Seriously considering a 4" lift

Wyatt Earp

Wyatt Earp

Owner / Diesel Geek
Joined
Jul 18, 2006
Messages
222
Hi guys,

As some of you know I'm in the parts biz. That said, I've got zero experience when it comes to lift kits. I've never owned a truck with one and have only ever driven a couple.

What do I need to look for, watch out for, know before purchasing a kit for a "sort of stock" 2002 on 285's?

Brands?
Designs?


End result - might take 2 years to get there is to have the truck sit on 315's or bigger, a bolt on fender flare with mud flap and a 4" lift. I don't really have plans as of yet to get larger rims and make the truck look too pimped out but if that is easier then I will consider it. I have 354 gears and will, if needed, swap them out to keep the power to the ground. If I go larger than I will likely install a set of AMP steps as well.

:thankyou2:
 
How big of a tire do you want to run?? With a leveling kit you can run 315's all day long with no problems. I run a true 34" tire with no lift on the goat, but it is a very narrow tire and it's close.

What I'm getting at here is how big of a tire do you want to stick under the truck? Once you know that you can lift accordingly.
 
I run 315's (35s) with no lift at all. I get minor scrubbage on the lower control arm at full lock.
 
Lifts kit are easy to install but, can be costly depending on the brand. Oversized tires want hurt especially some 315's but, try to find some tires with a less-aggressive sidewall, just in case they do rub.
 
Like I said, I run 285's with no rubbing at all on stock height. Because things up here in Canada cost considerably more than they do down south I'm exploring my options.

I think I'll steer clear (no pun intended) of the leveling kits - I've heard scary things about handling so far. This may be a result of the owner not having the correct setup like a DSS and or Luke's Links or something of that nature.

I plan on doing both of those first just for safe measure.

If the price is right I may go with a 19" x 10.5" Rim and a set of 35". The truck does mostly highway driving, limited heavy pulling, lots of full loaded beds, lots of people in cab, limited off roading but has been known to run across a few fields to check horses etc.

I don't want it to look too high, nor do I want to to look out of proportion. I looking to dress it up and make it look a little more agressive.

:drive:
 
Leveling kits generally have no problems if you get longer control arms. Most of the problems assocaited wththem come from somebody slapping them on and not having proper geometry up front.
 
Ok, so what to look for in a control arm? Do they come with the kits?
 
There are some kits that have them, they are more $$ but well worth it
 
You get what you pay for! I would recommend getting the best kit you can afford. The install will be easier, the alignment will be easier, and the overall ride of the truck will be better.
I did not want a bouncy, rough riding truck, that beat the hell out of me if I went on a long trip. Luckily, my DR lift rides better and handles better than stock, no virbation's,(other than the tires) and no sawing at the wheel to keep it going straight down the road.
 
Last edited:
Wyatt Earp said:
DR Lift - website, pictures?

thanks
Click to expand...


DR= Donahoe Racing.
I think they are only for Ford,Toyota, and Nissan though.
I was just using them as an example, sorry for the confusion
 
I'd look at the KORE stuff for the Dodge.
 
I looked into the KORE products and was surprised at the cost. I understand you get what you pay for but this truck is a highway truck / daily driver that sees very limited off road - it goes off road but not at hi speeds.

Please advise.

I'm not rethinking my ideas of a 4" lift and my settle for a leveling kit again, using RANCHO or eq. shocks and a taller spring up front.
 
If you go with the Leveling kit, get one with the longer controll arms. KORE stuff is more expensive, but it is the best out there for the Dodge.
 
So, let's see if I understand this:

You need the longer control arm to maintain drive line angles and steering etc. Going too high with a short control will bugger things up then right?

thanks
 
I just checked Kore's web site again and the HD LK doesn't have control arms. They aren't even available as an accessory. What does this mean?
 
Wyatt Earp said:
So, let's see if I understand this:

You need the longer control arm to maintain drive line angles and steering etc. Going too high with a short control will bugger things up then right?

thanks
Click to expand...
Right. Now, that being said, several foilks have gotten awaqy without them, but I havce heard of more folks having trouble without them. KORE has the longer arms, but they may have to come seperately.
 
i run 315s 70r 16 an they are real agressive on the side walls i have miminal rubbing at a sharp turn not to bad
 
If you are only going to 315 tires, then a 4" lift is way too much..

Unless you are going for a "look." But even then, the 4" is going to be over-kill for a 35" tire. It will sit up in the air, but the tires arn't going to "fill" the fender wells as much as if you had a smaller, 2" or maybe 3" lift.

You can get away with a bigger tire on a Dodge if you do the right backspacing! The stock rims have 6.5 inches of backspacing.. That is absurd! The best way to get a bigger tire is to get a slightly skinny rim with less backspacing.

The combo that I think works best is a 8" wide rim with 4.5 inches of backspacing. With that setup, I can easily clear 35/12.50s with only minimal rubbing on the inner fender well (full lock and compressing the suspension). I have no rubbing on the control arms, which is the biggest problem especially with more aggresive lugs. It shouldn't take more then a 2" leveling kit to clear 315s.

The only other issue is that the tire stick out a tiny, tiny bit. I don't have fender flares, so they will send mud into low orbit.. But they don't stick out enough to get me bothered by the law, and I don't think they look that bad.

I have pictures if you are interested.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top