Falcon - Teraflex Kit out

[NHjake98]

@Zoompastu here you go

 

[ChadT]

So the reason they can get the same lift from a Rebel as a non-Rebel is because the springs are what provide the factory lift for the Rebel. Since you re-use the springs with this setup it doesn’t matter if you have the regular 1500 or Rebel you can achieve the 2” level up front. The difference is a Rebel will be 3” taller than stock 1500 and a regular 1500 will be 2” taller than stock. Check what ring they installed yours on, there are 4 (stock, “medium” 1.5” lift, “level” is 2” lift, “heavy accessory” which gives an extra .25” for winch sag). The sport/light haul/heavy haul-tow have nothing to do with lift plus they are on the rear so they wouldn’t change the front anyway. They are only to stiffen the dampening and prevent sag when the bed is loaded. Do not drive with the rear shocks in either haul setting if the bed is empty it will be way too stiff and can cause control issues.

Again, check what ring they used on your front struts. It comes out of the box at the “level” setting but maybe your shop messed with it. I have mine on level andI gained almost full 2”.

Hmm.

This thread is excellent!
This post had an answer I was looking for - what the "medium" setting's lift is. 1.5in

I'm mulling over lifting my rebel just enough to get 34.3 "Skinny" tires in there, but I also wanted to maintain some factory lift for payload reasons.
The falcons might be just the ticket!

 

[Mitragliatrice]

I just ordered my falcons. Getting them out on the end of the week.

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Bataram]

Falcon's sight says 315/ 70r17 is the largest tire you can put on a rebel. I am assuming same size tire for the 18" rim? The other thought on this is adding 1" spacers front and back to get just a little bit more height. Has anyone tried this yet and can anyone confirm the tire size works?

 

[Sgoodwin1]

I got these falcons when they first came out and I have the same review the ride is too stiff on road but it has improved handling. The level did not achieve the 2.25 inch as advertised additionally these falcon shocks definitely exaggerated the drivers side lean these trucks have. I am very disappointed in this product for the price they should be better. I will be changing them out for fox or icon....Any recommendations?

 

[NHjake98]

I got these falcons when they first came out and I have the same review the ride is too stiff on road but it has improved handling. The level did not achieve the 2.25 inch as advertised additionally these falcon shocks definitely exaggerated the drivers side lean these trucks have. I am very disappointed in this product for the price they should be better. I will be changing them out for fox or icon....Any recommendations?

Yeah, falcon really messed up with this product launch. I am happy with the ride but I am not happy that they false advertised!

 

[My_first_RAM]

@Zoompastu I did the same thing. I purchased the Wulf spacer.

Are you saying that you did the spacer with the falcons? If so, how is the ride qualm and did you have to chance the UCAs since the geometry change? Anyone have any feedback? I like the falcons, but I want a tiny bit more height. Thanks.

 

[NHjake98]

Are you saying that you did the spacer with the falcons? If so, how is the ride qualm and did you have to chance the UCAs since the geometry change? Anyone have any feedback? I like the falcons, but I want a tiny bit more height. Thanks.

Yes, I did the Wulf 1/2 spacer on top of the Falcons. The spacer did not change the ride quality at all and it did not change the geometry on the stock UCA's enough that it warranted changing them out.

 

[Steelwheelz]

I just got a stage 2 icon and love it. That’s another option to check out.

Do you have a Rebel? What amount of lift did you get in the front with the icon setup?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ChadT]

A thank you to all the guys who posted in this thread, aaand the others on these shocks.
It's not in yet, but I found a 4x4 place, and have a set of these on order!
I was quoted like 6 to 8 weeks.

The Plan: Run these in the "medium" setting, to raise the front about an inch (for ground clearance and appearance).
I'm one of those guys who insists "yOuR tRuCk HaS tO hAvE sOmE rAkE" and I really believe that - so I'll be living by that!
My truck currently measures about 38in to the front fender, 40in to the rear. I got that result in 2 different places on different days.
I'm hoping the level brings it roughly within an inch, but will bring the front up to roughly 39inches.
That's the hope and I'll keep you guys posted!


Some reasons and rationales, in no particular order:
- My truck is my "everything" truck. It costs a ton, I love it, and it does everything and goes everywhere.
Road trips, mild trails, payloads, on road, offroad, highways, snow storms, rain, perfect sunny day - you name it.

- Hauling a payload of ~1,000lbs+ would not be unheard of for me, so I'm straying away from going to "level". I personally feel the back would sag too much for my comfort. So between maintaining some rake, and the nifty knob with payload settings? Pretty awesome.

- Additionally, I'm thinking parking garage height is a mild concern - so instead of fully lifting it up say 2in front and rear, and putting it on 35s? (Damn that looks good though! Sure does. Great pure offroad solution too)
I'm going to keep it on the 33s, but raise the front for ground clearance, appearance, and approach angle reasons. The rear fin is the big culprit anyway, so leveling the front won't add a ton of height to the antenna.

- So in the process of "optimizing" the truck for my uses - I've been seeing if I can wring out a little more mpg/range (And power!) without sacrificing offroad performance. To that end I've added the mopar Ramair, a magnaflow muffler (Damn I love the power delivery!).
Tires wise, out of curiosity I went to the Toyo At3 tires, which IMHO are milder than the duratracs but with better road manners. I personally believe my MPG has improved after thechanges. I expect it to take a slight tick down with the level. My belief is that in addition to payload concerns, the rake assists in the aero-arena for gas mileage at speed. By raising it 1 inch but maintaining some rake? I'm thinking the dent will be minimal, while gaining ground clearance. As a non-expert, I'm expecting to lose something like .2mpg highway. Extra height, exposed tire, decreased aero, etc.
Sure it's not leveling it 2inches, then putting on heavy 35x12.5s on heavy wheels, but there's no free lunch and I expect a downtick.

- On my Gen 1 rebel, I always used to raise the air suspension into offroad mode before I took photos, I just loved the look! The stock 33in tires are honestly pretty big, they are. I also liked how the rear suspension stiffened up to handle payloads. Going to the falcons is actually going to give me both of those. It's going to look like it's in offroad mode, plus some adjustable payload capability - in a system that doesn't use sensors or computers, but a knob. Pretty neat.

- I'm coming into this expecting a stiffer ride than the bilstiens with almost~30,000 miles on them. The falcons are digressive, and those who have them describe them as a bit stiff, particularly at first, but they track like a laser and shine in bumps at speed!
So I'm wondering if the "medium" setting on the falcon shocks ride a touch softer than the fully levelled or "heavy equipment" setting at the top of the range. My thinking? "Yes, but not by a ton, honestly. They'll be fine in a few thousand miles."
Bonus: If leveling 2inches or more the UCA discussion starts, replace, or not.
By moving up 1 inch I think it's still within that safety zone for keeping the stock UCAs.
Although I do think down the road one day, I'm going to think real hard about going to the full level, and throwing on 34.3s!


I'm pretty excited, this product is exactly what I'm looking for!
A high quality shock, good offroad characteristics, good payload handling characteristics with adjustability, raising the truck somewhat but maintaining rake, the ability to keep the stock UCA - I can't wait to try them out.

 

[Todd1500]

I love the "idea" of this set-up. When I go camping, I've got a lot of gear that goes in the back. My stock ORP truck goes to level when loaded for camping. So the "idea" of getting some lift/level while still being able to haul without going nose up is very appealing. However, I'm concerned that I may not get the intended lift here given the experience of some and I'd like to go with 35s.

I see some recommending adding a spacer on top in front, but I'd be worried about pushing angles doing it that way. It's also not clear to me how a spacer affects ride (I'm new to lifts). Anyone have thoughts about these questions? Those that did it, did you do it on initial install or after you didn't get the intended lift?

I've also looked at the Fabtech 3" system. Sounds like those with Rebels/ORP are getting the full 3" of lift with that system. So that seems like it may be another option, but really like the Teraflex capability to adjust the stiffness of the rear. Truthfully, when I go off road, it's typically for camping. So having a system designed for off-roading without a full load doesn't make sense for my application. Curious how stance has changed with a full load for those who have this system.

 

[ChadT]

Checking in, the shocks are in, I plan on getting them installed next week ideally -
I'm running them on the medium setting, the notch above stock, but below level.

Excited to see how it goes and how it feels!

 

[ChadT]

So the Falcons are on!
I went to the "medium" setting, the one below level and above stock.
Overall lift gained in the front, I wanna say between .75in to under 1in. I do not believe it was a full inch gained, but I'll wait until the snow is gone and the ground is firm before I measure again! IIRC I also last measured the front pre-"level" at 38in at like 40 degrees.
It's at roughly ~39in in the front, 40 in the back now.
It's in the 20s (Fahrenheit) temperature wise..

They're neat thusfar. I'll have more in a few days, I want to really let it marinate before a long post.

Looks wise I've kept all my mods "quasi-stock" in appearance. All the ones I've done would be missed by an untrained eye.
- Magnaflow exhaust is a noise level that some think is stock - but if you had a Ram you'd know it wasn't.
- The Ramair intake isn't visible to the outside
- The Toyo AT3s are a stock size
- The medium setting is not quite level, but higher than stock (Kept at medium level for payload rationale. I wanted to keep some rake).

I'll be back in a few days!

 

[ChadT]

So some thoughts from today, starting with my rationale for why the 1in setting - initial thoughts are in block 2!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Block 1: "Why the 1in?"
- So in my line of work I might have to put ~1,000lbs of stuff in the bed on a whim (construction material).
Many love airbags for good reason, I loved my last rebel's ram air suspension, BUT I wanted a simpler system.
As such I went to the medium setting to keep rake. I was not looking for a perfectly level truck when empty.
I also did not want helper bags. And yet... I didn't mind the idea of less rake, some better front ground clearance.
- It's believed the 2019 Rebel's UCAs have pretty good range of motion stock, BUT I think the right way to lift/level at 2in, involves changing out the UCAs. I didn't want to do that.
- Preserve some of the Aerodynamic angles, as I do more highway driving than offroad.


Initial thought on that LOOKS wise? I like the look, I think it looks better. But an untrained eye might miss it if I'm being honest.
Again, I got about like .75in to 1in of lift, something like that. And it looks like the front is 1in lower than the back; it isn't level and doesn't look level.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Block 2: Day 1
- In this medium setting, I actually don't wanna say the suspension is stiffer, it would be a sorta misleading way to describe it. I honestly I think that's the wrong word. I have a feeling at the 2in level setting (which is likely less than 2 inches measured), or at the winch setting? That's one step further, and at that point it probably is "stiff" when new. I think some of the other guys mentioned on the board after about 2,000 miles they break in.
In the medium setting it's simply firmer, but if you never drove the truck stock for 30,000 miles?
If you put the keys into a Ram Rebel with these shocks on it stock, you'd think it was sold this way, and this is the good ride people were talking about.

I think if you had like a limited? On the P-rated street tires? And then back to back you drove a Rebel on its LT tires with 2in levelled falcons? You'd be tagging Ram-Cares to tell them about it.

- The word that describes the ride feel is "Solid." Planted. Like you've taken a strong stance and it's hard to knock you off your feet.
I suspect when it gets warmer, the cornering is going to be VERY good for a lightly lifted offroad truck. I remember the first time I got on the brakes and noticed the nose does not dip as much. It's a neat feeling. The truck is ready for action faster.

- It eats bumps and it tracks straight. In a way it feels like you're driving a big train on rails. Now it's slippery out, so I don't have a "dry/warm pavement" experience yet, I think the summer driving is going to be downright fun!

- I felt the stock bilstiens were pretty good, honestly. But if you hit some bad bumps they can "wallow" if the bumps continue. You're bouncing down, and then the next bumps show up, and your shocks are like your 7year old self getting your *** kicked by waves at the beach. These keep the truck planted, the shocks are ready for more bumps in a hurry.

I'll write more and post more photos soon!

 

[ChadT]

I put the sticker in the rear door, and here it is parked.

At the medium setting, no it is not level.
BUT, to a trained eye, that's not stock spring-suspension rake.

 

[ChadT]

So here with 2 simple photos - As you can see, there is still rake. To a trained eye? It has less rake.
To level it, you have to set it to level. For me personally I'm very satisfied with the look, but if you LOVE the level look, set it to level.


Day 2: Some more highway, and dry roads.
Wow was that fun today! It's sunny out today and there were more dry roads, I tested the cornering a bit when I realized I'd been on bone dry pavement for about 30minutes.
Oh wow. Between the Toyo AT3's great lateral grip, and the falcons, I could carry more speed into corners.
It is a truck, not a sports car, but staging turns? Different experience with this setup.
You can carry speed into some corners now, I was really surprised. I worked my way up to it, but there were times I'd give it some gentle braking and then just take the turn like I would a car. Aced. There's a very slight lean when the turn starts, then it didn't lean anymore. Just stayed planted through the turn.
In a lifted offroad truck with great ground clearance, with a pricetag that started with a 5, and doesn't run on premium fuel.
Not bad.

On the highway, IMHO the the rake plays a role in aerodynamics, IMHO.
The air suspension on the rebels supposedly contributed to +1mpg on the highway, at least in the last generation. Pushing a taller object through the wind, no air dam - is an aerodynamic challenge. Raising the front an inch does change that a smidge. Was it massive? No.
I heard a little more wind noise, anecdotally the feeling is that you're going a few mph faster than you are.
It doesn't seem to push the truck at all though, the truck is unbelievably solid footed.

I think that's the best way to describe the Falcons. They just eat bumps, they really do. S***y roads you might steer around? Maybe you should for the sake of your tires, but that's optional. Speed bumps? HA! Decrease speed for safety reasons, but the truck won't care.
Rides like a juggernaut, not a dump truck that's trying to knock the teeth out of your head.


Thoughts on day 2? So glad I did it. Love the ride, love the look, love the capability. In the future I'm going to see if I can get a payload test done, see what it looks like with ~1,000lbs in the bed on load setting 3.

 

[ChadT]

Another update - shown here sitting at a good angle!

So the shocks feel like they've settled in. In terms of "stiffness", the difference from stock is less noticeable now. I think it's combination of me getting used to it, the cornering rigidity is still awesome. Thusfar it's still been great. If I ever decide it's not level enough? I could see going up to the "level" setting, which I do not believe will be level. I think it would be within .5in of level.

 

[WXman]

None of these trucks in the pics I'm seeing sit any higher than mine and mine is 100% stock rear and eBay 1.5" front. If I pay $1,500 my truck better sit higher than a stock truck. I guess I'll have to pass. Even when I put 295/60R20 tires on it I still had more visual clearance. What's up with that?

 

[ChadT]

None of these trucks in the pics I'm seeing sit any higher than mine and mine is 100% stock rear and eBay 1.5" front. If I pay $1,500 my truck better sit higher than a stock truck. I guess I'll have to pass. Even when I put 295/60R20 tires on it I still had more visual clearance. What's up with that?

So I'm one of these trucks in this thread, and I think this post is directed at me, though I could be wrong as I'm not quoted.
I'll be honest, just my opinion, this post is a little ****-ish, I think it would actually be fair and warranted if I posted a long, spicy reply.
But I won't.
Instead, it will be shorter and spicy.

Hrm, did that ebay kit come with beefier front shocks, beefier rear shocks, and big remote reservoirs, and payload-dampening knobs on both rear shocks, and a warranty?
Sure didn't.
Can't say I ever seriously considered pucks as an option. I personally figured, if I had money to replace tires that weren't worn out yet, I had the money to lift/level the right way with shocks, not the cheap way.

And I would never level the truck on stock shocks. Once I put stuff in the bed (I actually use my truck for truck stuff) it's pointed at the sky, and pulling weight off the front steering axle, which is a problem. Bad when hauling and when towing.

And I would definitely never go into the thread about someone's else setup and say something amounting to, "Levelling pucks are kinda the cheap option, yeah they have a look and clear tires but that's it.
You should definitely pull those and do it the right way, at least get a set of bilstien 5100s".
Because going there and saying that would kinda be a dickhead thing to do.

Edited to add: I'm also not about to hop into an Icon suspension thread and tell them I don't like how much they spent vs their lift height.
If you're reading this post and you got a set of Icons? good for you man. I hope it's awesome, and it does what you bought it to do.
I'll never knock a guy for getting a well- made suspension. It's a mod that gets used every second you're on the road.

 

[WXman]

So I'm one of these trucks in this thread, and I think this post is directed at me, though I could be wrong as I'm not quoted.
I'll be honest, just my opinion, this post is a little ****-ish, I think it would actually be fair and warranted if I posted a long, spicy reply.
But I won't.
Instead, it will be shorter and spicy.

Hrm, did that ebay kit come with beefier front shocks, beefier rear shocks, and big remote reservoirs, and payload-dampening knobs on both rear shocks, and a warranty?
Sure didn't.
Can't say I ever seriously considered pucks as an option. I personally figured, if I had money to replace tires that weren't worn out yet, I had the money to lift/level the right way with shocks, not the cheap way.

And I would never level the truck on stock shocks. Once I put stuff in the bed (I actually use my truck for truck stuff) it's pointed at the sky, and pulling weight off the front steering axle, which is a problem. Bad when hauling and when towing.

And I would definitely never go into the thread about someone's else setup and say something amounting to, "Levelling pucks are kinda the cheap option, yeah they have a look and clear tires but that's it.
You should definitely pull those and do it the right way, at least get a set of bilstien 5100s".
Because going there and saying that would kinda be a dickhead thing to do.

Edited to add: I'm also not about to hop into an Icon suspension thread and tell them I don't like how much they spent vs their lift height.
If you're reading this post and you got a set of Icons? good for you man. I hope it's awesome, and it does what you bought it to do.
I'll never knock a guy for getting a well- made suspension. It's a mod that gets used every second you're on the road.

It was not directed at you. It was directed at all the trucks (multiple trucks) I've seen with the kit that look like they are at or below the level of my stock truck.

Did the eBay kit come with beefier shocks? No, didn't need them. I already paid for beefier shocks from the factory that ride great. Payload dampening knobs? Don't need them. I'm running the Timbren kit for serious hauling and towing when I need it.

Does my truck point toward the sky when I work it hard? Nope, I've towed 8,000 lbs and it sits close to level and drives like a dream.

My intention wasn't to rag on anybody's truck. My attention was to rag on a kit that's $1,500 and apparently does NOTHING for the buyer. All we've seen is no additional lift and complaints about ride quality. Gee, that's a great way to spend four figures.