Level or small lift

[Stacylynn]

Hey guys I'm hoping you can help this country girl out. I'm picking up my 19 Ram 1500 Laramie DT this weekend. I do not go quote mud riding but I do occasionally have to use my 4 wheel drive. I would like to put some type of small lift. Basically just because I like the look. I do not want to compromise too much of my nice ride but understand it will a little. I'm asking your advice on what setup would work best for me in your opinion. Any suggestions definitely greatly appreciated have a great Sunday

 

[TNRamGuy]

Little light reading hope it helps
Thread 'Your choice in leveling kit, and would you do it again?' https://5thgenrams.com/community/th...leveling-kit-and-would-you-do-it-again.34344/

 

[Jabberjaw]

I’ve been debating this for a while as well …and have read a lot of the above link along with this one.

Updated 2" Mopar Lift/Level Kit - Discussion

Hello All, Wanted to create a thread for pictures/discussions about the updated Mopar Lift/Level Kit (Part#: 77072424AB) - available early May for the public. I luckily was one of the first to receive and can verify that it does sit closer to level than the original Mopar-Fox 2" Lift kits...

5thgenrams.com

I finally decided on a MOPAR 2” lift. No chance of having to deal with warranty issues and no issues eventually going up to 35s. Ordering it on Monday.

Cheers

 

[Shots]

If you don't want to give up your comfortable factory ride, the easy solution is a "top hat spacer." These go by different names depending on the forum you're on but basically it's a spacer that mounts on top of the strut assembly. This is NOT a pre-load spacer. Those will kill your ride.
The top hat spacer is typically what is used for leveling kits. You take the entire strut assembly out, bolt it on top, and then reinstall the assembly. No need to take the spring out, no spring compressors needed, nothing like that. If you want to "lift" instead of just level, you can add a small block to the rear too.
It's been my experience that any lifts that replace the springs and struts ride firmer than stock. Nature of the beast I guess. Some people prefer it, some don't.

As for functionality. Like you, I don't go mudding. It's been a long time since I did that. Fun as it was, I've outgrown it. Not worth the cleanup and still having mud caked in every void for months. That said, I do take my truck off the beaten path from time to time. Typically I'm going hunting, hiking or camping. Regardless of the activity, if I'm going down a trail, or oil well road, and there is a mud hole I can drive around, I will. I'm only going though it if I have to. That's not to say these trails aren't a bit sloppy, but I'm talking mud that's partly up the rim not over the bumpers and partly up the doors.

I have 2.5" on the front and 1.5" on the rear. I could have gone smaller on the rear but I waned to keep a little rake so I don't sag when the bed is loaded. I think 1" for the rear would have been plenty for that. If you want it actually level you can use .5" on the rear or just use 2" up front and do nothing on the back.
Anyway, here's mine with 2.5/1.5. It rides just like it did when I rolled it off the lot, and it handles light off-roading just fine.

 

[Mountain Whiskey]

I don't see a 35 x 12.5 fitting with only 2 inches of lift. Perhaps driving on road but I would have to belive it will rub hard when starting to stretch things out off road.

Guess it depends on your plans. Remember that a lift will always affect your ride because of center of gravity. You get jostled around more. The larger heavier tires are also harder for the suspension to control at speed. These are just facts of modification. Many deny this from pride and the money spent.

Don't forget the hit you will be taking in gas milage...... Especially with current NASCAR prices at the pump.

I did a 4 inch BDS lift. It keeps the drive angles correct for less stress on the drive train. It rides good. For a lifted truck. It is not a stock ride for reasons I listed above. It does clear 35s, although the tires I chose are closer to 34 really.

Have fun with whatever you choose!

 

[Lpsouth1978]

I went with the Motofab 3" front/2" rear level kit and put it on 35's. I really like the stance of the truck now. If you go higher than 2-2.5", make sure you replace the UCA's as well. The stock UCA's can't handle the extreme angles the lift places them in.

I didn't feel that the level kit effected the ride quality in a discernable way, but going to a larger LT tire stiffened it up a bit. I feel it is still a VERY comfortable ride though.

 

[Stacylynn]

If you don't want to give up your comfortable factory ride, the easy solution is a "top hat spacer." These go by different names depending on the forum you're on but basically it's a spacer that mounts on top of the strut assembly. This is NOT a pre-load spacer. Those will kill your ride.
The top hat spacer is typically what is used for leveling kits. You take the entire strut assembly out, bolt it on top, and then reinstall the assembly. No need to take the spring out, no spring compressors needed, nothing like that. If you want to "lift" instead of just level, you can add a small block to the rear too.
It's been my experience that any lifts that replace the springs and struts ride firmer than stock. Nature of the beast I guess. Some people prefer it, some don't.

As for functionality. Like you, I don't go mudding. It's been a long time since I did that. Fun as it was, I've outgrown it. Not worth the cleanup and still having mud caked in every void for months. That said, I do take my truck off the beaten path from time to time. Typically I'm going hunting, hiking or camping. Regardless of the activity, if I'm going down a trail, or oil well road, and there is a mud hole I can drive around, I will. I'm only going though it if I have to. That's not to say these trails aren't a bit sloppy, but I'm talking mud that's partly up the rim not over the bumpers and partly up the doors.

I have 2.5" on the front and 1.5" on the rear. I could have gone smaller on the rear but I waned to keep a little rake so I don't sag when the bed is loaded. I think 1" for the rear would have been plenty for that. If you want it actually level you can use .5" on the rear or just use 2" up front and do nothing on the back.
Anyway, here's mine with 2.5/1.5. It rides just like it did when I rolled it off the lot, and it handles light off-roading just fine.

View attachment 121131

View attachment 121129

I love your set!! With doing the top hat spacers would I run into trouble with the ball joints?

 

[Stacylynn]

I went with the Motofab 3" front/2" rear level kit and put it on 35's. I really like the stance of the truck now. If you go higher than 2-2.5", make sure you replace the UCA's as well. The stock UCA's can't handle the extreme angles the lift places them in.

I didn't feel that the level kit effected the ride quality in a discernable way, but going to a larger LT tire stiffened it up a bit. I feel it is still a VERY comfortable ride though. View attachment 121135 View attachment 121136

I I definitely don't want to put the truck out of angle and ruin UCA'S. Your truck looks Awsome

 

[Stacylynn]

Little light reading hope it helps
Thread 'Your choice in leveling kit, and would you do it again?' https://5thgenrams.com/community/th...leveling-kit-and-would-you-do-it-again.34344/

I'm all about research and getting things done properly. A lot of options out there for sure. Know who and what to trust is a need for Multiple research and asking questions. That's why I jumped on here

 

[Mountain Whiskey]

If you don't want to give up your comfortable factory ride, the easy solution is a "top hat spacer." These go by different names depending on the forum you're on but basically it's a spacer that mounts on top of the strut assembly. This is NOT a pre-load spacer. Those will kill your ride.
The top hat spacer is typically what is used for leveling kits. You take the entire strut assembly out, bolt it on top, and then reinstall the assembly. No need to take the spring out, no spring compressors needed, nothing like that. If you want to "lift" instead of just level, you can add a small block to the rear too.
It's been my experience that any lifts that replace the springs and struts ride firmer than stock. Nature of the beast I guess. Some people prefer it, some don't.

As for functionality. Like you, I don't go mudding. It's been a long time since I did that. Fun as it was, I've outgrown it. Not worth the cleanup and still having mud caked in every void for months. That said, I do take my truck off the beaten path from time to time. Typically I'm going hunting, hiking or camping. Regardless of the activity, if I'm going down a trail, or oil well road, and there is a mud hole I can drive around, I will. I'm only going though it if I have to. That's not to say these trails aren't a bit sloppy, but I'm talking mud that's partly up the rim not over the bumpers and partly up the doors.

I have 2.5" on the front and 1.5" on the rear. I could have gone smaller on the rear but I waned to keep a little rake so I don't sag when the bed is loaded. I think 1" for the rear would have been plenty for that. If you want it actually level you can use .5" on the rear or just use 2" up front and do nothing on the back.
Anyway, here's mine with 2.5/1.5. It rides just like it did when I rolled it off the lot, and it handles light off-roading just fine.

View attachment 121131

View attachment 121129

This is the first I remember seeing your truck. This setup looks good. The 33s with the spacers is very proportional. The tires fit the wheel wells and look like they have plenty of room to articulate. Nice.

 

[Shots]

I don't see a 35 x 12.5 fitting with only 2 inches of lift. Perhaps driving on road but I would have to belive it will rub hard when starting to stretch things out off road.

Guess it depends on your plans. Remember that a lift will always affect your ride because of center of gravity. You get jostled around more. The larger heavier tires are also harder for the suspension to control at speed. These are just facts of modification. Many deny this from pride and the money spent.

Don't forget the hit you will be taking in gas milage...... Especially with current NASCAR prices at the pump.

I did a 4 inch BDS lift. It keeps the drive angles correct for less stress on the drive train. It rides good. For a lifted truck. It is not a stock ride for reasons I listed above. It does clear 35s, although the tires I chose are closer to 34 really.

Have fun with whatever you choose! View attachment 121134 View attachment 121133

To be fair the OP never mentioned switching to 35 x 12.5 so a leveling kit or spacer lift should work fine. That said, I don't think you can fit a 12.5" wide tire on the stock wheel without it needing a wheel spacer or aftermarket wheels (otherwise the inner edge of the tire will contact the suspension). 35's, depending on width (285 for example) should clear in most cases, although it's worth looking into a bit further if you anticipate full articulation at full lock. A valid concern, but not something I had to research since I went with the Rebel take-offs.

BTW, I like the stance you got on yours too. I actually considered the BDS 4" kit but figured it would be a bit much for the tires I was planning on running. Maybe it was the cart before the horse situation, but I had the wheels/tires before the lift /level. They fit without issues before installing the kit too for what it's worth. The other issue was that a 4" kit would prevent my truck from fitting in the garage. Some day I may go to 34's (285/75/18) with the BDS 4" kit, but that won't be until I resign myself to parking outside again.
On a side note (and somewhat related to the thread), did you do the install yourself? If so, any tips or recommendations? All the top hat spacers I've done over the years are a breeze. Some of the full lifts have been a bit more challenging, although it seems they're making them easier these days.

I love your set!! With doing the top hat spacers would I run into trouble with the ball joints?

You have the same concern with the ball joints using the top hat spacer or any other kind. The issue arises when the suspension geometry changes and the ball joint is forced to an angle outside of its intended use. This is easily resolved by changing the upper control arm (UCA) that is intended for those angles.
From the research I did, I don't think you need to change them for less than 2.5". I bought a set of stock UCA's made for the Mopar lift just in case though since I was at the high range. I'll see if I can find the part number, but IIRC they were under $100 for the set. The UCA itself looks and measure identical to the original set, but the ball joint is reportedly designed for higher angles.
So long story short. In most cases, no you shouldn't have to worry about the ball joints with the spacers.

 

[Shots]

This is the first I remember seeing your truck. This setup looks good. The 33s with the spacers is very proportional. The tires fit the wheel wells and look like they have plenty of room to articulate. Nice.

Thanks. That's exactly what I was going for, proportional. I can't stand a truck that looks like it's on stilts (too tall for the tires), nor the truck that looks like one bump will jam the tire into the fender (aka "stuffed"). I like the Goldilocks combo where they're just right together. My goal has always been to make my mods appear to be a stock option/configuration to the untrained eye. IE, if you don't know anything about Rams, does it look like it could have come from the factory that way? If the answer is yes, you did the mod right.

 

[Louhound88]

I have 295/65r20 on stock wheel. Taller than a 35x12.5 but more narrow. As said above, a 12.5 wide wheel will not fit without needing a spacer to push the wheel further out. 12.5 wide on stock offset will rub on the upper control arm.

35" tall tire though, fits just fine with room to spare. All in the offset really but I clear where height would be a factor. Or width, anything.

I installed motofab 2.5" leveling spacer in front only. Suspension is just like factor, very smooth and handles the extra weight of the bigger tires without a problem.

The ram wheel wells are pretty huge. Stock wheels looked too small, and even 33's left more gap than id like. I like the subtle aggressive look that comes with a leveled truck on big tires. Feels like a truck now without going too tall.

 

[TEN POINT]

That is my goal exactly. 295/75/20 on my stock 9" chrome rims. Your truck looks AWESOME !!! Do you think i can achieve your look with a 2" leveling kit without UCAs. How about top hats.

 

[TNRamGuy]

295/75/20 is 37+ inch, I don't think this will fit anything less than 6" of lift. Did you mean 295/65/20?

 

[Shots]

That is my goal exactly. 295/75/20 on my stock 9" chrome rims. Your truck looks AWESOME !!! Do you think i can achieve your look with a 2" leveling kit without UCAs. How about top hats.

Not sure about the tire size but that won't effect the need for UCA's, so no you won't need them with a 2" kit.

 

[Louhound88]

That is my goal exactly. 295/75/20 on my stock 9" chrome rims. Your truck looks AWESOME !!! Do you think i can achieve your look with a 2" leveling kit without UCAs. How about top hats.

I just have 2.5" top hat leveling spacer. No UCA changes.

 

[longhornmatt]

I have 295/65r20 on stock wheel. Taller than a 35x12.5 but more narrow. As said above, a 12.5 wide wheel will not fit without needing a spacer to push the wheel further out. 12.5 wide on stock offset will rub on the upper control arm.

35" tall tire though, fits just fine with room to spare. All in the offset really but I clear where height would be a factor. Or width, anything.

I installed motofab 2.5" leveling spacer in front only. Suspension is just like factor, very smooth and handles the extra weight of the bigger tires without a problem.

The ram wheel wells are pretty huge. Stock wheels looked too small, and even 33's left more gap than id like. I like the subtle aggressive look that comes with a leveled truck on big tires. Feels like a truck now without going too tall.

View attachment 121239

I like that look. Is that just a 2.5" spacer without new a-arms?

 

[Louhound88]

I like that look. Is that just a 2.5" spacer without new a-arms?

Yep, just a 2.5" front spacer. Stock control arms. I had a lot of rake from factory, maybe 2.75" lower in front than rear, so the 2.5" spacer worked to get me level.