CJ: BDS vs Rubicon Express Suspension

[headhunter]

Based on a post in another thread, I'm researching BDS Suspensions as a possible alternative to Rubicon Express.

I'm planning on going with a 4.5 inch lift with a 1" body lift in order to eventually fit 35" tires on my CJ-8. I may go to 33" tires for a while and then upgrade to 35" tires after getting wider/stronger axels.

I'm not sure if the type of tire is an important issue to consider in looking at these kits, so here is what I have and where I'm thinking of going with that. I'm currently running 29" BF Goodrich All Terrain KOs. The tires that I'm considering going with for both the 33" and 35" are Goodyear MTRs.

I took a look at the BDS site and quickly priced out a kit for the Scrambler. Once you add in all of the parts that are included in the Rubicon Express kit, it doesn't look like there is much of a savings with BDS. It looks like it may come to maybe a few hundred dollars in savings at full retail. It may be much more or much less when you consider "the actual price on the street."

That leads to my first question.

Who is offering the best pricing on either of these kits these days?

So, given that they appear to be comparably priced, my next and frankly more important question is about quality.

Has anyone compared the quality of each of the components between BDS and Rubicon Express?

I'm open to any comments, suggestions and/or opinions with regard to putting a lift on my CJ-8 Scrambler aka "The Limo."

I want to do this right, so I'm hoping to learn from the collective experience on this board.

Thanks in advance.

Christian

[ECV Jeep]

I have run both the BDS springs and the RE springs on my CJ. I am running an SOA set-up, so I have really liked the RE reverse eye SOA springs. However, both companies make great springs and you really can't go wrong with either.

[NAILER341]

I have run both the BDS springs and the RE springs on my CJ. I am running an SOA set-up, so I have really liked the RE reverse eye SOA springs. However, both companies make great springs and you really can't go wrong with either.

bearing this comment in mind and RE's terrible customer service and 10 minute warranty vs. BDS no questions asked warranty, i'd say the decision is fairly easy.
BDS Warranty
RE Warranty
I can tell you first hand that they will call any damage to springs "abuse" even if it is in the first week it is on your jeep.

I enjoyed the RE springs, but the service and complete lack of a warranty was a real turn-off.

Good luck in your decision.

If you do decide to get the RE springs, get them through a vendor that will warranty them over RE.
With the issues i had, the vendor stood behind the product even when the manufacturer refused to.

[headhunter]

ECV Jeep and NAILER341,

So far, it sounds like the quality of the actual product is good in either case, but that the customer service and how they stand behind their product is different.

I'll look forward to hearing from others on this as well.

If I get a chance over the next couple of days, I'll try to find a place where I can actually compare all of the other parts (besides the springs themselves) and see how they compare. If I do get that chance, I'll post my impressions.

Thank you both for your posts.

Christian

[ECV Jeep]

Erik makes a valid point with respect to service. Personally, I have not had occasion to need such service, but I have heard the same thing said from several sources regarding the quality of service from the 2 companies.

It seems that BDS is known for the quality of their product, and their willingness (devotion) to standing behind it.

For an SOA set-up, I think the RE reverse-eye spring is a superior design (my rear springs are longer than stock and were made by Atlas in the Inland Empire, but my fronts are still RE). For a spring-under Jeep, the spring design is nearly identical from BDS or RE, so other issues may become more important.

Both make quality products. BDS likely has a significant edge in the customer service department. Keep in mind, if you wheel it hard enough, no spring will last forever.

[blackZZR]

I run a BDS lift on the CJ6 and I really like it
I was convinced by the warranty and the fact BDS states they are American Made.
RE makes good stuff, I run the lower control arms in the rear of my TJ, they are good beefy things and I have seen a set of RE springs on a CJ, but the guy I bought my lift for the CJ introduced me to BDS because of the warranty and the fact he had little warranty claims from the dealings he has had using their products.
He has a shop in Culver City, independent and has to rely on a reputation that customers keep coming back, So he really shy;s away from products that give him trouble.

[RAT]

Well, I have had nothing but great service out of my 4.5 RE set up, but I didn't buy it from RE. It's actually parts scrounged from a number of different sources and cost me bupkiss. So I got no complaints, but have heard RE is crap on the CS side. I made this statement in another thread: Go for after the sale service if quality is even among vendors. After sale service speaks volumes about a vendor's view of it's customers. If they back thier product to the hilt, you can probably expect their product to be pretty good.

[SAR Jeeper]

I'm running the 4" BDS springs on my CJ. They started a little stiff, but softened up nicely. I went with BDS because of their warranty. Lift was slightly higher than stated 4", but settled.

[dirtman13]

I'm running RE on my CJ. If I'm not carrying all my crap in the back they work really well. In the front I'm running YJ 4.5" and the rear is a custom RE (I did it myself) spring. I also added an extra leaf to the pack in the rear.

I have dealt with their customer service and have had no problems. I actually found them quite helpful. Different attitudes get different results. I have not tried to warranty a spring yet so can't comment on that.

I think you have two really good choices and can't go wrong with either one.

[NAILER341]

I have dealt with their customer service and have had no problems. I actually found them quite helpful. Different attitudes get different results. I have not tried to warranty a spring yet so can't comment on that.

What are you implying? LOL I'm not a smooth talker?

What prompted you to deal with customer service if there were no warranty issues? (just curious)

[dirtman13]

What are you implying? LOL I'm not a smooth talker?

What prompted you to deal with customer service if there were no warranty issues? (just curious)

That was a general statement.

Because I carry so much :poop: in the back of my Jeep the rear end sags more than I like. It's too soft. So, I contacted them to discuss my options since I wasn't going to pay $500+ for custom springs from Deaver or Atlas.

[Mitch]

I'm running the Rubicon Express 4.5" extreme Duty full kit with their Mono Tube shocks and have had great luck and a very comfy ride at any speed in the dirt. After 2 years I have a bent spring but after hitting hoops at close to 50 mph and the crawler/rock bashing I've done, I'm very impressed.

Mitch

[MoonWorks]

I'm a dealer with both RE and BDS. I do a great deal more business with RE and haven't had any complaints from customers on any of their products yet.

The only difference I can see in their written warranty is that BDS will warranty a sagging spring and RE states that it's a wearable item but they will deal with it case-by-case. My BDS supplier told me last week...if it sages, we'll swap it. Either way, both make a great product!

Headhunter...I'll pm you now. Others, contact me for more info on the kits or quotes if you'd like. I guarantee that I'll give you the best customer service as well!

[Ol Man]

Another company to consider is Deaver. They have a very good reputation and can custom make the springs to your specifications:

http://www.deaverspring.com/

[headhunter]

Thanks for the continued comments everyone.

I've got a couple of things to do before I get to the actual lift, but thought I should think about it all now and properly think it through to the final build.

For BDS, I haven't actually tracked down each product that is included in the Rubicon Express kit to make a real cost comparison, but I'm pretty sure that it's going to be close.

I've considered Deaver, but there is a huge difference in price. I understand that in most cases you get what you pay for. If I get to a point where an off-the-shelf kit isn't serving me well, I'll probably contact Deaver and get a set of custom springs. I'm guessing that I've got a long way to go before my skills will warrant that though.

Right now, I've got a few other things that I want to change before performing the lift.

I need to get rid of the carb and get fuel injection. I think I'm going to go with the junkyard MPI, so that I can be smog legal again after the engine swap from 4 cyl. to 6 cyl. Then I need to make some rock sliders and maybe get some corners. That may be followed by changing the tranny to an SM420 and doing a reseal of the transfer case, but I may go to axels, lift and tires before doing the tranny and transfer case. Before buying the lift, I'll find wider axels. I've got about 50" axels now and want to be at about 60" - 62" before I do the lift. I'll install the axels and the lift (and maybe the 35" tires) at the same time.

None of this will happen over night, since I'm still fertilizing and watering the money tree.

I appreciate all of the responses and look foward to sharing the trails with you all as my Jeep grows up.

Christian