because that will allow me to add more lift down the road if I want to. The leaf springs will reduce axle wrap and I've talked to a few guys that have said they ride better than stock. Really it comes down to what you want to spend money on. I'm currently running the 5" blocks that came with my kit and I don't have any issues with them at all. I get a bit of axle wrap when I'm towing heavy weight but other than that it's fine.

 

[R/T_Fire]

BDS makes an 8" coilover kit and Pure Performance used to but they stopped making 8" kits for some reason. 6" is the highest they go now.

Good to know, I've been out of the CTD suspension world for a bit, I'm going off memory and not sure what is still out there. The 8-12" coilover kit that I'm trying to remember started with a S but I'm not sure if they are around anymore either.. they had a really trick system

 

[draken]

Would axle wrap occur if i don't tow as much as i use to?

 

[brandonjansen]

It shouldn't be much of an issue unloaded. Traction bars would get rid of it completely if you are worried about it.

 

[draken]

Thanks for all the help, I will most likely get 6" BDS long arm then..