Ram Riding and Handling absolutely terrible!

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GovernorBudNH

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2016
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Diesel v6
Forum,
Newby on this site.

Thankfully I finally found the Ram Forum and you who may have been through this.
and might be able to solve an issue that few have any knowledge.

Scenario
I purchased 2016 Ram 1500, limited laramie ecodiesal last May looking for a rugged 4x4 truck to tow my camper and use for work.

The Ram was built in Canada and imported. The suspension work, front end bumper and winch had been done in Canada

I was told it was lifted 6" by the sales manager at BidCars, Walpole Mass, a used car dealership who—despite seeming knowledge and a good reputation known for selling
lots of pickup trucks in particular—was obviously clueless/misled me into the suspension work and that the ride was normal.

The airbags had been removed and a coil suspension installed.
It's running Nitto Grappler 305 55 20 (diameter is close to stock)

The handling and ride has been absolutely terrible…every bump and uneven road shakes vehicle. It even launched
on a highway bump. I drive mainly highway (Rt 93 here in New England) and travel good highways…the seconday roads are virtually impossible to drive with this truck!)

In frustration I took the truck to an experienced suspension shop in NH where I was told by the owner:
There had never been a lift
Spacers had been put in to raise the front end above the struts!

Here were his suggestions.

1) Spend $2500 to do a proper lift with all the components
2) Take out the spacers, find a used bumper and get rid of the winch and aftermarket bumper (and the weight up forward)
3) Sell the vehicle and be done with the situation altogether. (this would involve I'm sure a loss as the truck cost a fair amount

Ive had three 4x4s in my adult life all with winches and heavy duty ft bumpers.
(A land rover, a Toyota Tundra, a Toyota Landcrusier wagon and a Toyota 4 Runner)

I never ran into such poor riding and handling as with this Ram.


The work done on my Ram was obviously done poorly and I was an idiot to not have it checked before purchase by a legitimate after market suspension shop.

Overall the truck has been a good vehicle. Has 78000 miles. It has every option that works for me. I hate to dump it

From what Ive read on the forum some out there understand these trucks and what's worked.
Thanks to anyone who can offer solutions.
JH
 

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DILLIGAF

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Remove those garbage pucks, add 6112s and set them to 0.8 up front call it a day and keep your bumper to boot

You also need to upgrade the rear 4 link to Clayton off-road

Dont forget Suspension Maxx endlinks as well.
 

kurek

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In frustration I took the truck to an experienced suspension shop in NH where I was told by the owner:
There had never been a lift
Spacers had been put in to raise the front end above the struts!

Well there is definitely a lift on it.. the bracket that the lower control arms are on is a giveaway. Makes me question the shop you visited.. I get that they might want to go scorched earth on whatever is on there to guarantee an outcome and that isn't all bad.. but if you are going to spend money it may as well be surgical to get the best result.

If you can, post up more detailed photos of the front and rear suspension.

Folks on here will spend your money for you fast. I'm sure their heart is in the right place but it simply doesn't take $500/ea shocks to achieve a good stable comfortable ride.

Post up photos, see if any of us can spot opportunities to optimize what you have. Ask as many questions as you need to. Any of us including me might be an idiot but if you put together our collective knowledge about the platform and aftermarket with your healthy skepticism and analysis maybe you can get a great riding truck without spending more than you have to.

Scorched earth should remain on the table
 
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GovernorBudNH

GovernorBudNH

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Thanks forum for weighing in!
will post photos tomorrow to be more specific once i get the truck up on a lift at a friends garage
 
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GovernorBudNH

GovernorBudNH

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I wrote to Nick at Freedom Motorsport, appreciate his response---included below--- and tomorrow I will take photos of under the truck when it's up on the lift and I can try and determine the brands of aftermarket parts.

My answers are in BOLD. I forgot to add that the airbag system obviously was replaced by whomever did the suspension work.

... So the lift you have IS correctly done. The spacer above the strut is common for lift kits for the RAM, as well as the lower bracket under the crossmember. All the big name companies that make a proper lift kit for the RAM do it in a similar fashion. I do not think a full lift replacement will be necessary. So lets start with some simple things like, what air pressure do you run in your tires? I USE MY OWN ACCCURATE GAUGE. 46 LBS ALL AROUND. I PURCHASED THE REPLACEMENT NITTO TIRES AS THE MUD AND SNOWS THAT CAME WITH THE TRUCK WERE TOO NOISY.
It is common for the dealership to overfill the tires and make the ride very bouncy.

Next, can you see anywhere on the lift and on the front struts what brand this all is? The struts and rear shocks could either be worn out or of poor quality. COULD VERY WELL BE THE ISSUE. HARD FOR ME TO BELIEVE THAT DESPITE THE WEIGHT UP FORWARD, THAT THIS RAM WOULD RIDE SO POORLY. That along with the added weight of your front bumper and the winch can compound the issue.

By the way very nice looking truck!

Nick Picariello l Customer Support Specialist
 

Nick@GotExhaust

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Lets find out what struts and shocks are on there. I am thinking they may be the issue. From the couple pics I saw in the email it looks like the lift may of been on there a while as are the shocks and and struts. Those shocks and struts may have been of lower quality. May be worth while going with a full length 2.5" coil over up front. That will not only ride better than what is on there now but will help with the added weight you have in the front.
 

seanclark1503

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Looks like a keeper, it’s probably an easy fix except for the $ . I was wondering if your Ram squats at all… and/or how are the tires wearing ? All the same or ?
Like it was said before, the problem is fixable, it certainly sounds like it the geometry isn’t right and that’s usually either a cheaper kit (or part) or an installer inexperienced with suspensions. Could be as simple as the wrong part(s) for this particular year .
 

GTyankee

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Another correction, not that it matters
Your Ram was built at the Warren Michigan Assembly Plant
They make 2 versions of the same vehicle
One is for Use in the USA
The other is made for Use in Canada
some of the differences for the Canadian Version
The Headlights come on automatically when the Ram is started, unless that function has been altered
The radio software usually has different version numbers
It will not have Uconnect function, which has a subscription fee
 

Quick_Shifter

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Forum,
Newby on this site.

Thankfully I finally found the Ram Forum and you who may have been through this.
and might be able to solve an issue that few have any knowledge.

Scenario
I purchased 2016 Ram 1500, limited laramie ecodiesal last May looking for a rugged 4x4 truck to tow my camper and use for work.

The Ram was built in Canada and imported. The suspension work, front end bumper and winch had been done in Canada

I was told it was lifted 6" by the sales manager at BidCars, Walpole Mass, a used car dealership who—despite seeming knowledge and a good reputation known for selling
lots of pickup trucks in particular—was obviously clueless/misled me into the suspension work and that the ride was normal.

The airbags had been removed and a coil suspension installed.
It's running Nitto Grappler 305 55 20 (diameter is close to stock)

The handling and ride has been absolutely terrible…every bump and uneven road shakes vehicle. It even launched
on a highway bump. I drive mainly highway (Rt 93 here in New England) and travel good highways…the seconday roads are virtually impossible to drive with this truck!)

In frustration I took the truck to an experienced suspension shop in NH where I was told by the owner:
There had never been a lift
Spacers had been put in to raise the front end above the struts!

Here were his suggestions.

1) Spend $2500 to do a proper lift with all the components
2) Take out the spacers, find a used bumper and get rid of the winch and aftermarket bumper (and the weight up forward)
3) Sell the vehicle and be done with the situation altogether. (this would involve I'm sure a loss as the truck cost a fair amount

Ive had three 4x4s in my adult life all with winches and heavy duty ft bumpers.
(A land rover, a Toyota Tundra, a Toyota Landcrusier wagon and a Toyota 4 Runner)

I never ran into such poor riding and handling as with this Ram.


The work done on my Ram was obviously done poorly and I was an idiot to not have it checked before purchase by a legitimate after market suspension shop.

Overall the truck has been a good vehicle. Has 78000 miles. It has every option that works for me. I hate to dump it

From what Ive read on the forum some out there understand these trucks and what's worked.
Thanks to anyone who can offer solutions.
JH
Pictures say 1,000 words. So post pictures of as many suspension components as possible. Not all lift kits were compatible with the eco diesel.
 

BellevilleRam

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Without seeing any other information, I have a feeling that the front coilovers might have been sprung for a gas powered Ram and along with the addition of the winch, you are bottoming out the front end due to too light a spring rate. I may be wrong, but that would certainly do it.
 
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GovernorBudNH

GovernorBudNH

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Hi, Back from my mechanic where we put the truck on the lift.
He confirmed that there IS A 4" LIFT. (How the suspension shop in NH stated there is no lift is beyond comprehension)

Rear Shocks are Monroe Reflex
Struts are Masterpro

His Recommendation
---Go back to OEM with airbags
or
---Get rid of lift kit; replace struts and shocks
or
---Keep lift as is, however replace struts up front with quality (Bilstein 6112 kit or?)
and Replace shocks in rear

I told him I would post back to the Ram Forum once you've seen the pictures, where you all would have the most knowledge and been through this. I really don't want to sell the truck, but as Ive said, it's too punishing especially on New England roads to drive the truck. As Kurek suggested, a stable comfortable ride.

I'd like to get this right even if I have to wait. Can be done in stages if necessary?
Thanks much for your expertise.
 

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kurek

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Edit: newer posts make what I wrote here obsolete.
 
Last edited:
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GovernorBudNH

GovernorBudNH

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Thanks Kurek, will run this all by my mechanic for estimate on labor. Have any forum members reading suggestions gone this route? What's been the result on the ride? Thanks again, very helpful toward getting the ride character enjoyable.
 

BolletuH

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Any chance you could take similar pictures of the lift while vehicle is on the ground compressed by its own weight? This would help in determining any potential handling issues regarding suspension or steering axis geometry being off. I don't really want to offer advice until I've seen the entirety of the suspension resting in a position it should be. Also, an alignment sheet would be extremely beneficial to review caster, camber, and toe settings.

Edit: Looks like your driver side CV axle was replaced at some point?
 
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BolletuH

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Thanks Kurek, will run this all by my mechanic for estimate on labor. Have any forum members reading suggestions gone this route? What's been the result on the ride? Thanks again, very helpful toward getting the ride character enjoyable.
Kurek offers great advice, but don't prematurely jump the gun. Find the problem before just throwing an entire new suspension at it. It took me almost a full year of fiddling with my RAM 2500 before I got the aftermarket suspension on my truck dialed in. Now it floats compared to stock, but it was a lot of trial and error.
 

boblonben

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Forum,
Newby on this site.

Thankfully I finally found the Ram Forum and you who may have been through this.
and might be able to solve an issue that few have any knowledge.

Scenario
I purchased 2016 Ram 1500, limited laramie ecodiesal last May looking for a rugged 4x4 truck to tow my camper and use for work.

The Ram was built in Canada and imported. The suspension work, front end bumper and winch had been done in Canada

I was told it was lifted 6" by the sales manager at BidCars, Walpole Mass, a used car dealership who—despite seeming knowledge and a good reputation known for selling
lots of pickup trucks in particular—was obviously clueless/misled me into the suspension work and that the ride was normal.

The airbags had been removed and a coil suspension installed.
It's running Nitto Grappler 305 55 20 (diameter is close to stock)

The handling and ride has been absolutely terrible…every bump and uneven road shakes vehicle. It even launched
on a highway bump. I drive mainly highway (Rt 93 here in New England) and travel good highways…the seconday roads are virtually impossible to drive with this truck!)

In frustration I took the truck to an experienced suspension shop in NH where I was told by the owner:
There had never been a lift
Spacers had been put in to raise the front end above the struts!

Here were his suggestions.

1) Spend $2500 to do a proper lift with all the components
2) Take out the spacers, find a used bumper and get rid of the winch and aftermarket bumper (and the weight up forward)
3) Sell the vehicle and be done with the situation altogether. (this would involve I'm sure a loss as the truck cost a fair amount

Ive had three 4x4s in my adult life all with winches and heavy duty ft bumpers.
(A land rover, a Toyota Tundra, a Toyota Landcrusier wagon and a Toyota 4 Runner)

I never ran into such poor riding and handling as with this Ram.


The work done on my Ram was obviously done poorly and I was an idiot to not have it checked before purchase by a legitimate after market suspension shop.

Overall the truck has been a good vehicle. Has 78000 miles. It has every option that works for me. I hate to dump it

From what Ive read on the forum some out there understand these trucks and what's worked.
Thanks to anyone who can offer solutions.
JH
NO Ram are built in Canada, they are built in US or Mexico plant. Now it may be a Canada spec RAM out of US but, again, NOT built in Canada. Also sounds like the problem with the RAM is NOT the RAM's fault but whoever owned it before and screwed it up !! Don't blame RAM for some idiotg messing with it wrong.
 

Robert Fly

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I'm just an old fart who has been there, done that, seen that and had to fix those kind of fuckups. Ain't no faster way to Junk a good truck than by some fly by night know nothing SOB installing a cheap lift kit.
 

Quick_Shifter

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Hi, Back from my mechanic where we put the truck on the lift.
He confirmed that there IS A 4" LIFT. (How the suspension shop in NH stated there is no lift is beyond comprehension)

Rear Shocks are Monroe Reflex
Struts are Masterpro

His Recommendation
---Go back to OEM with airbags
or
---Get rid of lift kit; replace struts and shocks
or
---Keep lift as is, however replace struts up front with quality (Bilstein 6112 kit or?)
and Replace shocks in rear

I told him I would post back to the Ram Forum once you've seen the pictures, where you all would have the most knowledge and been through this. I really don't want to sell the truck, but as Ive said, it's too punishing especially on New England roads to drive the truck. As Kurek suggested, a stable comfortable ride.

I'd like to get this right even if I have to wait. Can be done in stages if necessary?
Thanks much for your expertise.
Initial thoughts, Sway bar endlinks are waaayyyy too tight, The struts are some brand of quick strut with garbage coils and i would put my money on those 2 things destroying your ride quality. I know from experience. PM me know if you want a set of OEM stuts loaded with coils assembled. That way you can start there and decide on upgrading to something like a Fox coil over or a Billstein 6112
 
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GovernorBudNH

GovernorBudNH

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Any chance you could take similar pictures of the lift while vehicle is on the ground compressed by its own weight? This would help in determining any potential handling issues regarding suspension or steering axis geometry being off. I don't really want to offer advice until I've seen the entirety of the suspension resting in a position it should be. Also, an alignment sheet would be extremely beneficial to review caster, camber, and toe settings.

Edit: Looks like your driver side CV axle was replaced at some point?
See photos attached of truck on ground on it's own weight. CV axle was replaced a few months ago by NH Dealer.
 

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