Never lifted a truck - How far to go.. 2", 4", 6"? (I'm asking for trouble here)

[Brunzca]

2021 2WD Bighorn, V6 Etorque, and I'm definitely not planning on doing much, if any, off-roading. It's just for aesthetics. Originally, I wanted to keep it stock, but, I've decided I want some lift. But, I have no idea how much, or whether if I only do a little, if it will be enough, etc. I definitely don't want anything that's going to be crazy to get in and out of. But, I don't think the 2" MOPAR lift will even be enough to notice, (or a leveling kit, for that matter). So, I'm considering the 3.5-4" kits, maybe a 6", if I can get one that will work for a 2WD? But I don't want to give up too much in the ride quality, as I do love how the truck rides now. So, what are everyone's opinions on the right size lift, that gives some "pop" for effect, but otherwise doesn't hurt performance too much? From reading some threads, I believe I've seen the 3.5-4" lift can decrease MPG by 2-3, which I could live with. Just looking for advice from those of you who know a lot more than I do about this!

For the immediate future, I am planning on keeping the tires that came on it 275/55/20

 

[jellis466]

2021 2WD Bighorn, V6 Etorque, and I'm definitely not planning on doing much, if any, off-roading. It's just for aesthetics. Originally, I wanted to keep it stock, but, I've decided I want some lift. But, I have no idea how much, or whether if I only do a little, if it will be enough, etc. I definitely don't want anything that's going to be crazy to get in and out of. But, I don't think the 2" MOPAR lift will even be enough to notice, (or a leveling kit, for that matter). So, I'm considering the 3.5-4" kits, maybe a 6", if I can get one that will work for a 2WD? But I don't want to give up too much in the ride quality, as I do love how the truck rides now. So, what are everyone's opinions on the right size lift, that gives some "pop" for effect, but otherwise doesn't hurt performance too much? From reading some threads, I believe I've seen the 3.5-4" lift can decrease MPG by 2-3, which I could live with. Just looking for advice from those of you who know a lot more than I do about this!

For the immediate future, I am planning on keeping the tires that came on it 275/55/20

the lift itself wont necessarily hurt the MPGs as much as bigger wheels and tires will.

 

[Idahoktm]

Anything but a leveling kit will look silly with the stock tires. A leveling kit and 33's are a nice compromise between looks and the hit you take in performance/fuel economy...especially with a V6.

 

[Whoa_Ram]

Anything but a leveling kit will look silly with the stock tires. A leveling kit and 33's are a nice compromise between looks and the hit you take in performance/fuel economy...especially with a V6.

Agreed! How’s your MPG’s with the 305’s?

 

[Idahoktm]

Agreed! How’s your MPG’s with the 305’s?

So far about 15 mpg in the city with 600 miles on the truck. No hwy miles yet

 

[SKT Customs]

My honest opinion, if I had your truck I would do a 2.5” level and 305/55r20 Toyo RT (Standard Load, not E load). If you’re keeping the stock wheels, I’d add 1.25” or 1.5” wheel spacers. I guarantee you this will keep your ride quality 100% like stock, and your tire noise and mpg will be very close to stock too. Plus your factory warranty will still be intact. It may not be the big lifted truck you want, but unless you’re willing to commit to big tires and terrible mpg & no warranty, then this is a simple effective suggestion to make the truck look better without sacrificing anything!

 

[Brunzca]

My honest opinion, if I had your truck I would do a 2.5” level and 305/55r20 Toyo RT (Standard Load, not E load). If you’re keeping the stock wheels, I’d add 1.25” or 1.5” wheel spacers. I guarantee you this will keep your ride quality 100% like stock, and your tire noise and mpg will be very close to stock too. Plus your factory warranty will still be intact. It may not be the big lifted truck you want, but unless you’re willing to commit to big tires and terrible mpg & no warranty, then this is a simple effective suggestion to make the truck look better without sacrificing a

This might be the best option. I'm really not looking for a "big lift", I don't want to climb in with a ladder. I just want it to stand out some - so this might do it.

Thanks Mclovinnnn, and thanks everyone for your input!! When/if I get it done, I'll post pics.

 

[arod412]

Poking around searching for my specific lift question…so I will post here.

For those trucks that have a 1” factory lift ( rebel, off road group) what kind of lift is it? Is it a body lift, shock lift, spacer lift?

My end all question, as you can see from my signature, I have a order waiting in the wings and it comes with a 1” stock lift. In the past I would have just upgraded the shocks to a rough country 2” strut, but this time, I’m going to go with a 3.5” lift with replacement upper control arms. When I go that route, and I only getting 2.5” lift with stock shocks, or if it’s a body lift, it sounds like it might put me at a full 3.5” lift.

So the only real question is my first part, what kind of lift is in the rebel/off road group?


2022 Big Horn Back Country
6/14…order placed
6/24…D status and Vin

2016 Dodge Charger scat pack and my wife 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara

 

[SKT Customs]

The 1” lift is due to a longer strut/coil assembly. This means that technically the 3.5” lift will lift your truck an additional 3.5”, BUT you absolutely should NOT lift it an additional 3.5”. When you have the off-road pack/rebel you don’t add the top hat spacer, therefore you will only be getting 2.5” of lift. If you tried to add the full 3.5” kit to your rebel suspension the geometry would be all out of wack and multiple components would be stressed and break soon after. Hope this helps.

 

[arod412]

The 1” lift is due to a longer strut/coil assembly. This means that technically the 3.5” lift will lift your truck an additional 3.5”, BUT you absolutely should NOT lift it an additional 3.5”. When you have the off-road pack/rebel you don’t add the top hat spacer, therefore you will only be getting 2.5” of lift. If you tried to add the full 3.5” kit to your rebel suspension the geometry would be all out of wack and multiple components would be stressed and break soon after. Hope this helps.

What about for the off road package? It would come with the hitachi shocks, so does that give you that extra inch?

Before I traded in my ram (wasn’t planning on trading it in, but I got a good deal) it looks like it had the off road package with this hitachi shocks. I replaced them with 2” rough country lift strut and gave me the look I wanted. I just want to make sure I get the proper lift, without going all out with 4” kit. I’m more than happy with just upgrading shocks, and upper control arms.


2022 Big Horn Back Country
6/14…order placed
6/24…D status and Vin

2016 Dodge Charger scat pack and my wife 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara

 

[SKT Customs]

What about for the off road package? It would come with the hitachi shocks, so does that give you that extra inch?

Before I traded in my ram (wasn’t planning on trading it in, but I got a good deal) it looks like it had the off road package with this hitachi shocks. I replaced them with 2” rough country lift strut and gave me the look I wanted. I just want to make sure I get the proper lift, without going all out with 4” kit. I’m more than happy with just upgrading shocks, and upper control arms.


2022 Big Horn Back Country
6/14…order placed
6/24…D status and Vin

2016 Dodge Charger scat pack and my wife 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara

My bad I said rebel but I see your truck is a bighorn. But everything I said holds true as long as the truck has the 1” factory lift with the off road pack - regardless of what brand the struts are. If you want my honest opinion I would do one of the following options (all of which replace your factory 1” lift struts). I would also add UCA to all of my recommendations if you’re doing 3-3.5” height.
In order of price:
1) Like you mentioned, Rough Country 2” Struts and add a 1” or 1.5” top hat spacer on top of that.
2) Eibach 2.5” level struts with a 1” top hat spacer.
3) (Not released yet) Carli Suspension 2.0” Commuter System with a 1” top hat spacer.
4) Fox or King 3” coilovers up front.
And personally with all of these I would leave the rear stock which will make the truck level or about a half inch high in the rear. I think that will maximize performance and ride quality for the budget.

 

[arod412]

My bad I said rebel but I see your truck is a bighorn. But everything I said holds true as long as the truck has the 1” factory lift with the off road pack - regardless of what brand the struts are. If you want my honest opinion I would do one of the following options (all of which replace your factory 1” lift struts). I would also add UCA to all of my recommendations if you’re doing 3-3.5” height.
In order of price:
1) Like you mentioned, Rough Country 2” Struts and add a 1” or 1.5” top hat spacer on top of that.
2) Eibach 2.5” level struts with a 1” top hat spacer.
3) (Not released yet) Carli Suspension 2.0” Commuter System with a 1” top hat spacer.
4) Fox or King 3” coilovers up front.
And personally with all of these I would leave the rear stock which will make the truck level or about a half inch high in the rear. I think that will maximize performance and ride quality for the budget.

I'm not a big fan of adding a spacer, but it looks like if I pull off the 2" rough country strut, I'm only gaining 1".

I just want to go, just a little higher. 3" would be great. So now that it appears the strut is giving me the 1" lift, I can measure accordingly once I get the truck, i can measure the shock itself, and compare it the the rough country one

2022 Ram 1500 Big horn Back country (D status)

2016 Dodge Charger scat pack and my wife 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara (2.5" rc lift with 35" duratracs)

 

[SKT Customs]

Hmm ok. I thought you were comfortable running a spacer since you wanted the 3.5” lift originally which is all spacers. But yeah I guess wait to measure the shock! Because weirdly some of these trucks that had the ORP or rebel trucks weren’t actually an inch taller than normal even though they had the different struts. Idk why though haha

 

[Whoa_Ram]

The strut can measure the same or smaller, but it all depends on the spring rate. If you don't want to lift with a spacer, then you will need to buy some adjustable shocks, Bilstein or coilovers.

 

[SKT Customs]

The strut can measure the same or smaller, but it all depends on the spring rate. If you don't want to lift with a spacer, then you will need to buy some adjustable shocks, Bilstein or coilovers.

This is also true. If OP is trying to get 2.5” lift above what he already has I wouldn’t recommend Bilsteins though. The strut is the same height as stock, the only difference is how much preload they have. He would have to max out the preload per the instructions and still add a spacer on top. Better off getting an actual 2” longer strut and running a spacer to lessen the preload. I wish I would’ve done that with my truck as well.

 

[arod412]

Well I'm guessing that if I replace the upper control arm, I can get away with using a spacer. Just heard stories about how spacers make the ride more rough, and possibly cause other ride issues.

I definitely don't want to go cheap here, I want to make sure the ride last, and not wear down pre mature, and cause other suspension or even steering issues.



2022 Ram 1500 Big horn Back country (D status)

2016 Dodge Charger scat pack and my wife 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara (2.5" rc lift with 35" duratracs)

 

[Whoa_Ram]

This is also true. If OP is trying to get 2.5” lift above what he already has I wouldn’t recommend Bilsteins though. The strut is the same height as stock, the only difference is how much preload they have. He would have to max out the preload per the instructions and still add a spacer on top. Better off getting an actual 2” longer strut and running a spacer to lessen the preload. I wish I would’ve done that with my truck as well.

True that... forgot I have an ORP truck. haha

 

[Whoa_Ram]

Well I'm guessing that if I replace the upper control arm, I can get away with using a spacer. Just heard stories about how spacers make the ride more rough, and possibly cause other ride issues.

I definitely don't want to go cheap here, I want to make sure the ride last, and not wear down pre mature, and cause other suspension or even steering issues.



2022 Ram 1500 Big horn Back country (D status)

2016 Dodge Charger scat pack and my wife 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara (2.5" rc lift with 35" duratracs)

The spacer won't cause much of an issue on the UCA's, it's the amount of lift that does. Get a good UCA and you can do a 3.5 without a problem.

 

[SKT Customs]

Well I'm guessing that if I replace the upper control arm, I can get away with using a spacer. Just heard stories about how spacers make the ride more rough, and possibly cause other ride issues.

I definitely don't want to go cheap here, I want to make sure the ride last, and not wear down pre mature, and cause other suspension or even steering issues.



2022 Ram 1500 Big horn Back country (D status)

2016 Dodge Charger scat pack and my wife 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara (2.5" rc lift with 35" duratracs)

If you get what’s called a Top Hat Spacer your ride quality will not change at all. The one that affects the ride is the spacer that sits between the coil and the hat itself because it is directly adding preload to the coil. The bilstein is doing the same thing - adding preload - but instead of a physical spacer, it is doing it by moving the coil perch up which effectly squeezes the coil to sit in that hat, causing preload. This is why I recommend getting a 2” longer strut with a matching 2” longer coil that way there will be no added preload. Then add a top hat spacer on that if you want. Your ride will probably improve because the aftermarket strut most likely will carry more oil and stay cooler and have better damping.

 

[arod412]

If you get what’s called a Top Hat Spacer your ride quality will not change at all. The one that affects the ride is the spacer that sits between the coil and the hat itself because it is directly adding preload to the coil. The bilstein is doing the same thing - adding preload - but instead of a physical spacer, it is doing it by moving the coil perch up which effectly squeezes the coil to sit in that hat, causing preload. This is why I recommend getting a 2” longer strut with a matching 2” longer coil that way there will be no added preload. Then add a top hat spacer on that if you want. Your ride will probably improve because the aftermarket strut most likely will carry more oil and stay cooler and have better damping.

I had bilstein 5100 back in the day in my 2012 ram. It was set to 2.1, and although the off road ride was better, on road, it was alot more stiffer than what I like it to be.

I just want a good balance of both on road and off road.

2022 Ram 1500 Big horn Back country (D status)

2016 Dodge Charger scat pack and my wife 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara (2.5" rc lift with 35" duratracs)