From Belltech 2/4 back to stock: what I miss and what I don't

I recently made the decision to swap out my Belltech 2/4 kit for the stock suspension after 3 years of the low life. Primarily because I'll be towing trailers in the next few years and test runs with the Belltech kit were bordering dangerous. A number of members have already done a Belltech review after they go low but I thought I might offer a flipped perspective.



What I miss:

-The look. When I first installed the kit and slapped on a set of 285/50's I thought the stance was just about perfect. When I would get out of the truck, I'd almost always look back just to take another glance. I loved it and miss it bad.

-The handling. The steering had a more direct, connected feel. It felt less like I was driving a truck and more like a car with a huge steering wheel. It was much more fun to drive.

-Flat braking. Kinda forgot about this one until I went back to stock. Lowered doesn't dive nearly as much as stock. Even under harder braking, truck stays relatively flat with little front end dive. The stock truck feels more like you are falling into the front brakes with your body pressing harder against the seatbelt. And I don't think I brake particularly hard in most cases. Feels easier to come to a smooth stop with the Belltech.

-Easy ingress/egress. You essentially slide into the truck instead of jumping up into it. It was actually easier to use as a daily runabout.

-Lower bed height. I often use my truck for truck stuff like hauling junk, trips to the hardware store and moving things for people. The 5" drop in the rear (including shorter tires) makes getting things in and out so much easier. It's a more practical and convenient bed height for loading and unloading. The other day I was parked next to a stock 2wd 2003 GMC Sierra 1500, his bed was lower than my truck on Belltech.

-Washing/waxing. Remembered this when I washed the truck today. No step stool required to wash the front windshield. Still have to get in the bed to get the top of the cab. Overall just easier to wash the truck by hand.



What I don't:

Bad alignment: Took it to 3 places and had it aligned about 4-5 times but could never get the alignment close. Truck always pulled a little one way or the other.

No freeways: I took the truck on two freeway trips and was miserable. Every little bump was amplified and the steering wheel would pull harshly if I hit a bump or dip in a corner. Constant vibrations. I just stopped taking freeway trips. If I needed a truck, I would borrow my brothers. When my wife and I would travel, we would be forced to take her car. Had the tires balanced a number of times, never solved any of the issues. This was the biggest concession made when lowering.

Can't tow: Technically I could, but only around town. Although I would be riding on the bump stops the entire time. Ride was terrible and I wouldn't call it safe either. Unsettling, felt like the truck was going to fall apart or break something the few times I towed my car or boat.

The ride: Yep, it's a lowered truck and rides like one. I knew what I was getting into on this one, no surprise. Feel every bump, hit a small dip and hit the bumpstops, everything shakes. Not saying the trade off wasn't worth it but definitely don't miss it.

Interior rattles: Oh the rattles, the creaks and squeaks. Window was either up or down, half way would rattle the glass and drive me nuts. Rear slider window developed a rattle too. All went away with the stock suspension.



I'm really hoping that this was the right decision in the long run since I immediately regretted doing it. I have a little race car and boat that I haven't been able to travel with for the past 3 years and I'm expecting that the opportunities that towing provides will be worth it. Ideally, I'd like to get a crew cab truck for daily driving and travel and keep my RCSB to start modding the way I've always wanted. But who knows what life has in store. Anyhow, just thought I'd share my recent experience. What do you all think? Similar or different experiences?

I can relate man. Even tough i have never dropped my ram, i did drive for 5 years a single cab sierra with a 5-7 drop before i got my ram back in 2015. First thing i missed was hittin a long curve on freeway or making a fast turn without the body roll. Things i dont miss of a dropped truck in general: pullin in or out a gas station without scraping the frame, driving on crappy streets here in houston, bump steer, replacing upper ball joints/control arms, etc. thats why i have not lowered my ram. I like getting in and going were ever without worrying of what i mentioned. Ive tought of dropping it, rams look good lowered, but the smooth ride, cant beat that!!

I was wondering is there a in between like just lowering the rear where you still keep some of the stock feel but have a little lowered look? I've been considering an RT truck, but the ones I see online lowered look awesome! I do highway driving in the city, and my vette is really low and I drive it on Fridays and of course you feel the bumps and scrap into gas stations and all that fun stuff, but I have always loved the look of a slightly lowered regular cab ram. I've thought about removing my bilstein and lowering my current quad cab just not sure how that would look.

OP, it sounds like you hadn't put anything but the drop kit onto the truck, there are a lot of things you could have done to eliminate all the problem you had with just a 2/4 drop, but I understand that not everybody is willing to put the time and money into doing it right. Lowered trucks are perfectly capable of towing with a set of helper bags in the rear and your vibration issues could be everything from an uncorrected lateral pinion angle to an undersized shock setup. If you were running the BT Street Performance shocks that would have been your first issue, they underdamp for our trucks. The alignment issues have all been handled with various tweaks that we've found on here but a lot of it is the BT kit itself on certain trucks.

My setup is built for handling and performance and while it's a rougher ride where I like it setup for handling I run adjustable shocks and can dial them down for when my wife's riding with me.

SuthrnRAM said:

I was wondering is there a in between like just lowering the rear where you still keep some of the stock feel but have a little lowered look? I've been considering an RT truck, but the ones I see online lowered look awesome! I do highway driving in the city, and my vette is really low and I drive it on Fridays and of course you feel the bumps and scrap into gas stations and all that fun stuff, but I have always loved the look of a slightly lowered regular cab ram. I've thought about removing my bilstein and lowering my current quad cab just not sure how that would look.

Click to expand...

You can drop the rear 2" and it'll do what you need.

Sounds like I should be glad that I didn't lower my Regular Cab 1500.

I am new here and with a new Ram. I have been reading most everything I can about lowering 2/4 and want to for the positives you mention, but want to avoid the negatives as much as I can. So how best to accomplish that? How much in parts and change is just right w/o spending more than necessary? I'm not sure, but yours is a great read, thanks for posting.

If your staying 2/4 then do the following...

-Get the $300 Belltech spring only kit(dont get the kit w/ the shocks, they arent the greatest. Some will say they are, they arent)

-Factory replacement Bilstein 4600 front shocks

-Bilstein 5100 rear shocks in pics below(not specific to our trucks. They are the same exact length as the Belltech shocks compressed & extended....just MUCH better. Not even in the same category)

-Illicit No Cut brackets. For me there was zero ways around not having these and keeping the lowering kit. These fix the wobble, wheel hop, pinion angle and center the axle all at the same time.

-2008 Ford f150 front sway bar endlinks to level the front bar

Start there, that is a great set up. From there if you want to play more then get a Hellwig rear sway bar, Spohn adjustable panhard and Airlift helper bags.

If you want to go 4/6 then go straight to the Inez kit.

Here are some pics of my set up

Gary's Hemi said:

If your staying 2/4 then do the following...

Click to expand...

Thanks Gary for the feedback; I'll look those parts up. Yes, 2/4 is enough for all around driving I think. I'll start my own thread (didn't mean to hijack this one!) and open discussion, but what you said makes great sense.

Gary's Hemi said:

If your staying 2/4 then do the following...

-Get the $300 Belltech spring only kit(dont get the kit w/ the shocks, they arent the greatest. Some will say they are, they arent)

-Factory replacement Bilstein 4600 front shocks

-Bilstein 5100 rear shocks in pics below(not specific to our trucks. They are the same exact length as the Belltech shocks compressed & extended....just MUCH better. Not even in the same category)

-Illicit No Cut brackets. For me there was zero ways around not having these and keeping the lowering kit. These fix the wobble, wheel hop, pinion angle and center the axle all at the same time.

-2008 Ford f150 front sway bar endlinks to level the front bar

Start there, that is a great set up. From there if you want to play more then get a Hellwig rear sway bar, Spohn adjustable panhard and Airlift helper bags.

If you want to go 4/6 then go straight to the Inez kit.

Here are some pics of my set up

Click to expand...

Truck looks great! Is that with the 2/4 parts you listed or is that 4/6?

Boosted Motorsports said:

Truck looks great! Is that with the 2/4 parts you listed or is that 4/6?

Click to expand...

Its a 2/4 w/ the parts listed

Gary's Hemi said:

If your staying 2/4 then do the following...

-Get the $300 Belltech spring only kit(dont get the kit w/ the shocks, they arent the greatest. Some will say they are, they arent)

-Factory replacement Bilstein 4600 front shocks

-Bilstein 5100 rear shocks in pics below(not specific to our trucks. They are the same exact length as the Belltech shocks compressed & extended....just MUCH better. Not even in the same category)

-Illicit No Cut brackets. For me there was zero ways around not having these and keeping the lowering kit. These fix the wobble, wheel hop, pinion angle and center the axle all at the same time.

-2008 Ford f150 front sway bar endlinks to level the front bar

Start there, that is a great set up. From there if you want to play more then get a Hellwig rear sway bar, Spohn adjustable panhard and Airlift helper bags.

If you want to go 4/6 then go straight to the Inez kit.

Here are some pics of my set up

Click to expand...

I 100% agree with this methodology......only difference for me is it was a costly evolution to get to your above conclusions.

As you know I went with the 5100 front shocks as well; which took a little customizing to get there and have yet to install the ilicit no cut brackets, so I'm still not where I want to be but hopeful to get everything done soon! and I'm probably going to switch back to stock length endlinks--see how that feels before making final decision between the F150 and stockers

moregrip said:

I 100% agree with this methodology......only difference for me is it was a costly evolution to get to your above conclusions.

As you know I went with the 5100 front shocks as well; which took a little customizing to get there and have yet to install the ilicit no cut brackets, so I'm still not where I want to be but hopeful to get everything done soon! and I'm probably going to switch back to stock length endlinks--see how that feels before making final decision between the F150 and stockers

Click to expand...

Same here. I spent alot of money on parts that were suggest to me to work and they flat out didnt

Gary's Hemi said:

Same here. I spent alot of money on parts that were suggest to me to work and they flat out didnt

Click to expand...

How much would you say it costs to drop the truck with your 2/4 setup suggestions?

Debating doing it to mine but might just get a procharger instead

2/4 drop isn't as much as a 4/6 or 5/7 drop setup but not by much.

Belltech 2/4 w/ shocks lowering kit $529
Illicit Customs Rear Correction Kit $500.00
Adjustable Panhard Bar $135

Total: $1,164.00

*prices are approximate

------------------------------------------------

Inez Hotrods 4/6 or 5/7 lowering kit $1200

includes:
Front Tubular Upper/Lower Control Arms
Rear 6" Drop Coils
Rear Drop Shocks
Rear Control Arm Relocation Brackets
Rear Panhard Bar Relocation Bracket
Rear Swaybar Endlinks
...........................................
Adjustable Panhard Bar $135

Total: $1335

*prices are approximate

I have the 2/4 drop kit with only the springs and the panhard bar relocation bracket, and the only "problem" I have is at WOT when it shifts into 2nd, the truck wobbles, this could be fixed but it doesn't bother me. Everything else is stock, and have not thought twice about any of the other mods to go with thugs kit. I drive from Raleigh 4 hours to the mountains almost every weekend and the truck rides like a dream (kinda) compared to my slammed volvo at least..

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I need some advice.... I have the 3/4 Belltech kit and 22" KMC Slides. Thinking about reversing direction and getting a lift kit. Tired of scraping and tires rubbing my wheel wells. Any advice?

Raise the front to a 2" drop & go w/ a stock wheel. No rubbing problems then

While I do like the look of the lowered trucks, I'm with you. I have a road racing 1965 Belvedere on coilovers - I raise it an inch for the street and soften it, then lower it back for the track and stiffen the shocks. I also have a lowered Toyota Corona that's more of a daily driver with a Supra suspension, it's low, but not slammed. I have a lifted Toyota x-cab pickup that's soon going away (I think).

I bought the RAM to have a new, reliable vehicle and to tow things when I needed to. With two lowered cars, I wasn't going to lower the new truck, and your post affirms that notion. I actually thought about going a couple inches higher, but it's really high enough stock. It has the tow package, so I can haul my Plymouth or a toy hauler and quads. It's always tempting, but I don't need a third lowered vehicle, and I kinda like the nice, smooth ride I have now. Well, maybe a thicker rear bar from Hellwig and firmer shocks at some point.

1stHEMI said:

While I do like the look of the lowered trucks, I'm with you. I have a road racing 1965 Belvedere on coilovers - I raise it an inch for the street and soften it, then lower it back for the track and stiffen the shocks. I also have a lowered Toyota Corona that's more of a daily driver with a Supra suspension, it's low, but not slammed. I have a lifted Toyota x-cab pickup that's soon going away (I think).

I bought the RAM to have a new, reliable vehicle and to tow things when I needed to. With two lowered cars, I wasn't going to lower the new truck, and your post affirms that notion. I actually thought about going a couple inches higher, but it's really high enough stock. It has the tow package, so I can haul my Plymouth or a toy hauler and quads. It's always tempting, but I don't need a third lowered vehicle, and I kinda like the nice, smooth ride I have now. Well, maybe a thicker rear bar from Hellwig and firmer shocks at some point.

Click to expand...

Well if you do change your mind.. I have a new 4 inch drop kit for the rear and 2 inch drop springs for the front with about 2000 miles on them [emoji41]

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I have a 14 rt bought sp964 belltech kit was wondering if the bilstein or qa1 shocks would better. I am doing route 66 this summer thanks for advice