4" lift opinions

[dalcini]

Hi guys, new here but have been lurking a while. I found this forum while waiting on my Bilstein 5100s (fronts still on backorder). Originally planned to level - but after studying pics of a lot of really nice rigs here I've decided to go for a 4" lift and 35's. (A 6" would be too high for my wife, kids and garage.) I plan to get a quote for the full setup from @Nick@GotExhaust. I can probably still cancel my Bilstiens if necessary. Looking for medium height and improved ride if possible, and leaning toward Zone or Superlift per several comments from the many knowledgeable members here. I don't do much off-roading, but do like the aggressive look of a lift. I definitely want to do something because I currently have a whopping 3" of rake! (Frt=33", RR=36")

I've read @brandonjansen's excellent leveling thread as well as several other great posts and comments from folks like @Quick_Shifter, and am curious to hear everyone's opinions on a few things:

1.) What are the big tradeoffs when going from stock radials to a good AT tire like a Toyo Open Country A/T III or Nitto Terra Grappler? Ride? Noise? MPG? Weight? Snow? Rain? I like the looks of the AT's but want to know what to expect.

2.) Am I correct that a 35x12.5R20 on my stock 20" wheels will give me an additional 21mm of width to the outside over my stock 275's (317mm - 275mm = 42mm total increase)? ...and if coupled with a 6mm hub spacer (if necessary), would create a total of 27mm additional tire-width to the outside? If so, this seems reasonable to me. I'd like some additional offset, but don't want to stick out past the Laramie flares.

3.) Should I wait for the Bilsteins and use them with a Zone 4" lift or should I consider something else? (I suppose that one may be a matter of how much I'm willing to spend on the shocks/lift, and what would be overkill for my use.)

4.) Will my 2-tone chrome-laden Laramie look wonky with a lift? I haven't run across any with my color scheme that are lifted. I'm mainly concerned about whether all the chrome will look out of place with a lift.


Thanks in advance for your input! I'm sure I'll have more questions later.

 

[Adamcr68]

Hi guys, new here but have been lurking a while. I found this forum while waiting on my Bilstein 5100s (fronts still on backorder). Originally planned to level - but after studying pics of a lot of really nice rigs here I've decided to go for a 4" lift and 35's. (A 6" would be too high for my wife, kids and garage.) I plan to get a quote for the full setup from @Nick@GotExhaust. I can probably still cancel my Bilstiens if necessary. Looking for medium height and improved ride if possible, and leaning toward Zone or Superlift per several comments from the many knowledgeable members here. I don't do much off-roading, but do like the aggressive look of a lift. I definitely want to do something because I currently have a whopping 3" of rake! (Frt=33", RR=36")

I've read @brandonjansen's excellent leveling thread as well as several other great posts and comments from folks like @Quick_Shifter, and am curious to hear everyone's opinions on a few things:

1.) What are the big tradeoffs when going from stock radials to a good AT tire like a Toyo Open Country A/T III or Nitto Terra Grappler? Ride? Noise? MPG? Weight? Snow? Rain? I like the looks of the AT's but want to know what to expect.

2.) Am I correct that a 35x12.5R20 on my stock 20" wheels will give me an additional 21mm of width to the outside over my stock 275's (317mm - 275mm = 42mm total increase)? ...and if coupled with a 6mm hub spacer (if necessary), would create a total of 27mm additional tire-width to the outside? If so, this seems reasonable to me. I'd like some additional offset, but don't want to stick out past the Laramie flares.

3.) Should I wait for the Bilsteins and use them with a Zone 4" lift or should I consider something else? (I suppose that one may be a matter of how much I'm willing to spend on the shocks/lift, and what would be overkill for my use.)

4.) Will my 2-tone chrome-laden Laramie going to look wonky with a lift? I haven't run across any with my color scheme that are lifted. I'm mainly concerned about whether all the chrome will look our of place with a lift.


Thanks in advance for your input! I'm sure I'll have more questions later.

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I think your truck would look great lifted, the two tone & chrome look sharp! I have been to Quick- Shifter’s shop several times, awesome guy & has incredible work ethic, he won’t steer you wrong. Brandon has lots of great write-ups, very knowledgeable concerning our trucks! Lots of great & helpful members on this forum, be sure to check out Nick @Gotexhaust a preferred vendor here.

 

[Quick_Shifter]

Hi guys, new here but have been lurking a while. I found this forum while waiting on my Bilstein 5100s (fronts still on backorder). Originally planned to level - but after studying pics of a lot of really nice rigs here I've decided to go for a 4" lift and 35's. (A 6" would be too high for my wife, kids and garage.) I plan to get a quote for the full setup from @Nick@GotExhaust. I can probably still cancel my Bilstiens if necessary. Looking for medium height and improved ride if possible, and leaning toward Zone or Superlift per several comments from the many knowledgeable members here. I don't do much off-roading, but do like the aggressive look of a lift. I definitely want to do something because I currently have a whopping 3" of rake! (Frt=33", RR=36")

I've read @brandonjansen's excellent leveling thread as well as several other great posts and comments from folks like @Quick_Shifter, and am curious to hear everyone's opinions on a few things:

1.) What are the big tradeoffs when going from stock radials to a good AT tire like a Toyo Open Country A/T III or Nitto Terra Grappler? Ride? Noise? MPG? Weight? Snow? Rain? I like the looks of the AT's but want to know what to expect.

2.) Am I correct that a 35x12.5R20 on my stock 20" wheels will give me an additional 21mm of width to the outside over my stock 275's (317mm - 275mm = 42mm total increase)? ...and if coupled with a 6mm hub spacer (if necessary), would create a total of 27mm additional tire-width to the outside? If so, this seems reasonable to me. I'd like some additional offset, but don't want to stick out past the Laramie flares.

3.) Should I wait for the Bilsteins and use them with a Zone 4" lift or should I consider something else? (I suppose that one may be a matter of how much I'm willing to spend on the shocks/lift, and what would be overkill for my use.)

4.) Will my 2-tone chrome-laden Laramie going to look wonky with a lift? I haven't run across any with my color scheme that are lifted. I'm mainly concerned about whether all the chrome will look our of place with a lift.


Thanks in advance for your input! I'm sure I'll have more questions later.

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Kudos to you for doing your research!!! You are pretty much spot on. Personally I skip the 4” all together. Our trucks love the 5” front 3” rear. Starting with a zone 6” lift the 5” can be achieved a few ways. I opted for amp research steps because they come down lower and make entry / exit a pleasure. For the tires I would not get hung up on the 35x12.5 I’m running a 325/60 which measures the same as a lot of 37x13.5’s. Everyone has their own preferences on what look they want, the more aggressive the rougher the ride. And the cheaper brands use harder rubber creating more noise. Toyo R/T is the most aggressive that I recommend. The AT3’s are what I run on my own truck. I’m happy to help you out with clearance for your garage etc. and I can lay out full kits if you’re purchasing from @Nick@GotExhaust (he’ll be the best price online, and his customer service is by far better than expected)

 

[RJL1]

This is the Zone 6" that @Quick_Shifter described. 5" front and 3" rear on stock sized 33" Duratracs. The particulars to my lift are in my sig.

Quick_Shifter did the install and I bought the kit from @Nick@GotExhaust. The install is absolutely flawless, thanks to Quick_Shifter and the purchase was drama free thanks to Nick@GotExhaust.

Shoot any questions you may have to Quick_Shifter, he's very knowledgeable with these trucks and a good dude.

My truck has quite a bit of chrome so this may give you an idea in reference to the lift and chrome.

As far as the ride goes it rides better than stock.


And yes I'm gonna get new tires before winter.

 

[dalcini]

Thanks @Adamcr68, Nice looking truck! Thanks for the recommendations. I didn't know that @Quick_Shifter had a shop - it's too bad I don't live in PA.

@RJL1, Your truck looks great. Thanks for posting the picture - it does provide good reference for the factory chrome wheels, bumper and running boards with a lift. Will you be swapping the tires for size or winter performance? It didn't occur to me to ask how the AT tires perform in the snow. I don't have space to store a 2nd set so whatever I run has to do it all.

@Quick_Shifter, thanks for jumping in - and yes I'd would appreciate your help laying out a kit.

Regarding height: A 5" lift would cut it too close for me. My garage measures 83", my Ram is at 78" to the top of the antenna. With a 5" lift I would realize 3" additional height (both Frt/RR) and then approximately half of the remaining 2" front lift height at my antenna. 3 + (0.5 * 2) = 4". Add another inch from 35" tires and my truck won't fit inside.

Regarding tires, I dont have a preference whether metric or imperial but 35" looks "right" for my taste with a 4" lift. A 315/60R20 would be the same size if I understand correctly.

I am interested to understand the difference between shock options, and whether I should keep the Bilstiens or go another route.

Many thanks!

 

[Nick@GotExhaust]

@RJL1 your truck looks amazing, thank you for letting us be a part of your build. It was a pleasure working with you.

@Quick_Shifter is as smart as they come when it comes to RAMs and suspension. The man knows his stuff!

Anyone else interested in suspension or anything else please let me know if we can offer and advice or a quote. Also if you can get your RAM to PA hit up @Quick_Shifter for an install as his attention to detail is 2nd to none.

 

[Quick_Shifter]

Thanks @Adamcr68, Nice looking truck! Thanks for the recommendations. I didn't know that @Quick_Shifter had a shop - it's too bad I don't live in PA.

@RJL1, Your truck looks great. Thanks for posting the picture - it does provide good reference for the factory chrome wheels, bumper and running boards with a lift. Will you be swapping the tires for size or winter performance? It didn't occur to me to ask how the AT tires perform in the snow. I don't have space to store a 2nd set so whatever I run has to do it all.

@Quick_Shifter, thanks for jumping in - and yes I'd would appreciate your help laying out a kit.

Regarding height: A 5" lift would cut it too close for me. My garage measures 83", my Ram is at 78" to the top of the antenna. With a 5" lift I would realize 3" additional height (both Frt/RR) and then approximately half of the remaining 2" front lift height at my antenna. 3 + (0.5 * 2) = 4". Add another inch from 35" tires and my truck won't fit inside.

Regarding tires, I dont have a preference whether metric or imperial but 35" looks "right" for my taste with a 4" lift. A 315/60R20 would be the same size if I understand correctly.

I am interested to understand the difference between shock options, and whether I should keep the Bilstiens or go another route.

Many thanks!

To achieve the big but fit in the garage look I’ve done smaller wheels to make a 33” tire look like a 35”. And coil overs instead of a bracket lift. The outcome is an overall better ride because the money is spent on better shocks (2.5 with reservoir) control arms and other supporting mods to achieve a lifted look. Since you’ll be lifting the front 3ish inches and the rear 1 1/2” you’ll still be pretty tight getting in and out of the garage.

 

[Quick_Shifter]

@dalcini Thanks @Adamcr68, Nice looking truck! Thanks for the recommendations. I didn't know that @Quick_Shifter had a shop - it's too bad I don't live in PA.
You wouldn’t be the first to ship it

 

[Justin33]

@RJL1 your truck looks amazing, thank you for letting us be a part of your build. It was a pleasure working with you.

@Quick_Shifter is as smart as they come when it comes to RAMs and suspension. The man knows his stuff!

Anyone else interested in suspension or anything else please let me know if we can offer and advice or a quote. Also if you can get your RAM to PA hit up @Quick_Shifter for an install as his attention to detail is 2nd to none.

Want to pm me a quote for the four inch super lift with the bilsteins front and back?

 

[RaptorHD]

I have not lifted a truck (for myself) since High school... I don't really see the sense of it or a practical application unless your living in Alaska and have no choice because most places do not have "roads"
Most people do it for the looks,,but don't do it right anyway. Putting on a lift using blocks is NOT the correct way, sure you get the looks but its sacrificed with reliability. There are those that will lift a truck and ignore their pinion angle, steering, ball joints etc. I cannot tell you how many trucks I have seen where they lifted it to the sky, put offsets on the wheels to get that skateboard look then wonder why and how they broke drive shafts, ball joints etc.

You want to lift your truck, hey go for it,,but don't ignore the whole picture, if you ignore those things I mentioned someday you will have a bad day and at the worst time!

 

[Desert Dawg]

4.) Will my 2-tone chrome-laden Laramie look wonky with a lift? I haven't run across any with my color scheme that are lifted. I'm mainly concerned about whether all the chrome will look out of place with a lift.


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Nice looking truck!

I feel your pain...lol. I actually have a 5th Gen but been looking to get a tad more lift over my current Fabtech/Dirt Logic 3-inch setup and decided that 4-inch would be perfect. Unfortunately, I actually do quite a bit of off-roading and so the Superlift, Rough Country, Zone, and even BDS variants won't work as they all use spacer systems and cannot fit performance coilovers with them (unless I go to 6-inch lift systems). But for a road truck with limited off-road duty, the 4-inch systems mentioned would all work great and make your truck look awesome!

But I want to answer your question about your two-tone looking silly. I had a two-tone (4th Gen) that I had lifted with a 6-inch Pro Comp. It was tad high but AMP Research Steps fixed that for my much shorter wife and I had a tall RV garage at the time but it was tall for using the bed. I thought it looked great despite all the chrome; I purposely keep the wheels/tires within the fender coverage as I was going for more a factory-2500ish look. I thought I would show you it since it was a two-tone so you can imagine it with a 4-inch lift.



Edit: I do agree with what @RaptorHD was saying for the most part although I actually do need and use my lifted truck for more than on-road travel. But these trucks are now made so low for crash safety and EPA mileage standards that a 3- or 4-inch lift has much less effect as they did on older models; of course, the newer coilover suspension system offerings are amazing and really can take on a lot more than earlier versions of lifts but still can't escape the need for improved approach/breakover/departure angles without resorting to heavy aftermarket off-road bumpers as well (yep, done those too...lol). Even with my 3-inch suspension, my approach/departure angles are still very limited and have the impact damage to prove it...lol (of course, the immediate and appropriate response would be to go get a Jeep if I am tackling such trails in a full sized rigl). But you can really limit the amount of wear on your components and sustain drivability if you don't go too high and/or if you don't go overboard with super oversized tires and/or wide offset wheels that lots of folks prefer (which is very subjective in my book that their trucks look "better" with tires sticking out 3-inches or more from the fenders). I think 2.5-4 inches of lift with moderately upsized wheels/tires look great on these Rams and still provide some measure of improved performance, if needed (however, I will admit I like the looks of the newer 6-inch hybrid drop bracket/coilover systems offered from Zone and BDS but still too high for me and toyed with idea of adjusting a 6-inch down to 5-5.5 inches). But back to @RaptorHD's point, if you are going to lift, you should invest in as high quality of a suspension system you can afford for sake of reliability and safety (so BDS or maybe its lower cost-point offering with Zone) as component materials and design do vary between manufacturers.

 

[Nick@GotExhaust]

Want to pm me a quote for the four inch super lift with the bilsteins front and back?

Sure, I will send over a quote shortly. Thank you!

 

[Tulet]

My 2018 Longhorn Lifted 4" with 35" Nitto Terra Grappler G2 shoes.

 

[ilovemyramlaremie]

My 2018 Longhorn Lifted 4" with 35" Nitto Terra Grappler G2 shoes.
View attachment 467676

Nice looking truck! Perfect stance

 

[dalcini]

@Nick@GotExhaust - Yes, I intend to hit you up when I have settled on a plan.

@Quick_Shifter, Unfortunately shipping is not an option for me as this is my daily driver. Smaller wheels with a 33" tire is a clever idea, but I actually prefer 20's and plan to keep my stock wheels for now to stay within budget (if there is such a thing!). I was originally only going to level with Bilsteins, so I'm already going to have some 'splaining to do to the wife.

 

[dalcini]

@RaptorHD, thanks for your input. I appreciate your counterpoint about the practical need for a lift and admit that it is purely for looks in my case. I've always been moderate with my vehicle choices, and now that I only drive about 4k miles per year, I decided to treat myself to a truck that is as much a toy as transportation. So this is a vice for me, and I'll own that. I also agree with your logic about doing things right. I only intend to make changes that I feel I can do properly.

 

[dalcini]

@Desert Dawg YES - that's the kind of picture I couldn't find! You did a great job on that gen 4 - and I would be very happy with a 4" version of that look. Without answering each of the many points you shared, let me just say that I think very much the same as you. I'm leaning toward a Zone 4" with all recommended upgrades for end links etc. (Found in another thread - I'll find and post later) Can you share the tire and wheel offsets you had on your gen4?

 

[dalcini]

@Tulet ditto my previous comment. Great looking build, and just what I want for height and tire size. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Desert Dawg]

@Desert Dawg YES - that's the kind of picture I couldn't find! You did a great job on that gen 4 - and I would be very happy with a 4" version of that look. Without answering each of the many points you shared, let me just say that I think very much the same as you. I'm leaning toward a Zone 4" with all recommended upgrades for end links etc. (Found in another thread - I'll find and post later) Can you share the tire and wheel offsets you had on your gen4?

The wheel/tire setup was Eagle Alloys 20x8.5 -1MM offset with 5.0 inches of backspacing mounted with BFG KO LT285/65R20s (34.5 inches tall x 11.5 inches wide).

 

[Slayer1962]

Love the ride on my stock 2020 ram 1500 . I will not even change tires because i do not want to ruin it