Magnum Build Thread

[MagnumPSI]

Starting a build thread to post progress as well as to ask and answer questions and provide reasoning for some of my decisions.

My truck is a 2020 Rebel level 2 quad cab. I wanted the quad cab as I rarely ever have to drive more than one other person and wanted the extra bed space since the end goal was to sleep in the bed while camping. The long bed also provided me with more cargo hauling usability than the crew cab would have. In addition to the extra useable bed space, everywhere I was looking quad cabs were significantly less expensive than their crew cab counterparts. That sealed the deal for me, I wasn't going to pay extra for backseat room I didn't need and a bed that was too short for my needs. I love the backseat room crew cabs have and I understand why they're popular, I just didn't need one.

At the time Rebels were still being offered in the quad cab configuration and this is what I decided on. I knew I wanted the rear locker and I wanted to run the stock Duratracs as long as I could since they're fairly good off road, as opposed to getting a different trim level and having to get new more aggressive tires immediately. I found a used quad cab Rebel below my budget with only 7,000 miles on it and got it during the summer of 2020, 3 or 4 months before prices for used vehicles shot through the roof due to chip shortages and supply chain issues.

I immediately started taking it off road on some mild trails and that fall got an ARE cap put on the back so I could sleep in it when camping. I was blown away with how smooth the suspension was off road and decided to keep it stock for a while, as I never really ran into any clearance issues on the milder trails I was running.

The majority of the trails where I live and go camping have water crossings, and I had no problem with the smaller ones and got more and more confident until I was on a camping trip with my friends during the summer of 2021. We drove down a washed out, rutted and muddy forest service road and camped in a beautiful spot next to a river. The next morning we decided to cross the river and drive out the trail from the other direction. It was no problem, as all three of us had capable rigs and had done plenty of water crossings before. As always we checked the depth before we crossed and it was no deeper than ones we'd done in the past(1.5-2 ft). My friends went through first, and I followed. They both got through fine so I started making my way through it and got to the other side when my check engine light came on. So I stopped on the other side of the river and let my truck sit for a few minutes and then started it up again. That was my mistake. Being unexperienced in off roading in general, I should've opened up the air box to check it but didn't. As I started my engine up again it made a terrible noise and I shut my truck off. It sounded like someone was banging on the inside of the engine block with a hammer. We then towed my truck out of the trail with one of my friends' trucks and got it towed to a dealership to get checked out. Apparently water had shot up through the front of my grill at just the right angle to get into the airbag and past the filter. Water got into the engine and hydro locked it. I had to drive a rental car for a month while they figured out what was wrong and fixed it. When I got my truck back I had a choice to make, either I trade it in for something else or I get a snorkel.

 

[MagnumPSI]

The truck as it sat 2 months ago.

 

[MagnumPSI]

Snorkel

Most of the fun trails within a reasonable driving distance of me have water crossings, and I knew I didn't want to be tiptoeing around those worried every time. I didn't want to trade my truck in either, like most of us, I'd fallen in love with the power and interior of the 5th gen. I also thought finding a snorkel for my truck would be relatively easy as tons of different rigs, new and old, have snorkels. How wrong I was about that.

After about a year of on and off researching I concluded that no one makes a snorkel for the 5th gen Ram 1500 in the US, so I looked elsewhere and found a fabricator in Australia, Platinum Mechanical and Suspension, who makes a custom snorkel and airbag kit for the 5th gens. After a long thread of emailing with their sales reps and techs, we concluded that their kit would work with our left hand drive 1500s and they could make me one and ship it over.

Snorkel and air box kit

It took almost exactly 7 weeks from when I sent my order in to when it arrived. I'm not super technically savvy so I had them ship it to a 4x4 shop near me. The total price of the snorkel + air box was pretty expensive but they gave me a little bit of a discount because shipping was so expensive. Shipping was $600, the snorkel + air box was around $1,700. This totaled up to $2,300. Definitely expensive but worth it in my opinion, provided it actually worked.

I got it and some ARB differential breathers installed and tested it last weekend getting to a camping spot I wasn't able to get to before and everything worked great. Forded some water that definitely would've tanked the engine before, probably around 2.5-3 ft deep. Glad to know everything's working as it's supposed to.

 

[MagnumPSI]

Here are some pictures of it installed, super happy with the fit and finish. Definitely different to what I was expecting having only seen safari style forward facing snorkels but it’s definitely grown on me.

Something I wasn’t expecting was the on throttle intake noise is crazy, and past 3k RPM it almost sounds like another exhaust pipe right next to the passenger window.

 

[boogielander]

good call on the diff breather. now i gotta go down and look at it to see if i need to extend the tube lol
by any chance, do you remember how high the stock breather tubes go?

 

[MagnumPSI]

This thread was pretty helpful for me

 

[MagnumPSI]

The rear is a decent height under the bed, but the front one is super exposed stock

 

[boogielander]

from the findings in the thread it looks like someone tested the OE valve and it's pretty good at keeping water out.
i'll look more into this... if OE is good as is (better than what the Toyotas have) then I don't really need to worry about it. Or else it's a PITA for me to do because I gotta remove all skid plates lol

 

[MagnumPSI]

Yeah, in my case I put them on before I got the RCI package so it wasn't too bad. I figured if I had a snorkel there wasn't much point in not having diff breathers too so I got them put on at the same time. Just a little extra insurance for me since I have water crossings almost every time I go out. If I had to take all of the plates off to put them on afterwards that would be annoying though so I get it.

 

[MagnumPSI]

Armor

Like a lot of y’all, I knew I needed additional underbody protection, especially between the front bumper skid plate and the front crossmember. I chose to get the RCI skid plate package during Black Friday and got a little bit off(I think it was 10% or something). I ended up getting the whole package minus the cat guards but I might add those later. Very impressed with the fit and finish on them and they’ve done a good job protecting my underbody so far, I’ve definitely put a few scrapes in them since they’ve gotten put on.

For the sliders, I knew I wanted some rocker protection and wanted a full heavy duty actual slider for the future when I start getting into some more technical stuff. I went with the white knuckle sliders, which as far as I know are the only ones that are frame bolt-on legitimate sliders for our trucks. In addition to that they also add a little bit of a step which is going to be nice when I upgrade my suspension. I optioned the black powder coat and the full cover plate.

Sorry about the bad pictures so far, I know there’s plenty of documentation on here on both of these products.

 

[MagnumPSI]

Armor

Like a lot of y’all, I knew I needed additional underbody protection, especially between the front bumper skid plate and the front crossmember. I chose to get the RCI skid plate package during Black Friday and got a little bit off(I think it was 10% or something). I ended up getting the whole package minus the cat guards but I might add those later. Very impressed with the fit and finish on them and they’ve done a good job protecting my underbody so far, I’ve definitely put a few scrapes in them since they’ve gotten put on.

For the sliders, I knew I wanted some rocker protection and wanted a full heavy duty actual slider for the future when I start getting into some more technical stuff. I went with the white knuckle sliders, which as far as I know are the only ones that are frame bolt-on legitimate sliders for our trucks. In addition to that they also add a little bit of a step which is going to be nice when I upgrade my suspension. I optioned the black powder coat and the full cover plate.

Sorry about the bad pictures so far, I know there’s plenty of documentation on here on both of these products.

 

[boogielander]

Armor

Like a lot of y’all, I knew I needed additional underbody protection, especially between the front bumper skid plate and the front crossmember. I chose to get the RCI skid plate package during Black Friday and got a little bit off(I think it was 10% or something). I ended up getting the whole package minus the cat guards but I might add those later. Very impressed with the fit and finish on them and they’ve done a good job protecting my underbody so far, I’ve definitely put a few scrapes in them since they’ve gotten put on.

For the sliders, I knew I wanted some rocker protection and wanted a full heavy duty actual slider for the future when I start getting into some more technical stuff. I went with the white knuckle sliders, which as far as I know are the only ones that are frame bolt-on legitimate sliders for our trucks. In addition to that they also add a little bit of a step which is going to be nice when I upgrade my suspension. I optioned the black powder coat and the full cover plate.

Sorry about the bad pictures so far, I know there’s plenty of documentation on here on both of these products.

i have the cat guards and i honestly feel you're not missing out much by not having them.
they make it a pain in the as* when lifting up the truck to do any oil change and other works.

 

[MagnumPSI]

Researching suspension/tire options since I’ve been wheeling stock for close to 4 years now. The stock suspension/33s have served me well but as I’ve started pushing my truck harder and doing more challenging trails I’ve run across situations where I definitely could’ve benefited from more clearance and gave the RCI skid plates some work. That’s fine, it’s why I got them, but I look forward to not having to worry about clearance as much.

Anyway I’ve been looking at what everyone’s running and it’s been giving me some ideas. I came across this video I thought was pretty interesting regarding tire sizes. This guy got super technical but he came to some interesting conclusions.

 

[MagnumPSI]

One instance when I could’ve used a little more clearance last fall. This was a camping trip with some friends pre snorkel/sliders/etc. put the locker on going up and it crawled up no problem, didn’t even touch, but I was going super slow to make sure I didn’t and could’ve used the extra clearance for sure.

 

[boogielander]

Researching suspension/tire options since I’ve been wheeling stock for close to 4 years now. The stock suspension/33s have served me well but as I’ve started pushing my truck harder and doing more challenging trails I’ve run across situations where I definitely could’ve benefited from more clearance and gave the RCI skid plates some work. That’s fine, it’s why I got them, but I look forward to not having to worry about clearance as much.

Anyway I’ve been looking at what everyone’s running and it’s been giving me some ideas. I came across this video I thought was pretty interesting regarding tire sizes. This guy got super technical but he came to some interesting conclusions.

ahh the good ol' Kai from tinkerer's adventure lol
most of his videos are good but skip the videos on 12v if you're planning to upgrade

 

[boogielander]

One instance when I could’ve used a little more clearance last fall. This was a camping trip with some friends pre snorkel/sliders/etc. put the locker on going up and it crawled up no problem, didn’t even touch, but I was going super slow to make sure I didn’t and could’ve used the extra clearance for sure.

here's the thing. our trucks, because of the long wheelbase, don't get us massive increase in clearance due to approach, departure, and most importantly, breakover angles.
Unlike common misconception, massive lift does NOT increase ground clearance, as the lowest point (the diffs) are not affected. What increase ground clearance will be the tire size. just some food for thoughts

 

[MagnumPSI]

here's the thing. our trucks, because of the long wheelbase, don't get us massive increase in clearance due to approach, departure, and most importantly, breakover angles.
Unlike common misconception, massive lift does NOT increase ground clearance, as the lowest point (the diffs) are not affected. What increase ground clearance will be the tire size. just some food for thoughts

Yeah definitely not doing a crazy high lift or anything, just a suspension lift to fit bigger tires to add total ground clearance(from the diffs).

My main goals are to fit 35s(or equivalent) for added ground clearance, have a more controlled ride off road, and add a little bit more articulation if I can. Super high speed desert running is cool but the options I’ve seen for kits capable of handling that kind of stuff would be overkill for what I need. I did some reading on your build and I’m going a similar route but without needing the super hardcore suspension you run.

I do, however want to get a new coil over system as I’ve had a few friends who have had issues with spacer lifts/lift struts on stock coil overs(looking at you 5100s). Right now I’m debating between the Bilstein 6112/5160 combo and the Carli Commuter system. I’m looking at using Thuren’s UCA because I’ve heard good things about their products and they claim they’re low profile enough to run 12.50” wide tires on stock offset wheels which would be a huge plus as I like the stock Rebel wheels and that would save me some money that I could put into suspension instead of more aggressively offset wheels to clear the UCA.

A lot of research but I’d rather do everything the right way instead of having to go back and fix problems that could’ve been avoided.

2009-2023 RAM 1500 UPPER CONTROL ARM / UCA

 

[boogielander]

Yeah definitely not doing a crazy high lift or anything, just a suspension lift to fit bigger tires to add total ground clearance(from the diffs).

My main goals are to fit 35s(or equivalent) for added ground clearance, have a more controlled ride off road, and add a little bit more articulation if I can. Super high speed desert running is cool but the options I’ve seen for kits capable of handling that kind of stuff would be overkill for what I need. I did some reading on your build and I’m going a similar route but without needing the super hardcore suspension you run.

I do, however want to get a new coil over system as I’ve had a few friends who have had issues with spacer lifts/lift struts on stock coil overs(looking at you 5100s). Right now I’m debating between the Bilstein 6112/5160 combo and the Carli Commuter system. I’m looking at using Thuren’s UCA because I’ve heard good things about their products and they claim they’re low profile enough to run 12.50” wide tires on stock offset wheels which would be a huge plus as I like the stock Rebel wheels and that would save me some money that I could put into suspension instead of more aggressively offset wheels to clear the UCA.

A lot of research but I’d rather do everything the right way instead of having to go back and fix problems that could’ve been avoided.

2009-2023 RAM 1500 UPPER CONTROL ARM / UCA

Carli commuter system will be better than Bilsteins as they are really tuned for occasional light duty offroad use.
the thing about 2.5 resi systems is the volume they hold. more shock fluid means the shocks are less likely to overheat from all the stroking, which means reduced shock fade. 2.5 resi systems are also tunable later down the line and serviceable as well, and the DSC system on my Fox is added benefit to be able to have on and offroad mode.
Is it overkill? perhaps. BUT, like i have mentioned elsewhere before, I much rather overkill it knowing that if it's good enough to handle more extreme stuff, it will be more than capable to handle the less extreme stuff.

i mean, i did blow up my Bilstein before thinking all I was gonna do was easy fire roads and easy crawling lol even for not boogieing the overkilled suspension setup is just way more comfortable on the trail as well (did a test drive and switch with my friend's truck on Bilsteins a while back on some fireroad trails. at the end of the day he said he's copying my setup lol)

 

[MagnumPSI]

Carli commuter system will be better than Bilsteins as they are really tuned for occasional light duty offroad use.
the thing about 2.5 resi systems is the volume they hold. more shock fluid means the shocks are less likely to overheat from all the stroking, which means reduced shock fade. 2.5 resi systems are also tunable later down the line and serviceable as well, and the DSC system on my Fox is added benefit to be able to have on and offroad mode.
Is it overkill? perhaps. BUT, like i have mentioned elsewhere before, I much rather overkill it knowing that if it's good enough to handle more extreme stuff, it will be more than capable to handle the less extreme stuff.

i mean, i did blow up my Bilstein before thinking all I was gonna do was easy fire roads and easy crawling lol even for not boogieing the overkilled suspension setup is just way more comfortable on the trail as well (did a test drive and switch with my friend's truck on Bilsteins a while back on some fireroad trails. at the end of the day he said he's copying my setup lol)

Those are some good points, I like the flexibility of the Carli stuff with the weight-specific coil overs, I just can’t spring for the performance since it’s out of budget and I definitely wouldn’t need all of that performance. I was wondering if narrow 35s would fit with the Commuter system + stock wheels and Thuren UCA. That might be a question for CJC or Carli though.

You’re running Carli rear coils, right? I’m wondering if I went that route which coil package I should do. I have a Rebel so obviously I want the Rebel specific ones for sure but I’ve also added some weight, though it’s not all in the bed(sliders, skid plates, winch, ARE cap).

 

[boogielander]

Those are some good points, I like the flexibility of the Carli stuff with the weight-specific coil overs, I just can’t spring for the performance since it’s out of budget and I definitely wouldn’t need all of that performance. I was wondering if narrow 35s would fit with the Commuter system + stock wheels and Thuren UCA. That might be a question for CJC or Carli though.

You’re running Carli rear coils, right? I’m wondering if I went that route which coil package I should do. I have a Rebel so obviously I want the Rebel specific ones for sure but I’ve also added some weight, though it’s not all in the bed(sliders, skid plates, winch, ARE cap).

well if it's just the ARE cap then depends on how heavy it is and whether you'll have other constant load in the bed and go from there.