Carli Performance 2.5" Install and First Impressions

[theduster22]

Carli updated the Rebel article with a new section about options on the truck. With the RamBox and MFT options and the weight they add, they are recommending the upcoming HD coils. Even with the 1” taller springs, it still sits lower than intended with a fully optioned truck. The people at Carli have all been fantastic through this though. I’m looking forward to seeing this once the launch kinks are worked out.

Aside from the rear sag that they're working on sorting out, what's your overall impression of ride quality with your Rebel vs the stock Biltsteins? You happy with the kit?

Hows the handling & braking too? Super curious to hear as much real world feedback as possible.

 

[Pompito]

I don't think the MFT is that much of a difference in weight but the ramboxes definitely will be most of that 250pds difference.

 

[JDHarris]

Aside from the rear sag that they're working on sorting out, what's your overall impression of ride quality with your Rebel vs the stock Biltsteins? You happy with the kit?

Hows the handling & braking too? Super curious to hear as much real world feedback as possible.

Personally, I’m really happy. I’ll be taking it up into the Sierra mountains in a couple weeks for some off-roading and camping. My on-road impressions are positive. It’s not terribly different from stock (I had coil springs, not air suspension) in terms of ride quality on paved roads and typical bumps, IMO. It’s significantly better when it comes to cornering manners. It feels much more planted, less body roll, and it doesn’t get unsettled hitting bumps or dips mid corner. I believe the suspension itself is stiffer than the stock Rebel suspension, but I also put 35” tires on at the same time. With more sidewall and lower air pressures that go with the larger tire, I think it all balances out for ride comfort on road compared to stock. When compared to a non-Rebel stock suspension, I suspect this is a bit firmer.

Compared to my friend’s TRX, this is noticeably more comfortable than his truck in auto or Baja mode.

 

[oliver]

Carli advertises increased front wheel travel. Have you noticed this at all? The stock ORG rear flexes plenty, but the front doesn't.
View attachment 107575View attachment 107576

When I get a chance, I’ll test this out specifically, I should have thought of it in the first place!
Something I noticed in my initial test (and in the review above) is that the truck dives less over the same obstacles with the Carli kit. I think this could be a combo of extra travel (wheel reaching the ground quicker or less wheel lift) and better shock absorption (slows the dive down more effectively).

I’ll see what I can do to measure it/test it specifically on the next trip

Nice truck btw!

 

[oliver]

Nice, honest review. Looks good man. 250 pounds will definitely drop the rear end on these coils. I put my dirt bike in the bed and I’m down at least an inch. My Fox 2.5 front coilovers are friggin awesome. Fox 2.0 shocks in the rear. I have stock rear ORG springs and need another inch. Was planning on adding a 1 inch rear spacer but will definitely be looking at these 2” Dobinson coils! I think I’m about $6,500 all in with my suspension/wheels/tires. Upgrading ain’t cheap!

Thanks mate, sounds like you’re right. Your setup sounds sweet, let us know how the dobinsons go!

 

[theduster22]

Personally, I’m really happy. I’ll be taking it up into the Sierra mountains in a couple weeks for some off-roading and camping. My on-road impressions are positive. It’s not terribly different from stock (I had coil springs, not air suspension) in terms of ride quality on paved roads and typical bumps, IMO. It’s significantly better when it comes to cornering manners. It feels much more planted, less body roll, and it doesn’t get unsettled hitting bumps or dips mid corner. I believe the suspension itself is stiffer than the stock Rebel suspension, but I also put 35” tires on at the same time. With more sidewall and lower air pressures that go with the larger tire, I think it all balances out for ride comfort on road compared to stock. When compared to a non-Rebel stock suspension, I suspect this is a bit firmer.

Compared to my friend’s TRX, this is noticeably more comfortable than his truck in auto or Baja mode.

Thanks for the feedback!

Getting my kit / wheels / tires installed right now as we speak, can't wait to give it a shakedown later today!

I'm in SoCal too, dying to get out to the Sierras!

 

[JDHarris]

Thanks for the feedback!

Getting my kit / wheels / tires installed right now as we speak, can't wait to give it a shakedown later today!

I'm in SoCal too, dying to get out to the Sierras!

What size tires did you opt for?

 

[theduster22]

What size tires did you opt for?

I went with 35"x12.5" Ridge Grapplers ... could not be happier with how it turned out.

The guys at Powerhouse are rad, really stoked on that crew. Feels like Christmas.

 

[mac-oly]

I went with 35"x12.5" Ridge Grapplers ... could not be happier with how it turned out.

The guys at Powerhouse are rad, really stoked on that crew. Feels like Christmas.

Did you have any problems with brake clearance with those wheels? Looking at a few of the 18" Black Rhinos, but they're not listed as compatible with our trucks on their website.

 

[theduster22]

Did you have any problems with brake clearance with those wheels? Looking at a few of the 18" Black Rhinos, but they're not listed as compatible with our trucks on their website.

Nope, they fit perfect but the installers did move the weights a bit outboard to play it safe incase a rock got tossed in there or something. No issues at all

 

[mac-oly]

Nope, they fit perfect but the installers did move the weights a bit outboard to play it safe incase a rock got tossed in there or something. No issues at all

Good to know, thanks!

 

[oliver]

I went with 35"x12.5" Ridge Grapplers ... could not be happier with how it turned out.

The guys at Powerhouse are rad, really stoked on that crew. Feels like Christmas.

Looks Great! What are your impressions on the ride?

 

[theduster22]

Looks Great! What are your impressions on the ride?

Honestly, I'm amazed every time I drive the truck ... it's insane.

When I adjusted my tire pressure to 35 psi front and 30 psi rear as Dan from Carli recommended ... the on road ride went from really good to absolute BUTTER. Much better than stock in every measurable way (including cornering ... it stays crazy flat with no roll somehow).

I've got about 250 miles on the kit as of now, and it seems to be getting even smoother as I put more miles on it.

Heading out to the desert this weekend to go fast and see how she does in the whoops. I'll report back.

**Couple additional notes to add for anyone searching for specific answers:

1. I think I might be one of the only Rebel Eco-Diesel owners with this kit installed right now. I couldn't find any info on this specific platform and worried that the additional weight of the engine would cause the front end to sag etc. Happy to report, not the case at all.

• Front fender height (measured from ground at wheel center to bottom of fender):
  • Stock height pre-install: 38"
  • After Carli kit install + 35"x12.5" Ridge Grapplers: 41 3/8"
• Rear fender height (measured from ground at wheel center to bottom of fender):
  • Stock height pre-install: 40"
  • After Carli kit install + 35"x12.5" Ridge Grapplers: 40 1/8"

So yeah ... as you can see, the rear end now sits below the front end. Carli is aware of this and has documented it in detail so I won't go into it ... but even so ... it honestly looks really badass with the current stance (see photo).

 

[Pokey69]

Nice, honest review. Looks good man. 250 pounds will definitely drop the rear end on these coils. I put my dirt bike in the bed and I’m down at least an inch. My Fox 2.5 front coilovers are friggin awesome. Fox 2.0 shocks in the rear. I have stock rear ORG springs and need another inch. Was planning on adding a 1 inch rear spacer but will definitely be looking at these 2” Dobinson coils! I think I’m about $6,500 all in with my suspension/wheels/tires. Upgrading ain’t cheap!

How would you compare to the stock ride? I drive 90% on road with occasional off road hunting. Trying to decide between a Fox set up and the Carli. Too bad you can’t drive something before you buy lol. Thanks

 

[c3k]

Honestly, I'm amazed every time I drive the truck ... it's insane.

When I adjusted my tire pressure to 35 psi front and 30 psi rear as Dan from Carli recommended ... the on road ride went from really good to absolute BUTTER. Much better than stock in every measurable way (including cornering ... it stays crazy flat with no roll somehow).

I've got about 250 miles on the kit as of now, and it seems to be getting even smoother as I put more miles on it.

Heading out to the desert this weekend to go fast and see how she does in the whoops. I'll report back.

**Couple additional notes to add for anyone searching for specific answers:

1. I think I might be one of the only Rebel Eco-Diesel owners with this kit installed right now. I couldn't find any info on this specific platform and worried that the additional weight of the engine would cause the front end to sag etc. Happy to report, not the case at all.

• Front fender height (measured from ground at wheel center to bottom of fender):
  • Stock height pre-install: 38"
  • After Carli kit install + 35"x12.5" Ridge Grapplers: 41 3/8"
• Rear fender height (measured from ground at wheel center to bottom of fender):
  • Stock height pre-install: 40"
  • After Carli kit install + 35"x12.5" Ridge Grapplers: 40 1/8"

So yeah ... as you can see, the rear end now sits below the front end. Carli is aware of this and has documented it in detail so I won't go into it ... but even so ... it honestly looks really badass with the current stance (see photo).

Great job posting the before and after heights. Thanks.

 

[Pyleketerson]

How would you compare to the stock ride? I drive 90% on road with occasional off road hunting. Trying to decide between a Fox set up and the Carli. Too bad you can’t drive something before you buy lol. Thanks

Yeah for sure I guess it’s just a leap of faith when you make the commitment on an upgrade. No test drives! But to answer your question the suspension in my opinion is so much better than stock. I love going off road now and the suspension handles everything with ease. I put a leveling kit on my previous 5th gen and it seriously sucked off road. I don’t know anything about Carli but I would never change from my Fox setup. It’s everything I wanted it to be. Hope that helps.

 

[Pokey69]

Yeah for sure I guess it’s just a leap of faith when you make the commitment on an upgrade. No test drives! But to answer your question the suspension in my opinion is so much better than stock. I love going off road now and the suspension handles everything with ease. I put a leveling kit on my previous 5th gen and it seriously sucked off road. I don’t know anything about Carli but I would never change from my Fox setup. It’s everything I wanted it to be. Hope that helps.

Thanks

 

[oliver]

Honestly, I'm amazed every time I drive the truck ... it's insane.

When I adjusted my tire pressure to 35 psi front and 30 psi rear as Dan from Carli recommended ... the on road ride went from really good to absolute BUTTER. Much better than stock in every measurable way (including cornering ... it stays crazy flat with no roll somehow).

I've got about 250 miles on the kit as of now, and it seems to be getting even smoother as I put more miles on it.

Heading out to the desert this weekend to go fast and see how she does in the whoops. I'll report back.

**Couple additional notes to add for anyone searching for specific answers:

1. I think I might be one of the only Rebel Eco-Diesel owners with this kit installed right now. I couldn't find any info on this specific platform and worried that the additional weight of the engine would cause the front end to sag etc. Happy to report, not the case at all.

• Front fender height (measured from ground at wheel center to bottom of fender):
  • Stock height pre-install: 38"
  • After Carli kit install + 35"x12.5" Ridge Grapplers: 41 3/8"
• Rear fender height (measured from ground at wheel center to bottom of fender):
  • Stock height pre-install: 40"
  • After Carli kit install + 35"x12.5" Ridge Grapplers: 40 1/8"

So yeah ... as you can see, the rear end now sits below the front end. Carli is aware of this and has documented it in detail so I won't go into it ... but even so ... it honestly looks really badass with the current stance (see photo).

Damn, I'm actually kind of jealous, it sounds like your ride is better than mine. I wonder if the eco diesel being heavier helps with the front coilovers. My rear over bumps feels great but the front is definitely firmer than stock, especially over potholes and speed humps. I've been speaking with Dan from Carli too but not getting anywhere just yet.

How did you go in the desert?

 

[theduster22]

Damn, I'm actually kind of jealous, it sounds like your ride is better than mine. I wonder if the eco diesel being heavier helps with the front coilovers. My rear over bumps feels great but the front is definitely firmer than stock, especially over potholes and speed humps. I've been speaking with Dan from Carli too but not getting anywhere just yet.

How did you go in the desert?

Desert was FUN ... until I broke something!

Still trying to figure out exactly where the issue is coming from ... I'm getting a loud metal clunking sound going over bumps and when I turn the wheel left to 10 o'clock and back to 2 o'clock again. Tried swapping out a front stabilizer end link thinking that might be the problem, but no luck there. Taking it in to Powerhouse tomorrow to get it looked at...maybe a CV issue.

The shocks performed amazing though ... definitely got some air ... 1-2ft whoops and ruts felt like nothing, truck floated right over it at high speeds with very little drama.

Once I started getting a bit overly confident and hitting some of the larger whoops (which admittedly I shouldn't have), that's when things got a little dicey. All in all, the suspension was everything I hoped it would be and I can't wait to get back out there now that I have a better idea of where the limit is.

 

[Pyleketerson]

Desert was FUN ... until I broke something!

Still trying to figure out exactly where the issue is coming from ... I'm getting a loud metal clunking sound going over bumps and when I turn the wheel left to 10 o'clock and back to 2 o'clock again. Tried swapping out a front stabilizer end link thinking that might be the problem, but no luck there. Taking it in to Powerhouse tomorrow to get it looked at...maybe a CV issue.

The shocks performed amazing though ... definitely got some air ... 1-2ft whoops and ruts felt like nothing, truck floated right over it at high speeds with very little drama.

Once I started getting a bit overly confident and hitting some of the larger whoops (which admittedly I shouldn't have), that's when things got a little dicey. All in all, the suspension was everything I hoped it would be and I can't wait to get back out there now that I have a better idea of where the limit is.

That sounds fun and all but are you trying to break your truck?