7" BDS Lift - Popping when turning

Reviving an old thread and adding my experience with the lifts.

OLD THREAD
https://www.tundras.com/threads/suspension-lift.12615/#post-229205

I have had 2 Tundra's (2012 and 2016) both with the 7" BDS Lift and both eventually developed the popping. Popping coming from the front end when turning and braking at slow speeds both going forward and back.

I exhaustively searched forums, youtube, etc to no avail. Then I found, the vertical bolts on the installed cross-member were not tight. The whole cross member would move slightly (not noticeable while eye-balling it), causing the pop.

Cross member shown at 14:15 in the video linked below.

Vertical bolts shown at approx 14:35 in the video linked below.

On my current truck (2016) the popping was on the driver's side.
I had a few of shops look at it, one suggesting worn ball joints, one suggesting back strut mount, one suggesting worn CV axle. I thought surely the bolts can't be loose on this one too? Yesterday, I found the bolt on the driver's side loose. I turned it 1 full turn and a 3/4 turn to fully tighten it.

I emailed BDS and suggest they include to use thread lock on the bolt threads in their instructions. One would think that is a no brainer, but it appears neither of my trucks had the thread locker used nor does the one in the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBUZx5viZQE&t=918s

 

Both links go to the old thread. No video.

The only vertical bolts that I know of on the BDS lift are the ones that mount the diff to the crossmembers.

I've never had popping sounds but I did have a lot of squeaking, which turned out to be a crack where one of the "vertical" bolts mounted to.

 

POST CORRECTED

 

Ahhh you're talking about these bolts. The bolt holes are where the diff used to be mounted to.
The reason they don't use thread locker is because they are already using a nyloc nut. If yours is backing out on its own, then that nut should be replaced.
I've taken my BDS lift apart (removing the cross members) a couple times and each time I've replaced the nuts and bolts.

 

I’ve also paint marked the nuts and bolts so that I can easily see if they’ve moved whenever I’m under the truck.