Tech Time! Installing a BDS Lift Kit on our 1995 OBS Chevy Tahoe

If you were a natural born truck junkie finally making it to legal driving age in the ’90s, you most certainly noticed these Chevy C/K body style trucks. They could be seen everywhere thanks to utility companies, school district workers and even grandpa’s grocery getter.

Originally designed by Donald Wood in 1983, Chevy was able to move 551,223 of these GMT400 trucks by 1989 alone—not to mention the popular 454 model released in 1990 that sold 16,953 units over four years, with 13,748 of those units selling in the first year of production alone! It was an impressive and hard-working truck designed for the street, but what about the guys who like to go off-road? Could their truck perform just as well with the additional front drive axle, transfer case and driveshafts to make the four-wheel drive?

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We are lifting two trucks in this round of tech, but since they have the same suspension layout and mounting points, the kit will fit either one. For the Tahoe we are adding a set of 35-inch Cooper Discoverer STT PRO tires, but on the truck we are going for the mall crawler appearance with plenty of power to handle the trails. Some 33-inch Toyo Proxes ST III tires around 22×12 American Force Carver wheels will make this truck stand out in any parking lot. Let’s get started!

This BDS Lift Kit is designed for ’88-’98 Chevrolet/GMC 4WD, 6-lug, 3/4-ton pickup trucks, including K1500, 1/2-ton and K2500. This tightly engineered 6-inch suspension lift kit is designed around two heavy duty upper A-arms, one-piece laser cut high clearance crossmembers and replacement steering knuckles. This combination offers zero track width change unlike many knuckle kits on the market.
The high clearance crossmembers increase ground clearance for off-road performance while compression struts support the crossmembers under impact. This lift kit also includes replacement steering knuckles to maintain proper steering angles and ball joint angles, front stainless-steel braided brake lines for optimum performance and ease of installation, plus a differential skid plate for off-road protection.
Tire & Wheel Combinations
35” x 12.50” w/15 x 8 and 3-5/8” backspacing
35” x 12.50” w/16 or 17 x 8 and 4-1/2” backspacing
35” x 12.50” w/20 x 9 and 5-1/4” backspacing
Est. Installation: 8 hours
Difficulty Level (1, easy; 5, complicated): 4

For those who don’t know, in the name Chevy C/K, the “C” denotes two-wheel drive and the “K” denoted four-wheel drive. The model size was also part of the name, with 1500 indicating half a ton, 2500 for three-quarters of a ton and 3500 for one ton. Of the three trim levels—Cheyenne, Scottsdale and Silverado—the Silverado was the top of the line. The K1500 uses a transmission that has a longer output shaft and a tail shaft housing because it isn’t mounted to a transfer case. Also, these trucks came with beefier 6-lug axles compared to their 5-lug, 2WD counterpart. They were capable-built, which is why you still see them on the road almost 30 years later, just in time for the younger generation to get out of the house and into a garage where they can set down the phones and pick up a wrench.

A few highlights of this kit are new driver and passenger steering knuckles, a rear crossmember, rear differential skid plate and drop bracket, torsion bar drop bracket, and FOX shocks.

That’s exactly what this group of future fabricators did on a spare weekend during a worldwide pandemic. With a high school shop class full of tools and permission from the principal at Chester County High School in Lexington, Tennessee, Mr. James Carter agreed to help his students tackle this project in hopes of teaching a few important lessons about safety and problem solving.

The goal was to add some altitude to these two Chevy K1500 trucks for two totally different reasons. The Tahoe is owned by a young high-school student named Lake, who is a Kart racer on the weekends. His truck is in need of some OEM suspension pieces and the tires are shot. Luckily for Lake, high school graduation is right around the corner, and his dad has big plans for this lucky lad. Step one on the list is a new BDS Suspension 6-inch suspension kit, followed with some new wheels, tires and front axles. This truck is ready to run for another 30 years, but it may need a new heartbeat by then. Time to start saving for the next step!