Lift on 2wd Dually?

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Bwiggins1985

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Hi guys I am going up this Monday to pick up my Grandfather in laws old dodge truck. It’s a 2wd and I want to put some height on it and install some more aggressive tires. I am wondering what the max height you can go with a spacer in the front or the max height you can get with taller springs? I was looking at a 3” spacer and an add a leaf in the back. Would that work? Could I go any higher in a 2wd?
 

EvilSpirit

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2wd front suspensions are a different design from the 4wd ones and do not allow for very much lift. And it's pretty hard to give any detailed advise about any mods without any information on the truck.
 

Nick@GotExhaust

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really need to know year and what model Dodge truck it is to give any info on it.
 
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Bwiggins1985

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It’s a 1996 Dodge 2500 dually extended cab Cummins.
 

EvilSpirit

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I'm guessing you are going for a 4wd look using a 2wd chassis truck. The issues with raising 2wd trucks are you that end up too close to or riding on the bump stops and you are at the limits of the ball joints range of motion. You also may run into the steering getting "twitchy" due to alignment issues. The best way to add height with upper/lower control arm style front suspensions would be to use raised spindles, which don't seem to be available for 2nd gen Dodges. Being a diesel LWB truck, you already have pretty much the stiffest stock springs out there, so finding higher rate springs will be difficult. You may gain a small amount of height using spacer rings under the front coils - probably 2" max, but even then, the max safe height (due to the limitations of the ball joints, bump stops, etc) will still probably be lower than a stock 4wd truck. 2" will probably only level the truck out at best.

Kinda boils down to want a 2nd gen 4wd look? Buy a 4wd truck!

But if you are committed to this truck, I would probably install QUAILITY coil spring spacers under the front coils, get the truck aligned, then adjust the rear ride height with a proper set of lift blocks - that is if the rear still needs to be lifted. Might not be exactly what you wanted, but it would leave you with a dependable, drivable truck.
 
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Bwiggins1985

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Ok so the reason I am trying to do this to the truck is because I currently don't have a truck. I had a company truck which was a 14 eco diesel and I installed the 3.5" lift with UCAs from rough country with 33's. Unfortunately I no longer have a work truck if you get what I am saying. This truck will be free to me so I am just trying to make it my own and make it look a little bit beefier. I would prefer a 4wd truck all day...but this one is free... and it will remind my wife about her grandpa who has passed...so thats why I am going to keep it. Not trying to give a sob story just the back story lol. I want to make it as tall as possible safely.

I have found heavy duty springs that say they will lift the heavy duty trucks from SD Truck Springs is I was seeing if that would work. 1" to 3" of lift. Not sure what would get it to the 3" of lift vs the 1". If it was 3" I would add a block or leaf to the rear.

http://www.sdtrucksprings.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=18244

I called TufTruck and they said these would work on my truck. I would get longer shocks with this one. Has anyone installed springs like this?
 

EvilSpirit

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The springs from SD are designed as load helper springs to keep the correct ride height with heavier loads, not as "lift" springs. Since you are not adding weight, the static ride height will raise.

The kit from Supreme seems to be well designed and priced, and will probably give you the lift you are after.

For the front:
My concern with either methods is still operating the suspension at the extreme end of its travel. Dropped or raised spindles change the spindle pin height to raise or lower the vehicle, but maintain factory upper and lower control arm angles and ball joint angles. For some applications there are also control arm kits that raise or lower the ball joint location to change the height, but they still center the ball joints in their travel at static ride height. A good rule of thumb is for the suspension to be in the center 1/3rd of suspension travel at static ride height. When your static height is in the top or bottom 1/3rd's, it changes the angles of the control arms, so you tend to either hammer the bump stops, top/bottom out the shocks, and run the ball joints at the extreme limits of their range of motion, which causes either early failure from wear or breakage from binding. I mention hitting the bump stops often, and while it may seem as an easy solution to simply trim or remove the stops - not advised. The stops are there for a reason - to protect the shocks from topping/bottoming out and to protect the ball joints from being damaged from binding.

Another issue with lifting a vehicle. When you change the spindle pin height or use different control arms to change the height, the spring rate remains the same, so the loads on the control arm bushings and ball joints also remain the same. When you install heavier springs to raise the vehicle, you also increase the loads on the control arm bushings and ball joints - again causing increased wear and/or failure.

Because alignment specs are given for the control arms to be at a neutral angle, when you change the ride height with springs, you change the angle of the control arms at static height, and sometimes it can be hard to correctly align the suspension. Also sometimes the constant hammering on the bump stops makes it hard to maintain alignments.

The rear:
Changing the ride height with blocks has been done for decades and when quality, matched parts are used is a great way to set static ride height. Sometimes the new ride height needs a shock change to keep the shocks centered in their travel at static height.

Just some friendly advise from 40+ years of 4wd and race suspension experience. Good luck with whatever direction you chose to go with the truck.
 

nathantc

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did you ever do this. i currently have a 96 2500 im wanting a 3" lift over all on. i would much rather spindles but they only seem to be available for the 1500.

have you done the spring spacers or anyone else here. if so does it ride terrible now.

my reason are that this truck seems much to low. i know its stock for the year but damn.
 
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