Pics? Tips? Did you swap rear axles? Do the spindles actually lower the front of the truck?
Thanks in advance!
Oh, you wanted more of an answer than that lol? Do you have a 2wd? I don't know if this will work on a 4wd. It's probably possible, since the spring difference (coils vs torsion bars) is handled by the LCA. I swapped axles to get the gears, bigger axle and brakes. It isn't the spindles that really control the height in this application, it's the coil springs. When I did this originally, I used springs from a quad cab SRT; coupled with drop shackles this had the effect of almost completely leveling the truck. Any load in the back made the front end higher than the back, so I ended up switching to regular cab SRT front coils; this brought the front end back down where it was supposed to be and increased handling. The SRT spindles are also quite different from regular 1500 spindles. This also contributes to better handling because the caster/camber rates are geared towards it. Also the front sway bar on a SRT 1500 is the same exact one on a regular 1500.
Before
After
Look at the top of the spindles, see how they are shaped different?
Dana 60
Keep in mind if you do just the front brake swap, your braking bias is going to be off. Stock brakes are 2 piston floaters with 13" rotors (IIRC), while the rears are single piston floaters. I swapped to the
05-06 setup, which 4 piston fixed calipers on a 15" rotor. The rear SRT brakes are bigger than the stock front 1500 brakes. If you don't intend to do the Dana swap (the SRT brakes will not fit to a 9.25) you might be better off installing the
04 setup. Not quite as large, they are still huge 2 piston floaters on the same size rotor. Braking bias won;t be so far off and if at some point you decide to swap rears, the 05-06 calipers will bolt right in place if you are so inclined. Another thing to keep in mind with the Dana swap; regular 1500's mount the spring over the axle.
SRT quad cabs also do this.
SRT reg cabs do not, they are lowered from the factory and the spring mounts are on the bottom (like an old school leaf spring car). You will also need a custom driveshaft.
Some tips:
I did this entire setup over a year or so period. Most of these parts are EXPENSIVE. I was very patient and found deals wherever I could. The calipers I got off ebay, they were brand new but the guy had them labeled as 04's so no one wanted them, I ended up with them for less than half what they were worth. He also had spindles from his truck (it had caught fire) that I got for a song. These are the most vital part of the project and usually the most expensive outside of the axle. Picked those up with the brakes for like $200. Springs I got from
Cleveland pick-a-part (they are on ebay and have their own site, good source for parts but they will butt **** you on price most times). Someone in FL was parting out an SRT quad cab, picked up the
dana for $700 and change plus shipping. Pretty much everything else is Mopar oem parts or stuff from Autozone (rotors, bearing hubs, etc). Patience is a virtue in this case unless you have deep pockets. I work for the government and I'm married, so I don't.
Parts list I used
1.
SRT spindles (find these first!!) (ebay)
2.
SRT brake calipers (ebay)
3.
SRT front rotors (Autozone)
4.
New front bearing hubs (I did this mod at a little 100,000 miles, well worth
the insurance. Also, the old ones wouldn't come out without destroying
them)
5.
New front brake pads (had to go oem for the time being)
6.
SRT front coil springs (tried the quad cabs
first, the settled on the reg cabs - Cleveland Pick-a-part)
7. SRT Bilsteins (totally worth it for handling/ride)
8.
Dana 60 with brakes
9.
New oem type rear brake pads
10. The Dana came with rotors, I blasted them then had them turned, cost
me about $50 for both
11. Custom driveshaft (this one hurt, about $700 for a 6' aluminum shaft.
SRT quad cabs have a
2 piece steel shaft with a carrier bearing in the
middle. I may switch to this later on)
That pretty much sums it up. If you have any further questions feel free to ask. When I was seating the pads in after the swap I almost launched myself through the windshield. Wear your seatbelt when you do it.
. Very happy with the setup.
