Biggiehorn's Build Thread

[wickedmopar]

Hey Biggiehorn, I saw your post in the suspension thread back in 2022 where you shared your thoughts on the Readylift SST. You commented that it's good/good value but you might have gone with something a bit more "premium" in retrospect.

If you were going to redo it today and still stay at about 3.5" stance, what setup(s) would you be looking at?

As you might guess, I'm in suspension analysis paralysis right now. I was thinking Bilstein 5100's all around but the more I look I think I want a bit taller and your trucks just seems to stand perfectly. I'm considering 35/11.5/20 or 295/65/20 tires.

Thanks sir!

 

[Biggiehorn]

Hey Biggiehorn, I saw your post in the suspension thread back in 2022 where you shared your thoughts on the Readylift SST. You commented that it's good/good value but you might have gone with something a bit more "premium" in retrospect.

If you were going to redo it today and still stay at about 3.5" stance, what setup(s) would you be looking at?

As you might guess, I'm in suspension analysis paralysis right now. I was thinking Bilstein 5100's all around but the more I look I think I want a bit taller and your trucks just seems to stand perfectly. I'm considering 35/11.5/20 or 295/65/20 tires.

Thanks sir!

Hey appreciate that! Just know that I am far from an expert in this area but I think it really just lands on the budget you want to stick with and the intended use of your truck. For me, when I opted for the ReadyLift SST, I just wanted the lifted look. This was my first truck and I had no desire to take it off road at the time. I purchased the ReadyLift with that mindset, and on the street, it has been completely fine for the 35k miles or so that I have had this setup installed. With that said, as I started making upgrades, I found that my interests began to change. After taking the truck to explore a few of Florida's Wildlife Management areas, I quickly realized how much of a blast it was to hit the trails. While the ReadyLift kit has handled the light off-roading I've done without any problems, the ride quality is pretty harsh as you probably expect.

If budget is not an issue and you want at least 3.5" of lift, the BDS 4" setup is a great kit from what I've heard from others. You can option it with the Fox coil-overs if you're wanting better performance. That is a costly setup and at that point most people just go with the 6" setup from BDS because the cost difference isn't that much between the two. I would recommend weighing out both options if that is a route that you consider. I believe they also offer a 3" setup as well that utilizes the Fox coil-overs. If off road performance isn't what you're after though, there are several other companies out there that offer 3.5"+ lift kits at a lesser cost than BDS.

If budget is a factor and you want to keep cost on the lower end, several people have ran the ReadyLift setup and paired it with the Bilsteins. @MurphBigHorn went this route and last I checked, he has only had good things to say about it. I'm sure he could help answer any questions you might have if you wanted to go that route.

 

[wickedmopar]

Hey appreciate that! Just know that I am far from an expert in this area but I think it really just lands on the budget you want to stick with and the intended use of your truck. For me, when I opted for the ReadyLift SST, I just wanted the lifted look. This was my first truck and I had no desire to take it off road at the time. I purchased the ReadyLift with that mindset, and on the street, it has been completely fine for the 35k miles or so that I have had this setup installed. With that said, as I started making upgrades, I found that my interests began to change. After taking the truck to explore a few of Florida's Wildlife Management areas, I quickly realized how much of a blast it was to hit the trails. While the ReadyLift kit has handled the light off-roading I've done without any problems, the ride quality is pretty harsh as you probably expect.

If budget is not an issue and you want at least 3.5" of lift, the BDS 4" setup is a great kit from what I've heard from others. You can option it with the Fox coil-overs if you're wanting better performance. That is a costly setup and at that point most people just go with the 6" setup from BDS because the cost difference isn't that much between the two. I would recommend weighing out both options if that is a route that you consider. I believe they also offer a 3" setup as well that utilizes the Fox coil-overs. If off road performance isn't what you're after though, there are several other companies out there that offer 3.5"+ lift kits at a lesser cost than BDS.

If budget is a factor and you want to keep cost on the lower end, several people have ran the ReadyLift setup and paired it with the Bilsteins. @MurphBigHorn went this route and last I checked, he has only had good things to say about it. I'm sure he could help answer any questions you might have if you wanted to go that route.

Thanks sir, that's good feedback. I'm a little gun shy on going too high so 3.5 really seems to be where I want to land, especially for my use (mostly street, some parking garages occasionally). I'm going to look more into the Readylift/Bilstein combo.

Keep up this great thread, it's been one of the most informative for upgrade info!

 

[MurphBigHorn]

Thanks sir, that's good feedback. I'm a little gun shy on going too high so 3.5 really seems to be where I want to land, especially for my use (mostly street, some parking garages occasionally). I'm going to look more into the Readylift/Bilstein combo.

Keep up this great thread, it's been one of the most informative for upgrade info!

[mention]wickedmopar [/mention] the readylift with Bilstein have treated me well. Have little over 30k on the setup. Originally I ran the stock rear shocks, after some time replaced the rear shocks. Which helped a lot.

 

[wickedmopar]

Thanks! So, as I understand it, this setup gives you that great looking 3.5" height with the added benefit of the Bilstein shocks which are not only a general improvement over stock but you also get improved reliability b/c they're not as "stretched" as stock would be. Is that about right?

 

[MurphBigHorn]

Thanks! So, as I understand it, this setup gives you that great looking 3.5" height with the added benefit of the Bilstein shocks which are not only a general improvement over stock but you also get improved reliability b/c they're not as "stretched" as stock would be. Is that about right?

You got it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[wickedmopar]

Thanks again gents, that is my likely path!

 

[bmacaluso]

Hey @Biggiehorn !
Do you mind sharing what exact mesh grille you purchased before you installed your RC 20in light bar?
Trying to go that route now and want to make sure I get the right thing.. had this in my cart but wasn’t entirely sure it’s what I need.

Thanks man!

 

[Biggiehorn]

Hey @Biggiehorn !
Do you mind sharing what exact mesh grille you purchased before you installed your RC 20in light bar?
Trying to go that route now and want to make sure I get the right thing.. had this in my cart but wasn’t entirely sure it’s what I need.

Thanks man!

Hey, that appears to be an aftermarket product and it should work fine from what I can see, but with it being aftermarket, I can't speak to how well the fitment is on that actual piece. As you know, fitment on aftermarket accessories can be hit or miss but given the good reviews, it is probably decent.

I'd still recommend going OEM though. This is the part I used Lower Grille - Mopar (68334531AD) and it can be purchased at the link below. Shop around though because you may be able to find it even cheaper, but this is where I purchased mine from.

. Genuine OEM Lower Grille Part# 68334531AD Fits 2020-2023 Ram 1500: Up To 35% Off On Every Order And Guaranteed Fit When You Enter Your VIN | Mopar Sales Direct

 

[bmacaluso]

Hey, that appears to be an aftermarket product and it should work fine from what I can see, but with it being aftermarket, I can't speak to how well the fitment is on that actual piece. As you know, fitment on aftermarket accessories can be hit or miss but given the good reviews, it is probably decent.

I'd still recommend going OEM though. This is the part I used Lower Grille - Mopar (68334531AD) and it can be purchased at the link below. Shop around though because you may be able to find it even cheaper, but this is where I purchased mine from.

. Genuine OEM Lower Grille Part# 68334531AD Fits 2020-2023 Ram 1500: Up To 35% Off On Every Order And Guaranteed Fit When You Enter Your VIN | Mopar Sales Direct

Hey, that appears to be an aftermarket product and it should work fine from what I can see, but with it being aftermarket, I can't speak to how well the fitment is on that actual piece. As you know, fitment on aftermarket accessories can be hit or miss but given the good reviews, it is probably decent.

I'd still recommend going OEM though. This is the part I used Lower Grille - Mopar (68334531AD) and it can be purchased at the link below. Shop around though because you may be able to find it even cheaper, but this is where I purchased mine from.

. Genuine OEM Lower Grille Part# 68334531AD Fits 2020-2023 Ram 1500: Up To 35% Off On Every Order And Guaranteed Fit When You Enter Your VIN | Mopar Sales Direct

You’re the man! Thank you, sir!

 

[Biggiehorn]

Not a ton going on lately in the world of my Ram, but just dropping in to say hey and let everyone know that I am still around. I spent nearly all of December away from the truck while I was working in Savannah, GA and then I was up in Pittsburgh for a couple weeks in January. The work schedule alone has prevented me from really being able to do anything at all with the truck, but I'm hoping to have a small break from the company travel over the next month or two. I do have a couple of small projects in mind, and I've been super eager to jump back into it.

I'll keep this thread updated as any progress is made! Hope everyone has been well!

 

[wickedmopar]

Progress continues! Work has kept me busy the last month or two, but still managing to find time to knock out some upgrades.

First few photos are just some shots that I recently took. We’ll jump into the latest upgrade momentarily!

View attachment 191964
View attachment 191965
View attachment 191966

We’ve had a few days of slightly cooler weather here in central FL recently and it has been such a tease. I’m really looking forward to the cooler season and I’m hoping to get the truck out on some trails with family and friends. It’s so much more enjoyable this time of year.

Alright, time for the upgrades! @VICE design recently dropped an OEM+ inspired skid plate for the factory front bumper, and I was lucky enough to get my hands on one shortly after their release! This plate is built really well, and I’m extremely impressed with the ease of installation and the overall amount of adjustability this allows. The mounting locations on the plate utilize slotted style cutouts that allows the plate to slide forward or backwards so that you can fine tune its placement to your liking. I personally have the plate installed at the furthest possible point back on my truck. This position brings it closer to the front bumper offering a clean and sleek look, but you do have the ability to push the plate forward and have it stick out further away from the front bumper if that’s the look you’d rather go for.

Install is a breeze and it mounts under the factory front crossmember and also attaches at four points along the front bumper. If equipped, the factory valance and motorized air dam will need to be removed and this plate is only compatible with the factory crossmember. This will not work with drop bracket style lifts.

The best part with all of this is the fact that this plate fits absolutely perfectly with my existing underbody skid plate setup from GODZ. Fitment is so good between these two products it could seriously pass as a single skid plate kit. No modification, cutting, or trimming is required at all. It literally bolts right up with my existing setup.

The entire skid plate project is nearly complete and all that I have left to do is install my factory fuel tank skid plate. I added the 33 gallon fuel tank to my truck and unfortunately my skid plate is for the 26 gallon tank, but it should offer enough protection to cover the majority of it. Once I grab some hardware I’ll get that thrown on and I will be good to go.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to @VICE design
If you have questions regarding this product. They are a vendor here on the forum and are super responsive if you need anything.

Let me know what you guys think!

View attachment 191968
View attachment 191969
View attachment 191970
View attachment 191971
View attachment 191972

you notice any downside to removing the splitter and air dam? Road noise or anything like that?