Lift/level

[Boomsquad]

I'm looking to level up the front end to match the back. Is it as simple as measuring both on level ground and taking the difference? What are the best options for me to do it myself?

 

[Boomsquad]

Sorry, it's a 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 Sport

 

[LeeD]

Hi and welcome. Drop down to the Generations section and open the 4th Gen. You'll find tons of information under there.

 

[kurek]

I'm looking to level up the front end to match the back. Is it as simple as measuring both on level ground and taking the difference? What are the best options for me to do it myself?

If you have a 4wd it's about as simple as getting a set of lift struts. Do not get a top spacer lift for 4wd 4th gen Rams, they are cheap up front but not necessarily cheap in the long run & lift struts aren't really much more money to begin with. You'll be glad you did it the better way.

The most common option is Bilstein lift struts they let you pick your lift height in 0.7" increments up to 2.8" and they reuse parts from your stock strut assembly so the cost is low. Down side is they don't come pre-loaded so you need to use a spring compressor which is not only a pain in the butt, but also can be dangerous if you don't have the right tools and experience.

There are preloaded lift struts - for example Rough Country N3 makes preloaded lift struts and those are more friendly to the DIY'er because you can pretty much just drop them in and go get an alignment - done. Down sides with them are it's a couple more dollars (I think a set is $325ish) vs. the unloaded Bilsteins and you have a fixed lift amount (2 inches) so if you wanted slightly more or slightly less you won't find that in a preloaded set.

As for how to measure, you can go from the center of your wheel to the edge of your fender if you like but that's only really good for comparing different lifts. The exact height of the fender arch front vs. rear doesn't necessarily line up. You can measure along the rocker panel to get a good idea of height differences front/rear but remember to extend your line out (in your imagination or on paper) to where the actual wheels are - for example if your wheelbase is 140" long but your rocker panel is 100" long you need to multiply the rake you measure on your rocker panel by 1.4x to determine the real difference in height at the axles if you're trying to be absolutely precise about it.

Most people who want a level truck will still want a little bit of rake just so they can use the truck as a truck from time to time and not have their headlights pointed at UFO's, well take that into account when you do your thing too.