leveling kit

[CowboyRich]

Hello! I am new to this forum. I figured it was time to join as i have many questions. I have a 4x4 03 ram 5.7 2500 quad cab w/8 ft bed(mostly stock besides larger tires and a few cosmetics). I'm looking to level out my truck with a BDS 2" leveling kit. Can anyone attest to the quality of this kit, or is there a better/better value one out there?
Also, what are the problems i should expect as far as other components breaking/wearing after installation of the kit? or if i should replace a certain part right away.

ok...One more question, Would an add-a-leaf kit be a good idea to keep the rake in my truck? or are those just a cheap/jerry-rigged way of adding lift to a truck?

 

[Stangshcky12]

A better bet would be to just crank up your torsion bar adjusters! Its free!
It acheives lift the same way a torsion key does, my increasing the tension in the front spring. I wouldnt go much above 2", 2.5" at the most!
You could do an add a leaf but it would be much easier(probably cheaper as well) to throw in a small block IMO

By leveling you are gonna put some stress on the front end and there is a chance of breaking stuff but it seems to be pretty uncommon for as much as its talked about

 

[CowboyRich]

Thanks for the advice! Is cranking up the adjusters generally a safe thing to do, or is the leveling kit the proper way to do it? I guess my question is, if cranking up the torsion adjusters is free and doesn't cause problems, why would anyone spend money on a leveling kit?

 

[Stangshcky12]

why would anyone spend money on a leveling kit?

02-05 have torsion bar front suspension so they are the only ones that can have the torsion adjusters cranked up. Why people buy keys, I dont have an answer for that lol I guess some people just feel safer with them
The key just acts as a shim basically, the only advantage to them is they allow you to maintain the factory adjustability(not a big deal since you are adjusting them to where you want them lol)
heres a quick paint sketch to give you a better idea lol
The middle is stock, the left is adjusted and the right would be with a key

 

[quietpeen]

Does he have torsion bars on a 2500?

 

[Stangshcky12]

Holy crap I completly missed 2500
Go with the Hell Bent Steel spacers! They are a vendor here, I bought 2" spacers from them before I was a member here, 25k miles later I'm still wry pleased! They are great quality an inexpensive
My buddy had BDS spacers on his 3500 an one of them cracked. He also hates te shocks cause they freeze up in the winter. The crack was probably a one in a thousand deal.
I would recommend getting extended length shocks as the ride isnt the best with the stock ones, I went with pro comps. Sway bar drop isn't a bad idea either but not necessary, I've been recently thinking about getting them but we'll see

 

[bigbadram1500]

Welcome to the forum. I have a ready lift leveling kit, but I would also recommend hell bent steel, I didn't know about them when I got mine. They do put stress on the front end, but I went about 4 years with the kit, before I had to do some front end replacement.

 

[CircleCityConcepts]

Rough Country has a good kit too. I have installed two of them. Make sure you install one side at a time. It's WAY easier

 

[Stangshcky12]

Still kicking myself for not seeing it was a 2500
Let me know if you plan on installing the spacers yourself and I can give you some tips!

 

[CowboyRich]

thanks! I really appreciate the advice, i think i'm going to go ahead and look into the hell bent spacers and procomp shocks. i'll keep up to date as to what i'm doing

 

[drjohn3]

Your truck looks good thanks for the ideas

 

[CowboyRich]

I'm ordering the hell bent spacers, probably 2.5". I'll be doing it myself.

 

[WhiteExpress]

You do realize that with a 2.5" lift you will effectively shift your axle to one side unless you also purchase an adjustable trac bar. You'll cause your truck to 'dog leg' down the road, and wear out tires a bit faster.

Is it a dramatic amount, no. When I put a 1.5" level on my '00 Ram I think it was to the effect of 1/2". It annoyed be because I started rubbing at full lock. Got an adjustable trac bar, re-centered the axle and moved on with life.

Just and FYI.

 

[CowboyRich]

My spacers are coming in today and i'm installing them this weekend!!!

 

[CowboyRich]

btw, does anyone know where to find an adjustable trac bar?