Ken Brubaker
Senior Editor, Four Wheeler
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.
Longer lower control arms create less caster change through the entire range of wheel travel when compared to the stock setup. Among other things, this creates a more solid feel in the steering wheel and better off-highway characteristics. Translation: It ain't a handful to drive. As a matter of fact, the owner of this Mega Cab drove the truck from Illinois to Colorado and back immediately following the install and reported no annoying quirks or problems throughout the trip.
The kit is advertised to fit up to 36x12.50 tires on a 17x9 wheel with 5 inches of backspacing. The owner of this rig chose 37x12.50-18 tires on 18x9 wheels. It's been 'wheeled during an elk-hunting foray and no rubbing was reported, though we expect there might be rubbing in the front in instances where the wheels travel through a complete cycle.
If we were going to do one thing different, we would probably upgrade to the dual front-shock option to offset the heavy front bumper and winch we installed. It's a tad soft for our taste, but that's our preference. Ultimately, we (and the owner) are very pleased with this kit's ease of installation, quality of components, and on- and off-highway performance.
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