Do not buy Carli tuned king coilovers

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Jurfie

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Since the OP doesn't seem to want to reply to this thread (though he was noted as last active this morning), I'm going to make some wild speculations (WS):

WS #1: Perhaps the OP didn't buy from CJC (hence why they won't answer the OP's questions). I think this is a possibility because OP "honestly thought he was talking to Carli" when he was in fact communicating with CJC. An understandable error on his part since most Carli-related information/reviews are from CJC, therefore it is not unreasonable for someone to think they are the same company (I know they are not, but someone might think that).

WS #2: I am also assuming the 700lb spring rate is intended for the Ecodiesel. Carli's website clearly states they use a 600lb spring in this kit; they do not mention a higher rate to accommodate for the extra weight of the diesel, but since (I believe) the extra emissions stuff adds about 200lbs to the Ecodiesel (I could be wrong about that) it is reasonable to presume they would. Perhaps that is where the 700lb springs came from? Or else Carli offers a higher spring rate for those with a heavy aftermarket bumper and/or winch and that leads me to...

WS #3: The OP either bought the wrong kit, or his installer did, or whomever he purchased from sent the wrong kit. Or maybe he bought the Dirt King version posted by @RedSRT4Me?

WS #4: The OP is a troll who made an account just to bash a company for whatever reason(s) motivate trolls to do such things. I usually take those kinds of posts with a grain of salt, and tend to rely on members who contribute to other threads than their own, single (edit) "complaint" (/edit) thread.

WS #5: I've mentioned something completely inaccurate and the OP will reply to put me in my place and fill us in on what Carli said and/or did (or didn't do) to rectify this issue. But I'd never bait the OP into doing that. :emotions36:
 

olyelr

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Since the OP doesn't seem to want to reply to this thread (though he was noted as last active this morning), I'm going to make some wild speculations (WS):

WS #1: Perhaps the OP didn't buy from CJC (hence why they won't answer the OP's questions). I think this is a possibility because OP "honestly thought he was talking to Carli" when he was in fact communicating with CJC. An understandable error on his part since most Carli-related information/reviews are from CJC, therefore it is not unreasonable for someone to think they are the same company (I know they are not, but someone might think that).

WS #2: I am also assuming the 700lb spring rate is intended for the Ecodiesel. Carli's website clearly states they use a 600lb spring in this kit; they do not mention a higher rate to accommodate for the extra weight of the diesel, but since (I believe) the extra emissions stuff adds about 200lbs to the Ecodiesel (I could be wrong about that) it is reasonable to presume they would. Perhaps that is where the 700lb springs came from? Or else Carli offers a higher spring rate for those with a heavy aftermarket bumper and/or winch and that leads me to...

WS #3: The OP either bought the wrong kit, or his installer did, or whomever he purchased from sent the wrong kit. Or maybe he bought the Dirt King version posted by @RedSRT4Me?

WS #4: The OP is a troll who made an account just to bash a company for whatever reason(s) motivate trolls to do such things. I usually take those kinds of posts with a grain of salt, and tend to rely on members who contribute to other threads than their own, single (edit) "complaint" (/edit) thread.

WS #5: I've mentioned something completely inaccurate and the OP will reply to put me in my place and fill us in on what Carli said and/or did (or didn't do) to rectify this issue. But I'd never bait the OP into doing that. :emotions36:
Bahahahahahh
Im curious of this outcome also
 

hodge-xj

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That's why I bumped it. Heavier springs for the diesel is plausible, but I've never been able to nail down exactly how much more it weighs vs the hemi. *I OWN THE ECO BTW* 700lb springs, even with the minimum preload would be bonkers even under my rig. Someone wasn't paying attention somewhere.
 

crazykid1994

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The truck with the eco according to ram is 200lbs heavier
 

healthyrx

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Since the OP doesn't seem to want to reply to this thread (though he was noted as last active this morning), I'm going to make some wild speculations (WS):

WS #1: Perhaps the OP didn't buy from CJC (hence why they won't answer the OP's questions). I think this is a possibility because OP "honestly thought he was talking to Carli" when he was in fact communicating with CJC. An understandable error on his part since most Carli-related information/reviews are from CJC, therefore it is not unreasonable for someone to think they are the same company (I know they are not, but someone might think that).

WS #2: I am also assuming the 700lb spring rate is intended for the Ecodiesel. Carli's website clearly states they use a 600lb spring in this kit; they do not mention a higher rate to accommodate for the extra weight of the diesel, but since (I believe) the extra emissions stuff adds about 200lbs to the Ecodiesel (I could be wrong about that) it is reasonable to presume they would. Perhaps that is where the 700lb springs came from? Or else Carli offers a higher spring rate for those with a heavy aftermarket bumper and/or winch and that leads me to...

WS #3: The OP either bought the wrong kit, or his installer did, or whomever he purchased from sent the wrong kit. Or maybe he bought the Dirt King version posted by @RedSRT4Me?

WS #4: The OP is a troll who made an account just to bash a company for whatever reason(s) motivate trolls to do such things. I usually take those kinds of posts with a grain of salt, and tend to rely on members who contribute to other threads than their own, single (edit) "complaint" (/edit) thread.

WS #5: I've mentioned something completely inaccurate and the OP will reply to put me in my place and fill us in on what Carli said and/or did (or didn't do) to rectify this issue. But I'd never bait the OP into doing that. :emotions36:
I like a combination of #1, #3 and #4. Esp #3 since you can hover over @gunner_herman name on the OP and see that he was online last night but appears to be pretending this thread doesnt exist
 
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gunner_herman

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You guys are great.
I’ve been on the forum many times since my first post on this issue and after my follow-up comments but I guess I hadn’t checked for any recent activity on this thread. My apologies.
I did buy this kit from CJC Off-road directly. I didn’t buy it used or from a third party. I received everything in the original/sealed boxes.
The sticker on the box said Hemi. I went down the road with CJC and Carli as well about the possibility of having gotten the diesel kit but Carli told me the springs are the same between the two and it’s valving that is specific.

From Carli customer service:

If you'd like, you can always bring us the shocks and we can double check the valving for you. The 700lb springs are proper to your truck - both Diesel and Hemi applications run the same preload and spring - it's the valving that's different.“


I had E rated tires with the Bilstein shocks and my ride was far better then. In fact, I had slightly shorter side walls on my previous tires and the ride was better. I run the PSI at about 32 to soften it up more but ram the PSI at about 50 previously. I’ve also dropped the shock pressure down about 1/2 from where they were originally filled from Carli.
I have absolutely zero down travel, the front feels like it’s on its tippy-toes.
The ride almost harkens back to my 2002 Ram 2500 with the Hemi. That suspension was brutal.

I will prob change the springs and maybe even have the shocks revalved/adjusted but that’s going to be very expensive. For anyone who hasn’t done this before and also for those who pay a shop there’s a huge labor cost to pull this stuff out, change the springs, reinstall, and perform the alignment. What if I pick a spring rate that is too soft? Then I get to do it all over again.
This is why I thought I was buying a kit that had already had the proper R&D performed. That’s what Carli brags about. All of their time they supposedly spent tuning this kit.
I flat out absolutely would NOT buy this kit again nor would I recommend it to anyone. It truly has made my truck ride far far worse than it did with my 5100s.
Again, sorry for the slow reply. I’ll try to do better checking on the updates of this specific thread. I am not a troll. I was asking a legitimate question, hoping for some solid advice, and also hoping to help others avoid spending $5,000 plus on a big mistake.
 

olyelr

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Man, something has to be screwy. There are literally zillions of these systems out there and pretty much everybody brags about how well they perform. You are actually the first i have read about having negative experiences. While a small few may not know any better and just say its super sweet to justify their hurt wallet, i would have to think the majority of the people really are impressed.

Im definitely not saying your outcome isnt different than most, but it just seems like something is oddly wrong for you to be getting the type of results you are explaining. And no downtravel? Wth is up with that?! That is certainly not proper.
 
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gunner_herman

gunner_herman

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Man, something has to be screwy. There are literally zillions of these systems out there and pretty much everybody brags about how well they perform. You are actually the first i have read about having negative experiences. While a small few may not know any better and just say its super sweet to justify their hurt wallet, i would have to think the majority of the people really are impressed.

Im definitely not saying your outcome isnt different than most, but it just seems like something is oddly wrong for you to be getting the type of results you are explaining. And no downtravel? Wth is up with that?! That is certainly not proper.
I didn’t think it was proper but wasn’t all that certain, which is partially why I posted last year.
As for the down travel. I have to crawl/creep over speed bumps because of the way the front end feels. The back end is great. Rides extremely well. Actually, the rear did feel extremely well. The front end sticks up so much I tossed my airbags back on the rear and that reduced the travel quite a bit. As expected, any weight I put in the bed really made the truck sag. That is not such a big deal but since the front end got lifted so much it looked really goofy and only seemed to make the front ride even worse. Even with the airbags the back rides really well. With the air pressure being so low the entire truck feels squirrelly. I really want to put the PSI back up around 40 but even at that PSI my truck ends up rattling everywhere. I just drive slower now.
I really am that unhappy with how this turned out. I’m also stubborn though and don’t feel like I should have to spend another $1,000+ on new springs and installation. At least after reading several posts I feel like I’m not out of my mind. However, to have Carli insist the 700lb spring is correct either means we all don’t know what we’re talking about or that future customers really need to somehow test these out in a comparable truck before buying.
I hunted reviews before I bought them and I didn’t find many comments. Not for the 1,500 anyway. Buyer beware.
 

olyelr

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I didn’t think it was proper but wasn’t all that certain, which is partially why I posted last year.
As for the down travel. I have to crawl/creep over speed bumps because of the way the front end feels. The back end is great. Rides extremely well. Actually, the rear did feel extremely well. The front end sticks up so much I tossed my airbags back on the rear and that reduced the travel quite a bit. As expected, any weight I put in the bed really made the truck sag. That is not such a big deal but since the front end got lifted so much it looked really goofy and only seemed to make the front ride even worse. Even with the airbags the back rides really well. With the air pressure being so low the entire truck feels squirrelly. I really want to put the PSI back up around 40 but even at that PSI my truck ends up rattling everywhere. I just drive slower now.
I really am that unhappy with how this turned out. I’m also stubborn though and don’t feel like I should have to spend another $1,000+ on new springs and installation. At least after reading several posts I feel like I’m not out of my mind. However, to have Carli insist the 700lb spring is correct either means we all don’t know what we’re talking about or that future customers really need to somehow test these out in a comparable truck before buying.
I hunted reviews before I bought them and I didn’t find many comments. Not for the 1,500 anyway. Buyer beware.
I would have to think they have done a lot of r and d before releasing what they think is right….but i honestly dont know.

Yea…2500/3500 platform has godzillions of reviews. The 1500, not so much haaaa.
 
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gunner_herman

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update: I disconnected the front sway bar by removing the end links and it has helped some. it's obviously not as tight going around turns but since I added the hellwig rear sway bar that helps keep things fairly flat in the turns. I haven't given it a big test after this mod but I did hit some rough terrain and it definitely helped out. I'll drive some more with the sway bar disconnected and see how it feels when I'm on the highway at higher speeds and such.
anyway, just wanted to post an update.
 

mrack

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Hate to sound dumb but why haven’t you just gone back to stock?
 

Travelin Ram

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I can relate. Some years ago, I contacted Carli and purchased a lift for my Ram 2500, after discussions on usage and following their recommendation.

It was severely under valved and bounced like a pogo stick on any undulating terrain. Worse than OEM. It WAS fine on the street.

I contacted them and they deflected and basically said I’d bought a mall crawler lift and I’d need to give them more $$$$ to get shocks appropriate for off road use.

That ended my days as a customer of theirs.

I know they have satisfied customers, but I’m not one of them.
 

Stringer45

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i bought a carli tuned king coilover. as it was being installed, the spring snapped and fractured my skull in 11 places. I've had 5 maxillofacial prosthetic corrective surgeries and many more to come.

If i could get my remaining eye to focus a bit better, i'd be able to find the receipt and ask for a refund.

would not recommend these
 
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gunner_herman

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Hate to sound dumb but why haven’t you just gone back to stock?
The money that I’ve put into this. Being stubborn as hell. Wishing it would magically get better.

I don’t actually have all of the stick equipment. I changed to Bilstein 5100’s a while back. I could prob just go back to that on the front. Not sure if I can keep the Carli UCAs or not with Bilsteins.

I’ll prob just bite the bullet and get new springs and hope the valving is GTG.
 
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gunner_herman

gunner_herman

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i bought a carli tuned king coilover. as it was being installed, the spring snapped and fractured my skull in 11 places. I've had 5 maxillofacial prosthetic corrective surgeries and many more to come.

If i could get my remaining eye to focus a bit better, i'd be able to find the receipt and ask for a refund.

would not recommend these
Holy sh*t! Really sorry to read that.
 
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gunner_herman

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Looking for advice on length and weight of replacement springs.

I’m thinking I need to stick with the 13” but go with a 600lb spring. I don’t see 500lb springs on King’s website.

Now if I do go with the 600lb spring what should I do about preload? I’ve only about 4 threads down on preload rightness now but I ended up with way too much lift. I got more than 3” I’m guessing. I should’ve measured the before and after but I didn’t. The front is right about an inch + higher than the rear now.
If I was doing all of the work myself I think I wouldn’t be as concerned but since I’m paying for the install I’d have to pay twice basically if they put them in and then have to adjust the preload.
Also, I have the lifetime warranty and that only allows me to have a 2” lift. I wanted to stay in that 1.5”-2” lift height.

Any recommendations on the new springs and a Southern California shop? I called accutune and the guy I talked to was only familiar with the 5th gen king set-up.
 

ram1500rsm

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OE Kings are 14Lx3.75IDx500lbs, and i was told by Accutune King only makes a 500lbs or 600lbs spring with the same 14 x 3.75 specs. Don't know yet if i'll have Accutune do the rebuild or King. (I don't want to pay shipping), but i wanted to talk to King first about spring options after all they made the CO's and get their final input on what springs i can run. In my case is 200 lbs extra in the nose pluck rock sliders.
King is down in Garden Grove, talk to them about what you have now and what they recommend.
I've made some contacts with Shocks Surplus, King itself and other shops around Socal to get my Kings rebuild and Accutune has better prices plus i get 25% discount on the service from them i guess because they're rebuilt my CO's already back in 2020.
 
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gunner_herman

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OE Kings are 14Lx3.75IDx500lbs, and i was told by Accutune King only makes a 500lbs or 600lbs spring with the same 14 x 3.75 specs. Don't know yet if i'll have Accutune do the rebuild or King. (I don't want to pay shipping), but i wanted to talk to King first about spring options after all they made the CO's and get their final input on what springs i can run. In my case is 200 lbs extra in the nose pluck rock sliders.
King is down in Garden Grove, talk to them about what you have now and what they recommend.
I've made some contacts with Shocks Surplus, King itself and other shops around Socal to get my Kings rebuild and Accutune has better prices plus i get 25% discount on the service from them i guess because they're rebuilt my CO's already back in 2020.
so I called them and the guy I spoke to didn't have any good input for the 4th gen Ram. Could you please give me a solid contact there? I'll try contacting them again. I'd love to go with someone "local". thanks.
 
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