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BDS 7" lift kit issue *outside outer edge wear

Discussion in 'Suspension' started by dongkatsu, Apr 23, 2018.

  1. May 24, 2018 at 12:11 PM
    #31
    juanald

    juanald New Member

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    The issue with the outside tire wear is the ackerman angle. (toe out on turns) It's built into the BDS steering knuckle. I've aligned maybe 50 of these, and the all have the same issue. If you run the camber at -.5 and toe at 0" seems to help a lot.
     
  2. May 24, 2018 at 4:23 PM
    #32
    dongkatsu

    dongkatsu [OP] New Member

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    7" bds gone due to issues and switched out the kit to Readylift 6" and up to 7"
    @juanald thanks buddy. I bought the spc adjustable uca and cb steering kit. taking it to alignment specialist in my area and hoping that he can fix the issue with these parts. just setting the alignment to -.5 and zero is not really fixing it but it does help with the tire wear issue. I went through my installation with my tech and he found few issues that's causing the outside wear. I'm hoping that he can get it resolved.
     
    Jsena likes this.
  3. May 24, 2018 at 4:40 PM
    #33
    juanald

    juanald New Member

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    No problem. I don’t even own a Tundra. I’v been aware of the problem for a couple years now, and search the web every few months to see if anyone else has the issue, and I finally found this site.
    After I figured out the toe out on turn (or lack of) was the problem, I had gotten a hold of BDS, and asked if there were certain special alignment angles I should be setting them at, they said to set it to factory specs. That wasn’t going to cut it. We had lifted maybe five at that point, all with bad outside wear. I had to do something.
     
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  4. May 24, 2018 at 4:57 PM
    #34
    dongkatsu

    dongkatsu [OP] New Member

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    7" bds gone due to issues and switched out the kit to Readylift 6" and up to 7"
    @juanald I've called bds many times and they have zero knowledge. I was dumbfounded by their response when asking about alignments. that's the reason why I decided to spend couple hundred more to get the alignment fixed right. The tech i'm working with says that there's always a way to fix it so he told me to get the adjustable uca and cb steering kit and he'll play around with them. since he builds drag racing vehicles i'm pretty sure he can nail it down. if it fixes the issue then i'll keep the truck, if not going 6" bulletproof or readylift or just going to buy a raptor and move on lol.

    *as for cb steering kit if it gives more angle/movement I think that this kit will be beneficial.
     
  5. May 24, 2018 at 5:12 PM
    #35
    juanald

    juanald New Member

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    Remind your tech that the ackerman angle is a problem. Most vehicles to out when turning, yours (BDS knuckle) toes in.
     
  6. May 24, 2018 at 5:24 PM
    #36
    dongkatsu

    dongkatsu [OP] New Member

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    7" bds gone due to issues and switched out the kit to Readylift 6" and up to 7"
    will do and that's where coachbuilder steering kit comes in to help with the toe. I already told him that the bds tie rod ends were short which is causing toe in.
     
  7. Nov 29, 2018 at 9:25 AM
    #37
    Lindenwood

    Lindenwood New Member

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    2002 and 2016 4Runners, Selling 2002 for a Tundra
    2002 4Runner: Custom full rmor, 33 MTs, Fridge, drawers, OBA, flat paint (for easy touch-ups). 2016 4Runner TRDP: Wheels, 32 ATs, 2" Lift F/R
    Out of curiosity, do you have any updates on this?
     
  8. Nov 30, 2018 at 8:17 AM
    #38
    dongkatsu

    dongkatsu [OP] New Member

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    7" bds gone due to issues and switched out the kit to Readylift 6" and up to 7"
    @Lindenwood - I ended up swapping out the kit to Readylift since I ended up getting most of my money back from the merchant.
     
  9. Nov 30, 2018 at 8:23 AM
    #39
    Lindenwood

    Lindenwood New Member

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    2002 and 2016 4Runners, Selling 2002 for a Tundra
    2002 4Runner: Custom full rmor, 33 MTs, Fridge, drawers, OBA, flat paint (for easy touch-ups). 2016 4Runner TRDP: Wheels, 32 ATs, 2" Lift F/R
    Interesting! Did anyone ever identify a specific problem? What year did you purchase the kit?
     
  10. Nov 30, 2018 at 8:28 AM
    #40
    dongkatsu

    dongkatsu [OP] New Member

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    7" bds gone due to issues and switched out the kit to Readylift 6" and up to 7"
    @Lindenwood it's the steering knuckle/spindle. took it to suspension specialist in my area and he told me that the spindle design has flaws. in order to fix the problem was to get aftermarket UCAs and new tie rod but the tech said it may not fix it @ 100% but will def improve greatly. He has also told me that parts that came with the bds kit are junk. on a jeep or any other American trucks, the quality is superb but not with tundras.
     
  11. Nov 30, 2018 at 8:31 AM
    #41
    dongkatsu

    dongkatsu [OP] New Member

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    7" bds gone due to issues and switched out the kit to Readylift 6" and up to 7"
    @Lindenwood do you have a tundra or planning to get one? and if you end up lifting the truck Pro Comp is the best. just upgrade the rear shocks to beilstein or fox.
     
  12. Nov 30, 2018 at 9:04 AM
    #42
    Lindenwood

    Lindenwood New Member

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    2002 4Runner: Custom full rmor, 33 MTs, Fridge, drawers, OBA, flat paint (for easy touch-ups). 2016 4Runner TRDP: Wheels, 32 ATs, 2" Lift F/R
    Still looking to get a Tundra in the near future, and I am still debating between regular MT vs drop-bracket MT.
     
  13. Nov 30, 2018 at 11:19 AM
    #43
    dongkatsu

    dongkatsu [OP] New Member

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    7" bds gone due to issues and switched out the kit to Readylift 6" and up to 7"
    @Lindenwood just do suspension lift 4". if you get a pro then just go to coachbuilder website and do small spacer lift. I see more cons having lifted trucks 6"+ driving places lol
     
  14. Nov 30, 2018 at 12:51 PM
    #44
    Lindenwood

    Lindenwood New Member

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    2002 and 2016 4Runners, Selling 2002 for a Tundra
    2002 4Runner: Custom full rmor, 33 MTs, Fridge, drawers, OBA, flat paint (for easy touch-ups). 2016 4Runner TRDP: Wheels, 32 ATs, 2" Lift F/R
    I didnt know it was really possible to loft more than 3" without going LT. But, I dont do a lot of fast offroad driving, so I have simply been debating whether than extra few inches of center-ftame and gas tank clearance is worth the durability and stability drawbacks of a bracket lift. Of course, even lifted 7" a Tundra is more stable againdt rolling than my current 4Runner, which can take ~40 degrees of off-camber before actually tipping over.
     
  15. Nov 30, 2018 at 1:35 PM
    #45
    dongkatsu

    dongkatsu [OP] New Member

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    7" bds gone due to issues and switched out the kit to Readylift 6" and up to 7"
    @Lindenwood I think 4 is max you can go. don't cut the crossmember and go with that. the truck is a lot more drive friendly. if I have known sooner I would have just picked up a pro and bought coachbuilder parts
     
  16. Feb 17, 2019 at 7:01 PM
    #46
    HotRod65

    HotRod65 New Member

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    Did the ready lift resolve your issue? I am going to try the alignment specs above. I have a Crewmax with a 6 inch procomp lift and my outside tires wear bad! I can tell it is the toe in during turning because you can feel it and hear it at full turn.

    Does and alignment machine check ackerman angle?
     
  17. Feb 18, 2019 at 7:32 AM
    #47
    dongkatsu

    dongkatsu [OP] New Member

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    7" bds gone due to issues and switched out the kit to Readylift 6" and up to 7"
    @HotRod65 hey, im still driving my truck with the old tires that has the wear so i wont know for sure until i get new tires, however i definitely can see/feel the difference.

    Driving on a highway bds was making “womping” noise. With RL, sounds smooth as butter. Also i used to have rough texture on the tire tread inthe front. I believe the tires were dragging when making turns and now they are gone and it smoothed out.

    Also i would like to remind that its not just the turning that wears out the outside edge. Even on a straight line it will.
     
    Last edited: Feb 28, 2019
  18. Feb 28, 2019 at 2:42 PM
    #48
    vinny-boombox

    vinny-boombox New Member

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    sorry to jump in your thread but I bought a use 3rd gen tundra that came w the bds lift kit and I also have the problem wearing the outside of tires. im new to tundras in fact is my first pickup truck ever so im learnig as I go,and should say this forum helps a lot. I didn't even know that they had to cut the x member to install kit. anyways id like to hear from you guys about what do you think is better to do. replace bds with RL or just get CB parts to correct problem.
    im about to put new tires cuz of this issue and I definitely don't wan those to go bad in a few monts. thanks in advance
     
  19. Feb 28, 2019 at 3:23 PM
    #49
    dongkatsu

    dongkatsu [OP] New Member

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    7" bds gone due to issues and switched out the kit to Readylift 6" and up to 7"
    @vinny-boombox... Welcome! do you have the 4 inch bds or the 7"? and this is just an FYI, 2wd bds lift doesn't have the issue but the 4wd ones do. if you want to try fixing the outside wear issue you may want to buy Icon billet adjustable uca's or Camburg adjustable uca's. they cost a lot but prob will give the best results. I heard SPC adjustable uca is good as well and I bought it thinking that I was going to fix the problem by keeping my 7" bds kit but I learned that if you wanna do things right go get something with high quality and get well known brands. I believe that coachbuilder steering kit is necessary as well. I know Devolro that specializes in customizing tundras used to use camburg uca's I think and they never had any issue but can't guarantee you.

    And I decided to go with RL b/c of 2 main reason. (1) I got most of my $ back (2) the lift kit should work properly out of the box but this wasn't the case for bds. you have to add/spend more $$ to make it work which is BS. RL will work fine out of the box.

    2 important things you want to keep in mind. (1) BDS cuts the whole crossmember where as RL only cuts about 30%. The uncut part of the crossmember gets mounted with the RL rear drop bracket for more support. you can have someone weld L shaped plate so that you can get it mounted per RL installation instruction. My tech did it for me for piece of mind but you don't have to do it if you don't want to. (2) I don't know about the 4" bds lift kit but the 7" lift has a spacer ring in the front struts. you cant see it until you take the coils off. that spacer ring needs to come off since it adds about an inch. RL doesn't have that spacer ring so make sure you get them off before you install RL kit (this is if you have factory struts). you can upgrade struts so you don't have to use spacers from RL.

    Hope this helps for decision making.

    PS: majority of the issue is from using factory uca IMO. if you park your truck perpendicular to an incline or decline hill, you can see that the uca doesn't have enough adjustability and will show crazy positive camber \ / <-- like this. it's horrible. when I tried with my RL tires were still close to being | | <-- like this. you can also see that your uca and lca is not parallel. every angle your uca and lca should be parallel. <-- this is due to the steering knuckle design which aftermarket uca can fix
     
    Last edited: Feb 28, 2019
  20. Mar 1, 2019 at 10:37 AM
    #50
    vinny-boombox

    vinny-boombox New Member

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  21. Mar 1, 2019 at 10:47 AM
    #51
    dongkatsu

    dongkatsu [OP] New Member

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    7" bds gone due to issues and switched out the kit to Readylift 6" and up to 7"
    @vinny-boombox. sure thing buddy. the lesser the diameter of the wheel you may hit something or not fit at all. what offset is the 18x9? the smaller the wheel you need to go smaller in offset to fit. I'm switching out to method wheels as well 18x9 with either +12 or 0 offset at least. i think +18mm is the highest you can get it fit but can't guarantee you on this. 20" wheel is bigger in diameter so there's more room for play.

    so you are keeping bds and fix the issue or what are you trying to do?
     
  22. Mar 1, 2019 at 12:02 PM
    #52
    vinny-boombox

    vinny-boombox New Member

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    I didn't even think of the offset. but I just checked and offset is 0 ...…. wheels are already ordered and on their way so ill let u know if they fit when they arrive. as for the suspension I think ill keep the bds and just get Camburg adjustable uca's and CB steering kit. also truck has fox shock on back and Bilstein at front.
     
  23. Mar 1, 2019 at 12:11 PM
    #53
    dongkatsu

    dongkatsu [OP] New Member

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    7" bds gone due to issues and switched out the kit to Readylift 6" and up to 7"
    @vinny-boombox I have a feeling that 0 offset should work. i think best stance is +8 or +12 offset without having flares on. that's what i want to aim for. And you got the basic bds lift kit with stock struts (bilstein) in the front and fox in the rear. that was my setup. Hope you get it fixed man. try getting this alignment #

    Camber: 0 min to +.2 max <--- if you still see outside wear switched it up to -.3 to -.5 camber on both sides
    Toe: +.07 on each side
    Caster: 2.3 left and 2.4 right

    I'm not sure where you caster is at but with bds steering feels so lose. RL is solid but the new UCA will help with getting more caster. Make sure when you are turning no front tires are rubbing or digging into the ground. My current tires used to have really bad rough texture/scuff marks in the front but with RL it removed all those wears and i believe it's wearing as it should. also when you are driving on the highway if you hear whomping noise then it's not aligned right.

    Good luck and do let me know the outcome!

    Let me know if you have any questions and need more info. you can also reach me over the phone. I will gladly answer all your questions since i dont want another fellow tundra owner to go through the same problem as i did.
     
  24. Mar 2, 2019 at 7:21 AM
    #54
    vinny-boombox

    vinny-boombox New Member

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    dongkatsu man I cant thank you enough for all your help. I will keep you posted on the outcome on wheels and then UCA. again thanks for the help.... where are u located ? im in NY
     
  25. Mar 2, 2019 at 7:30 AM
    #55
    dongkatsu

    dongkatsu [OP] New Member

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    7" bds gone due to issues and switched out the kit to Readylift 6" and up to 7"
    @vinny-boombox No problem man. I live in VA close to DC but visit a friend in NY. He lives in the country side of NY, Binghamton. I'm a city boy but love the country life haha. Where in Ny do you live?
     
  26. Mar 2, 2019 at 7:45 AM
    #56
    2010bigdog

    2010bigdog New Member

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    so do you have the READYLIFT now ? If you do any pictures ?
     
  27. Mar 2, 2019 at 7:57 AM
    #57
    vinny-boombox

    vinny-boombox New Member

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    I am from long island.. cant wait to move out of here.... by the way im planning a trip to NC and VA by the end of may :mudding:do u have any info about the TAT after this im going to pm u so we don't overload this thread. lol
     
  28. Mar 2, 2019 at 8:37 AM
    #58
    dongkatsu

    dongkatsu [OP] New Member

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    7" bds gone due to issues and switched out the kit to Readylift 6" and up to 7"
    @2010bigdog yes, I swapped out the kit but have pics on fb but not on my computer and my phone. too lazy to upload lol.

    @vinny-boombox TAT? you'll prob pass where I live if you are going down south on I-95. hit me up if you would like to meet. Can eat some Korean bbq if you like haha.
     

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