03 2500 5.7 Lift / Whole Truck Project Questions

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Hellacious911

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Hemi 5.7
Hey new to the forum. Been lurking for a little bit but having a hard time finding the concrete answers I'm trying to piece together. August 17th I have a full week off work. I intend on installing a RC 5" long arm susp lift, 37" BFG KO2 tires, possibly rockstar 2 wheels (undecided on wheels), adding new head and tail lights, bed rail and tail gate caps, fender flares, plastidipping entire truck black after debadge, bullydog, etc etc.

I travel for work, long days and little time to research my answers but that's where my time goes instead of going out with the guys after work. Ill freaking pay for answers at this point!!!

Wheels: 5" lift, 37" BFG KO2 tires (36.5 actual height, I think) and 17" wheels. Looking for a 2-3" aggressive stance. How much of an offset would this take? I've seen one 03 2500 with a -44 but to me that seems like it would be a ton of stress. would -12 or even -24 create this stance? Don't want to use spacers and I don't offroad with this truck. Maybe later on, but not anytime soon.

BBK: I've read that stock brakes won't work nearly as well with 37s. Would I simply need new pads and rotors or is it more important to jump up to calipers and SS brake lines as well? I saw the EBC ultimax rotors and pads which were nice. Or the sport slotted and dimpled rotors. Looking for cheaper if I could but Ill pay what I need to, to know that my truck will stop when I need it to.

Suspension parts: Aside from the long arm kit, I got the dual stabilizers to go with it. Truck already has the upgraded linkage kit. Is there any other suspension parts I should swap out to accommodate the lift and larger tires as well as death wobble? I bought the truck 3 months ago and it rides stiff, but I haven't had a case of DW yet. Would I need a new steering brace?

Regearing: What I've read points to me swapping my 3.73 for 4.56. A buddy of mine is super adamant about going to 5.13. Is that too much or is it a better move? I honestly don't know anything about regearing and will take it to a shop once it s done but would like to have an idea of what I need to have done.

Fluid changes on whole truck: I have a dodge charger that I use the Quantum Blue engine oil in. It is amazing in my opinion, no hemi tick, etc. I talked to Brian at BND Automotive and he offered the whole line up for my truck for roughly 550. That would include the following:

2 gallons of engine oil and oil filter
3 gallons of transmission fluid filter and gasket
3 gallons of coolant
1 gallon for front diff
1 gallon for rear diff
2 quarts for transfer case
1 gallon of fuel additive

I am ready to buy the whole line up (originally called for just oil and fuel additive) but only concern is what is the likelihood I will run into problems after swapping the fluids out? IE debris contamination or sometimes vehicles run on old fluids forever but as soon as you put new tranny fluid in it starts acting up. Or am I just being naïve and I need to just get them all done? Truck just rolled 100k last week.

Undercarriage
: for a northern mid-west truck that is 12 years old, there really isn't much rust on this thing at all. There is surface rust and some build up underneath. Would I be ok with medium grit sand paper, followed by something finer grit. Then a coat of rustoleum and a coat of black tractor paint? The part I'm unsure of here is what can I NOT paint. Someone had mentioned axles, seals, etc. Any reassurance would be great!

Any other areas of attention: Not to sound like a complete noob or idiot after all this, but are there any other areas of attention I should look into or be aware of? I've tried to do my best and research everything I need before starting this project to avoid any hangups or issues.

I know I'm new here and haven't contributed anything to the forums yet, but I really do appreciate any and all help! I've ordered everything except the fluids, tires and wheels (waiting to figure out the right offset). So its not just something I'm gonna talk about, its gonna happen as soon as I get home haha. Ill be home in less than two weeks and really trying to figure out all the questions and kinks before then so I can be as prepared for everything I can think of.

If there is anything I can do to return the favor, please let me know. I intend on making a wordpress blog and adding the progress, updates, and each task with photos. It'll include an inventory of everything I purchased, costs, any issues, etc. I could either link it here or add a topic to the forum so its contained.

Thanks so much again. Jarrod
 

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usaf2006

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I'm looking to do something like this to my 2006, which is different with IFS to deal with. I want to run 37's as well. I haven't' had much time to research, but I'll be watching this thread for sure! I've never heard of Quantum Blue to be honest, but that sounds like a lot of money. I don't have much to contribute to your need for answers, but I asked about Plastidipping the whole truck, and I was told it was a terrible idea haha!
 
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Hellacious911

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Hemi 5.7
Sounds like you'll have a fun project as well. As far as quantum blue, you can read more about it at www.bndautomotive.com I've used the engine oil and fuel additive on my charger and loved it. Gets rid of the hemi tick and I have a better feeling or reassurance when using it. It's pricey, and opinions on it will vary, but I went ahead and ordered the full line up. Will post a review on how it works out later down the road. I ordered the plastidip kit for the truck as well. I've personally seen a couple other trucks that turned out really well and have held up nicely. I wouldn't use it if I was offroading with the truck or anything really rough though. But again opinions will vary on that.
 

justin13703

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As far as the wheels, the width of the rim will change what the offset does. On a 9 inch wide wheel with a 12.5 inch wide tire, a -12 offset looks pretty good.
 

EWC88

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4.56 for sure with 37s. I was told to do 4.56 for 37s as that was my original plan with a enormous lift but I since changed my mind to a more practical lift with 35s but still will be running 4.56 since I already bought them and they are still sitting in the box right next to me as I type lol.

Undercarriage, I really want to tackle this, what I'm doing is taking bed off truck, sanding down all rust on frame and then using POR-15 to paint it all. I have heard great reviews of this product so that's what I'm going to do.

Other things to just look at to make sure all is ok that I would look at is ball joints. If they are starting to go, the time to replace would be perfect when you do the lift. I did mine already and went with MOOG since one the brand name and two the zerk or whatever you call it fittings so I can grease them myself, I tend to add a little grease every oil change.
 
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