BDS vs R.E.

wjtstudios

Hooked
I don’t have any personal experience with either, but I’ve never heard good things about them either.

EVO, Currie, and Synergy all make great setups and their made in the good old USA.


2015 JKUR AEV JK350
1985 CJ8 Scrambler
 

Rst8rox

Active Member
Can’t speak for R.E. , BDS has nice beginner/starter lifts that have a No ?’s warranty “if you can break it they will replace it No ?’s. They are also a Michigan brand out of cold water. They are a JKS/fox sister company. They’re also one of the only lifts for GMs that will not void factory vehicle warranty.

I think both would leave you wanting more! Save up and get a nicer lift and only do it once.

Sent from my iPhone using WAYALIFE mobile app
 
Last edited:

WJCO

Meme King
Looking on lifting the JK and wanted some opinions on these 2 lift kits. Anybody running them and like how it's performing?

I wouldn't touch BDS. Made that mistake already. No experience with the other one though.
 

rubiDave

Active Member
You didn't mention what lift height / type you're comparing, and what you are expecting out of the lift. If you're thinking about a spacer lift less than 2", then just about all brands are comparable. With small spring lifts you need to consider the spring rate (stiffness) and pick a quality brand that doesn't deform quickly.
At 3" and above you really need to look for the completeness of the kit, and all the other items you need to make it work, such as extended brake lines, caster correction, steering correction, driveline modifications, shocks, bumpstops etc.
I have no 1st or 2nd hand experience with BDS. My 2nd hand experience with Rubicon Express springs they seemed very stiff, and they didn't want to stay seated when disconnected at full flex. This was a 2-1/2" RE spring lift with lower control arm brackets and RE shocks.

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using WAYALIFE mobile app
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Back in the day, like 20 years ago, RE was the brand to go to. I've run a few of their kits on my TJ and thought they were really nice. RE was bought out by 4WheelParts years ago and while most of their stuff still seems okay, there are plenty of other brands that have been proven to be solid as mentioned and I personally would recommend them. BDS, I've run their stuff in the past and they really aren't anything to write home about.
 

Ddays

Hooked
RE = dump truck ride. Way too stiff for me. Had one in mine but moved on. I'd suggest another brand.
 

Clifford33

Caught the Bug
I have a rubicon express lift and it’s pretty stiff it’s a rough ride.


Sent from my iPhone using WAYALIFE
 

trailraider

Active Member
My experiences with both.
RE- entry level product with a great warranty. they just send the replacements out regardless. (keep in mind we warranty a lot compared to other brands). Ride quality is as stated above. I personally think quality has gone down since Transamerican purchased them.

BDS- have gone down hill, the no questions asked warranty is not that. They had huge issues with rear JK control arms stripping the threads and it was near impossible to get then to send replacements. they expected customers to pay for them. I quit selling because warranty was always a issue claiming. ride quality was alright but bushings wear out fast. base line shocks suck.

I would look at other options before you pull the trigger.
 

The BAD Influence

Caught the Bug
Re 3.5

My RE kit was pretty complete with brake line extenders, CA relocation brackets, high steer. Etc. I purchased it at EJS from 4wheelparts, and got their show discount. So, for the price, I feel it was "ok". As others have mentioned, it's stiff. That being said, I have heavy bumpers, and a winch. It couldn't hold the weight and started sagging pretty quickly. I was also disappointed in how quickly the silver paint chipped and rusted.
 

MericaMade

Active Member
My experiences with both.
RE- entry level product with a great warranty. they just send the replacements out regardless. (keep in mind we warranty a lot compared to other brands). Ride quality is as stated above. I personally think quality has gone down since Transamerican purchased them.

BDS- have gone down hill, the no questions asked warranty is not that. They had huge issues with rear JK control arms stripping the threads and it was near impossible to get then to send replacements. they expected customers to pay for them. I quit selling because warranty was always a issue claiming. ride quality was alright but bushings wear out fast. base line shocks suck.

I would look at other options before you pull the trigger.
Hit the nail on the head. Good info right there OP.

Sent from my SM-G975U using WAYALIFE mobile app
 
Top Bottom