Leveling Kit Decision

[JB1]

I just changed out my rough country leveling spacers to Rancho quick lift 9000 series adjustable struts, 9000 series adjustable rear shocks, upgraded front sway bar links for 2" lifted truck and swapped out rear sway bar to a Hellwig lifted rear sway bar kit. I also have Air Lift 1000 series air bags. I am really pleased with the way the truck rides and handles so far.

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Better keep an eye on those fronts, they dont last a year.

https://www.ramforum.com/threads/disappointed-in-rancho-quicklifts.168717/

https://www.ramforum.com/threads/rancho-quicklift-problems.166032/

 

[Sasquatchtdg]

I'm tossing the idea of replacing ball joints while I'm doing the front end. What is the best brand to use going into stock control arms?

 

[Quick_Shifter]

I'm tossing the idea of replacing ball joints while I'm doing the front end. What is the best brand to use going into stock control arms?

Upper ball joint is a new control arm lower is too but you can buy replacements which I would recommend moog.

 

[grumpygirl]

This is my current set-up. Didn’t want to do a full blown lift kit. Got it on sale over the summer. Payed $800, spent $40 on a spring commperor from Harbourfreight and changed them out over a weekend. My only complaint is the rear shock boots are kind of thin and didn’t hold up very long on the trails. Otherwise, love the ride both on and off-road.https://www.shocksurplus.com/produc...s-set-for-2009-2018-ram-1500-4wd-w-0-2-8-lift

 

[kurek]

My only complaint is the rear shock boots are kind of thin and didn’t hold up very long on the trails. Otherwise, love the ride both on and off-road.

That's odd, I've had the Bilstein 5100 rear shocks that come with the Mopar 2" lift kit for 5 years, and those are made to mount inverted (Bilsteins always install with the printed brand name sticker upright) so the boots were down at the bottom.. and I do use my truck off pavement & in deep snow with fair regularity, haven't had a durability problem with the boots.

I wonder if they've got more than one grade of boot material?

 

[Quick_Shifter]

This is my current set-up. Didn’t want to do a full blown lift kit. Got it on sale over the summer. Payed $800, spent $40 on a spring commperor from Harbourfreight and changed them out over a weekend. My only complaint is the rear shock boots are kind of thin and didn’t hold up very long on the trails. Otherwise, love the ride both on and off-road.https://www.shocksurplus.com/produc...s-set-for-2009-2018-ram-1500-4wd-w-0-2-8-lift

The 5160’s are a better pair for the 6112’s the 5100’s work but are not as evenly balanced. That’s why I always recommend buying parts from @Nick@GotExhaust not only does he have the best customer service in the industry he knows rams very well. And has sold a LOT of kits similar to the one you bought. The added bonus is as a forum member you’re always getting the sale prices

 

[grumpygirl]

That's odd, I've had the Bilstein 5100 rear shocks that come with the Mopar 2" lift kit for 5 years, and those are made to mount inverted (Bilsteins always install with the printed brand name sticker upright) so the boots were down at the bottom.. and I do use my truck off pavement & in deep snow with fair regularity, haven't had a durability problem with the boots.

I wonder if they've got more than one grade of boot material?

This was after maybe three rides. The boots came pre installed on the shocks,zip tied and everything.




Here they are fully extended before install, so I’m pretty sure I didn’t over extend them.

 

[kurek]

This was after maybe three rides. The boots came pre installed on the shocks,zip tied and everything.

Wow... conveniently I just removed mine 3 weeks ago (I installed shorter rear springs, which meant I needed shorter rear shocks so the springs wouldn't fall out at full extension..) so I just went out to the garage and snapped a couple photos.

Installed originally December 2015, so just a month shy of five years and most of that time I lived in Phoenix so desert trails were a regular part of the diet.




Curious what accounts for the difference!

 

[JB1]

This was after maybe three rides. The boots came pre installed on the shocks,zip tied and everything.
View attachment 227881



Here they are fully extended before install, so I’m pretty sure I didn’t over extend them.
View attachment 227883

The way you mounted them they rubbed on the fender liner which ripped them to shreds. Mine mounted with the boot at the bottom.

Do you have a clear picture showing the end with the stickers?

 

[Quick_Shifter]

The way you mounted them they rubbed on the fender liner which ripped them to shreds. Mine mounted with the boot at the bottom.

I was thinking chemical exposer?

 

[JB1]

I was thinking chemical exposer?

Just a guess but I cant see the shock stickers clearly to verify

Bilsteins always install with the printed brand name sticker upright so the boots were down at the bottom.

FAQ #6

https://www.bilstein.com/us/en/faq/

 

[grumpygirl]

Wow... conveniently I just removed mine 3 weeks ago (I installed shorter rear springs, which meant I needed shorter rear shocks so the springs wouldn't fall out at full extension..) so I just went out to the garage and snapped a couple photos.

Installed originally December 2015, so just a month shy of five years and most of that time I lived in Phoenix so desert trails were a regular part of the diet.

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Curious what accounts for the difference!

I would guess some manufacturing cost saving initiative. They seem a lot softer than my Rancho 5000 I put on my Rodeo.

 

[kurek]

Heat is another possibility.. like for example what they investigate on this video:
It could be that the weight of my truck (typically light... ) and the speed I drive (typically not super fast, though not poking along at a crawl either) or even the individual dirt roads we've driven just haven't brought mine over that threshold for generating more heat than they can dissipate while Grumpygirl's failed shock boots possibly a heavier truck, more hours of washboards, etc got the boots so hot that the rubber deteriorated. Both of us were in the same part of the country - I just moved away less than a year ago but I did a lot of driving out on the dirt roads near Kingman and Blythe.. so we were probably on similar terrain but the differences in truck weight and driving style could still produce a huge swing in heat.

 

[Quick_Shifter]

I would guess some manufacturing cost saving initiative. They seem a lot softer than my Rancho 5000 I put on my Rodeo.

they cost under $5.00 so I don’t think they are shaving too much cost

 

[grumpygirl]

Just a guess but I cant see the shock stickers clearly to verify



FAQ #6

https://www.bilstein.com/us/en/faq/

Fender liner theory seemed plausible so I went and checked. Plenty of clearance, sticker oriented per instructions and it’s only the back side of the boots. The front side is still intact. It’s not that big of deal to me just what I’ve observed since I’ve had them.

 

[JB1]

Looks like yours are mounted correctly, not sure what tore that boot up

Thanks for the pics

 

[grumpygirl]

Heat is another possibility.. like for example what they investigate on this video:
It could be that the weight of my truck (typically light... ) and the speed I drive (typically not super fast, though not poking along at a crawl either) or even the individual dirt roads we've driven just haven't brought mine over that threshold for generating more heat than they can dissipate while Grumpygirl's failed shock boots possibly a heavier truck, more hours of washboards, etc got the boots so hot that the rubber deteriorated. Both of us were in the same part of the country - I just moved away less than a year ago but I did a lot of driving out on the dirt roads near Kingman and Blythe.. so we were probably on similar terrain but the differences in truck weight and driving style could still produce a huge swing in heat.

That’s a pretty good theory. I mean it was hot enough this summer that my A/C clutch melted.( I made a thread about it)

 

[ram1500rsm]

Toss the boots off that stuff only traps crap, plus since your shaft is inverted you won't mess them up when your tires spin hard in the gravel or sand. I don't even remember the last time I had boots in my shocks

 

[ram1500rsm]

Heat is another possibility.. like for example what they investigate on this video:
It could be that the weight of my truck (typically light... ) and the speed I drive (typically not super fast, though not poking along at a crawl either) or even the individual dirt roads we've driven just haven't brought mine over that threshold for generating more heat than they can dissipate while Grumpygirl's failed shock boots possibly a heavier truck, more hours of washboards, etc got the boots so hot that the rubber deteriorated. Both of us were in the same part of the country - I just moved away less than a year ago but I did a lot of driving out on the dirt roads near Kingman and Blythe.. so we were probably on similar terrain but the differences in truck weight and driving style could still produce a huge swing in heat.

This video shows the perfect example of what i preach when i talk about hi performance shocks vs conventional dampeners and why 2.5 body race shocks are soo much superior to conventional shocks in that type of terrain. Notice they were not even going that fast yet their trucks are having the dance of death with that fast/mini bouncing cycle while driving on something as simple as a flat fire road that if you keep it up for more than 10 minutes at 30-35mph you wouldn't be able to touch your shocks whithout having severe burns. My guess they kept going for longer maybe 10-20 min of that stuff and boom.... oil cavitates, shocks fade, seals go kaboom, shock shafts get destroyed and you need new shocks, assuming you can still drive the thing home from the trail..... Street shocks are not meant to whistand that type of abuse for very long so you have to lower the speed to get to your destination. 2.0 rear shocks might last longer, but on a heavy truck like ours, much longer depends on your abilities to recognize the shocks might not keep up with your right foot same for the 5160's, the res can help keep oil temps in check, but their internals are not near 2.0 race ones and they can't be rebuilt. 2.0 race shocks are serviceable, 5160's are throw away and get a new pair.


That is one of the reasons i point to people when they want to have much more fun than that while offroading, and a pair of King, Fox, Radflo or Icons 2.5 all around can not only do that for hours, but at triple the speed if you have the cojones.. is another world, trust me their voices wouldn't even break up like they did on the video, You can sip a cup of cofee at 50mph the truck will feel like you're riding on pillows gliding around the terrain with the good chit.. More expensive sure but you get what you pay for and in this case believe me is that noticeable.

 

[Sasquatchtdg]

Well the front half of the kit is ordered and paid for. Now I'm at the mercy of the backorder status. I have two good G2 Terra Grapplers (good craigslist deal), and two new ones to order, LT275/65/20 10 Ply. They should look good and fill the 90% high way 10% off road work load.