Lift option details

[JamesCrowe]

Hi.
Looking at putting deposit on a Ram classic quad cab Express 3.6 tomorrow.
Ford is only special order for supercabs now and I don't want to pay 63k CAD for a truck with less options and wait 3-6 months when Ram has a bunch of trucks on the lot for 53k CAD.

I'm more experienced with Ford as I had a 2014 I bought new and sold in November 2022. I ran Billy 5100 up front around 2" (forget exactly) and I ran first an AAL then a new custom leaf pack out back with 5160s then 5100s when those were done.

I use my trucks for work (hauling tools at or near payload) and towing and hauling on weekends.

I have Billy 6112 fronts with the +1" rear coils and 5160s in the cart should I move ahead with the truck tomorrow.

My question is, are the +1" rear coils any higher of a spring rate, or just taller? Is there a better, heavier 1" lift spring for the rear? The truck will never be empty. Will range from 350# to 1000# in the bed/back seat.
My distant second choice was Falcon shocks with the tow/haul piggy back Resi rear shocks with the lever to switch from light to towing etc but that keeps stock springs.
Finally, even at 2" front, I should probably do UCAs as the truck will be used with weight on our pothole ridden streets and then be on gravel and dirt roads for personal use, but I get conflicting information on this. I went 113k km on stock UCA on my f150 but they seemed like a higher quality unit.

Am I out to lunch on my set up? Are there better options? Something else I should consider or look into?

Note I am choosing a 2/1 lift because I will have rear sag with all the weight and want to compensate for that. Goal for summer tires are 285/75R17 load C Toyo AT3 and looking at 275/60R20 for dedicated winter tires on OEM mag wheels. Haven't decided on summer wheels yet but I'd like close to stock offset and tuck.
I don't like Cali lean, and I don't like poke. Sub .25" poke I'd take, I could put flares on.

 

[danielmid]

TufTruck rear springs for the load, Bilstein rear springs won't handle the constant load well as far as I've read.

 

[Redfisher1974]

Love my pentastar ram but sounds like you maybe better off with hemi.
Lift and heavy payload will drag the 3.6 down.

 

[JamesCrowe]

Gearing is my friend
Also that 113km on my F150 was with the 3.7 cyclone non turbo six on 34" KO2s (yeah they measured 32 but still )And a six speed 6R80 with stock 3.73 gearing. I towed our 5000# camper 13,000km from MB to Newfoundland and back last year, with 800# in the truck and while it topped out at 100-110kph going up steep hills, I'm ok with that.
Gear ratios are steeper across the board except final ratio. My crawl ratio is ever better thanks to steep first gear of 5:1 and the transfer case giving me 2.64:1

 

[Redfisher1974]

Cool, my 3.6 has 3:55’s and runs great and tows all my stuff( just small boat, snowmobile etc)
Sounds good with the stock muffler removed and a flowmaster 10 put in keeping stock resonator

 

[JamesCrowe]

Ended up with 285/70R17 Toyo GSI 6 on ram steelies for winters.
Hopefully can sell the new take offs 275/60R20 black alloys and tire swing quality Wrangler SR-A for a good dollar in the spring.
Going to weigh them as well and see what I have to work with weight wise stepping down to 17s but up to an LT tire.

Struggling to find aftermarket 17s, seems like all of them are really close to neutral offset like +2, 0, -5 and then of course all the -20 and farther.
IIRC stock 20s are like +28?? Something fairly positive.

 

[JamesCrowe]

Stock 20s and tires weighed 73lb 10oz according to my scale.
Really struggling to find +10 to +18 17" wheels. Very slim pickings. Might be hunting for take off OEM 17s at this rate.

 

[olyelr]

Stock 20s and tires weighed 73lb 10oz according to my scale.
Really struggling to find +10 to +18 17" wheels. Very slim pickings. Might be hunting for take off OEM 17s at this rate.

Go to customoffsets, then click on wheels, go to the filter and pick 17” and the offsets u would like…theres a crap ton on there…

https://www.customwheeloffset.com/store/wheels?sort=instock&dia=17&offset=10*18&bolt=5x5.5%2C5x139.7&saleToggle=0&qdToggle=0&suspension=Leveling%20Kit&modification=Minor%20Plastic%20Trimming&rubbing=No%20rubbing%20or%20scrubbing

 

[JamesCrowe]

I'll look again. Between there and Trailbuilt everyone is running 0 or negative and that's 1-3" outside the fender well.
Tho while looking at the truck I don't think I can fit 9 wide with a +18 without interfering with the knuckle and UCA

 

[JamesCrowe]

Go to customoffsets, then click on wheels, go to the filter and pick 17” and the offsets u would like…theres a crap ton on there…

https://www.customwheeloffset.com/store/wheels?sort=instock&dia=17&offset=10*18&bolt=5x5.5%2C5x139.7&saleToggle=0&qdToggle=0&suspension=Leveling%20Kit&modification=Minor%20Plastic%20Trimming&rubbing=No%20rubbing%20or%20scrubbing

Thanks. Tirerack, Ion, Method, Enkie, Vision. Click on bolt pattern, hub and offset and the giant selection of wheels shrinks significantly. Method for example is 0 or -12mm for basically everything.

 

[olyelr]

Id try to find some 17x8 oem off road package wheels from the 2000-2001 era…i always liked those, but im a little biased haaaa

 

[JamesCrowe]

Makes me miss my 97 straight cab

 

[olyelr]

I miss mine more haaa, but i do know exactly where its at and have first dibs on it if i want it back….shes just a rotted out mess though ugh. I still kinda want it back though haaaaaaaa

 

[RJL1]

Id try to find some 17x8 oem off road package wheels from the 2000-2001 era…i always liked those, but im a little biased haaaa

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I have a set of those rims sitting in my shed along with some used 285 70R17 Duratracs.

Hmmm Wonder how the rims would look on my Ram?

Now you have me thinking.

 

[olyelr]

I have a set of those rims sitting in my shed along with some used 285 70R17 Duratracs.

Hmmm Wonder how the rims would look on my Ram?

Now you have me thinking.

Dosnt take very long to find out haaaaaaa.

 

[RJL1]

Dosnt take very long to find out haaaaaaa.

The problem is the tires arent mounted. But i have always loved those rims. That's why I kept them. Actually forgot they were back there in the shed.

Maybe some 35's on there would look pretty good. Although I wanted a 10" wide rim.

 

[olyelr]

I will try to find a pic of that old yellow truck when i had 35x12.5’s on those wheels. They looked good.

 

[olyelr]

Heres 16” wide boggers on 12” wide wheels for the hell of it haaaaaa.

 

[olyelr]

Not a very good pic, but these are 35x12.5’s…

 

[RJL1]

Not a very good pic, but these are 35x12.5’s…

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That looks real good. Do you have a front or back pics to show how far they stick out?