Lowered 4WD wheels and tires

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David Gunn

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I see lots of posts on this but none seem definitive with specific info on all the variables of wheel size, tire size, offset, etc. I figured I'd start a new one and see if anyone has thoughts, comments, or suggestions. I've got a 2016 RAM 1500 Crew Cab. 4WD (we can talk about everyones ideas on lowering a 4wd on another post). Right now I'm running stock 20" wheels. I'm looking to do a 2"/4" drop and I'm thinking about a 22" Hellcat wheel with 305/45/22 tires. The Hellcat wheels I'm looking at are 22x10 with a 25mm offset. Here are the questions. Any rub issues? I think from what I've read maybe so at full lock? Would changing to a 295/45/22 help? Would changing to a 18mm offset help? Any photos are comments are appreciated. I want to do this right but don't want to waste money not getting the right set up and look. This is my daily driver and while I want the look I need it practical too. I really appreciate comments to help me get this right.
These are just a few photos I like the general look of. If nothing else can the experts here identify what general set up I'm looking at on these photos I've found on the internet?
Photo 1 blue single cab
maxresdefault.jpg
Photo 2 Gold single cab
1524239138486_1DAA0A7A-D6AC-4EAE-9BB1-A4143AE1ADED.jpg
Photo 3 & 4 Gray single cab
115985-ca24e3bb18810d9c9f90a6e178da2fc2.jpg
115986-97cf9716b9949fe16ffb2a7ddecab458.jpg
Photo 5 White extended cab
m-stock-air-suspension-wheel-replicas-v1180-bronze.png
 
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David Gunn

David Gunn

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Well....here's what I came up with for my 2016 RAM 4wd. Belltech 2"/4" drop. Nitto 420v tires on stock 20" RAM wheels. Front tires are 295/55/20. Rear tires are 305/55/20. No rubbing that I can tell. Looks and works great.
IMG_1497.jpg IMG_1501.jpg IMG_1511.jpg IMG_1514.jpg
 
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David Gunn

David Gunn

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Total typo on my tire size on my prior post. The rears are 305/50/20. The fronts are 275/55/20. I spent alot of time researching tire sizes to make sure I didn't rub on the front. I was still curious if the 305's would rub on the front so I swapped them all around and put the 305's on the front. No rub. Looks like I could have gone 305/50/20's all around without any rub issues.
 

TheMill13

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Your sweet truck still makes me drool with envy. Lol I love how it looks lowered. It my younger days it was lift them high. Now I really appreciate the look of a lowered truck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Graygoose

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I see lots of posts on this but none seem definitive with specific info on all the variables of wheel size, tire size, offset, etc. I figured I'd start a new one and see if anyone has thoughts, comments, or suggestions. I've got a 2016 RAM 1500 Crew Cab. 4WD (we can talk about everyones ideas on lowering a 4wd on another post). Right now I'm running stock 20" wheels. I'm looking to do a 2"/4" drop and I'm thinking about a 22" Hellcat wheel with 305/45/22 tires. The Hellcat wheels I'm looking at are 22x10 with a 25mm offset. Here are the questions. Any rub issues? I think from what I've read maybe so at full lock? Would changing to a 295/45/22 help? Would changing to a 18mm offset help? Any photos are comments are appreciated. I want to do this right but don't want to waste money not getting the right set up and look. This is my daily driver and while I want the look I need it practical too. I really appreciate comments to help me get this right.
These are just a few photos I like the general look of. If nothing else can the experts here identify what general set up I'm looking at on these photos I've found on the internet?
Photo 1 blue single cab

Photo 2 Gold single cab
1524239138486_1DAA0A7A-D6AC-4EAE-9BB1-A4143AE1ADED.jpg
Photo 3 & 4 Gray single cab
115985-ca24e3bb18810d9c9f90a6e178da2fc2.jpg
115986-97cf9716b9949fe16ffb2a7ddecab458.jpg
Photo 5 White extended cab
m-stock-air-suspension-wheel-replicas-v1180-bronze.png
the bottom white one here is a members.
 
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David Gunn

David Gunn

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Maybe some others can chime in with experiences. As stated in the tread I have a Belltech 2/4 drop. Ride quality after initial installation was not good. I realized that I was basically riding on the bump stops at all times. After a call to Matt at Moe's Performance he suggested pulling the bump stops out completely just as a trial. (thanks for the free advice Matt). Wow, ride was 90% better! However at that point on big bumps I'm bottoming out on the bump stop mounts. That's not a great sound. I knew I needed to run some bump stop so I cut down the BT bump stops about 1". After a few test rides I don't notice the bottoming out as much except for times like going over a speed bump in a parking lot. See my attached photos of the bump stop. I would guess I have about 1 1/4" clearance between my cut bump stop and the plate on the axle. That doesn't seem like much room. With the cut bump stop I would guess it's got about 1"+ of cushion.
Also, I've noticed after lowering that the suspension is much more sensitive to weight in the truck. With one passenger or even a few small items in the bed it's bottoming out even worst than with just me alone in the truck. I feel like I've changed from a 1/2 ton truck to a 50 lbs payload capacity truck. I'm thinking my fix may need to be some air bag helpers to just stiffen up the rear springs a bit. Who has experience with that? Is that the fix? Is something else wrong here? I've looked at Air Lift bags and I see they have a couple of options. I would assume those are universal type applications that would work with the lowered springs? The BT springs seem a bit fatter than the stock springs but I would assume the air bag would still fill the spring once inflated? I'm digging my stance but still working to smooth out the ride quality. Suggestions appreciated.

F7E9D2C2-753C-404E-9FF5-2B64AF2E8731.JPG stop1.jpg stop2.jpg stop3.jpg
 

abouttobeglue

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Cut the bump stop cups out, had that issue with bottoming out, cut the bumpstops, then eventually cut the cups out. A diablo sawzall metal blade will make short work of it. Been riding without cups or stops for a bearish, no issues. Bought some energy bumpstops , but never installed couldnt figure how to get them to work in the holes
 
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David Gunn

David Gunn

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Would you ever have the risk of the tire contacting the fender if there was no bump stop?
 

abouttobeglue

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Havent had an issue so far, I do have my rear fender liners out, makes for changing shocks easy. Cant say I've bottomed out with no bumpstops or cups, I do have airlift bags in the springs
 

Tim Garceau

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What shocks are you using? The helper bags you want are going to be for the Durango but I’m sure Moe’s already communicated that.

Do you have a track bar relocation or adjustable panhard? What about control arms? How’s the high speed handling?

Only think keeping me going from 1/3 to 2/4 is it tracks so nice at 140+ now and dont want to lose it.
 
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David Gunn

David Gunn

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What shocks are you using? The helper bags you want are going to be for the Durango but I’m sure Moe’s already communicated that.

Do you have a track bar relocation or adjustable panhard? What about control arms? How’s the high speed handling?

Only think keeping me going from 1/3 to 2/4 is it tracks so nice at 140+ now and dont want to lose it.

Running Belltech Street Performer shocks. Yes, I have the track bar relocation mount and stock control arms. Truck is stable up to 90 mph which is as fast as I've taken it.
 
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David Gunn

David Gunn

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What shocks are you using? The helper bags you want are going to be for the Durango but I’m sure Moe’s already communicated that.

Do you have a track bar relocation or adjustable panhard? What about control arms? How’s the high speed handling?

Only think keeping me going from 1/3 to 2/4 is it tracks so nice at 140+ now and dont want to lose it.


I have heard about using the bags for a Durango application on a 1500. I'm curious what's different about the Durango size bag that works with a lowered spring on a 1500. I also see other treads where folks have debated and tried both the Durango bag application and a 1500 bag application. I feel like stiffening up the spring just a bit would solve most of my issues, however, I don't want it so stiff that it's uncomfortable without load. As one tread said there is usually some sweet spot with the bags that you can find with some air pressure experimenting. I'm not even going to go down the discussion path about towing a trailer with this set up. I need it working right without a load before I even think about that.

One other curious note. I see alot of folks comment that they purchased a 2/4 drop and maybe only initially get 3" drop in the rear. Per my before and after measurements I got 4 1/4" rear drop right out of the box. Is that going to settle and be even more drop over time? Much more drop in the rear and I'm going to have a negative rake (and maybe more bottoming out issues). As it is now my truck is sitting almost level which I like.
 

abouttobeglue

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I've ran kyb monomax, belltech nitro, kyb gas ajust, currently running kyb excel g. So far those have the best ride, no bottoming out so far in the week I've had them. I also ran stock fronts and belltech nitro in the rear for a while. I really liked the monomax and gasajust when they were new, but over time they just got really stiff. The nitro drops are too soft for the front, and when I compared the rebound from the excel gs to the rear belltech nitro the belltech didnt have much left in rebound.
 

Tim Garceau

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The overall bag height is 2-3 inches shorter for the Durango so you don’t need to worry about it forcing the rear end up when inflated on a lowered application. Daily drive with around 10 psi as I throw several hundred pounds in landscape maintenance randomly and don’t have to worry about keeping an air compressor. Also helps keep the rear end from squatting as much under heavy throttle, using Bilstein 4600s and cut OEM springs with Freedom Off-road arms.
 
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David Gunn

David Gunn

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I installed a set of the Air Ride bags for a Durango today. I'll give it a few days as a test. My first impressions are that it helps on the bottoming out issues. I did a test drive across a few bumps I know where it was bottoming out before and it was 90% better. I ran my first tests at 20psi. I'll try some different pressures over the next few days and see how it goes.
 
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David Gunn

David Gunn

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Just to document my research and purchases. The bags I got where for the Dodge Durango. Air Ride part #60824. (A typical recommended RAM 1500 (not lowered) bag is the #60818) As noted in one of the posts above the Durango bag is a bit shorter than the RAM bag. Install was fairly easy in my driveway. Maybe 1.5 hrs with just the mounted air fill shrader valve. I might consider an onboard compressor if it does work well.
 

H1Chester

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I have heard about using the bags for a Durango application on a 1500. I'm curious what's different about the Durango size bag that works with a lowered spring on a 1500. I also see other treads where folks have debated and tried both the Durango bag application and a 1500 bag application. I feel like stiffening up the spring just a bit would solve most of my issues, however, I don't want it so stiff that it's uncomfortable without load. As one tread said there is usually some sweet spot with the bags that you can find with some air pressure experimenting. I'm not even going to go down the discussion path about towing a trailer with this set up. I need it working right without a load before I even think about that.

One other curious note. I see alot of folks comment that they purchased a 2/4 drop and maybe only initially get 3" drop in the rear. Per my before and after measurements I got 4 1/4" rear drop right out of the box. Is that going to settle and be even more drop over time? Much more drop in the rear and I'm going to have a negative rake (and maybe more bottoming out issues). As it is now my truck is sitting almost level which I like.

I put the bags in not long ago and the ride is much better. No bottoming out, but still bounces from back to front and front to back on bigger bumps.

My issue right now is cupping of the front tires. My tires are less than a year old. At my last rotation, which was the first rotation on this set of tires, the fronts were showing cupping on the inside of the tire. The shop did an alignment and I am noticing some cupping on the tires that are now up front. The shop said that they aligned to spec.

Does anyone recommend to tell the shop/technician to actually align the fronts with a slight positive camber off the specifications to get a straight up wheel tire? (Hopefully my question makes sense.)

When it was aligned to spec a couple months back the alignment looked better visually, however it still a very slight negative camber looking at the truck.

By the way I'm a 4x4 Crew Cab with Belltech 965SP 2/4 drop...
 
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