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Tinman454

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Wow just finished from the start great job on your truck, sucks to hear about the parts. Anyway thanks for the Posts and hope you have better luck in the future with the mods.
 
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Desert Dawg

Desert Dawg

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Wow just finished from the start great job on your truck, sucks to hear about the parts. Anyway thanks for the Posts and hope you have better luck in the future with the mods.
Thanks for following along! Yes, I will be posting more especially as I try out my new setup.
 
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Desert Dawg

Desert Dawg

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6112 updates?
Yes! The truck rides amazingly smooth. I lost about 1/2-inch of lift or so but still need to take some measurements to confirm. But my wheel and tire setup clears just fine and the 6112s soak up all the road imperfections. My previous off-road biased Dirt Logics provided a nice street ride but definitely rode a lot stiffer compared to the Bilsteins.

I am up in Ouray, CO again and hoping to tackle a more timid pass this time (compared to the lower section of Engineers Pass with all of the rock ledges), but should still be able to put the 6112s through some paces. Will post an update soon!
 

hodge-xj

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Yes! The truck rides amazingly smooth. I lost about 1/2-inch of lift or so but still need to take some measurements to confirm. But my wheel and tire setup clears just fine and the 6112s soak up all the road imperfections. My previous off-road biased Dirt Logics provided a nice street ride but definitely rode a lot stiffer compared to the Bilsteins.

I am up in Ouray, CO again and hoping to tackle a more timid pass this time (compared to the lower section of Engineers Pass with all of the rock ledges), but should still be able to put the 6112s through some paces. Will post an update soon!
I'm stoked to hear that they worked out! Enjoy your trip and I look forward to seeing pictures! Have fun!
 
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Desert Dawg

Desert Dawg

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Got a short trip in to see how things worked out with the new Bilstein 6112 front coilovers!

First, the 6112s are set at their highest level for 2-inches of lift on the Rebel. I retained the Fabtech UCAs along with the Dirt Logic 2.25 rear shocks and coil spring spacer. My existing wheel/tire setup cleared fine including at full lock despite the truck now sitting about 1/2-inch lower than with the Dirt Logic coilovers.

First part of the trip was a 5-hour ride from my home in Albuquerque, NM to Durango, CO and a quick stop in Silverton, CO and finally up into Ouray. Highway speeds average ~75 mph and reported gas mileage right at 16 mpg (which is pretty good for a heavy full-sized truck on 34s and other mods going mostly uphill to over 10,000 ft.).

The new 6112s rode brilliantly; the entire ride was very smooth with the 6112s soaking up everything in their path. Handling still felt great and the coilovers provided confidence with great rebound control.
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It was a rainy trip up so only took a couple of quick shots coming into Ouray:

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The next day was about finding an easy trail to put the 6112s through some off-road pacing. Luckily, I found one with a lot of ruts and smooth exposed rock shelves that I was able to traverse. The coilovers soaked up everything without an issue and provided a comfortable ride in the process. This is no comparison to my last trip using the Dirt Logics to crawl over high rock ledges and boulders (certainly not going to do that with just the Bilsteins) but it was a good feeling that the 6112s can still take you off the beaten path.

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So barring any need for more technical four wheeling, I am pretty happy with the new setup even though I lost some of the stance I wanted with my build. Next test will be out on some desert runs to see how they soak up dips and dunes.

IMG_1946_(3).jpg
 

Socalramfan

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Got a short trip in to see how things worked out with the new Bilstein 6112 front coilovers!

First, the 6112s are set at their highest level for 2-inches of lift on the Rebel. I retained the Fabtech UCAs along with the Dirt Logic 2.25 rear shocks and coil spring spacer. My existing wheel/tire setup cleared fine including at full lock despite the truck now sitting about 1/2-inch lower than with the Dirt Logic coilovers.

First part of the trip was a 5-hour ride from my home in Albuquerque, NM to Durango, CO and a quick stop in Silverton, CO and finally up into Ouray. Highway speeds average ~75 mph and reported gas mileage right at 16 mpg (which is pretty good for a heavy full-sized truck on 34s and other mods going mostly uphill to over 10,000 ft.).

The new 6112s rode brilliantly; the entire ride was very smooth with the 6112s soaking up everything in their path. Handling still felt great and the coilovers provided confidence with great rebound control.

It was a rainy trip up so only took a couple of quick shots coming into Ouray:

View attachment 502356

View attachment 502357

View attachment 502358

The next day was about finding an easy trail to put the 6112s through some off-road pacing. Luckily, I found one with a lot of ruts and smooth exposed rock shelves that I was able to traverse. The coilovers soaked up everything without an issue and provided a comfortable ride in the process. This is no comparison to my last trip using the Dirt Logics to crawl over high rock ledges and boulders (certainly not going to do that with just the Bilsteins) but it was a good feeling that the 6112s can still take you off the beaten path.

View attachment 502359

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View attachment 502362

So barring any need for more technical four wheeling, I am pretty happy with the new setup even though I lost some of the stance I wanted with my build. Next test will be out on some desert runs to see how they soak up dips and dunes.


Awesome scenery :waytogo:
 
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Desert Dawg

Desert Dawg

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Well, this is the end........................................I think.

Earlier this week, I had to get into the office earlier than usual and so I go out to leave only to find that my +$60K , low mileage 5th Gen Ram Rebel is totally dead, again. If you recall, I posted exactly a year ago when I went out for an off-road adventure up in Ouray, CO but found that the truck was totally dead that first morning. First, I had tried a normal jump from another vehicle but to no avail. Since Ouray is a small mountain town with one mechanic (who has a ton of Jeep and 4Runner knowledge but no 5th Gen Ram experience), and definitely no auto stores exist there either, I paid for a service truck to come from another town over 40 miles away to perform a power jump before committing to towing the truck to the nearest Ram dealership that was also over 40 miles away. Luckily, the professional jump start worked and I made the trip back home to Albuquerque, NM. Took the truck to my local dealership and of course they could not find any issues. But since that event, I have had no additional "dead battery" issues...until now.

Luckily, I had purchased a Tacklife battery jumper after my last episode up in Ouray just so I wouldn't get stranded out in the desert or mountains somewhere; I totally don't feel like I can rely on this vehicle not to mention the recurring issues with my 12-inch screen randomly going blank (glad I paid extra for that option) and the console's USB ports shorting out all the time too (and yes, the dealer could not replicate nor find any issues) along with some other minor annoyances. After hooking up the Tacklife, I couldn't get the truck to start and received an error message stating the battery was "too low" to jump. But the device has a "boost" mode just for the occasion so I pushed that and the truck started up after a couple of attempts.

I just turned 20K on the odometer after almost 3 years of ownership and now I have to make another trip to the dealership again.

So I think this latest event sealed my thought process on changing the Rebel out for something that will more closely meet my need for reliability (not chance getting stranded somewhere remote) and off-road capability. To the former, if I only drove the truck in town and didn't take it on long road trips or to remote areas, I might be more inclined to deal with it more and work with Ram and/or the dealership to figure things out, maybe. To the latter, it's a double whammy as I certainly can't rely on the vehicle to go off-road but also can't really achieve the off-road build I want without investing heavily again into another suspension that won't break on the trails.

I have been toying with the idea of going back to a Toyota 4Runner as I had lots of fun building my last one to my specs (ton of aftermarket) and taking it on a wide range of off-roading adventures due to its smaller size and great off-roading capability (especially after the mods). Plus, it is still a decent daily driver, good for the dogs, can tow my trailer for weekend Home Depot runs if needed, and is a lot more comfortable to take on long distance, highway trips (vs. the Jeep Wrangler/Gladiator that is not good at high speeds and noisy or even the new Bronco that is just too noisy too out on the highway). I went over to the Toyota dealership and placed my name on the wait list for a 2023 TRD PRO or TRD Off-road Premium (yes, the old 4Runners are still very hot right now probably for similar reasons as folks don't want to chance the newer, more complicated versions coming out....aka, new Tundra issues). The current 5th Gen 4Runner is certainly old tech but it works , you can mod them like crazy and beat them up on the trails, and they will last +200K-300K miles without stranding you somewhere.

But I haven't signed on the dotted line yet.
 

hodge-xj

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Well, this is the end........................................I think.

Earlier this week, I had to get into the office earlier than usual and so I go out to leave only to find that my +$60K , low mileage 5th Gen Ram Rebel is totally dead, again. If you recall, I posted exactly a year ago when I went out for an off-road adventure up in Ouray, CO but found that the truck was totally dead that first morning. First, I had tried a normal jump from another vehicle but to no avail. Since Ouray is a small mountain town with one mechanic (who has a ton of Jeep and 4Runner knowledge but no 5th Gen Ram experience), and definitely no auto stores exist there either, I paid for a service truck to come from another town over 40 miles away to perform a power jump before committing to towing the truck to the nearest Ram dealership that was also over 40 miles away. Luckily, the professional jump start worked and I made the trip back home to Albuquerque, NM. Took the truck to my local dealership and of course they could not find any issues. But since that event, I have had no additional "dead battery" issues...until now.

Luckily, I had purchased a Tacklife battery jumper after my last episode up in Ouray just so I wouldn't get stranded out in the desert or mountains somewhere; I totally don't feel like I can rely on this vehicle not to mention the recurring issues with my 12-inch screen randomly going blank (glad I paid extra for that option) and the console's USB ports shorting out all the time too (and yes, the dealer could not replicate nor find any issues) along with some other minor annoyances. After hooking up the Tacklife, I couldn't get the truck to start and received an error message stating the battery was "too low" to jump. But the device has a "boost" mode just for the occasion so I pushed that and the truck started up after a couple of attempts.

I just turned 20K on the odometer after almost 3 years of ownership and now I have to make another trip to the dealership again.

So I think this latest event sealed my thought process on changing the Rebel out for something that will more closely meet my need for reliability (not chance getting stranded somewhere remote) and off-road capability. To the former, if I only drove the truck in town and didn't take it on long road trips or to remote areas, I might be more inclined to deal with it more and work with Ram and/or the dealership to figure things out, maybe. To the latter, it's a double whammy as I certainly can't rely on the vehicle to go off-road but also can't really achieve the off-road build I want without investing heavily again into another suspension that won't break on the trails.

I have been toying with the idea of going back to a Toyota 4Runner as I had lots of fun building my last one to my specs (ton of aftermarket) and taking it on a wide range of off-roading adventures due to its smaller size and great off-roading capability (especially after the mods). Plus, it is still a decent daily driver, good for the dogs, can tow my trailer for weekend Home Depot runs if needed, and is a lot more comfortable to take on long distance, highway trips (vs. the Jeep Wrangler/Gladiator that is not good at high speeds and noisy or even the new Bronco that is just too noisy too out on the highway). I went over to the Toyota dealership and placed my name on the wait list for a 2023 TRD PRO or TRD Off-road Premium (yes, the old 4Runners are still very hot right now probably for similar reasons as folks don't want to chance the newer, more complicated versions coming out....aka, new Tundra issues). The current 5th Gen 4Runner is certainly old tech but it works , you can mod them like crazy and beat them up on the trails, and they will last +200K-300K miles without stranding you somewhere.

But I haven't signed on the dotted line yet.
When it comes to electronic anomalies you can't mess around. Ditch it before you get burned. This is one of those "you either get a good one or ya don't" situations. Too much to risk. I own an ecodiesel so I understand this feeling of looming peril in the back of your mind. Everything has issues, but being unable to diagnose or rectify them is a total non starter in terms of that discussion. You're truck is a high end model, tastefully modified and low miles, you'll pull top dollar. It sucks, but it sucks more getting stranded in what should be a stone cold reliable truck.

I can't believe the dealership won't go over the vehicle to make sure all the harness plugs, grounds and overall electrical components are good. Than again I can believe it. In my opinion you shouldn't have to deal with things Like this on a 50k+ truck.

I've been eyeballing Toyota's myself. Only gripe I had was it seemed like the seats were lower to the floor than I was used to.
 
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Desert Dawg

Desert Dawg

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When it comes to electronic anomalies you can't mess around. Ditch it before you get burned. This is one of those "you either get a good one or ya don't" situations. Too much to risk. I own an ecodiesel so I understand this feeling of looming peril in the back of your mind. Everything has issues, but being unable to diagnose or rectify them is a total non starter in terms of that discussion. You're truck is a high end model, tastefully modified and low miles, you'll pull top dollar. It sucks, but it sucks more getting stranded in what should be a stone cold reliable truck.

I can't believe the dealership won't go over the vehicle to make sure all the harness plugs, grounds and overall electrical components are good. Than again I can believe it. In my opinion you shouldn't have to deal with things Like this on a 50k+ truck.

I've been eyeballing Toyota's myself. Only gripe I had was it seemed like the seats were lower to the floor than I was used to.
Thanks! My feelings exactly. I obviously have had Dodge/Ram trucks before, as well as a ton of F150s, Chevys, Jeeps (from classics to modern), Land Rovers, etc. and none of them had any issues to the level my new, modern Ram does. With exception of Land Rovers, none were as complicated electronically as the current Ram but even my Land Rovers did not have issues (which is lind of ironic given their poor reliability history). However, I do think most folks have very little, if any, signicant issues with their new Rams so I am quite happy for them. But mine turned out to be one of those that continues to have issues and has soiled my confidence that I won't have more even if I can get the current ones fully resolved (which I wil still work on before selling the truck) or even if I traded out for another Ram vehicle (as the each new model year gets more complicated than the prior).

Complimenting my current sentiment is the lack of aftermarket offerings that prevent me from getting the stance and off-road prefromance I want (relative to Tundras, F150s, Chevy 1500s, Jeeps, 4Runners, etc.). I really thought, with the Rebel, that it would attract more aftermarket/performance attention but not the case (usually everything is designed foe the Ram 1500 with Rebel models an afterthought like suspension systems). I guess there are enough differences between the models but a lot less folks that actual purchase the Rebels and modify them to justify development of aftermarket parts just for the Rebel (I am don't qualify spacer lift systems as quality off-road systems).

But all of that is immaterial especially if you can't rely on the vehicle to start or not lose its control interfaces. This issue is not a "Ram" issue at all (except for me personally as mine happens to be a Ram); it's a modern vehicle issue across the board as vehicles are becoming too reliant on electronic/remote controls that are totally integrated with the entire vehicle's operations. You can't even tap a power wire for off-road lights without fear of frying your PCM (something I learned the hard way with my Titan PRO...boy, that was a very expensive mistake...lol). Now we have chip shortages and auto sensing/control features that add to the growing list of issues that all manufacturers (and their customers) are dealing with. Even Toyota now has issues with their new Tundra after over a decade of solid performance and top reliability ratings (mine was amazing with not a fault).

So going back to the current Gen 4Runner makes a lot of sense to me (especially before the new Gen rolls out this coming spring/summer). I can mod it, go places I where I had to turn around with the Rebel, and still meet my daily needs. But I am still dealing with a twinge of guilt everytime I get into my Ram because it is a beautiful truck inside and out.
 

hodge-xj

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Thanks! My feelings exactly. I obviously have had Dodge/Ram trucks before, as well as a ton of F150s, Chevys, Jeeps (from classics to modern), Land Rovers, etc. and none of them had any issues to the level my new, modern Ram does. With exception of Land Rovers, none were as complicated electronically as the current Ram but even my Land Rovers did not have issues (which is lind of ironic given their poor reliability history). However, I do think most folks have very little, if any, signicant issues with their new Rams so I am quite happy for them. But mine turned out to be one of those that continues to have issues and has soiled my confidence that I won't have more even if I can get the current ones fully resolved (which I wil still work on before selling the truck) or even if I traded out for another Ram vehicle (as the each new model year gets more complicated than the prior).

Complimenting my current sentiment is the lack of aftermarket offerings that prevent me from getting the stance and off-road prefromance I want (relative to Tundras, F150s, Chevy 1500s, Jeeps, 4Runners, etc.). I really thought, with the Rebel, that it would attract more aftermarket/performance attention but not the case (usually everything is designed foe the Ram 1500 with Rebel models an afterthought like suspension systems). I guess there are enough differences between the models but a lot less folks that actual purchase the Rebels and modify them to justify development of aftermarket parts just for the Rebel (I am don't qualify spacer lift systems as quality off-road systems).

But all of that is immaterial especially if you can't rely on the vehicle to start or not lose its control interfaces. This issue is not a "Ram" issue at all (except for me personally as mine happens to be a Ram); it's a modern vehicle issue across the board as vehicles are becoming too reliant on electronic/remote controls that are totally integrated with the entire vehicle's operations. You can't even tap a power wire for off-road lights without fear of frying your PCM (something I learned the hard way with my Titan PRO...boy, that was a very expensive mistake...lol). Now we have chip shortages and auto sensing/control features that add to the growing list of issues that all manufacturers (and their customers) are dealing with. Even Toyota now has issues with their new Tundra after over a decade of solid performance and top reliability ratings (mine was amazing with not a fault).

So going back to the current Gen 4Runner makes a lot of sense to me (especially before the new Gen rolls out this coming spring/summer). I can mod it, go places I where I had to turn around with the Rebel, and still meet my daily needs. But I am still dealing with a twinge of guilt everytime I get into my Ram because it is a beautiful truck inside and out.
The big issue imo is people simply don't use 1/2 ton rams like we do. Spacer levels with 35s and huge offset wheels paired with a muffler delete is the predominant market. Beyond that "experts" push 5100s as gospel and we really see no growth in aftermarket support. Its there, but its still niche enough we're faced with higher cost or DIY solutions for armor and very limited variety in much else. It's a shame since the truck has tons of potential, but it is what it is. Being honest, if you put a Power Wagon and a Rebel next to each other and I had choice of either, im taking the power wagon all day, and aftermarket has followed suit.

Ill be honest, the fact that modern vehicles are so heavily reliant on electronic systems is a big part of every issue we face. You nailed it. I'm actually indifferent on what the solution is for myself. New vehicles are so much more comfortable to drive regularly, yet are not as receptive to mods. Might be time to have a 2 vehicle stable full time to limit my compromise.

Unless you can confidently find a solution to the electronic issue I don't blame you a bit. My jeep stranded us a few weeks back with a dead starter. 1 mile from home and it was a lousy afternoon getting it towed on a Sunday, I can't imagine the feeling of being on a trip or even worse, on a remote location. You're a better man than I showing restraint as i'd already have it gone!
 
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Desert Dawg

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Okay, I had my rant! I just can't part ways yet with the Rebel since I really do enjoy it as a road trip vehicle and weekend warrior (with limitations); I love the looks and have more plans for it as well as the fact it is quite comfortable and useful. I just need to stop exceeding those limitations and not to damage it further on my off-road adventures. Speaking of damage, I was trying to find the source of the parasitic drain so I started checking everything I could think of; I checked the fuse box for any loose connections (actually found a couple that "seemed" loose but probably fine), checked the battery draw and found none, checked all of the grounding connections and all were solid, and finally even checked the ECU connectors to make sure no water was trapped inside them - not that there should be. It was during the latter that I managed to break one of the connector cap cam locks as well as the plug housing lock tabs (that keeps the top of the cover in place) so now the connector is loose. I was able to temporarily secure the broken cap (with 3M tape) and recently received my order for a new connector cap which is an easy fix, but finding a single plug housing is proving to be more difficult (unless you spend hundreds of dollars on bulk orders) not to mention that inserting all the plugs into the right locations would be a nightmare too. So, I may just have to figure a way zip tie the top of the cap in case I ever need to unplug the connector again. It just never ends...lol.

The battery has not died again since my last episode a couple weeks ago, but if the Ram does leave me stranded again, I will definitely be giving it the boot.

In the meantime, I decided to tackle the install of the Vice Design hidden winch system that has been sitting on my work bench for past few months. I knew it would take some effort and I just didn't have the time and energy to tackle until now and especially since I decided that I don't want to dump the Ram yet. Sure enough, the install turned out to be a bit harder than the Vice Design video would suggest (albeit, they do say it is a two-person job) but I finally managed to get 'er done...mostly.

I broke my project up into two parts with Part 1 focused on bumper tear down, removal and rewiring of my Rigid bumper-mounted lighting, winch bracket assembly and installation of my Smittybilt X20 12K winch, and bumper re-installation. Part 2 is unfinished for the winch power connection, reconnecting my Rigid lights with a new Cali Raised power controller, attaching a thicker Warn fairlead, spooling in the synthetic winch line, and attaching the Factor 55 Ultrahook. Part 2 also includes cutting off the supplied hardened steel winch hook in order to connect the Ultrahook; I want to give that try before spending money on another synthetic rope.

Tools needed are 18MM, 19MM, and 22MM sockets for the bumper/frame and winch bracket assembly but also get yourself an 18MM ratchet wrench because the (2) inner bumper studs (one on each side) are replaced with longer studs that are hard as heck to torque back up once the bumper goes back on (update; I am still struggling in getting the remaining "inner" bolts tightened up on either side as it is extremely difficult trying to get any sockets or tools onto the nuts since there is just no room with the winch assembly installed - I recently purchased a "shorty" 19MM wrench and flex-head ratchet wrench set and will let you know what works best). One time saver is investing in a right angle magnetic bit holder for your drill as it really speeds up the removal/installation of the fender flares (if you have any), inner wheel liners, and lower bumper grille removal/insert. The rest are standard metric and SAE sockets, wrenches, and torque wrench. Everything is torqued to 85 ft. lbs. with exception of the tow hooks (I believe they were at 136 ft. lbs.).

I am not going into all of the gory details as Vice Design and other videos hit most of them. Also, since I did most of the work myself way into the wee hours of the morning, I didn't stop to take too many pictures of the work progress so I apologize for the lack of useful photos (seems like a secondary consideration once I get going on something).

The first step was to remove the front bumper (again) but in its entirety which required substantial removal of the fender flares (both sides) and headlight under bezel panels (which was a pain as there is a semi-hidden, hard to access 10MM bolt nestled up under the fender where the bezel connects to the body), removal of the front bottom portion of the wheel well liners, removal of the tow hooks, and un-torqueing the bumper's frame bolts. My bumper mounted lights also made for additional work as I had to disconnect and pull out all of the wiring that I had connected up but I took this as a positive step since I wanted to redo that wiring anyway.

Hidden_Winch_Installation_1.jpg

Hidden_Winch_Installation_3.jpg
Once the bumper was removed, I secured the whole assembly onto to work bench so that I could remove the lower grille section and cover. This required the removal of a number of push pins and pinch screws of which some were a bear to do, but best advise is be patient and just keep working them. The scariest part is removing the center support behind the grille; I used a Sawzall with a fine tooth blade that made fast work of the metal cuts; I then filed down the cuts and used Rust-Oleum spray paint to coat the cuts.

Once done, I took the opportunity to clean up my previous wiring work and zip tied everything out of the way so nothing would get caught up while reinstalling the bumper.

Hidden_Winch_Installation_4.jpg
 
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Desert Dawg

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After cutting out the center portion of the support, and removing the lower grille and back cover, you install the Vice Design front cover (with openings for the fairlead, clutch handle, and parking sensors). That was a royal pain too as it took a while to figure out that you literally have to stretch (it's metal, so that takes some doing) the cover to line up with the clip tabs and reuse some of the pinch screws in such a way to prevent the cover from bowing out once tightened and under tension. Having someone to help with that part is highly recommended (and use thick gloves). Also, my kit was missing the parking sensor mounts so I removed the factory ones from old plastic grille and inserted them. I may still ask Vice Design to send the matching metal ones to make sure I don't have any issues in the future.

There is some assembly required while mounting the winch to the hidden winch bracket but most was straightforward as long as you follow the directions. I had opted for the remote winch control box that gets mounted up in the engine bay; I really wanted this feature to both protect the control box and provide easy access for the remote controller. Installing that with the supplied metal mounting bracket was kind of frustrating as it just never lined up neatly with any of existing bolts in the engine bay until you finally realize it's okay to bend the mounting bracket until it does.

Hidden_Winch_Installation_7.jpg

Once installed, you swap out the standard power wiring with the extended length wiring that gets fished from the control box down to the bumper. I was smart enough to figure out that wiring the winch after the assembly was installed would be a pain in the derriere, so I had planned to wire up the extended cables to the winch before fully installing the assembly onto the truck.

But of course, that didn't happen. In my haste (it was getting really late), I totally forgot to do that despite my preplanning and went right to installing the winch assembly onto the frame which took some doing. If it wasn't such a pain balancing and fitting the assembly (pretty heavy to lift, balance, and bolt up the winch and bracket if doing by yourself), I would have taken the whole thing apart and finish the wiring with the winch removed. So, it was a lot of fun trying to make those connections as I barely had room for my fingers to fit into the space where the electrical studs were located (I lost almost all of the kit provided hardware as I kept dropping nuts and washers into the winch bracket assembly and could not be recovered). Luckily, I had plenty of extras of the right size in my stash and eventually I got everything secured. Regarding the initial fitting of the winch assembly, I was able to use two jack stands and 2x6 boards and shims to get the winch assembly up high enough on a (semi) stable platform and carefully slide the passenger side behind the bumper mount on the frame and line up the driver side perfectly for bolting onto the frame. Again, follow the directions before fitting the whole assembly; you should have pre-installed the driver side mounting bracket onto the assembly first and then install the passenger side mounting bracket after the driver side is bolted to the frame (but keep everything supported until the passenger side is secure).

Hidden_Winch_Installation_5.jpg
Backside of installed winch assembly with electrical studs on top of left side of winch....no room for mistakes here:

Hidden_Winch_Installation_6.jpg
I could not get the bumper reinstalled by myself. The replacement bumper frame bolts would not stay secure enough with the press washers while trying to line up both sides by myself. I tried tying strings around the loose bolts that allowed me to keep the bolt somewhat straight while guiding them to their locations but it just wasn't working. I probably wasted an hour or so trying to get the bumper back on. Finally, a friend of mine was able to drop by and within 20 mins or so, we were able to center the bumper perfectly and connect the frame bolts.

After that, it was reinstalling the bezels, flares, liners, etc.

I didn't take any final pictures but Part 2 should be finished shortly and will share once done!
 
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Desert Dawg

Desert Dawg

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Hope everyone had a good Holiday Season! I got to spend some time at the cabin that we have been rehabbing and almost done, so first time the Rebel got to spend a couple nights...lol.


IMG-2352.jpg
 
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Desert Dawg

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Been a little remiss on my progress updates.

While it only took me about 3 years to finally hook up the backlighting on my Rigid 360 Series Driving and Spot lights, I finally got it done right. As mentioned previously when I was installing my hidden winch, I completely redid the wiring for the my LED off-road lighting while I had the front bumper removed. I just installed a Cali Raised Switch Controller and In-cab Panel which gives me the ability to hook up to 8 accessories. Since I really wanted to use the Rigid backlighting, I had to get creative as each pair of lights has their own relay for operating the backlights and main projector lights; I have one Driving pair and one Spot pair but I also wanted all of the backlighting to come on together with one switch and each of the projector pairs to operate independently on their own switches on the in-cab switch panel. I also want to add some ditch lights and rear backup lights in the future. The switch controller system is great as you only have to go through the firewall once (sort of, see below) with the control wire to the panel as all of the power connections are made in the engine bay.

Switch controller installed but was a tight fit as I also have my winch remoter control box installed near the battery as well. I was able to mount the switch controller directly to the winch control box mounting bracket with one its mounting screws and then bent one of the Cali Raised thin mounting arms that they supplied pieces in order to secure the other end of the controller to an existing factory bolt near the radiator. Hint: much easier to install everything (including the wiring) if you remove the plastic cover over the radiator.

sed_Switch_Controller_and_Remote_Winch_Control_Box.jpg

Edit: I did install additional wire insulators on all of the outgoing power leads after taking this shot.

I installed the in-cab panel (dimly lit below the 12-inch screen) with the supplied tilting metal bracket mounted directly to the center console (center console tray still slides forward and locks into position) after lining up the mounting bracket hole locations and drilling two small pilot holes into the console front and installing the bracket with supplied screws (initially, I used two-side tape to test out the location ad fitment before permanently mounting the panel). Set screws lock the panel in place once you have the tilt angle you like; for me, that was dictated by the clearance I needed to make sure the center console sliding tray would fully lock in place and so happened that the tilt angle was perfect for readability and access. The location is perfect as it is easily reached while driving. The other cool feature is that the simple panel has a "one touch" button that you can use to immediately turn on/off any of the accessories at once. I have that featured tied into my backlighting only as I would use that more often (for cool low light accent) rather than constant use of the off-road lights. Of course, if I wanted to, I could easily program those lights for one touch power on/off within seconds.

Of significant note, there is no safe and available fuse taps for accessories within the engine bay fuse box as most are related to ECM/PCM/starter/fuel system and other controls that you don't want to tap into and any "safe" taps are constant on so didn't want those either (especially with my constant issue with the battery going dead which happened again to me when toggling the system to test possible tap locations). You must also ensure that you tap the right side of the fuse connection to ensure you know where the power comes into the fuse.

So, to light up the switch panel, you need to tap the factory accessory fuse (or other "safe" connection) supplied within the in-cab fuse box (remove lower panel under the steering wheel). The Cali Raised supplied fuse tap is also the wrong size since it comes with the standard size 10 amp fuse and the 5th Gen Rams use the "micro" fuses, so I had to order a micro fuse tap (actually purchased a pack of 3 in case I screwed up). The accessory fuse that had power in the interior fuse box is located in bottom right hand corner of the fuse box and has a powered 10 amp fuse already there. So use the double fuse tap connector (factory fuse goes in bottom and accessory fuse goes on top with line out to the accessory). Again, make sure the powered direction is correct and inset the tap accordingly. Also make sure that you don't over draw the fuse circuit so the factory fuse must be at least 10 amps and the accessory fuse is 10 amps or less.

Cail_Raised_Switch_Panel.jpg


For those that are curious, I wired the Rigid LED driving lights (outboard pair on my bumper) directly to the controller without using the Rigid relay (so only power and ground). For the Rigid LED Spot lights, I used the Rigid Wiring/Relay harness by connecting both the accessory (white) wires from both pairs with the harness red power wire while wiring the LED power (blue) separately to the switch controller. That allows me to run the low-load backlighting for all (4) lights at once with just one push switch on the panel, and then each pair of LED Spots or Driving lights separately or all together.

Backlighting only:

_360_Series_Backlighting_1a_oAYaRAqSLSrYuon7MsRpwc.jpg

All on:

Rigid_360_Series_Backlighting_with_Spot_and_Follod.jpg

igid_360_Series_Backlighting_with_Spot_and_Flood_2.jpg
 
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Desert Dawg

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So, I have this sweet system coming in:

BDS 3-inch with Fox 2.5 Performance Elite Coilovers with Dual Speed Compression (DSC):

inch_with_Fox_Performance_Elite_with_DSC_Coilovers.jpg

Instead of the Fox 2.0 Rear Shocks, I upgraded to the Fox 2.5 with Remote Reservoirs and DSC as well:

Fox_2m5_Rear_Performance_Shocks_with_DSC.jpg

Since the system is basically the 4-inch Fox PE system for the 1500, I determined that my current Fabtech UCAs that I used for my Dirt Logic 3-inch system would not suffice, so also ordered the BDS 4"-6" UCAs to complete the system:

BDS_UCAs_4-6_inch.jpg


This system should not be confused with BDS' other 3-inch Performance Elite system that comes with shorter Fox 2.5 coilovers and UCAs but with no drop brackets to correct the geometry. That system will only net the Rebel 2-inches over its factory ride height while the system I ordered will net 3-inches over the Rebel's factory ride height as it shares almost all of the same kit components as the BDS 1500 4-inch Fox PE system. In fact, since many with the BDS 4-inch kit have reported getting closer to 4.5 inches of front lift on the 1500, it may net closer to 3.5 inches of front lift on the Rebel and may certainly be attainable if you use the front coilover spacer while also dialing up the Fox coilovers a tad more. However, I won't use the preload spacer as that makes the front end sit about 1/2" too high compared to the rear. Instead, I would forgo the spacer and just dial in the Fox coilovers back to almost level (so keeping to a 3-inch net lift).

I am really stoked as this is the system I have been waiting for! If you have been following my build, you know that my priorities were to build the Rebel for slightly more off-road capability (both for desert running and mountain trailing) while at same keeping it as a functional daily driver and weekend hauler. Plus, I wanted enough lift to give me a slightly more aggressive stance, provide enough articulation with 34-35 inch tall tires, improving my approach and departure angles a tad, and trying to keep my center of gravity within the reason for off-canter wheeling situations and maintaining high speed stability.

I had determined that for the Rebel, a 3-inch lift height that maintained the factory geometry while meeting all of the above would be perfect for me. Unfortunately, I did not think it would take so long for aftermarket to respond to the 5th Gen Rams and for the Rebel in particular. And because I am insanely impatient when it comes to my vehicle builds, I started jumping at whatever became available which included the following attempts:

1. Falcon 2.25-inch Sport Tow/Haul; this was one of the first quality, non-spacer lifts that came out for the Rebel/1500. Unfortunately, the Teraflex (maker of Falcon) did not mention that the advertised lift for 2.25-inches was really just for the 1500 and the Rebel would only net 1.25-inches of true lift. For over $1800 at the time, that was a major fail in my book but Terra Flex was very good about letting me send it back as they agreed that their site was not clear about the fitment.

2. Fabtech UCA 3-inch Lift with Dirt Logic 2.5 Adjustable Coilovers; I had high hopes for this particular suspension as I had hoped it would get me closer to the coveted 3-inches of non-spacer lift with performance coilovers. Dirt Logic has made a name for itself over the years in Baja Racing applications so I was thrilled to try them out. I was able to dial in about 2.25-inches of lift with the coilovers which made plenty of room for my 34.4-inch Yokohama MTs to net out close to 3-inches of total lift (suspension + tires), but I still did not achieve the overall stance and clearance I wanted especially once the front coilovers settled some. And then, catastrophe struck when I managed to completely shear off one of the Dirt Logic piston rods and collapsed my spring onto the lower control arm.

3. Bilstein 6112 Strut Assembly; reusing the Rebel factory springs, I replaced both of the Dirt Logic coilovers (due to the fact that Fabtech would not sell me just one coilover) as I needed to get my truck back to being drivable in a hurry and the Bilsteins were the only products I could get immediately without waiting a week to several months. I knew this was going to be stopgap measure as I lost about an inch of ride height although the ride quality significantly improved. But I would be significantly limiting my off-road abilities and choices. Nonetheless, I am still impressed with them especially if someone just needs a level without resorting to a spacer system.

So hopefully will have the new system installed soon after start of the New Year. In the meantime, I am thinking about changing out my wheels for something slightly more aggressive (-12MM) to increase the track width for maintaining stability under the higher lift and, to be totally honest, for looks as well.
 
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Desert Dawg

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Made some more progress! Finally have the winch all spooled up so ready to use!

_BDS_3-inch_Fox_Performance_Elite_Suspension_(17b).jpg

h_BDS_3-inch_Fox_Performance_Elite_Suspension_(17).jpg

_BDS_3-inch_Fox_Performance_Elite_Suspension_(17a).jpg
I did purchase a second clutch handle, grinded down the foot a bit more to better clear the Warn fairlead, and sprayed painted a satin black to match the rest of the assembly instead of having the chrome handle sticking out like a sore thumb. But I need to apply a couple more coats before installing. But at least I get to show off the Factor 55 Ultrahook finally installed too.
 
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Desert Dawg

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Also have the new BDS 3-inch lift with Fox 2.5 Performance Elite system installed!

The front uses the Fox 2.5 adjustable coil-overs with remote reservoirs and dual speed compressors (DSC) paired with new BDS UCAs (which are optional for some reason) for the front. I upgraded the rear to include the Fox 2.5 Shocks with remote reservoirs and DSC in the rear paired with a set of new longer springs that already come with the kit. The system comes with the drop brackets, cross members, steering knuckles, and other hardware needed to correct the front geometry (so CV angles are back to factory angles) and keep the drive shaft aligned properly. The rear suspension geometry is corrected with control arm relocation brackets, bolt-on rear track bar relocation bracket to re-center the axle, and extended length sway bar links to correct the operating angle as well. BDS also provides bump stop extensions (limiting up travel).


20E787_1.jpg


20700C_1.jpg

2020RA_1.jpg

I am happy with the results as the truck does not have that "over-lifted" look that the BDS 4-inch spacer or 6-inch coil-over lifts have on the Rebel as well as keeping my raised center of gravity within reason for high speed highway driving or off-canter wheeling. The Fox shocks are fantastic although I still have to play with the adjustments to get the ride I want while in town, but no doubt will perform well when adjusted for off-roading. I took the Rebel on a road near my home that has a series of high speed bumps and barely knew they were there at high speed.

20BB40_1.jpg

202E23_1.jpg
 
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Desert Dawg

Desert Dawg

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A couple of close up shots:

h_BDS_3-inch_Fox_Performance_Elite_Suspension_(11).jpg

h_BDS_3-inch_Fox_Performance_Elite_Suspension_(34).jpg

Again, I am very, very happy that I waited for this new system to finally come out. Although technically, I didn't really wait as I went through 3 other suspension systems in my attempt for the perfect setup that would achieve the stance I wanted while maintaining the truck's daily drivability and usability but also enhancing its off-road performance...lol. But I finally have a mild lift that is very strong, has the correct steering and drive shaft/differential angles, and provides plenty of clearance and articulation for 34-35 inch tires for moderate off-road use. The 3-inch lift system for the Rebel is actually the 4-inch system for the base 1500 with some hardware specifically for the Rebel.

I also want to shout out to @Nick@GotExhaust as he really gave me a lot of ideas to consider on suspension options and really wanted to work with me on setting up my truck. He was able to source a Zone 4-inch spacer system with Fox 2.0 upgrades but in the end I just wanted the stouter BDS components without spacers and the much more upgraded Fox 2.5 Performance Elite system with DSC's all the way around since I do take my truck out on some gnarly adventures. But if you're looking for mods, Nick is great to work with!
 
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