Levelling or 3” lift that rides as close to stock as possible

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El_Lobo_Gris1500C

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Hello all,

I’ve seen a lot of posts that hit on this topic but often don’t 100% apply to what I’m looking for here, or go off onto a tangent that is completely off the trail of the info I’m looking for, so I’ll try to be as accurate and detailed in my question as I can be to avoid confusion or having this too closely related to previous posts.

I’m looking into a levelling kit or small 3” lift kit for my Ram 1500 Classic - 4x4 5.7L gas - crew cab 5’6” regular bed - stock 20” wheels with stock tire size.

After a level or small lift I MIGHT use some 1.5” to 2” max wheel spacers to get the wheels a little further out and aggressive looking, of course with quality hub-centric parts.

Specifically I want it to have as close to factory ride quality as possible, not rough, no issues over bumps on the highway/freeway etc. and I want to avoid ‘pucks” above the strut and more specifically, avoid the pre tension spacers that go between the spring and strut hat.

I’ve read good and terrible reviews of the Rough Country N3 drop in strut assembly with spring units and 3” lift kit (their sku #31231) and I’ve heard good things about the Bilstein 5100 and even better, 6112 complete strut assemblies. I’m not rich so I don’t want recommendations of $4000+ suspension kits, but I also know that you get what you pay for, and cheap kits or components often lack quality and result in a harsh ride, components failing and disappointment in the end.

Also I will be using changed out UCA’s (upper control arms with angle correct ball joints) whether with a kit or separately like the ‘Zone’ UCA’s for example.

So I’m curious who has used which kit or components together to achieve a levelled ride height, or even up to a 3” lift and level ride height (within 1/2” front to back - like 3” front and 1” rear lift) and which parts ride the smoothest and closest to factory feel when driving.

I absolutely do NOT want to end up with a harsh ride, noises, creaking or clicking, sketchy behaviour when hitting dips, bumps, uneven roads etc. if that’s the trade off, I won’t do anything at all and leave the truck stock, not worth all those issues for a better ‘look’ and slightly taller ride height.

(PS I cannot go any higher than a 3” lift or the truck won’t fit in my garage, which is a necessity for me/us since our outdoor parking spot is flanked by an old guy who cannot park straight or between two painted lines to save his life, and a big dually tow truck that hugs the line on the other side of our spot. That’s why our 2008 Dodge caravan is parked there lol, at least we can still get in and out no matter how the neighbours park, and I don’t care if their door hits the van lol!!!)

Thanks for any info, tips, reviews and pointing me in the right direction ahead of time.

Cheers all!
 

Ddenton369

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Hello all,

I’ve seen a lot of posts that hit on this topic but often don’t 100% apply to what I’m looking for here, or go off onto a tangent that is completely off the trail of the info I’m looking for, so I’ll try to be as accurate and detailed in my question as I can be to avoid confusion or having this too closely related to previous posts.

I’m looking into a levelling kit or small 3” lift kit for my Ram 1500 Classic - 4x4 5.7L gas - crew cab 5’6” regular bed - stock 20” wheels with stock tire size.

After a level or small lift I MIGHT use some 1.5” to 2” max wheel spacers to get the wheels a little further out and aggressive looking, of course with quality hub-centric parts.

Specifically I want it to have as close to factory ride quality as possible, not rough, no issues over bumps on the highway/freeway etc. and I want to avoid ‘pucks” above the strut and more specifically, avoid the pre tension spacers that go between the spring and strut hat.

I’ve read good and terrible reviews of the Rough Country N3 drop in strut assembly with spring units and 3” lift kit (their sku #31231) and I’ve heard good things about the Bilstein 5100 and even better, 6112 complete strut assemblies. I’m not rich so I don’t want recommendations of $4000+ suspension kits, but I also know that you get what you pay for, and cheap kits or components often lack quality and result in a harsh ride, components failing and disappointment in the end.

Also I will be using changed out UCA’s (upper control arms with angle correct ball joints) whether with a kit or separately like the ‘Zone’ UCA’s for example.

So I’m curious who has used which kit or components together to achieve a levelled ride height, or even up to a 3” lift and level ride height (within 1/2” front to back - like 3” front and 1” rear lift) and which parts ride the smoothest and closest to factory feel when driving.

I absolutely do NOT want to end up with a harsh ride, noises, creaking or clicking, sketchy behaviour when hitting dips, bumps, uneven roads etc. if that’s the trade off, I won’t do anything at all and leave the truck stock, not worth all those issues for a better ‘look’ and slightly taller ride height.

(PS I cannot go any higher than a 3” lift or the truck won’t fit in my garage, which is a necessity for me/us since our outdoor parking spot is flanked by an old guy who cannot park straight or between two painted lines to save his life, and a big dually tow truck that hugs the line on the other side of our spot. That’s why our 2008 Dodge caravan is parked there lol, at least we can still get in and out no matter how the neighbours park, and I don’t care if their door hits the van lol!!!)

Thanks for any info, tips, reviews and pointing me in the right direction ahead of time.

Cheers all!
Same here ! Exactly what I was thinking.
 

osprey ram

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i have 09 1500 crew,4x4. Frt end, 5100's, rear air lift bags inside the coils. 285/70-17 BFG on stock wheels. Truck rides nice,good combo for what i want . Doug
 

Mbrigh3

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I went with Bilstein 5100's at 2.1" on the front and rear 1" Bilstein coils" with Bilstein shocks. I wouldn't consider it a harsh ride but more stable and firm. I also kept close to a .5" of rake.

Avoid pucks... I had a readylift kit on my 4th gen. It wouldn't stop squeaking. I had a can of wd40 in my truck at all times smh. It looked good parked but that was about it.

Anyways here before and after. (Just posted to another thread with the same pic)
 

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El_Lobo_Gris1500C

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I went with Bilstein 5100's at 2.1" on the front and rear 1" Bilstein coils" with Bilstein shocks. I wouldn't consider it a harsh ride but more stable and firm. I also kept close to a .5" of rake.

Avoid pucks... I had a readylift kit on my 4th gen. It wouldn't stop squeaking. I had a can of wd40 in my truck at all times smh. It looked good parked but that was about it.

Anyways here before and after. (Just posted to another thread with the same pic)
I know parts would be different for 5th Gen vs 4th Gen, but did you install the 5100’s etc. on your own? If so was it difficult, any things to watch out for with the tear down or install? Thanks for the input, appreciated.
 

Quick_Shifter

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Hello all,

I’ve seen a lot of posts that hit on this topic but often don’t 100% apply to what I’m looking for here, or go off onto a tangent that is completely off the trail of the info I’m looking for, so I’ll try to be as accurate and detailed in my question as I can be to avoid confusion or having this too closely related to previous posts.

I’m looking into a levelling kit or small 3” lift kit for my Ram 1500 Classic - 4x4 5.7L gas - crew cab 5’6” regular bed - stock 20” wheels with stock tire size.

After a level or small lift I MIGHT use some 1.5” to 2” max wheel spacers to get the wheels a little further out and aggressive looking, of course with quality hub-centric parts.

Specifically I want it to have as close to factory ride quality as possible, not rough, no issues over bumps on the highway/freeway etc. and I want to avoid ‘pucks” above the strut and more specifically, avoid the pre tension spacers that go between the spring and strut hat.

I’ve read good and terrible reviews of the Rough Country N3 drop in strut assembly with spring units and 3” lift kit (their sku #31231) and I’ve heard good things about the Bilstein 5100 and even better, 6112 complete strut assemblies. I’m not rich so I don’t want recommendations of $4000+ suspension kits, but I also know that you get what you pay for, and cheap kits or components often lack quality and result in a harsh ride, components failing and disappointment in the end.

Also I will be using changed out UCA’s (upper control arms with angle correct ball joints) whether with a kit or separately like the ‘Zone’ UCA’s for example.

So I’m curious who has used which kit or components together to achieve a levelled ride height, or even up to a 3” lift and level ride height (within 1/2” front to back - like 3” front and 1” rear lift) and which parts ride the smoothest and closest to factory feel when driving.

I absolutely do NOT want to end up with a harsh ride, noises, creaking or clicking, sketchy behaviour when hitting dips, bumps, uneven roads etc. if that’s the trade off, I won’t do anything at all and leave the truck stock, not worth all those issues for a better ‘look’ and slightly taller ride height.

(PS I cannot go any higher than a 3” lift or the truck won’t fit in my garage, which is a necessity for me/us since our outdoor parking spot is flanked by an old guy who cannot park straight or between two painted lines to save his life, and a big dually tow truck that hugs the line on the other side of our spot. That’s why our 2008 Dodge caravan is parked there lol, at least we can still get in and out no matter how the neighbours park, and I don’t care if their door hits the van lol!!!)

Thanks for any info, tips, reviews and pointing me in the right direction ahead of time.

Cheers all!
Let’s keep it very simple.
If you go to 3” you would need to raise the rear (more money) you don’t want “level” on a 4th gen because the hood is higher than the bed rail. So it lands nose high when level.
You have done a phenomenal job reading and doing your own research so you have looked at pricing, it’s going to come down to your budget. How much are you looking to spend?

I wouldn’t touch rough country anything even if you have it to me for free. It’s all a waste of time and money so I wouldn’t bother. (I fix and replace rc stuff all the time so I’m not just hating the brand)
 

healthyrx

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I found the eibach pro kit in stock on tire rack for a great deal and jumped on that. Had it on stock 20” wheels and tires for 5 days now and so far I’m mostly happy with it.
My set up is as follows:
Eibach pro truck lift (front and rear shocks+springs) with front on the second notch
Zone UCAs
Rough country 1/2” leveling kit (the $50 one) with only the front spacers installed- threw out the rear spring spacers.
Stock wheels and tires for now (waiting on 4 whee parts to deliver my wheels which are now 4 days late and haven’t processed yet)

My thoughts on it so far:
Haven’t taken it Off road but on road seems to be firmer than stock but in no way harsh. I like the ride. However I will at some point be upgrading the sway bars and end links with something beefier as I can definitely feel it move a bit more in turns.
I will also be getting the cari panhard drop bracket and some lower rear control arms when budget allows but those are last on the list

Top pic is after the lift bottom is before
Gained about 3.5” of lift front and 1 in the rear
3013408B-5522-4E48-8150-CC83C23A4C8C.jpeg3382C5F5-F69F-45E4-8DBC-1FE7BDF422D3.jpeg
 

dieseldave

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Let’s keep it very simple.
If you go to 3” you would need to raise the rear (more money) you don’t want “level” on a 4th gen because the hood is higher than the bed rail. So it lands nose high when level.
You have done a phenomenal job reading and doing your own research so you have looked at pricing, it’s going to come down to your budget. How much are you looking to spend?

I wouldn’t touch rough country anything even if you have it to me for free. It’s all a waste of time and money so I wouldn’t bother. (I fix and replace rc stuff all the time so I’m not just hating the brand)
Really. R C is that bad ?
 
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I would "NEVER" use wheel spacers .... even with the Bora which are considered very good spacers, you "CAN" get vibration .... another thing, if you are going to use spacers, make sure you remove the retainer clips that hold the rotors in place, spacers have to be flat as can be with the rotors, if they are not you can get a very bad vibration especially if the wheels are asking for a lot of weight ...
 

Quick_Shifter

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You can just get the Mopar lift... that they sell as a dealer accessory approved/endorsed by the manufacturer to be as reliable as stock. That way you're not relying on anybody's opinion on the internet for assurance that it will work correctly.
Quoting @El_Lobo_Gris1500C I’m not rich so I don’t want recommendations of $4000+ suspension kits, LOL might as well get 2.5 coil overs for dealer money.
But I gotta call you on the taking advise from the internet when you’re giving it? Kinda shooting yourself in the foot there
 

Quick_Shifter

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Per the OPs request he doesn’t want this thread going off the rails. So let’s wait until he responds with some budgeting numbers so we can recommend items he can research for himself within his needs and wants
 
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I have a different setup because I am 2wd, but the Maxtrac lift kit with fox shocks all around made my truck ride better than stock, I honestly love it ... i know you don't want to spend money, but if you are going to do it , do it right .... and if that means spending a bit more money then save up and do it RIGHT !!
 
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El_Lobo_Gris1500C

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You can just get the Mopar lift... that they sell as a dealer accessory approved/endorsed by the manufacturer to be as reliable as stock. That way you're not relying on anybody's opinion on the internet for assurance that it will work correctly.
I agree that would likely be the best as far as ride quality and piece of mind but …. It’s beaucoup $$$$$ and I ain’t got that kinda cash … and my wife would put a pillow over my face after I fall asleep if I spend that much money on an already new vehicle lol!!
 

Quick_Shifter

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I agree that would likely be the best as far as ride quality and piece of mind but …. It’s beaucoup $$$$$ and I ain’t got that kinda cash … and my wife would put a pillow over my face after I fall asleep if I spend that much money on an already new vehicle lol!!
LOL. I’ll try to not get you dead brother.
Realistically have you looked at pricing something out. The Bilstein 5100’s are 100% the best bang for the buck. Dollar for Dollar. But we all want to stretch that dollar and get improvements to the factory set up and make it look like a truck.
 

Quick_Shifter

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@El_Lobo_Gris1500C i also would like you to park on flat ground and measure all four corners of your truck. At the center of each wheel well from the ground to the bottom lip of the fender and post your measurements. These trucks can fluctuate a lot from the factory
 
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El_Lobo_Gris1500C

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Per the OPs request he doesn’t want this thread going off the rails. So let’s wait until he responds with some budgeting numbers so we can recommend items he can research for himself within his needs and wants
Thanks, yes it’s more in the research phase right now, I’ll start saving now and will pull the trigger once I find the best kit/set up I can for the best price I can find. I would say I’m planning on spending anywhere from about $1000 - $1500 realistically, which I know will limit just HOW good of a kit or components I can by that limitation.

I know you get what you pay for, cheap isn’t good, and good isn’t cheap, in tattoos, car parts, beer lol … and the eager impatient let of me wants to run out and get the Rough Country 21321 kit and just ‘see how it goes’ … but the pet of me that knows that any harsh ride, creaking, noise, sketchy behaviour from bumps, dips and uneven roads will drive me nuts, and make me regret doing anything and of course wasting my hard earned money and time, and I’ll have to just take it all back out and either try another set up (even more money) or just tap out and out it right back to stock.

In this case I prefer to do as much research as I can with as much actual input from those who have actually DONE a lift or level to their own truck and can help convey their actual experience with what they chose to put in the truck. Rather than go down the rabbit hole of a quick and cheap lift kit with impatience and suffer the consequences.
 
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El_Lobo_Gris1500C

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@El_Lobo_Gris1500C i also would like you to park on flat ground and measure all four corners of your truck. At the center of each wheel well from the ground to the bottom lip of the fender and post your measurements. These trucks can fluctuate a lot from the factory
I find this measurement kind of deceiving and people don’t think about this but, maybe the rear fender actually sits lower than the front (or front lower than the rear) even if the truck frame were completely level and flat front to back. Measuring to the fender well lip is good to tell a before and after measurement, but frame to ground SHOULD be 100% to tell you what is ‘level’ and what has a rake, no? There’s no guarantee that the front and rear fenders are exact dimensions and height from frame to top of fender, which would then throw off everything as far as measuring and getting the truck to sit perceivably ‘level’. Just my thoughts / opinion.
 

Quick_Shifter

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Thanks, yes it’s more in the research phase right now, I’ll start saving now and will pull the trigger once I find the best kit/set up I can for the best price I can find. I would say I’m planning on spending anywhere from about $1000 - $1500 realistically, which I know will limit just HOW good of a kit or components I can by that limitation.

I know you get what you pay for, cheap isn’t good, and good isn’t cheap, in tattoos, car parts, beer lol … and the eager impatient let of me wants to run out and get the Rough Country 21321 kit and just ‘see how it goes’ … but the pet of me that knows that any harsh ride, creaking, noise, sketchy behaviour from bumps, dips and uneven roads will drive me nuts, and make me regret doing anything and of course wasting my hard earned money and time, and I’ll have to just take it all back out and either try another set up (even more money) or just tap out and out it right back to stock.

In this case I prefer to do as much research as I can with as much actual input from those who have actually DONE a lift or level to their own truck and can help convey their actual experience with what they chose to put in the truck. Rather than go down the rabbit hole of a quick and cheap lift kit with impatience and suffer the consequences.
I own a suspension shop that specializes in Ram suspensions so I have physically put hands on a lot of rams. I have learned what they like and don’t like.
 

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