1. You're welcome! I learned almost all I know about my RAM from this forum so giving back a little was the least I could do.
2. No unexpected maintenance, but three minor issues. 1) the front UCA bushings squeak quite a bit. I grease them with the correct grease every 3000 miles or less and they still do it. When greasing, I've tried several slightly different techniques; loosening the bushing bolts while on the ground, or while in the air, tightening them loosely in the air, tightly in the air, or on the ground, but none of the changes seem to matter. I always do the final torque under the full weight off truck on the ground. Not a big deal, just a little embarrassing. 2) The install instructions mention having to grind off a little of the material on the flange of the frame mounting bracket for the rear shocks to fit. This was covered in my install posts. I've noticed that the interior portion of the frame bracket kinda flares out a bit early, also contacting the upper shoulder edge of the shock body. The shocks now have a slight flat spot where the body has beaten against the inner surface of the frame mounting bracket. Next time I take them off, I plan to grind that surface down a bit. 3) This has been covered to death, but I certainly wasn't expecting the rear springs to click and clack together! I'm used to it now. And yes, still sticking with the same grease. Superlube Synthetic (41150) for the bushings and Valvoline SynPower Synthetic (VV985) for the delta joint.
3. Yes, I kept them the slightly longer one on the drivers side. I think the gangster lean of the springs is normal, and just the way it is, due to the axel's position in relation to the frame mounts, and the nature of coils being that they do not seat perfectly perpendicular to the spring column.
4. Nope. Never got it realigned! It drives beautifully, stays centered in the lane on a real flat rd and I haven't noticed any undue tire wear. I'll get it aligned here again soon though just as a regular maintenance issue.
5. Yes. This has worked perfectly! I cut the shock boot so that it hangs free, and slightly contacts the lower mount of the shock arm. Due to the flare of the boot where I cut it, it hangs slightly open, allowing debris and water to flow out of the bottom, but blocking most dust coming in. The shock arms have been kept clean, dry and most importantly free from rock/sand pitting. I also wrapped the shock bodies with a 3M clear plastic film to protect them from pitting also. I will try and get pics today.
Thanks!
