BDS 4 link or Carli 4" kit???????

Fixing to order a 4" lift for my 2016, trying to decide on the BDS 4 link kit or the Carli kit both using Fox shocks. There is a good price difference between the two, any opinions on either kit? Is it worth the extra $ for the carli kit?

i would never ever run bds. Carli is awesome.

I ran a BDS 4" 4-link with full deavers on my 2012 F350, and I'm running a Carli 2.5" with full deavers on my 2015 F250. Both with Fox shocks, and trust me: GET THE CARLI!!! It's night and day difference. I can go about 20mph faster down the same roads with the Carli. Their coils and shock tuning is just that much better. No one does the R&D that Carli does, and it shows!

Notneb said:

I ran a BDS 4" 4-link with full deavers on my 2012 F350, and I'm running a Carli 2.5" with full deavers on my 2015 F250. Both with Fox shocks, and trust me: GET THE CARLI!!! It's night and day difference. I can go about 20mph faster down the same roads with the Carli. Their coils and shock tuning is just that much better. No one does the R&D that Carli does, and it shows!

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X100


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Looks like its Carli all the way

Take a good look at PMF too.

I second unbroken ^^ been installing PMF parts and they are built like a tank . They definitely know what they are doing.

Good product I will admit...but they don't manufacture Springs..

Very few people do. PMF uses Icon springs. Does Carli make springs in house or do they outsource and label them?

UNBROKEN said:

Very few people do. PMF uses Icon springs. Does Carli make springs in house or do they outsource and label them?

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Either way, their shock tuning is done alongside those springs.

I know I've said this before, but I've got Icon springs in my PMF kit. I started out with regular bilstein 5160s, but ended up swapping them out for the Carli valved Fox 2.0s and the ride got soooooo much better you wouldn't believe. If they made it better with my icon springs I can only assume the Carli springs have to make it even better. I just think they do so much more testing than other companies with their shock and spring packages.

If I were to do my lift all over again at the same height, I'd be using PMF hard parts with Carli springs and shocks. Not that Carli hard parts are bad by any means, but it's more of a stick with what you know thing I guess.

UNBROKEN said:

Very few people do. PMF uses Icon springs. Does Carli make springs in house or do they outsource and label them?

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Not knocking PMF-see my sig? LOL


im not totally sure about who makes them but i was more referring to Carli tuning the shocks to match the springs.

after riding in a truck with Carli springs and carli valved foxes, a truck with the icon remote resi shock and icon springs, and a truck with carli tuned foxes and icon springs-i must say that the first one in the list rode the best hands down. All were with 35" toyos on factory 20s.

UNBROKEN said:

Very few people do. PMF uses Icon springs. Does Carli make springs in house or do they outsource and label them?

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They are sourced out and made to their specs.


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I 95% of the time Sell Icon/PMF/Fox combinations for the Super Duty. Carli is great but i think the PMF/Icon setup is ideal. I would stay away from BDS.

josh@thedieselcartel said:

I 95% of the time Sell Icon/PMF/Fox combinations for the Super Duty. Carli is great but i think the PMF/Icon setup is ideal. I would stay away from BDS.

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So besides what your sale numbers tell you, do you have any seat time in both setups? I think that's what the OP wants to know.

Yes I've Sold Both, Installed Both, Ridden Both....I continue to sell the ones mentioned 9 out of 10 times for many reasons. I wouldn't honestly say that comparable PMF/Icon/Fox setup rides any better or worse than the same Carli/Fox setup. Both ride well and are top of the line components. In my world though, customers want a product they can get quickly. I can almost always get my hands on Fox Shocks and Icon Springs in a day or two, or ship them out right away. PMF stuff (basic) is usually able to ship in about the same time or I keep some of the PMF stuff in stock at my shop. So when turnaround time is important its a hands down winner in my book.

Gotcha, just curious about how the PMF setups compare. I'm looking at their ALA's right now, and the time frame I get, I'm still debating a King shock setup but the turnover rate with King service is appalling...

Notneb said:

Gotcha, just curious about how the PMF setups compare. I'm looking at their ALA's right now, and the time frame I get, I'm still debating a King shock setup but the turnover rate with King service is appalling...

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Custom shocks are ridiculous, especially in off road race seasons.
If your not dead set on Kings, Fox makes a killer 2.5 shock that specific for super duty, and specific for various heights of lifts. We can usually get them quickly.

josh@thedieselcartel said:

Custom shocks are ridiculous, especially in off road race seasons.
If your not dead set on Kings, Fox makes a killer 2.5 shock that specific for super duty, and specific for various heights of lifts. We can usually get them quickly.

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The next full suspension upgrade will be coilovers, that's why I brought up King... Going with a setup like Jomax ran, with 2.5 coilovers with 3.0 piggy backs and rears. Luckily with that setup my service intervals will be less than with my current Fox's, but still it would be in the back of my mind.

But I'll keep y'all in mind if I decide on the PMF ALA's!

Sorry to the OP for the slight derail/hijack!

No problem, any info is good info! Wish my pockets would allow what my mind wants! I just want this thing to ride like a Cadillac. But on a budget lol

Does any vendors on here sell Carli? Can you buy parts individually or do you have to buy it as a whole kit?