Desert Dawg Ram Rebel Build

[Desert Dawg]

DESERT DAWG'S 2020 RAM REBEL 4X4 BUILD


​

Welcome to my build thread! I have been lurking on the forum for bit already and have started to make some modifications to my new 2020 Ram Rebel so thought I would start another build thread. I have reached out to folks for ideas and suggestions so a big thanks to all for the great responses and input! Of course, this thread will be a work in progress so feel free to join in if you want share ideas or suggestions. I will also try and share some of my off-road adventures and report on what worked (and what didn't).

By way of introduction, I have been active on the various car and truck forums since I invented the Internet (okay, maybe that wasn’t me but definitely one of the first users…lol). But I am true car enthusiast having purchased and owned over 70 cars and trucks ranging from old Broncos to modern day F-Types and loved everything in-between (even some of the junkers)! But over the years, I have become more of an off-road/expedition kind of guy more than a sports car fanatic as off-roading in the high desert and mountains of northern NM and southern CO has become one of my favorite pastimes.

Previously, I have built up many an old classic (CJ5/CJ7, full-sized Cherokee Chiefs, early Broncos, etc.) to quite a few modern trucks (Rams, Tundras, 4Runners, F150s/F250s, Tahoes, Chevys, etc.) so hopefully this one will meet my goal of being somewhat unique while enhancing the factory features and capabilities without breaking the bank (too much). Since I actually take my rigs off-road on "moderate" trailing adventures, my goal is not to build a highly lifted "bro" truck or mall crawler (no offense to others because I have certainly built those as well) but also not trying to build an extreme desert prerunner or rock crawler either. Hopefully, sharing this build thread will help give ideas for others that are like myself looking for tasteful modifications while retaining the vehicle's original purpose as a daily driver, family hauler, or work vehicle but also serve as a weekend toy!

​

I recently purchased my Rebel but ironically it was not my first choice; I was actually waffling between buying either a new 2020 Raptor or 2020 Power Wagon (yes, two different kinds of off-roading approaches but really liked both). After test driving the Power Wagon, I decided it would not quite fit all of my parameters as a daily driver/family hauler (almost too high/ too big with less comfortable ride but still an amazing machine) so I decided on the Raptor (the Ecoboost engine did not bother me as I have owned (2) other Ecoboost F150s with no issues and they were fun to drive at altitude)! But the more time I spent with the Raptor, the less enamored I became as the truck is a tad too wide for daily parking and mountain trailing (perfect for desert runs) but I eventually just got turned off by the hard plastic interior that came with a +$70K price tag (although the seats and overall performance were worth it). So I scrapped the Raptor and was going to buy another Tundra since my previous one was solid with never an issue and had a lot of fun building and beating it up on the trails. Luckily, before I went in to make a deal after several visits to the Toyota dealership, I took an extra day to visit the nearby Ram dealership and purchased my Rebel immediately after the initial test drive (great interior and the factory ride was amazing for an off-road biased vehicle)! I could have saved myself a lot of time had I considered the Rebel first...lol.

My new Ram Rebel (stock form):

2020 Ram Rebel 4x4 Factory Options
Granite Crystal Metallic Monotone Paint
5.7L Hemi MDS VVT with 8 Speed Auto
Black Leather Interior
Rebel 12 Package
Rebel Level 2 Equipment Group
Dual-Pane Panoramic Sunroof
Trailer Brake Controller
Blind-Spot and Cross-Path Detection System
Rear Wheelhouse Liners
Spray-in Bedliner​

My modifications for this truck will be tuned more for daily driver/family use with some off-road capability but not as extreme as some of my other more off-road focused builds.

Current (linked) and planned modifications (updated with progress):

Aftermarket Lighting:
- Rigid LED Off-Road Lighting
Suspension:
- Falcon 2.25" Sport Tow/Haul Suspension with Videos
- Fabtech Dirt Logic Suspension with Video
- Fabtech 3-inch Dirt Logic Suspension Installed
Wheels and Tires:
- Wheel Shortlisting
- Black Rhino Dugger Wheels with Video
- Black Rhino Dugger Wheel Up Close
- Tire Shortlist
- Yokohama Geolander MT G003
- Mounted Wheels and Tires Photos
Body Modifications:
- Side Step Selection
- AMP Research Power PowerStep XL Retractable Running Board Installation
Bed Accessories:
- Bed Topper Selection
- ARE Z2 Series Topper
- Yakima HD Roof Rack System
- More Topper Photos
- BedRug Bed Mat; pending
Performance Modifications:
- Air Intake; pending
- Aftermarket Exhaust System Selection
- B2 Fabrication SS Magnaflow Retrofit Exhaust System
Recovery/Safety Gear:
- VIAIR 400P Air Compressor
- Orisch Recovery Traction Boards
- SwarfWorks Hidden Winch System - pending
- Tow Straps and D-Shackles
- Tow Hitch/2-inch Ball Mount
- Maxout Chrome Dry Chemical Fire Extinguisher
- Jumper Cables
- Tool Kit (assorted tools, gas lighter, electrical connections/tape, duct tape)
Other Modifications and Accessories:
- Front Camera; pending
- Front Window Tint (match to factory rear)
- 360 Max Radar/Laser Detector
- Sylvania Roadsight PRO Dash Cam
-On-Board Survival Gear
- Hike/Bugout Knapsack (medical kit, matches, rope, 1-day bottled water/food, rain gear, knives, hats, socks, flashlight, whistle)
- Clothing (jacket, hiking boots, thermal blankets)
- Tarp and tent rope
Off-Road Adventures
- Ophir Pass, Colorado
- On- and Off-Road Trip Review
- Rio Puerco Desert Run, New Mexico
Polls
- Rebel Skid Plate Color Change

Edits: Repaired broken links/reloaded photos​

 

[Desert Dawg]

Off-Road Lighting Selection

First mod I did was to install some new LED off-road lights. For the Rebel, I really didn't want anything in the lower bumper area as I might consider a hidden winch system sometime down the road and so wanted to leave that area alone. I also wanted to have a slightly different look this time around rather than the typical LED light bars that I had used on prior builds and now seen on most trucks.

The Rebel front bumper is unique as there is a raised area (bulge) right under the front grille and I thought that would be an ideal spot for some round lights. So I chose to install a couple sets of the Rigid 360-Series LEDs; I measured the space between the bumper and bottom of the RAM logo and determined that the 4-inch round lights would look better fitted under the logo rather than having larger (+6-inch) lights blocking the logo.

I purchased 1-pair of the 360 Series Spot LEDs for long distance illumination and 1-pair of the 360 Series Driving LEDs for near distance illumination; I arranged the setup so that the driving lights are situated on both sides of the spot lights. The nice thing about the 360 Series is you can replace the lens if needed and/or paint-to-match the lens surround for a custom look! I chose to leave mine black as it ties in nicely with my truck's paint color scheme.

​

The nerve-wracking part was precisely measuring and then drilling the (4) mounting holes in my brand new bumper. I located the center line of the bumper and measured the exact location of each drill hole spaced underneath the RAM logo while also taking into account the front bumper curve (I wanted the face of each light to follow the bumper lines); I had created a template on my computer so that I can play with the spacing of all the lights and determined that 2.25-inches of clearance between each of the 4-inch LED lights was the most aesthetically pleasing while still allowing access for adjustments.

​

The underside of the bumper is pretty clear and easy to get your hands/ratchets under there to mount the lights. Drilling through the steel bumper is easy as long as you use good drill bits and a variable speed drill for slow speed. However, there is a slight bend of the bumper sheet metal where it folds down under the grille so you have to make sure that you leave enough room for the mounting bolts and hardware. At same time, you don't want to have the lights extend too far out from the face of the front bumper. I measured 1-1/4 inch away from the back side of the bumper along the top of bumper as shown above and to ensure clearance within the bumper per below.

Edit: Forgot to mention that also coated the drilled holes with black touch-up paint to prevent rust.

​

After rechecking everything at least a dozen times...lol...I went for it and very pleased with how I got everything pretty much centered with the Ram logo at exactly 2.25-inches apart and exactly leveled.

​

For wiring, the Rigids come with their own wiring harnesses and 3-position LED switches (the 360-series have backlighting illumination like the Radiance series light bars). Unfortunately, they don't come with the Deutsch connectors so you have to add connectors if desired. For now, I simply used heat-shrink wire connectors and arranged the harnesses and zipped-tied everything to the body (hiding as much as possible) for a very clean install.

The switches were more problematic as they are 3-position (on-off-on) with six connectors and therefore quite a bit deeper than the standard 2-position (on-off) round switches with three connectors. I wanted to install one switch for each pair of lights so that I could have the backlighting as "running lights" and the off-road lighting only switched on when needed. I also wanted to install the two switches in the flat face of the center console right under the 12-inch screen (right next to the USB ports) but could not determine if there was enough clear space behind the console face that extends under the center stack of the dash (definitely did not want to drill out two 3/4-inch holes only to find out the switches don't fit).

So I removed all of the dash panels surrounding the steering wheel as it looked like there were a couple places up high within easy view and reach to place some switches. Unfortunately, despite the dash panel exterior appearances, there is no room behind the panels for deep switches as anything not taken up by the dash fame or control modules is taken up with additional plastic moldings on the panel themselves (and I didn't want to carve those up either). I did find enough space for (1) switch at the very bottom panel alongside the center console (see below); I did have to fab a small spacer since the switch connection tabs would not completely clear behind the panel but the pressure tabs keeps it secure for now. Since both pairs of lights have their own relays with no 12V power going to the switch, I wired both pairs of lights into the one switch but sacrificed having the backlighting until I can install two separate switches (once I figure out the center console).

​

But everything works and I love the finished result.

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Edits: Repaired broken links/reloaded photos​

 

[Seadweller23]

Excellent Posts! Well thought out approach to the lights. Welcome!

 

[Ride2little]

You and I are gonna get along just fine...

 

[Desert Dawg]

Excellent Posts! Well thought out approach to the lights. Welcome!

@Seadweller23; thanks!

You and I are gonna get along just fine...

@Ride2little; good to know in case I need a lifeline when I say something wrong!

 

[Desert Dawg]

Teraflex-Falcon Shock Suspension

So one of the other mods I went ahead with is my suspension. While the factory supplied Bilsteins provide an amazing street ride, I thought they were a tad too soft for an off-road biased truck although I do realize that 99.9% of Rebel owners will probably only see dirt roads, if that. But I have turned into a snob of sorts regarding my suspensions over the years and have replaced the factory "off-road" suspensions for my brand new Nissan PRO 4X (my previous truck before the Rebel), several Ford FX4s, Chevy Z71s, 4Runner Trail and Sport Editions, and so on. So definitely not picking on RAM in any way other than me just being me.

So like other things with this build, I am looking for excuses to try something new(er). Previously, I ran various systems from Icon, King, Fox, Toytec, Bilstein, Rancho, Pro Comp, BDS, Fabtech, and others so this time I decided to try the new Teraflex Falcon 2019+ RAM 1500/Rebel Sport Tow/Haul adjustable shock system which is advertised as providing up to 2.25-inches of front lift. Considering I wanted to keep a really decent street ride and still maintain a reasonable center of gravity for handling and off-canter wheeling, I thought it might be the perfect solution to provide enough clearance for 34-35 inch tall tires that in turn would net me a tad more lift for better off-road performance.

Teraflex has had a pretty decent name in the Jeep crowd (at least several years back) and researching the new Falcon shocks for full-sized trucks seemed to indicate a very well thought out, high quality system. The front shocks provide multiple (3) ride heights to level the front end and/or compensate for the additional weight of a winch or other accessories (which would support my hidden winch plan nicely). The rear piggyback shocks are adjustable to provide increased rear stiffness and the external reservoirs serve to increase oil and gas capacity for better heat dissipation and decreased shock degradation especially when hauling heavier loads. Teraflex also promises overall improvement of on- and off-road handling, stability, and control. The 2.25" shock bodies are made of 6061-T6 aluminum, 3/4” induction hardened chrome plated shafts, hard anodized billet pistons, and 1-piece Teflon bronze piston wear bands. Each system is tailored specifically for each vehicle to provide "race-inspired performance for increased vehicle stability" and "improved dynamic roll control and low-speed damping".

​

All sounds and looks great!

There are several folks on the forum that also have installed the Falcon system on their new Rams and seem quite happy. Also, there are some slick videos like the ones from Kid Richmond put out on YouTube (including TFL with their "Rebel Rouser"...lol) that also testified to their performance so I decided to try it out!

However, before I purchased the Falcon system, I had my shop (Desert Rat Off-road Center) contact Teraflex to make sure that the 2020 Rebel would net out about 2-inches of actual lift above the factory ride height (since the Rebel already has about a 1-inch lift from the factory). The response was in the affirmative so I purchased the system and had Desert Rat complete the installation and alignment:

​

As some forum folks might already know (I had posted my experience with the Falcon system in a couple of other threads), I wasn't happy with the system initially as the ride was way too stiff and I thought I had seriously ruined my truck (the factory Ram-Bilstein system really does set a very high bar in terms of ride quality). It seemed like the Falcon valving was just way too digressive as I felt every minor road imperfection (speed bumps rattled my bones). But after a couple of days of driving, the shocks really settled in as the valve stack figured itself out and the ride is now really quite smooth (not quite as cushy as the factory but very good nonetheless). What did improve significantly was the handling and control along with immediate rebound performance; turn in feel is great and now I don't float over the speed bumps, I can attack them at any speed without drama.

Ram Rebel with Teraflex-Falcon Adjustable Sport Shock system with just over 1-inch of front lift and factory spec'd 33-inch Duratrac tires on stock 18x8 Rebel wheels (apologies for crappy cell phone pics but didn't have my camera when I decided to shoot these):

​

Falcon did a great job dialing these things in!

So much for the good news and onto to the not so good. Of course I measured my truck both pre- and post-lift; unfortunately, my truck only netted out 1-1/8" of front lift on top of the factory ride height. It seems that the system was designed with 2019 Ram test trucks but FCA made some additional tweaks to the 2020 model year that Falcon (and others I am finding out) were not quite privy too. In addition to variances in actual truck fitments coming off the production line, mine was not going to net out anything near the 2-inches of additional lift that Teraflex had advertised (and despite my attempt of vetting out before the purchase). Some folks here with 2019 Rebels have gotten close, and others here with 2020 Rebels have gotten at least 1.5-inches but none have reported (actual measurements anyway) of achieving a fully leveled stance using the "Level" shock setting. However, non-Rebel 1500s seem to fair better for close to 2-inches of front lift. And all seem to be pretty happy with their Falcon systems even if they didn't quite get the advertised lift height.

Back to the good news; Teraflex is a stand up company and admitted that their advertising might be misleading (and fact they didn't actually have a 2020 model test fitted) so they are going to reimburse me for the cost of the Falcon system once I select a replacement system (more on that later). Desert Rat is also a very stand up company (and fact that I have been doing business there for past 30-years helps as well) and will not charge me to install my next suspension. In the end, a lot of folks only want/need a small front lift but really want improved handling and control, as well as keeping a very comfortable ride, so in that vein I strongly recommend Falcon for your consideration especially if you haul and/or tow.

 

[Desert Dawg]

Fabtech-Dirt Logic Suspension Selection

In the meantime, I went ahead and ordered a 3-inch Dirt Logic lift system from Fabtech that comes with front Dirt Logic 2.5 coilovers, new heavy duty upper control arms, and rear Dirt Logic extended length shocks.

​

The Fabtech-Dirt Logic system will cost almost twice what I paid for the Teraflex-Falcon system but also will be getting a more robust off-road system with very good on-road ride quality as well (hopefully near the Falcon level of quality). The Dirt Logic shocks are now constructed with a stainless steel body and patented piston rod for improved durability and corrosion resistance (which has been an issue on older systems in the past).

Proof is in the pudding so will be very curious on how the system actually performs (and if I net out the full 3-inches of lift). The system is on back order due to the COVID-19 situation but hopefully will have it in about another month. So more to come...

 

[DeDax]

Awesome, detailed thread. Great review of products. Look forward to following the build.

 

[DeDax]

Curious... How would you compare your Tundra to the Rebel so far?

 

[Desert Dawg]

Awesome, detailed thread. Great review of products. Look forward to following the build.

Curious... How would you compare your Tundra to the Rebel so far?

@DeDax; thanks! I try to share some of my decision making process and sometimes I get great suggestions for options I didn't consider.

Interesting question because there are two parts for my response; on-road/daily use performance and off-road performance (for the type of wheeling I do).

I won't compare the off-roading part until after my build is more complete and I actually take the Rebel off-road; I am planning a quick desert run in another few weeks so will definitely be sharing that but also a longer mountain trip in southern CO by early summer.

Regarding daily use comparisons, the Ram is by far ahead of the Tundra (at least until the 2022 model rolls out). The Tundra's current platform (which mine was based on) is almost 14 years old (with some exterior/interior changes along the way) and its age is really beginning to show despite some recent updates. So my 2015 model looks and performs exactly like the current 2020 model although the Tundra now boasts a larger infotainment screen (yet its clarity and functionality is not near the Ram's). The Tundra’s top 1794 Edition model with its two-tone interior (like the one I had) is still very appealing but overall lags greatly behind the Ram. The Ram's front seats are a more comfortable but in turn I think the Tundra's rear seats are more comfortable on long-hauls with both having about the same great rear legroom. However, the Ram's infotainment/stereo offerings are much better and the interior overall is far better looking and more functional especially given all of the built-in cab storage bins located in the floor and underneath the rear seat which was a strong factor for me as I carry a lot of off-road/emergency gear with me (this capacity was greatly lacking in the Tundra without resorting to aftermarket).

However, while both trucks have similar dimensions, the Tundra has more road presence and I still like its exterior proportions over any of the other designs (especially in TRD PRO form) but the Ram offers more modern and attractive features across the line right from the factory (especially with lighting). On road, the Tundra is very responsive as its 5.7-liter V-8 provides very strong, smooth acceleration and the factory TRD exhaust (if so equipped like mine was) sounds much better over the Ram. Believe it or not, the Tundra's 6-speed automatic transmission actually works well and I really miss having the center console shifter with manual gates vs. the Ram's rotary dial on the dash. Unfortunately, the Tundra's mileage really does suck right from the factory and only gets worse as you add mods and weight (apparently my Rebel is not doing much better despite the EPA ratings but will have a better comparison post mods).

In the end, the Ram Rebel (in factory form) provides a smoother ride but the steering is not as tight as say the Tundra's comparable TRD PRO model similar to my aftermarket setup (which also has a smaller turning diameter); however, I think overall the Ram feels a bit stronger under hard acceleration, is better packaged (especially in Rebel guise), and provides a much more comfortable ride for both short- and long road trips. My expectation is that post-mods (with an improved aftermarket suspension and off-road wheels/tires, etc.), my built Rebel will outshine my built Tundra on a number of levels. So the real question will be how everything holds up after the next couple of years compared to my Tundra that I took on long road trips and then beat up off-road during almost 4-years of ownership and never had an issue. We shall see!

 

[DeDax]

Awesome & detailed response. Very interesting perspective. I was shopping the two models aggressively when I bought my Ram in 2018. I didn't go with the Rebel, I have the Limited Sport and just feel the current Ram platform was much more 'modern' then the aging Tundra. That said the Tundra certainly sets the bar high as far as comparisons go. I've seen numerous on other forms that when built correctly are stunning and more importantly functional. I look forward to your build and progress and can't wait to see how this Ram improves.

 

[Desert Dawg]

Awesome & detailed response. Very interesting perspective. I was shopping the two models aggressively when I bought my Ram in 2018. I didn't go with the Rebel, I have the Limited Sport and just feel the current Ram platform was much more 'modern' then the aging Tundra. That said the Tundra certainly sets the bar high as far as comparisons go. I've seen numerous on other forms that when built correctly are stunning and more importantly functional. I look forward to your build and progress and can't wait to see how this Ram improves.

Thanks again DeDax!

Please keep in mind that my perspective is from an off-road biased basis like the Rebel which offers a few extra off-roading goodies than over the ORP or standard Ram. But I have to admit that I was also smitten with both the Laramie and Limited Sport editions especially with ORP; I decided on the Rebel since it does have a tad more off-road capability and wouldn't feel as bad beating it up over a Limited for sure. But can't tell you how much the Limited interior weighed on me...lol. While I built up my Tundra with the top of the line 1794 Edition package, and my Rebel has a nice upscale leather interior too, it seems almost sacrilegious to have the Limited abused in the dirt and mud (or at least, would drive me crazy to have that interior too dirty...but maybe I would have gotten over it...lol).

 

[James8563]

So one of the other mods I went ahead with is my suspension. While the factory supplied Bilsteins provide an amazing street ride, I thought they were a tad too soft for an off-road biased truck although I do realize that 99.9% of Rebel owners will probably only see dirt roads, if that. But I have turned into a snob of sorts regarding my suspensions over the years and have replaced the factory "off-road" suspensions for my brand new Nissan PRO 4X (my previous truck before the Rebel), several Ford FX4s, Chevy Z71s, 4Runner Trail and Sport Editions, and so on. So definitely not picking on RAM in any way other than me just being me.

So like other things with this build, I am looking for excuses to try something new(er). Previously, I ran various systems from Icon, King, Fox, Toytec, Bilstein, Rancho, Pro Comp, BDS, Fabtech, and others so this time I decided to try the new Teraflex Falcon 2019+ RAM 1500/Rebel Sport Tow/Haul adjustable shock system which is advertised as providing up to 2.25-inches of front lift. Considering I wanted to keep a really decent street ride and still maintain a reasonable center of gravity for handling and off-canter wheeling, I thought it might be the perfect solution to provide enough clearance for 34-35 inch tall tires that in turn would net me a tad more lift for better off-road performance.

Teraflex has had a pretty decent name in the Jeep crowd (at least several years back) and researching the new Falcon shocks for full-sized trucks seemed to indicate a very well thought out, high quality system. The front shocks provide multiple (3) ride heights to level the front end and/or compensate for the additional weight of a winch or other accessories (which would support my hidden winch plan nicely). The rear piggyback shocks are adjustable to provide increased rear stiffness and the external reservoirs serve to increase oil and gas capacity for better heat dissipation and decreased shock degradation especially when hauling heavier loads. Teraflex also promises overall improvement of on- and off-road handling, stability, and control. The 2.25" shock bodies are made of 6061-T6 aluminum, 3/4” induction hardened chrome plated shafts, hard anodized billet pistons, and 1-piece Teflon bronze piston wear bands. Each system is tailored specifically for each vehicle to provide "race-inspired performance for increased vehicle stability" and "improved dynamic roll control and low-speed damping".

​

All sounds and looks great!

There are several folks on the forum that also have installed the Falcon system on their new Rams and seem quite happy. Also, there are some slick videos like the ones from Kid Richmond put out on YouTube (including TFL with their "Rebel Rouser"...lol) that also testified to their performance so I decided to try it out!

However, before I purchased the Falcon system, I had my shop (Desert Rat Off-road Center) contact Teraflex to make sure that the 2020 Rebel would net out about 2-inches of actual lift above the factory ride height (since the Rebel already has about a 1-inch lift from the factory). The response was in the affirmative so I purchased the system and had Desert Rat complete the installation and alignment:

​

As some forum folks might already know (I had posted my experience with the Falcon system in a couple of other threads), I wasn't happy with the system initially as the ride was way too stiff and I thought I had seriously ruined my truck (the factory Ram-Bilstein system really does set a very high bar in terms of ride quality). It seemed like the Falcon valving was just way too digressive as I felt every minor road imperfection (speed bumps rattled my bones). But after a couple of days of driving, the shocks really settled in as the valve stack figured itself out and the ride is now really quite smooth (not quite as cushy as the factory but very good nonetheless). What did improve significantly was the handling and control along with immediate rebound performance; turn in feel is great and now I don't float over the speed bumps, I can attack them at any speed without drama.

Ram Rebel with Teraflex-Falcon Adjustable Sport Shock system with just over 1-inch of front lift and factory spec'd 33-inch Duratrac tires on stock 18x8 Rebel wheels (apologies for crappy cell phone pics but didn't have my camera when I decided to shoot these):

​

Falcon did a great job dialing these things in!

So much for the good news and onto to the not so good. Of course I measured my truck both pre- and post-lift; unfortunately, my truck only netted out 1-1/8" of front lift on top of the factory ride height. It seems that the system was designed with 2019 Ram test trucks but FCA made some additional tweaks to the 2020 model year that Falcon (and others I am finding out) were not quite privy too. In addition to variances in actual truck fitments coming off the production line, mine was not going to net out anything near the 2-inches of additional lift that Teraflex had advertised (and despite my attempt of vetting out before the purchase). Some folks here with 2019 Rebels have gotten close, and others here with 2020 Rebels have gotten at least 1.5-inches but none have reported (actual measurements anyway) of achieving a fully leveled stance using the "Level" shock setting. However, non-Rebel 1500s seem to fair better for close to 2-inches of front lift. And all seem to be pretty happy with their Falcon systems even if they didn't quite get the advertised lift height.

Back to the good news; Teraflex is a stand up company and admitted that their advertising might be misleading (and fact they didn't actually have a 2020 model test fitted) so they are going to reimburse me for the cost of the Falcon system once I select a replacement system (more on that later). Desert Rat is also a very stand up company (and fact that I have been doing business there for past 30-years helps as well) and will not charge me to install my next suspension. In the end, a lot of folks only want/need a small front lift but really want improved handling and control, as well as keeping a very comfortable ride, so in that vein I strongly recommend Falcon for your consideration especially if you haul and/or tow.

Great review , I backed out of the falcon set up last minute , think I saw that they say that they make them here in America but all their parts they use are from China or something like that lol idk just wasn’t the set up I wanted to go with in the end

 

[Desert Dawg]

@James8563; thanks! Yeah, it is really hard anymore to not have parts sourced from China. I work with the Federal government some and even they find out that some of their "sensitive" systems manage to have internal parts sourced from China (which is a scary story in itself). But when it comes to the auto industry, China has become the new Japan (I still remember the days when anything sourced from Japan was looked down upon, including their cars...hard to fathom that nowadays...lol). Add in the current political and socioeconomic climate, I would prefer not to have any Chinese-sourced materials or products if I can help it.

It is interesting that Dirt Logic is pretty adamant about being American designed and made as they clearly state on their website as "Built in Chino, CA, not China" in big bold letters (so I see what they did there...lol). But seriously, they further clarify that "All Dirt Logic shocks are hand built by Fabtech employees in Chino ,California USA. Not by some factory worker in another country that has taken an American’s job away". They go on to state that they perform all their development, testing, manufacturing, distribution and administration in-house at Fabtech's 100,000 square foot facility in CA and employ high quality standards for their patented NitroSteel® piston rods and/or high grade 304 Stainless Steel shock bodies.

​

Still, that is no guarantee that there are absolutely no China-sourced materials used somewhere in the manufacturing process; China is the largest producer of stainless steel in the world after all. And I see lots of stainless steel in the Dirt Logic shock body (albeit highly polished)!

Edited: grammar corrections

 

[Desert Dawg]

Wheel Selection Shortlist

So while I am waiting for the suspension to come in, I have been thinking a lot about the best wheel and tire combo that I want to run. I am going to post my thoughts on tire selection later as I am still evaluating that, but thought I would walk through my wheel selection process first.

I decided to keep my wheel diameter to 18-inches in order to provide enough sidewall for airing down when needed. In full disclosure, I have built rigs with 20-inch wheels and 35+ inch tall tires and have taken them off-road without any real drama, but having a slightly smaller wheel is a better decision as I have become more experienced and emboldened to take on tougher trails. I also don’t want a wheel that is too wide and stretches the tires out too much; to that end, I limited my wheel choices to no more than 9.5-inches of width.

I also decided not to retain the factory 18x8 wheels as they would be on the lower limit of acceptable mounting widths for 34-35 inch tires. I calculated that I could increase the wheel offset from stock at +19MM to a more aggressive offset between +10MM to -12MM for the wheels to fit (-12MM offset was my own limit for extending the tires too far out from the fender and allowing the tires to throw road/trail debris along the side of the truck and potentially damage the paint). A -6MM wheel would be the limit if I wanted to ensure that most of the 35-inch tire carcass would not exceed ¾ -inch past the fenders. Since my selected suspension limits wheels with 5.0-inches of backspacing, my ideal setup would be a 34.5-34.8 inch tall tire at 11.5-12 inches maximum width on an 18x8.5/9.0 wheel with +0MM offset in order to keep my wider tires within a ½-inch of the fender coverage.

Selecting a wheel I liked was more of a chore than I hoped. First, I didn’t want to default to the same typical black wheels that you find on every Dodge/Ram, Ford, Chevy, Nissan, and Toyota driving around the neighborhood and/or wheels with more exposed metal than my kid’s braces (which I have used in the past…wheels, not my kid’s braces). Secondly, I did not want high gloss wheels and/or extensive milling as that gives a vehicle more of a street/show look; I wanted more of the off-road vibe to match the Rebel's but also not something too aggressive that actually fits/looks better with a highly lifted rig. So my preference was a wheel with black and grey/titanium/anthracite finishing that might tie in better with the Granite Metallic and matte black color scheme of my Rebel.

Finding something that would be functional and meet my needs was getting limited. In the past, I have gone with Fuel, TIS, Moto Metal, American Eagle, American Racing, KMC-XD Series, Diablo, Ultra, OEM, and others but I also considered various designs and sizes offered by Grid, Dirty Life, Black Rhino, LRG, 2 Crave, Centerline, Gear, Raceline, and probably a dozen more manufacturers of off-road wheels. Filtering down to my preferred range of wheel size and offsets, and finally wheel finishing/color scheme, I was able to shortlist my selections down to the following (3) wheels:

​

And the winner is...

 

[PorBoy]

^^^^. Take your time lol, we’ll still be here.

 

[DeDax]

I like all 3 of those wheels for your build. No doubt whatever you choose will turn out well.

 

[James8563]

@James8563; thanks! Yeah, it is really hard anymore to not have parts sourced from China. I work with the Federal government some and even they find out that some of their "sensitive" systems manage to have internal parts sourced from China (which is a scary story in itself). But when it comes to the auto industry, China has become the new Japan (I still remember the days when anything sourced from Japan was looked down upon, including their cars...hard to fathom that nowadays...lol). Add in the current political and socioeconomic issues, I would prefer not to have any Chinese-sourced materials or products if I can help it.

It is interesting that Dirt Logic is pretty adamant about being American designed and made as they clearly state on their website as "Built in Chino, CA, not China" in big bold letters (so I see what they did there...lol). But seriously, they further clarify that "All Dirt Logic shocks are hand built by Fabtech employees in Chino ,California USA. Not by some factory worker in another country that has taken an American’s job away". They go on to state that they perform all their development, testing, manufacturing, distribution and administration in-house at Fabtech's 100,000 square foot facility in CA and employ high quality standards for their patented NitroSteel® piston rods and/or high grade 304 Stainless Steel shock bodies.

​

Still, that is no guarantee that there are absolutely no China-sourced materials used somewhere in the manufacturing process; China is the largest producer of stainless steel in the world after all. And I see lots of stainless steel in the Dirt Logic shock body (albeit highly polished)!

I had also looked at the dirt logics before I went with the ready lift 2 inch with UCA’s. I decided to wait for Fox/king/Bilstein Too see what comes out for their coilovers for the ram rebel , for the price I got the kit I pretty much just paid for the UCA’s which I will use in the future for the coilovers I wanted so it was a win win situation.

 

[James8563]

Wheel Selection

So while I am waiting for the suspension to come in, I have been thinking a lot about the best wheel and tire combo that I want to run. I am going to post my thoughts on tire selection later as I am still evaluating that, but thought I would walk through my wheel selection process first.

I decided to keep my wheel diameter to 18-inches in order to provide enough sidewall for airing down when needed. In full disclosure, I have built rigs with 20-inch wheels and 35+ inch tall tires and have taken them off-road without any real drama, but having a slightly smaller wheel is a better decision as I have become more experienced and emboldened to take on tougher trails. I also don’t want a wheel that is too wide and stretches the tires out too much; to that end, I limited my wheel choices to no more than 9.5-inches of width.

I also decided not to retain the factory 18x8 wheels as they would be on the lower limit of acceptable mounting widths for 34-35 inch tires. I calculated that I could increase the wheel offset from stock at +19MM to a more aggressive offset between +10MM to -12MM for the wheels to fit (-12MM offset was my own limit for extending the tires too far out from the fender and allowing the tires to throw road/trail debris along the side of the truck and potentially damage the paint). A -6MM wheel would be the limit if I wanted to ensure that most of the 35-inch tire carcass would not exceed ¾ -inch past the fenders. Since my selected suspension limits wheels with 5.0-inches of backspacing, my ideal setup would be a 34.5-34.8 inch tall tire at 11.5-12 inches maximum width on an 18x8.5/9.0 wheel with +0MM offset in order to keep my wider tires within a ½-inch of the fender coverage.

Selecting a wheel I liked was more of a chore than I hoped. First, I didn’t want to default to the same typical black wheels that you find on every Dodge/Ram, Ford, Chevy, Nissan, and Toyota driving around the neighborhood and/or wheels with more exposed metal than my kid’s braces (which I have used in the past…wheels, not my kid’s braces). Secondly, I did not want high gloss wheels and/or extensive milling as that gives a vehicle more of a street/show look; I wanted more of the off-road vibe to match the Rebel's but also not something too aggressive that actually fits/looks better with a highly lifted rig. So my preference was a wheel with black and grey/titanium/anthracite finishing that might tie in better with the Granite Metallic and matte black color scheme of my Rebel.

Finding something that would be functional and meet my needs was getting limited. In the past, I have gone with Fuel, TIS, Moto Metal, American Eagle, American Racing, KMC-XD Series, Diablo, Ultra, OEM, and others but I also considered various designs and sizes offered by Grid, Dirty Life, Black Rhino, LRG, 2 Crave, Centerline, Gear, Raceline, and probably a dozen more manufacturers of off-road wheels. Filtering down to my preferred range of wheel size and offsets, and finally wheel finishing/color scheme, I was able to shortlist my selections down to the following (3) wheels:

​

And the winner is...

Those fuel ones look sick!

 

[James8563]

Those fuel ones look sick!

The black rhinos also