Decided To Not Lift My Truck

[User_63152]

I have been racking my brain, over analyzing this until I thought my head was going to explode. I just want a good looking, sporty, smooth riding truck. My past experience has been no matter what lift/level you go with, there is some reduction in ride quality and MPG. I know that is the nature of the beast. I just can't do it this time. I am going to return the unused/unopened leveling kit that I bought.

I did buy 275/60/R20 Pirelli Scorpion AT Plus tires, to be installed tomorrow. I am just going to leave the suspension alone. If I did anything in the future, it would be in the other direction. I would lower the rear 2''.

I am not, what you would consider, an off road person. Not that I don't like playing in the mud now and again.

I just can't justify it this time. Not with a $50K+ truck.

I don't know if anyone else can relate or not. It's a little depressing, almost. I don't know. Maybe I'm just having a bad day.

Sorry for the rant.

 

[Ramgoose]

I have been racking my brain, over analyzing this until I though my head was going to explode. I just want a good looking, sporty, smooth riding truck. My past experience has been no matter what lift/level you go with, there is some reduction in ride quality and MPG. I know that is the nature of the beast. I just can't do it this time. I am going to return the unused/unopened leveling kit that I bought.

I did buy 275/60/R20 Pirelli Scorpion AT Plus tires, to be installed tomorrow. I am just going to leave the suspension alone. If I did anything in the future, it would be in the other direction. I would lower the rear 2''.

I am not, what you would consider, an off road person. Not that I don't like playing in the mud now and again.

I just can't justify it this time. Not with a $50K+ truck.

I don't know if anyone else can relate or not. It's a little depressing, almost. I don't know. Maybe I'm just having a bad day.

Sorry for the rant.

Hello friend. I don’t know how old you are but I’ve been just like you for the last 40 years. I’m 58. It’s a sickness I wish I didn’t have! I have left my 2019 Rebel stock except for running boards and bed cover. I’ve been down this road so many times but you are exactly right. No matter how sanitary the lift and large tires are there will be positives and negatives.
Positives speak for themselves.
Negatives I have pondered...
Rough ride, decreased turning radius, mud on the side of your truck (possibly a positive also), lower mpg and always possible unforeseen geometry issues. No the less, I see lifted Rams everywhere and I think hmm... then I get it out of my system. As is my wife and dogs are happy with it and that’s enough for me right now.
Cheers and peace

 

[Mountain Whiskey]

WTF? Go big or go home!





Just kidding. It's your ride, enjoy it your way!

 

[JerryBsizzle]

I said the same thing, finally turned the corner. And then about a year went by. Every bigger Ram I saw just caught my eye. So I had to have it all. Lift, tires, power steps. So far so good.

My truck was built by the dealer and I just saw it and bought it. Thats a benefit because I got to drive the truck and knew how it looked, how much the tires stuck out, how much noise they made etc. Much better than racking your brain and then getting in a truck after you've changed the suspension and you are not happy. Plus all the work is covered under warranty by the dealer.

I'm 43, and I dont know if I will ever outgrow it. Maybe lifted trucks will keep me young?

 

[Jabberjaw]

I have been racking my brain, over analyzing this until I though my head was going to explode. I just want a good looking, sporty, smooth riding truck. My past experience has been no matter what lift/level you go with, there is some reduction in ride quality and MPG. I know that is the nature of the beast. I just can't do it this time. I am going to return the unused/unopened leveling kit that I bought.

I did buy 275/60/R20 Pirelli Scorpion AT Plus tires, to be installed tomorrow. I am just going to leave the suspension alone. If I did anything in the future, it would be in the other direction. I would lower the rear 2''.

I am not, what you would consider, an off road person. Not that I don't like playing in the mud now and again.

I just can't justify it this time. Not with a $50K+ truck.

I don't know if anyone else can relate or not. It's a little depressing, almost. I don't know. Maybe I'm just having a bad day.

Sorry for the rant.

100% agree. Three lifted Jeeps and one lifted 4Runner later, just can’t do it. Ride ...geometry ...mpgs and RIDE. I love this truck and am in no mood to f@@k with it other than fun stuff. Cheers.

 

[Ram1500rsm]

I'm the total opposite, can't leave anything stock for too long if it has 4x4. and when i get a 4x4 i mean it to go 4x4 and put some pinstripes on the paint, bumpers, rock sliders etc etc. Not doing aggresive rock crawling anymore cause a 1500 truck was not exactly meant for it but i'm thinking to get me another Jeep for that this coming Dec knocking on wood. I regret terribly selling my Jeep Wrangler. i should have kept it, live to learn.

On that same note i've learned to value the cost of a good suspension system. I don't say lift cause lift in this market seems to imply brackets and crap i'm seriously not interested in. So if you mean best, then best cost money and you can do a lot better than the factory for the most part. Pay once cry once though, Just the nature of the beast. Can't do it with cheapy spacers, can't do it with $100 struts or shocks, can't do it with $100 UCA's. Cheap gives you a look at best, and sometimes that looks can ruin whatever good the factory tried hard to do. i'll leave her bone stock as well before messing with POS parts.

 

[grimreefer]

The struggle is real...

 

[User_63152]

Hello friend. I don’t know how old you are but I’ve been just like you for the last 40 years. I’m 58. It’s a sickness I wish I didn’t have! I have left my 2019 Rebel stock except for running boards and bed cover. I’ve been down this road so many times but you are exactly right. No matter how sanitary the lift and large tires are there will be positives and negatives.
Positives speak for themselves.
Negatives I have pondered...
Rough ride, decreased turning radius, mud on the side of your truck (possibly a positive also), lower mpg and always possible unforeseen geometry issues. No the less, I see lifted Rams everywhere and I think hmm... then I get it out of my system. As is my wife and dogs are happy with it and that’s enough for me right now.
Cheers and peace

I'm 50.

 

[User_63152]

And, of course, I can always change my mind tomorrow. I've been known to do that quite often.

J/K

 

[User_63152]

I feel like I'm in a support group or something. LOL!

A few years (15) and vehicles back, I had a, like new, black 2000 Jeep Cherokee 4.0L. I loved that thing. It had a sweet lift, wheels (with outrageous offset), tires, etc. It was super fun. The ride, was absolutely horrid! LOL. I had a small "lift" and bigger tires on my next vehicle, a 2010 Jeep Liberty. My last vehicle, a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee, I put a leveling kit, wheels and bigger tires on it. I ruined the comfortable ride on that, bigtime.

Maybe it's an age thing, I don't know.

 

[theblakester]

This thread was a great read. At 36, I’m in the middle, seeing and feeling both sides of the argument. But being my first full sized 4x4, I’m doing tires and a level/small lift. I may regret it, I may love it.

 

[User_63152]

This thread was a great read. At 36, I’m in the middle, seeing and feeling both sides of the argument. But being my first full sized 4x4, I’m doing tires and a level/small lift. I may regret it, I may love it.

It is fun to do all this to our vehicles. Have fun with it!

I don't really regret any of it. Except maybe the JGC.

 

[User_63152]

I'm the total opposite, can't leave anything stock for too long if it has 4x4. and when i get a 4x4 i mean it to go 4x4 and put some pinstripes on the paint, bumpers, rock sliders etc etc. Not doing aggresive rock crawling anymore cause a 1500 truck was not exactly meant for it but i'm thinking to get me another Jeep for that this coming Dec knocking on wood. I regret terribly selling my Jeep Wrangler. i should have kept it, live to learn.

On that same note i've learned to value the cost of a good suspension system. I don't say lift cause lift in this market seems to imply brackets and crap i'm seriously not interested in. So if you mean best, then best cost money and you can do a lot better than the factory for the most part. Pay once cry once though, Just the nature of the beast. Can't do it with cheapy spacers, can't do it with $100 struts or shocks, can't do it with $100 UCA's. Cheap gives you a look at best, and sometimes that looks can ruin whatever good the factory tried hard to do. i'll leave her bone stock as well before messing with POS parts.

I totally understand your perspective.

 

[RossoWheelson]

First buying experience for a truck vaccinated me from ever doing it. Brand new but long on lot lifted Avalanche. They kept steering us towards it and we took it out for a test drive. Did not impress for ride or handling. What clinched it was my wife daring the salesman to climb into the bed without any assistance. Neither of them could do it.

Now having a Limited with off road package does get you a 1” lift. That I can live with.

 

[sep1006]

Well I'm 63 and would love to do a lift, suspension and bigger tires. But unfortunately if I did it wouldn't fit in my garage. I have always kept my vehicles in the garage and my Rebel only has about 1.5" MAX clearance. Mainly because of the antenna on top of the truck. And I do have the garage door openers adjusted to max height opening.

 

[Ramgoose]

Well I'm 63 and would love to do a lift, suspension and bigger tires. But unfortunately if I did it wouldn't fit in my garage. I have always kept my vehicles in the garage and my Rebel only has about 1.5" MAX clearance. Mainly because of the antenna on top of the truck. And I do have the garage door openers adjusted to max height opening

The garage ... Thats one I forgot.

 

[User_63152]

The garage ... Thats one I forgot.

Yup, it's a tight fit for my truck, too. Maybe 2-3'' on each mirror and 4-5'' on the roof.

 

[Ram Dude]

54 and I too have gone back and forth on this. Our 5th gens are damn good looking and ride so smooth stock. After having 3.5” lift, larger tires, etc I’ll occasionally see one stock (unlifted) and think ‘wow, bet he or she is enjoying smooth ride, not having to make wide, 3-point turns due to rubbing, etc’...But then I see the lifted ones or get occasional compliment on my truck and think ‘OH YEH!’ ...Definitely makes you a little schizo

 

[Buz]

Most people reach a point in their lives when they finally realize that comfort is more important than appearance.
This goes with more than just automobiles.
Looks like you reaching that point at 50.

 

[sep1006]

Yup, it's a tight fit for my truck, too. Maybe 2-3'' on each mirror and 4-5'' on the roof.

Man if I had 4 - 5" of room I would definitely raise the truck another 2".