Rear Spacers Question- Steel, Al, Poly, etc???

I have been reading anything I can find regarding leveling w/ rear coil spacers for our ‘18 1500. I’m to the point things are starting to blend together!!! Lol

I’m leaning towards the Bils @2.8, possibly new uca, with a rear spacer that’s 1.5-2”, haven’t decided yet. Truck currently has roughly a 3” rake.

So one question I have is regarding the material used for the spacer. Is one better than the other? Some are steel, Aluminum, Delrin, or Polyurethane...

Some report they are better because they won’t harden and shrink like the poly spacers. But the poly is said to be quieter...

We live in Mid Michigan, and travel to Northern Mi and Northern Ontario during the winter, so if we use this truck it will see salty roads.

Otherwise the only off road this truck will probably see is the unpaved road into the cabin in Northern Ontario. Never know what shape it may be in. Though it’s never been super crazy bad, just mainly pot holes and washboards...

So are the arguments for and against each material more of a marketing thing? If you wanted to raise the rear “x” inches, and all the materials are available, which would you choose and why?

Do know I’m adding a set of 1000hd bags. Mainly because our boat seemed to drop the rear just over 2”. And if we load anything else in the bed, I figure it will be dragging butt when we go camping (coolers, corn hole boards, firewood, etc)... So need a spacer that is compatible with bags also. Though I’m sure I could drill out the center if needed.

TY!!!

ever decide? Following that path too get mine lifted/leveled. Already bought the front bils, planning to get the mevotech UCA next, then the rear spacer. Not sure if I should do the rear bils also.

thinking about the spacer myself. a poly one. if it shrinks a bit i don't care. its the noise that would concern me. i'm happy with my ride (Bils on front at 2.1) but it's dead level. wouldn't mind a touch of rake on the cheap. these are the ones another member put on that I plan to get as well:

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01B7PH83S...olid=2YRO3VTHT8SA5&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

can't get anything else that cheap that i've found.

Honestly, I haven’t decided 100% yet....

If I do add a spacer it will probably end up being a poly spacer, either 1.5” or 2”.

BUT, I am seriously looking at a true 4” suspension lift also....

Just having a hard time deciding between the two.

buddy guy said:

thinking about the spacer myself. a poly one. if it shrinks a bit i don't care. its the noise that would concern me. i'm happy with my ride (Bils on front at 2.1) but it's dead level. wouldn't mind a touch of rake on the cheap. these are the ones another member put on that I plan to get as well:

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01B7PH83S...olid=2YRO3VTHT8SA5&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

can't get anything else that cheap that i've found.

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That was me, lol. I’m very happy with them. They fit great, do exactly what they’re supposed to (lift 1.5”), and they’re quiet as can be. I’ve used aluminum spacers on other vehicles with no problem other than they do squeak a bit at times and I didn’t want that on a brand new truck so I’m glad I went with poly spacers this time.

Personally I won't install spacers at my shop, I would recommend the customer upgrade the coils. Bur if I was to go with one I would use metal with rubber on the top and bottom to make the noise disappear

Moparfanatic21 said:

Personally I won't install spacers at my shop, I would recommend the customer upgrade the coils. Bur if I was to go with one I would use metal with rubber on the top and bottom to make the noise disappear

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For me the question of springs vs spacers comes down to how the rig is going to be used. I’ve built a few off road dedicated rigs and through trial and error decided spacers really don’t belong in that kind of build. When you want increased lift and also want better off road characteristics including full articulation then upgraded springs is the best way to go. But, in the case of my Ram, which will likely never see much more than a dirt road, (and certainly no heavy off roading or rock crawling), I wanted a little more height while still retaining stock ride quality and payload/towing capacity, so for this purpose simple lift spacers fit the build just right.

Jbp19classic said:

For me the question of springs vs spacers comes down to how the rig is going to be used. I’ve built a few off road dedicated rigs and through trial and error decided spacers really don’t belong in that kind of build. When you want increased lift and also want better off road characteristics including full articulation then upgraded springs is the best way to go. But, in the case of my Ram, which will likely never see much more than a dirt road, (and certainly no heavy off roading or rock crawling), I wanted a little more height while still retaining stock ride quality and payload/towing capacity, so for this purpose simple lift spacers fit the build just right.

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that's me to a T. iwas cruising down a nice stretch yesterday. very much enjoying my ride as it is.

Jbp19classic said:

For me the question of springs vs spacers comes down to how the rig is going to be used. I’ve built a few off road dedicated rigs and through trial and error decided spacers really don’t belong in that kind of build. When you want increased lift and also want better off road characteristics including full articulation then upgraded springs is the best way to go. But, in the case of my Ram, which will likely never see much more than a dirt road, (and certainly no heavy off roading or rock crawling), I wanted a little more height while still retaining stock ride quality and payload/towing capacity, so for this purpose simple lift spacers fit the build just right.

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Im not knocking anything I have just seen spacers fail to many times (even on pavement queens) not to trust them. Actually we have a vehicle we are doing body work on because the spacer failed.

Moparfanatic21 said:

Im not knocking anything I have just seen spacers fail to many times (even on pavement queens) not to trust them. Actually we have a vehicle we are doing body work on because the spacer failed.

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I’m legitimately curious, what kind of spacer failure are you dealing with? What kind of spacer design/style, front or rear, and how did it fail? I can’t picture how the rear coil spacers like used on the Ram that seat inside the coil and stock coil mount could fail.

Jbp19classic said:

I’m legitimately curious, what kind of spacer failure are you dealing with? What kind of spacer design/style, front or rear, and how did it fail? I can’t picture how the rear coil spacers like used on the Ram that seat inside the coil and stock coil mount could fail.

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Broke in half allowed the coil to compress and spring out denting the bedside. Was a Poly spacer. I have seen them fail in the front and rear. Metal seems to be the toughest. I just probably don't recommend them, but I never knock anyone's build

Moparfanatic21 said:

Broke in half allowed the coil to compress and spring out denting the bedside. Was a Poly spacer. I have seen them fail in the front and rear. Metal seems to be the toughest. I just probably don't recommend them, but I never knock anyone's build

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Thanks. Very good info to have.

Jbp19classic said:

Thanks. Very good info to have.

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Anytime! The problem with a spacer is the ride is affected. Some may be able to tell others can't. Spacers are a failure point. Now back in the day a company tried to sell a fail safe spacer (I would recommend them if the company didn't close down). That even if the spacer broke in a million pieces it would hold the coil in place.

Moparfanatic21 said:

Anytime! The problem with a spacer is the ride is affected. Some may be able to tell others can't. Spacers are a failure point. Now back in the day a company tried to sell a fail safe spacer (I would recommend them if the company didn't close down). That even if the spacer broke in a million pieces it would hold the coil in place.

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These are the spacers I put in, and also a comparison to the stock upper isolator it replaces. Nothing is fool proof of course, but I feel comfortable with this design. I feel like even in the unlikely event it did crack in half it would stay in place due to the way it seats into the spring and upper perch. Hope I never find out though!

Jbp19classic said:

These are the spacers I put in, and also a comparison to the stock upper isolator it replaces. Nothing is fool proof of course, but I feel comfortable with this design. I feel like even in the unlikely event it did crack in half it would stay in place due to the way it seats into the spring and upper perch. Hope I never find out though!

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They are all mostly built like that. Now I will say 98% of spaces are fine and will never break. Nobody leaves a good review, everybody leaves a bad review.