Bilstein 6112/5160 combo

[AnarchoTrucker]

Gentlemen, I am new to the forum and a new Ram truck owner. I recently picked up a 2015 Ram 1500 Laramie Crew Cab 4x4. Definitely diggin' the truck but would like to address the suspension rake and maybe bring it up a notch.

After lurking around the forum a bit I think I'd like to get the Bilstein 6112's up front to bring it up 2.8" and get the 5160's for the rear to bring it up 1". Which, in theory, should leave me with about 0.7" of rake.

Current measurements:
LF - 36"
LR - 38.5"
RF - 36.5"
RR - 39"

Is this a suitable upgrade to get me a more leveled look and buy me a little room for slightly larger tires in the future? Also, are there any other parts I *NEED* to replace while I'm at it? Looking around on the forum I've seen some say you need to upgrade the upper control arms and others say it's not necessary. So, just looking for some advice/clarification.

Thanks!

 

[danielmid]

Shocks in the rear won't add any lift.

Fronts at 2.8" the usual recommendation is new control arms with corrected geometry for alignment.

Yes, that will be a good upgrade, and yes you can run larger tires with that lift amount, I'm running 35s with a 2.8" lift.

 

[AnarchoTrucker]

Shocks in the rear won't add any lift.

Fronts at 2.8" the usual recommendation is new control arms with corrected geometry for alignment.

Yes, that will be a good upgrade, and yes you can run larger tires with that lift amount, I'm running 35s with a 2.8" lift.

Perhaps I am misunderstanding something. There seems to be 2 different models of the 5160. 1 advertised as a 0-1" lift and the other listed as a 1-2.5" lift. Are they assuming you'd be pairing the shock with a different spring to achieve the desired lift?

Which uca are you using with this setup? There seems to be some debate in other threads between the Icons, JBA's and another I can't think of off the top of my head. Ideally, I'd like to clear 35's.

Thanks!

 

[olyelr]

Perhaps I am misunderstanding something. There seems to be 2 different models of the 5160. 1 advertised as a 0-1" lift and the other listed as a 1-2.5" lift. Are they assuming you'd be pairing the shock with a different spring to achieve the desired lift?

Which uca are you using with this setup? There seems to be some debate in other threads between the Icons, JBA's and another I can't think of off the top of my head. Ideally, I'd like to clear 35's.

Thanks!

If the rear shocks are stating they are for a lift, then they are referring to them being a little longer for a lifted application. The shocks themselves with not lift the rear…you either need new coil springs or a coil spacer.

 

[AnarchoTrucker]

If the rear shocks are stating they are for a lift, then they are referring to them being a little longer for a lifted application. The shocks themselves with not lift the rear…you either need new coil springs or a coil spacer.

Gotcha, that makes sense. I guess for now maybe I should just focus on the front now that I know I need UCA's as well. Then once I get that squared away I can take new measurements and determine if a lift in the rear is even necessary.

 

[olyelr]

Gotcha, that makes sense. I guess for now maybe I should just focus on the front now that I know I need UCA's as well. Then once I get that squared away I can take new measurements and determine if a lift in the rear is even necessary.

Yep that is a great way to go about it. You might find you like the stance with the stock height out back.

 

[Nick@GotExhaust]

as stated the 5160's will not provide lift but are long enough to work with some lift. You would need different rear coils to work with the 5160's to get lift.

Do you off road a lot and want more off road performance? The Eibach Pro kit is a great option and will give you the front and rear lift you want. Either way you go, if you do 2.8" of front lift it is highly recommended you do angle correcting UCA's.

If interestd message me and I can get you a quote on any of these options and more.

 

[AnarchoTrucker]

as stated the 5160's will not provide lift but are long enough to work with some lift. You would need different rear coils to work with the 5160's to get lift.

Do you off road a lot and want more off road performance? The Eibach Pro kit is a great option and will give you the front and rear lift you want. Either way you go, if you do 2.8" of front lift it is highly recommended you do angle correcting UCA's.

If interestd message me and I can get you a quote on any of these options and more.

I appreciate the feedback. After thinking about it more I decided to splurge and take care of everything right now.

I ended up ordering the 6112's and Icon UCA's for the front and the 5160's paired with Bilsteins 1" B12 springs for the rear.

Is there anything else I should be doing at the same time?

 

[Nick@GotExhaust]

I appreciate the feedback. After thinking about it more I decided to splurge and take care of everything right now.

I ended up ordering the 6112's and Icon UCA's for the front and the 5160's paired with Bilsteins 1" B12 springs for the rear.

Is there anything else I should be doing at the same time?

Yeah ordering from me lol

That is a decent combo. I would need to know how you use the truck to better recommend if you should be doing anything else. Do you off road? If so what type of off roading and what speeds normally?

 

[AnarchoTrucker]

Yeah ordering from me lol

That is a decent combo. I would need to know how you use the truck to better recommend if you should be doing anything else. Do you off road? If so what type of off roading and what speeds normally?

I'm new to the forum (and Ram trucks) but I did find the vendor section and see you there. I'll definitely keep you in mind for future products.

Mostly a commuter but will certainly see off road use. I live on an acreage so there will occasionally be some bouncing through the pasture. But I want to be prepared for going overlanding in the Rockies. Twice a year I spend 2 weeks mobbing up and down forest service roads in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado. A lot of dirt/rocky trails, some shallow creek crossings and lots of potholes/dips.

Also, not sure if it matters, but I intend to put 35's on the factory 20" wheels once the set of 33's that came with the truck are ready to be replaced.

 

[Nick@GotExhaust]

I am just messing with ya

That is a decent setup for how you intend to use it. If interested you can get the rear more stable and eliminate wheel hop with some rear control arms, panhard bar, and end links.

 

[AnarchoTrucker]

I am just messing with ya

That is a decent setup for how you intend to use it. If interested you can get the rear more stable and eliminate wheel hop with some rear control arms, panhard bar, and end links.

Okay, I'll have to see how she rides after the new suspension and see if I think it's necessary. If I do decide that I want to go that route is there a brand you recommend? Sorry I'm kind of a rookie when it comes to suspension upgrades...

 

[Nick@GotExhaust]

Core 4x4 is our go to for those parts. They are very durable. Many members here run their parts and love them. Plus you can order the parts in any color you want to add a nice touch with using them as an accent color or to match your RAM.

Feel free to reach out to me for any of your needs. We have been a part of the RAM community for a while and have lots of knowledge with these trucks.

 

[cityredneck]

i did the same setup last year i think it was. set the fronts to 2.8, if i were to do it again, i'd go one notch down from 2.8. i used a 3/4 inch spacer for the rear coils. the ride is amazing compared to stock!

 

[AnarchoTrucker]

i did the same setup last year i think it was. set the fronts to 2.8, if i were to do it again, i'd go one notch down from 2.8. i used a 3/4 inch spacer for the rear coils. the ride is amazing compared to stock!

That's good to hear. Curious, why would you go one notch lower?

 

[DILLIGAF]

That's good to hear. Curious, why would you go one notch lower?

Maxing out your springs give you a harsher ride.

 

[cityredneck]

That's good to hear. Curious, why would you go one notch lower?

in mine the ride is just fine, i'm just hoping my cv axles will last awhile. i havent had any issues so far, just thought maybe i shouldn't have got all out lol.

 

[AnarchoTrucker]

in mine the ride is just fine, i'm just hoping my cv axles will last awhile. i havent had any issues so far, just thought maybe i shouldn't have got all out lol.

Not gonna lie, I'm a bit worried about the CV axles, too. But, from the research I've done I have the impression this shouldn't be a major issue with the struts. I saw another post that someone mentioned this would only be a problem with a lift kit or strut spacers. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed for now.

 

[danielmid]

You may outrun the 5160s in the back with the bigger 6112s out front, a 2.5" shock upgrade may be in the future for you if you do hit those pasture roads a bit hard. Fox, King, Icon all make great 2.5 body shocks.

Also, while Nick doesn't stock them (sorry Nick), there are a ton of other options for control arms, I went with Freedom Off-road, quite a few trucks here are running Clayton, just depends on use and budget. @ram1500rsm made a kick ass chart linked below for most of the options for any suspension part you can imagine.

https://www.ramforum.com/threads/4th-gen-1500-coilovers-struts-shocks-control-arms-trackbars.158811/

 

[ThunderMug95]

Bilstein’s at 2.1 is the next setting/notch down from the max of 2.8. Thats where I set mine. I ended up putting a 1” coil spacer in the rear to get about .75” rake into it. Every truck is a bit different.