BDS Suspension Blog

Part 1 of Vern Simons’ article on jpmagazine.com featured the installation of a 4.5″ BDS XJ Long Arm kit. This month Vern tells us how the new kit is driving:

“After pounding our Patriot Blue XJ on and off-road over the last few thousand miles, it’s clear that the BDS 4.5″ long-arm kit with our addition of large bump stops and sheetmetal trimming is just about perfect for 35-inch tires.”

Vern glad to hear you’re having a great time blasting down the trails! For the Part 2 of Verne’s article click here http://www.jpmagazine.com/techarticles/suspension/154_1004_cherokee_xj_rear_bds_suspension_lift/index.html

Thanks to Off-Road Industry magazine for featuring two BDS products in their Winter 2010 “50 Great New Off-Road Products” issue. Of the 2,000 or so new off-road products launched every year from spark plugs to tonneau covers, we’re flattered ORI chose two of our new HC designs:

• The BDS HC Dodge Ram lift http://www.bds-suspension.com/kits/621H which offers the most ground clearance of any system on the market today and uses two high-clearance cross members, a differential skid plate and a passenger side support to create a tough subframe. Gas shock upgrades available.

• Our Ford F150 4WD HC kit  http://www.bds-suspension.com/kits/574H. Replacement steering knuckes allow the system to ensure OE steering geometry while reducing installation time.

It’s always great to be recognized by the industry for our cutting edge ideas and designs, we appreciate the kudos…thanks again guys!

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According to a recent SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) newsletter we received:

“A U.S. Department of the Interior document indicates that the agency plans to designate 14 new or expanded national monuments in the western United States. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar provided subsequent assurances that the plans were preliminary and that the Obama Administration would not bypass input from the local communities, governors and Congress if the plans move forward.

Unlike wilderness designations, motorized recreation is permitted within national monuments. However, closing off-highway vehicle (OHV) roads and trails is a frequent byproduct when land receives the National Monument designation. The potential monuments encompass nearly 13 million acres. Targeted lands include popular OHV areas, such as the San Rafael Swell and Cedar Mesa (Utah), Berryessa Snow Mountains and Bodie Hills (California), parts of the Great Basin (Nevada), the Otero Mesa (New Mexico) and the northwest Sonoran Desert (Arizona).

SEMA supports land-use decisions that are reasonable and enjoy local community support. However, SEMA opposes unnecessarily restrictive land-use policies. Under current law, the president may designate national monuments without Congressional approval. However, legislation has been introduced in Congress to rescind this option. SEMA is urging the U.S. Congress to take an active role in determining the size of monuments if such a designation is deemed appropriate and for existing OHV roads and trails to be specifically included within the permitted uses on such lands.”

Contact your Congressman to voice your opinion!

A  2008 Ford F250 V8 Triton with an 8” BDS lift kit owned by Nick R. in St-Féréol, QC, Canada, became our 1000^th Pride & Joy entry. Thank you to everyone who has submitted a previous P&J entry making bds-suspension.com a great place for off road enthusiasts to view images of lifted trucks, SUVs and Jeeps.

New Website

Now for a sneak peek into BDS Suspension’s new, soon to be launched web site—BDS Pride & Joy will step it up a notch and become “Bad Ass Rides”. The improved off road vehicle database is only one of the many new features of the web site and will allow users to search to easily find lifted vehicles based on make, model, year, installer, BDS kit number, location, or owners name.  Enthusiasts can also browse by recently added rides, most viewed rides, or highest rated rides. This takes us to another new feature, the ability to rate the vehicles on our site. Does this ride need work or is it totally bad ass?

If you’ve never attended a Baja race in person then it is hard to appreciate a trophy truck flying by you at 100 miles an hour less than 10 foot away.  Granted, be prepared to be pelted by dirt and rocks.  I was pretty sure by the end of the race that when I got home I was going to immediately start construction on a BDS trophy truck.  However, I realized that some one forgot to put it in the budget this year, not to mention the chase helicopter.

I, like many of you, have sat on my couch watching a Baja race on Sunday afternoon with the typical beer in hand thinking “that doesn’t look that tough – I could do that”.  After seeing it in person I have trouble even articulating the level of performance displayed by those teams.  The speed, undulation of the course and constant abuse on both driver and equipment is just ridiculous.  Watching a truck at those speeds handling that kind of terrain is just nothing but amazing.  Although pictures and video doesn’t do it justice, I had to include some here.

In addition to the racing, the quiet town of San Felipe was basically taken over by thousands of fans, locals and race teams all enjoying the festivities.  I did happen to see a group appreciating the local spirits and I’m sure they were counting on the “what happens in Mexico – stays in Mexico” motto.  I’m really not sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing that I didn’t have my video camera with me at the time, but let’s just say a good time was had by all.

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