- Alright, here we go.
So, we already made the video about the best
6 inch lift kit for your truck
and that got people asking,
"What about 4 inch?"
So, of course, we're gonna dive into that
because that's what we do.
You guys ask the questions, I answer them,
and I try to keep the war in the comments section
to a minimum.
(crowd noise)
(bleep)
I'm Fuller from Custom Offsets TV on the YouTube
and before we get into it, hit the Subscribe button
because I desperately want to hit 200K.
So I'll start this off similar
to how the 6 inch video went
by telling you that it's really hard
to pinpoint exactly which company makes the best lift kit
for your truck because it really depends
how you use your truck,
and I really don't know you all that well.
Yes, you,
Steve.
I'm not exactly sure what you do with your truck
so I can't just rattle off the top of my head
the best kit, plus that would make for a really boring video
if all I did was list off a part number
for the most popular selling kit on the website.
Which, strangely enough by the way,
if we're talking about just the 4 inch kits
is that the 4 inch Rough Country kit
for the '09 to 2018 two-wheel drive Ram 1500s
is the most popular.
Probably because it's less than $600
for the whole thing.
And there's your random fact for the day, I guess.
So, anyway, here's what I found.
When I went through the sales data
and I sorted out all thirteen brands
currently offered for lifts kits
on the Custom Offsets website,
we're gonna touch on just the top three companies
that are dominating the 4 inch market
based on sales.
So, we've got, uh, Rough Country, BDS, and Fabtech
way ahead of any of the others.
One thing I've learned after touring
various factories and manufacturers
is that that gapping quality is kind of decreasing
with all the companies as they grow larger and larger.
So, nearly everyone is using similar equipment,
not the same but definitely similar.
I mean, if you're making the same type of product,
you'll need the same type of equipment to produce it.
It's just simple math, I guess.
The major differences come from engineering,
material selection, and the sources of those materials,
and what's all included in the kits,
as well as final packaging.
If you're already bored of listening to me talk
you can just hit the Sort by Popular button
on our website after searching year, make, and model.
But if you're not, I'm about to explain
a little bit about each of these brands
and the 4 inch kits that they offer
so you can make the right choice for your truck.
So, we'll kick this off with BDS,
since they have a reputation for being the
top of the line lift kit manufacturer
for your typical off the shelf retail customers.
The most popular BDS 4 inch kit out there
is the one for the '14 to '18 GM 1500 truck.
But they do make a four inch kit for
many, many makes and models.
Uh, the kit for the GM trucks comes with
standard components you would expect,
like the dropped cross members,
the dropped brackets, the real hood,
the front diff and new knuckles.
But it also includes full replacement 4 inch struts
to give the proper ride height in the front.
And the rear kit provides a 4 inch block
to replace the factory 1 and 1/4 inch block.
The other nice feature is that it comes with
a three piece skid plate to protect
the front of your truck during any off-roading,
and you do also get the option to upgrade
to the Fox 2.0 shocks, which we recommend to everyone.
Uh, BDS also offers a 4 inch coil-over kit.
Which I was actually surprised to see,
as being the second most popular option
for four inch kits from BDS.
I definitely expected to see more of your standard kits
just due to the price jump
when you step up to a coil-over kit.
As far as applications go,
you'll see BDS offering coil-overs
for a smaller variety of vehicles in the 4 inch.
But, for the most part, it'll be on your newer,
popular trucks like the Ford F-Series truck
and the GM 1/2-ton pickups.
Add another 1/2 inch and you'll get a bit more compatibility
with the 4 1/2 inch coil-over kits.
So, that's something to keep in mind.
As with any coil-over kit,
the primary focus is going to be
on the coil-overs, themselves.
So for the BDS 4 inch system,
these have been specifically engineered
as a partnership with Fox Racing
to fit the BDS suspension system
and feature pre-tuned Eibach coil springs
in an external reservoir
for increased oil cooling capacity.
So these coil-overs come pre-set by factory
to the correct ride height,
right out of the box.
So you don't have to worry about complicating
the install process.
But if you do want to adjust them you can.
I mean, after all, that's kind of the beauty
of a coil-over setup.
You can fine-tune exactly how you want them to perform.
To jump to the opposite end of the spectrum,
we have Rough Country.
Which, 99.9% of the time
will have a lower price point
than anyone else on the market for a comparable kit.
Out of all the folks who make lift kits,
it seems like Rough Country actually has
some of the biggest offering to both
old trucks and new trucks.
Whereas others are just making new kits
when new trucks are released.
Rough Country will actually redesign kits
for older trucks and keep improving them over time,
and add in features when they make new shocks,
or new coil-overs, and so on.
As far as the most popular 4 inch kit
from the guys down in Tennessee,
we're gonna be looking at the standard four inch kit,
and they offer it for
just about every make and model ever.
Since, that's just what it seems like.
They have a 4 inch kit for just about anything.
You can search based on what your truck is
right on our website to see everything that fits,
regardless of brand or if you're curious if they make
something for your square body or a Toyota
or any other less popular truck out there.
But the 4 inch kit achieves lift with
typical strut spacers and then they also include
lift knuckles and dropped cross members, uh,
front diff drops, as well.
But, it's pretty much all just standard stuff.
But standard stuff means standard pricing,
and most of these 4 inch kits from Rough Country
come in right around $1,000
and I'll let you in on a little hint,
if you're curious about 6 inch kits,
the prices are almost the same.
It's really just personal preference
as far as how high you want to go with your truck.
But don't fee like you have to go smaller
just because of your budget.
The third option, uh, is one that doesn't get mentioned
as much as it should.
When I ran the numbers, I was actually surprised
to see that Fabtech was so high up on the list,
for a company that doesn't get brought up all that often.
The reason Fabtech makes the list definitely
has a lot to do with prices.
The best example I have is the 4 inch kit
for the '14 and up GM trucks with MagneRide.
So Fabtech actually offers a budget kit for these trucks,
and they label it as a budget kit, not me.
That's just what they call it.
It's about $650.
$650 for 4 inch lift, it's kinda crazy.
So, here's the kicker though,
you get the strut spacers and you get new upper control arms
and you get extended range ball joints,
but that's really it,
other than the taller blocks in the rear.
So, obviously there's some cons to this
but there are some pros, too.
Uh, with no differential drop,
you risk having your CV axles at an angle,
which could lead to premature wear.
But, with no front cross members,
that also means that you don't need to cut up your truck
and you could return it to stock if you wanted to, uh,
just as easy as you installed the kit, which is great
if you're not comfortable cutting your truck
or it's a lease and you need to return it back to stock
before you turned it in.
So, for that same truck they also offer a 4 inch lift
with Duralogic 2.5 inch coil-overs
for right around $2,300.
So, don't just rule out Fabtech based on their budget kits.
They actually have performance kits,
they've got uniball kits, coil-over kits,
an "ultimate" kit.
Basically they have a kit designed for every budget
and, regardless of which one you choose,
you can trust that a Fabtech kit will hold up.
They're still one of the top players
in the lifted truck world.
So, Steve, if you're still watching,
it really comes down to personal preference
and how you use your truck.
There will always be cheap options out there
and I guarantee someone has something way outside
of your price range and there isn't really
a specific 4 inch lift that's the "bee's knees"
of lift kits, but we do our best to explain them in detail
in all of our lifts and levels videos on YouTube.
So, drop your experience with your lift kit
in the comments below and, if you're ready to pick one up
for your truck, head over to Customoffsets.com/lifts
and check out all the different options we offer.
If you're having a difficult time finding
the exact lift kit you need,
just drop you questions in the comments below
and we'll throw you a link.
Peace.