Hodges 2016 Bilstein Build

[hodge-xj]

Curious to see your feedback on them. I had contemplated getting them from Nick, but in the end that crazy BJ on the JBA's got me.

They seem pretty basic, but good for the price. I'm not doin anything wild with this truck to constitute uber expensive arms. Plus nick@gotexhaust has the hook!

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

[hodge-xj]

Ok so after about somewhere near 7500 miles at least on my lift I finally had a chance to park next to a stock truck at work and not look like a creep pulling measurements at a local store. Didn't wanna get beat up looking like I'm messing with someone's rig.

Stock height hub to fender
21.5" front
24" rear

6112s maxed out/bilstein rear coils
24 1/4" front
24 1/2" rear

Looks like I only got 1/2" lift in the rear and 2.75 front.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

[joshuaeb09]

They seem pretty basic, but good for the price. I'm not doin anything wild with this truck to constitute uber expensive arms. Plus nick@gotexhaust has the hook!

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

Same here. I just like things that are over engineered for some reason lol.

 

[hodge-xj]

Same here. I just like things that are over engineered for some reason lol.

I like them too, I just cant always afford them [emoji23]
I'd rather decent control arms that aren't too fancy that leave room for extra parts in the budget!

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

[Kyle McWilliams]

The JBAs look trick, and the price on those Readys almost got me, but i think im gonna split the difference on Zones.

Cold, dirty, salty Northern Canada gets me again, Uniballs probably wouldnt work too good for me. The JBAs look very close to the price of Zones in the states, but it would be far more expensive to get JBAs in Canada than the Zones.

Interested to see how the Readys look on your setup though.

 

[hodge-xj]

Look what showed up! Going to install in a few mins so here's some teasers! Big thanks to nick@gotexhaust for awesome pricing and service as always. Changed the thread name, I'm just gonna continue this as my build thread since there's a ton of into in here and I don't wanna have a million threads to try and update. It's hard enough keeping up.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

[hodge-xj]

Only comparison shot I took vs stock. They weigh about the same, hard to tell but it looks like bj angle is changed a bit in the arm and the bj def has more range to it. Easy install except some ******** bracket on passenger side front made removal and install of the bolt terrible. They are quiet and seem to ride the same. At ride height the bj definitely looks as if it's in a better angle. I'll be getting an alignment once I get my 315s on than I'll report back if anything changes.

Side note, pay attention pumping them with grease, I overfilled the drivers side and popped the boot. Not a huge deal as it pops back easy enough, but now since the groove the lip sits in has grease in it, it pops free at full droop. Nothing to worrysome as I usually shoot a pump or 2 each oil change but easy to avoid.

Travel didn't change, so these 6112s are definitely shorter than the others by a bit but nothing to complain about.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

[hodge-xj]

Only 2 pics I've found from the trail run, just a few of the group.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

[hodge-xj]

So oddly enough I noticed a difference in my ride today. I have drive the same 125 mile round trip down the same highway for the past 4 years. Needless to say I've become very intune with how the truck responds. Oddly enough it feels like the smaller stuff is a bit smoother. Over All the suspension just feels like it moves alot easier and is more compliant. When I did my lift i never loosened and retorqued my upper arms, so those factory bushing had some fierce tension on them. As much as I build this thing to perform, highway is where is spends a majority of its life and it's a nice surprise that these actually made a bit of a difference.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

[hodge-xj]

So something kind of off I just noticed walking my dog,I'm going to re measure my truck in the lot tomorrow at work where it's level, but my truck is sitting lower in the front than it has been. Enough I could visually tell. Measured from top of tire to fender and it was 7 1/2" which is lower than when I took my ride height vs droop measurements.

As it sits where I parked in front of my house is

23.5" front now

Roughly 3/4" lower than when I compared to a stock truck a couple days ago.....hmmmm





Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

[Kyle McWilliams]

You were concerned with them being more than advertised, and you got 2.75 on the diesel right?

If it dropped half an inch, you're right around that advertised 2.3" for the diesel. Just settled in?

 

[hodge-xj]

You were concerned with them being more than advertised, and you got 2.75 on the diesel right?

If it dropped half an inch, you're right around that advertised 2.3" for the diesel. Just settled in?

That's the thing, I have almost 10k miles on them so you would think they were more than settled. I'm wondering if those stock ucas were really that bound up in the bushings that everything is where it's supposed to sit. In the oem clevit style bushings the sleeves are fused to the rubber so they don't really have a great range of motion.....

If this measurement is right I'm sitting somewhere around 2-2.25" up front compared to the stock truck i measured from.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

[Kyle McWilliams]

That's the thing, I have almost 10k miles on them so you would think they were more than settled. I'm wondering if those stock ucas were really that bound up in the bushings that everything is where it's supposed to sit. In the oem clevit style bushings the sleeves are fused to the rubber so they don't really have a great range of motion.....

If this measurement is right I'm sitting somewhere around 2-2.25" up front compared to the stock truck i measured from.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

I can't imagine those bushings held you up in the air for 10k miles of bouncing around, but its plausible i guess. You're happier at the lower ride height though? So thats a win haha.

 

[hodge-xj]

I can't imagine those bushings held you up in the air for 10k miles of bouncing around, but its plausible i guess. You're happier at the lower ride height though? So thats a win haha.

Keeping it a bit lower keeps the down travel at a better length, that's all, helps the ride out and feels a bit more bottomless.

Those control arms were at about 350lb/ft when I went to break them free, believe me I think a gorilla tightened them. When the bj popped free I forgot how much tension they have and the uca sprung up almost hitting me in the nose. That being said I can't see that being why, maybe taking them on my offroading trip did it.....i really don't know honestly. It's just weird that all the sudden the day after I put the arms on its different, my post compared to a stock truck was like a week ago.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

[hodge-xj]

Finally had a warm day here in Jersey so I got around to putting my flares back on. Exactly the look I was hoping for, fill out the wells enough that I'm flush with the oem flares but still under enough to keep my truck kinda clean. At least compared to the daily altering of mud it saw without flares. I work in the trades and most jobs I am on are a mud pit till about June so this was a necessary mod for me. 3m tape was a ***** to line up but we'll worth it to keep the paint under the flares alive.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

[ram1500rsm]

Truck is looking good Hodge, Enjoy.

 

[mike19950]

Looks great!

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[hodge-xj]

Truck is looking good Hodge, Enjoy.

Thank you! Its getting along. Trying to get it done before I get into working on the house. You guys make me want all the fun things.

Next is a bumper. And I think I'll be ok for a bit. Waiting on my tax money for that, than once the settlement from.FCA is finalized I can look into some more things.


Did you see my post about these new UCAS actually lowering my ride height!?! I measured in 3 different parking lots, and no joke it's sitting .75" lower.......im freaking baffled

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

[hodge-xj]

Looks great!

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

Thank you! How's that truck of yours doin?

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

[ram1500rsm]

Thank you! Its getting along. Trying to get it done before I get into working on the house. You guys make me want all the fun things.

Next is a bumper. And I think I'll be ok for a bit. Waiting on my tax money for that, than once the settlement from.FCA is finalized I can look into some more things.


Did you see my post about these new UCAS actually lowering my ride height!?! I measured in 3 different parking lots, and no joke it's sitting .75" lower.......im freaking baffled

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

I was checking it out today and the only think i can think off is that the correction on the new arms have moved your wheels forward giving you more caster, but a little less lift, when you lift without caster correction the opposite happens your wheels move backwards and your caster go a little lower.