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Looking for a leveling kit (maybe?)

9K views 82 replies 13 participants last post by  countryboyloaded 
#1 ·
So I just got a 2013 Ram 1500 Tradesman/Express 4x4 crew cab (5'7" bed) and I LOVE it. Holy crap, I drove it about 100 feet before I knew it was mine...seriously and upgrading from a 2003 Dakota 4x4 it's a LOT bigger too. (Love that as well).

The only thing I've noticed about it is that the front end clearance is about 8.5"... The big thing is that stupid air dam they stick under the front bumper, I know it helps with fuel economy and such but I've read somewhere that it also helps a good deal with truck stability.

Has anyone just straight up removed the air dam? I'm kind of tempted to...I occasionally have to visit construction sites for work, and while I try to avoid doing stupid stuff with my truck it's kinda scary to see me clear a curb by less than 2 inches (some curb is 8" so it's even worse).

I'll be honest I'm not crazy about the way the truck LOOKS even with the air dam, I feel like the older models had the air dam too, but it was much smaller...somewhere around 2" instead of 6" and I'd be OK swapping one of those onto my truck if it could be adapted.

The above being said, I'm leaning towards a 2.5" leveling kit for the front that will lift the front even with the rear if I'm not mistaken. I've been told (by the Chrysler salesman that I bought the vehicle from) that most leveling kits do not void the warranty (I'm under the assumption this is correct since it came from the dealer) as long as they are not TOO high, and that whatever mechanic I had do it would be able to tell me if it did. I'm NOT doing it at the dealer as they wanted $800 to do so...within a week of me buying a brand new truck from them...no thanks. I'd do it myself, but I don't really have the tools or access to a shop, I have some of the know-how, but would just as soon have it done at one of the offroad shops in the area. I figure it's gonna run me about ~$350-$400 all said and done.

I have a BUNCH of questions...

Does this change how the vehicle rides significantly? I'd like to hear from someone who has one and didn't have the leveling kit to start.

Does it butcher fuel efficiency? (If I was going for fuel efficient I wouldn't have bought a truck, but if all of a sudden I'm getting 5mpg the wife's gonna kill me).

Is there something other than a leveling kit (cheaper but still reliable) that I can do to increase ground clearance in the front?

If I remove the air dam will that also cause my belt to slip in rain? It appears as though it may cover against water splashing up and under...so I'm not sure.

Was wondering if anyone else had the same problem with the low ground clearance on the 2013 Ram (or any from 2009-2013 really) and what they did about it. I figure this is an offroad topic cause it kinda fits the bill, but I'm also gonna post something like this in general 2013 Ram forum as well.
 
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#2 · (Edited)
1) I've removed my airdam (not by choice, I ripped it off off-roading) I personally like the look without it. haven't noticed a MPG drop or stability change. It's just a silly piece of plastic. (I have a 2007, 3rd gen ram though)



2) Leveling kits 90% of the time will not affect your ride OR void warranty. There are the rare cases were a truck just hates the change in suspension but it's rare.

your best bet is to go with bilstein 5100 adjustable shocks as opposed to a spacer. They are just a bit more money, but well worth it. There is nothing wrong with a spacer kit though. (like from BDS, hellbent steel, etc)

bigger tires/level/body lift/suspension lift are the ways to increase ground clearance (for the body at least, ,still have your front diff to think about). For example I went 2" on my level, and 2" bigger in tire size and removed air damn so I'm looking at 3" inches, minus air dam... 6" of added clearance? for the bumper. Your front diff is still in the same spot (unless you get bigger tires). You get 1/2 of whatever increase is tire size you go. So if you bump from 33" to 35" you gain 1" of OVERALL truck height.


Your belt shouldn't get wet without the air dam, or your MPG won't drop noticeably. Sure you won't be as "aerodynamic" as before, but negligible.

Please don't post this a second time in another "sub-forum" it is perfect where it's at.
 
#3 ·
Leveling kits 90% of the time will not affect your ride OR void warranty. There are the rare cases were a truck just hates the change in suspension but it's rare.

your best bet is to go with bilstein 5100 adjustable shocks as opposed to a spacer. They are just a bit more money, but well worth it. There is nothing wrong with a spacer kit though. (like from BDS, hellbent steel, etc)

bigger tires/level/body lift/suspension lift are the ways to increase ground clearance (for the body at least, ,still have your front diff to think about). For example I went 2" on my level, and 2" bigger in tire size and removed air damn so I'm looking at 3" inches, minus air dam... 6" of added clearance? for the bumper. Your front diff is still in the same spot (unless you get bigger tires). You get 1/2 of whatever increase is tire size you go. So if you bump from 33" to 35" you gain 1" of OVERALL truck height.


Your belt shouldn't get wet without the air dam, or your MPG won't drop noticeably. Sure you won't be as "aerodynamic" as before, but negligible.

Please don't post this a second time in another "sub-forum" it is perfect where it's at.
This ^^^ Lots of good info right there!
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the replies; sorry for the double-post (had it up before I knew best where to put it).

These shocks, if I were to have a shop do it, about how much do you think it would cost? They look AWESOME. I'm pretty sure I need 2.5" of front lift for it to be even, and they go to 2.75. Looks like they are ~$100 a pop online? So $200 for shocks, ~100 an hour for labor, maybe $400? Just guessing?

I'd really love to do this kind of thing myself, but I just lack the shop and some of the tools. Probably the biggest repair I did to my old Dakota was swapping the front drive shaft (bad CV joint) for a re-manufactured one and that was like 10 bolts, didn't even need to jack the truck up...sat high enough for me to crawl under.

@ Brandonjansen: You have a 2012, did you remove your air dam? Did it seem smaller than the 13's? Any chance you could upload a bigger pic of your truck to imgur.com and send me the link? Or upload it here (I don't know the uploading size(s)/rules all that well). Mine wont have a 6" lift kit as long as my wife lives (she'd kill me), but yours looks AWESOME. I just can't tell if you still have the air dam on yours and it's smaller.

How does the '12 handle with the lift on it?

Again, thanks to everyone for all their insight; I've had the truck for less than a week, and my wife was a little disappointed because I keep wanting to change things on it. I had to explain to her that I love having a truck like this to mod to my own personal taste...my old Dakota was fun, but it was a bear to keep running sometimes. Glad to have joined the Ram ranks.
 
#5 ·
ya you are looking at ~3/4 hours for install by a shop at most, at their shop rate.

It's really easy to do with a buddy on your own. You just need average tools and RENT a spring compressor from your local auto shop.
 
#6 ·
I still have the air dam on my truck. Didn't have any need to remove it.... I'm not sure if they've changed between the '12's and 13's though.

There's tons of larger pictures in both my lift thread and my wheel/tire thread linked in my signature below. You should be able to see everything you're looking for there. In the wheel/tire thread I was only running a 2.5" level as well so that would be a similar set up to what you're looking at. I just had bigger wheels and tires as well.

The truck handles just as well if not better with the lift (since I added the Bilsteins to the front as well). Obviously I have to take it a little slower around sharp corners now because of the increase center of gravity... but other than that it's awesome; really nice and smooth.

Thanks for the compliments as well!!

I know what you mean about modding.... my friends and family rag on me about it quite often too. Bought a brand new truck 10 months ago and I've put over 10 grand of parts into it since then. There's definitely people out there who think we're crazy, but they just don't understand. :LOL:

As gonefishin said. The Bilstein install is fairly simple to do. If you can rent a few tools (mainly a spring compressor) you'll have no problem doing it. You'll save a couple hundred bucks as well which is always nice.
 
#7 ·
Good to know, I do have a decent amount of tools, I need a new jack (long story short I have stands and no jack [trust me, really long story]) what kind of shops rent spring compressors? Like Pep-boys? Or Advanced? (I've never used one)

The shocks look like they're ~$110 (finally found the exact ones) The shop fee around town go around $100 an hour so that's not awful.

The tires I have currently are 270-70-17, so around 31"...any idea what size I'd be able to put on with a 2.5" leveling kit? This is a ways off...think my wife would get mad over me spending ~$400 on a leveling kit...should see what would happen if I dropped 1k+ on tires.

Lastly...there's a plate over the front differential...a "skid" plate if I'm correct. It kinda sticks out in front of the wheels a bit, looks like it would impede my front end clearance a little, and is about 8.5" off the ground as well. Is that the right term? Skid plate? Not sure there's much I can do about that other than remove/try to torch and bend it up (it sticks out to almost or just past the front of the front wheels. Could I just remove it? Or best leave it be?
 
#8 ·
From what I've heard on the forum any shop like Auto Zone, Advanced, Pep Boys etc should be able to rent you the spring compressor. Wouldn't be a bad idea to make a few calls first just to make sure though.

Yup, $110 each for the Bilsteins sounds about right. Contact either Andrew or Jeremiah at Bully's Performance. They'll hook you up with the best pricing on them, just be sure to mention that you're a forum member.

sales@bullysperformance.com

With a 2.5" leveling kit you can fit 35x12.5 tires. But to put them on your stock wheels you will need spacers in order to clear the upper A-arm.

Yes, what you're describing sounds like a skid plate. I would definitely leave it on there. As long as you're going straight over curbs or bumps (with both tires going over them as well) the skid plate clearance shouldn't be a problem. And if it is you're just better off smashing that skid plate against something than your front diff.
 
#9 ·
The look your truck has towing that car. That is the exact look I am after. Wow. I see the air dam and I don't mind it nearly as much on yours (not sure if it's not as big or it's the level kit). Again...WOW. That is exactly what I'm shooting for. Don't get me wrong; I love the 6" lift kit too, but my wife and my garage have put a strict height limit on my truck. I take what I can get (and still park inside at night). Maybe in the future...

It occurs to me that I'd need some offset wheels for those tires of yours to fit my truck, looks like that will be a future investment.
 
#14 ·
I don't think the air dams have changed... mine probably just looks smaller because of the height of the truck. I know when mine was at stock height it definitely looked a lot bigger since the truck was so much lower to the ground.

Brandon, when you say I'd need spacers, what exactly does that entail? More front lift? I don't want to be staring at the sky...if that's what you're talking about. Or is it just another part? To be honest I like the stock 17" wheels a lot, but wouldn't be opposed to getting some with 12mm offset like yours (I'm assuming then I could do the 35" by 12" tires with just the 2.5" leveling kit then).
he means spacers for the wheels. so they stick out further from the hub. not suspension spacers
Yes, as gonefishin said I mean wheel spacers. In order to clear that width of tire you either need aftermarket rims with a 0 or negative offset or wheel spacers which essentially give you a more negative offset. The stock wheels are +19mm offset. You need at least +12mm to clear a 12.5" wide tire but a +6 or 0 would be better. I chose a 20x9 -12 offset because I wanted a bit of a wider stance. Keep in mind offsets are different for different rim widths. The numbers I am throwing out there apply to a 9" wide rim.

4wheel parts quoted me $841 out the door for the bilstein 5100 adjustable fronts with the rear shocks an labor....but they charge $150 for the alignment.....it's included in the $841 but I think that's just a tad expensive for an alignment...
Most shops in my area are typically charging around $140 for an alignment. But that's in Canada.... From what I've seen guys in the states are typically spending around $100 or so...
 
#10 ·
Gonefishin, for some reason your truck pick didn't load for me the first time (probably interwebs on my end) it does now. Also very impressive!

Brandon, when you say I'd need spacers, what exactly does that entail? More front lift? I don't want to be staring at the sky...if that's what you're talking about. Or is it just another part? To be honest I like the stock 17" wheels a lot, but wouldn't be opposed to getting some with 12mm offset like yours (I'm assuming then I could do the 35" by 12" tires with just the 2.5" leveling kit then).
 
#11 ·
he means spacers for the wheels. so they stick out further from the hub. not suspension spacers
 
#13 ·
ya I had an alignment done on a brand new, state of the art machine and it cost $60. plus my tires rotated for a total of $80. The biggest rip off i had was $116, but thats still better than 150.
 
#18 ·
Both Toyo's and Nitto's will be very comparable as Nitto is owned by Toyo. My Toyo MT's are surprisingly quiet for a mud tire. I have absolutely no complaints with them.

You guys are awesome. If I was made of money I'd be out buying parts right now.

Spacers. Yes, makes more sense now.

Would it be possible to just do new front shocks with Bilsteins? The truck is LITERALLY one week old and doesn't need new rear shocks...I figure I can save a few hundred that way.
Yes, all you have to do is the front Bilstein's. No need to touch the back at all.
 
#17 ·
You guys are awesome. If I was made of money I'd be out buying parts right now.

Spacers. Yes, makes more sense now.

Would it be possible to just do new front shocks with Bilsteins? The truck is LITERALLY one week old and doesn't need new rear shocks...I figure I can save a few hundred that way.
 
#19 ·
Good to know.

In terms of spacers if I decided to try and fit those 35" x 12.5" tires with just the leveling kit I'm having a hard time understanding the sizes. Metric to US units doesn't bother me much, but it kinda looks like the smallest size I can get is 1" which is 25.4mm. If my brain is thinking this through right I start at +19 with stock and subtract 25.4 from it for the 1" spacers and that puts me at -6.4mm offset right? So this would work? It seemed a little big, but doing the math and seeing that I'm OK with it if I've thought that through correctly.

Not really an edit, but I JUST searched for 20mm ones and found that there are indeed 20mm spacers available, but I think I'd just as soon get the 1" ones and have a slightly wider stance. What size did you go with for yours? 31mm?

It's gonna be a while before I can get new tires...as I said earlier...everything costs money, but I'm already looking forward to it.
 
#20 ·
In terms of spacers if I decided to try and fit those 35" x 12.5" tires with just the leveling kit I'm having a hard time understanding the sizes. Metric to US units doesn't bother me much, but it kinda looks like the smallest size I can get is 1" which is 25.4mm. If my brain is thinking this through right I start at +19 with stock and subtract 25.4 from it for the 1" spacers and that puts me at -6.4mm offset right? So this would work? It seemed a little big, but doing the math and seeing that I'm OK with it if I've thought that through correctly.
Yes, your math there is correct. And with a -6.4mm offset you'll have a nice stance and clear those tires no problem. But with the spacers being that big you will need the kind that bolt onto your existing studs and have new studs on the spacers to bolt the wheels onto. I don't think the stock studs aren't long enough to accept a 1" spacer and then bolt the wheel on those. Just making sure you know....

Not really an edit, but I JUST searched for 20mm ones and found that there are indeed 20mm spacers available, but I think I'd just as soon get the 1" ones and have a slightly wider stance. What size did you go with for yours? 31mm?
I don't have wheel spacers, I have aftermarket wheels. So when I ordered them I just got the offset I wanted. Mine are 20x9 -12mm offset.
 
#21 ·
Ah right, I saw that as soon as you said it, I knew you had aftermarket wheels and just turned my brain off for a bit.

Would you be able to recommend a set of spacers that would fit my ram and have new studs? Having a hard time locating ones for the Ram.
 
#22 ·
Ya no worries.

I'm not really sure of any companies that make spacers that big off the top of my head. I've never looked into them because I planned on going aftermarket from the start.

The Ram bolt pattern is 5 on 5.5" with a 78mm hub (I think). When buying wheel spacers you definitely want hub centric ones, not lug centric. Otherwise you will get wobble at highway speeds.

I forget who, but one member just posted a thread last night (probably in the lifted section) of his truck and I believe he had 1" or 1.5" spacers on his wheels. You could look for that and send him a PM (once you reach 25 posts) and find out what brand they are.
 
#24 ·
Well you could always go with 1/4" spacers (Rough Country makes them) and your stock wheels. Then, depending on what tire you chose, you should be able to fit a 35x12.5. Or you could go into the metric sizes and try to find a 305/70/17 or something close to that. But with a 2.5" level I would try to find something at least 34" tall.
 
#25 · (Edited)
This might sound like a bit of a stupid question, but do you have a full size spare? (another 35" tire) or do you just keep the old spare still under the bed?

Also a 315/70/17 would be a 34.4" tire, that'd be a little bigger. Trying to find one that will fit and not need new rims...not sure how I'm going to finance all this stuff to begin with...the wife wants a new bathroom and since I just go the truck she trumps me :)
 
#26 ·
This might sound like a bit of a stupid question, but do you have a full size spare? (another 35" tire) or do you just keep the old spare still under the bed?

personally I sold the spare with my other 4. I personally wouldn't want to ride home with a 33" plain spare with a 35" mud tire. I know that sounds dumb, but it also helped me sell my set of tires (the fact it came with the spare). Plus took weight off the truck, and mine was lose anyway.

I dont think a 35" tire would fit. I want to get one of those tailgates that hold a spare big tire. or something like that.

Brandonjansen had a first hand experience where a spare would have been nice.
 
#28 ·
That is a VERY good idea. WOW. I can do that easy.

This is kind of a random question, but what kind of gas mileage does everyone get? I had a Dakota before and was lucky to pull 12mpg (it had glass packs and sounded awesome...also stick shift) and I'm sitting about the same around town with the Hemi Ram right now.

Normally I wouldn't notice/care too much, but with that stupid display thing (yeah I know I can change it) I see it more and more lol. Guess I should change it back to speedometer so I don't notice.
 
#30 ·
Good to know; I'm thinking I'll keep the current spare and eventually get a full size one.

If I do go with 315/70/17's and quarter inch spacers how sure are you that those will fit? Would I get any sort of rubbing at full lock?

How do you figure what tires will fit and what wont? This just an experience thing, or is there some sort of measuring/calculations you can do...numbers are kinda my thing.
 
#31 ·
You will most likely rub at full lock. The only way to get around that running tires that big is to go with aftermarket rims.

Some of it is an experience thing but obviously the number and measurement side of it is huge as well. Most things are easy to calculate as long as you understand where the numbers are coming from and what clearances are required. A good thing to know is what backspacing you get with different wheel widths/offsets. HERE is a link to the chart I use. From there you can crutch most of the numbers but again, the experience of knowing what fits and what doesn't plays in to it.
 
#32 · (Edited)
Fair enough. If I were going to avoid rub at full lock I'm gathering that 1" spacers would work? Did you have any rub at full lock with yours before the 6" lift? I remember my Dakota was 4x4 and stock all around but I got the tiniest bit of rub at full lock and wasn't crazy about it...I know it's not a HUGE deal but it was a little thing that bothered me. Long story short I don't recall what size of tire I had on them.

I'd be OK going to -12mm (via spacers or aftermarket wheels) like you did, but if it was still going to rub I'd just as soon go down a little in tire size and go with maybe 34's or 33.8's (converting from metric) maybe down to 12" width or something. I'd love to say I might put a lift on it at sometime (aside from the leveling kit which I AM getting) but it really barely fits in the garage (height-wise) as it is, so a lift would probably make it just a bit too tall (I have less than 6" of clearance right now).

Also, I apologize if this sounds a little stupid, but any chance you could elaborate on that chart you linked? I just don't follow it all too clearly. Going to look more closely at it tonight as well.
 
#33 ·
Yes, with 1" spacers you shouldn't get any rub at all.

I did have a slight amount of rub near full lock on the back of the inner fender. I ended up taking the plastic trim pieces off and then tied back the plastic inner fender slightly to get rid of it. There's pictures on that in my wheel/tire thread if you want to see what I'm talking about.

Yes, downsizing slightly is definitely an option as well. There are lots of metric sizes that will work nicely. But if you do plan on doing a lift eventually I would definitely recommend going with the 35x12.5's. Otherwise your tires will look too small when you lift it.
 
#34 ·
You guys have all been a WHIRLWIND of help. I cannot explain how much. Last topic for the moment (I'm sure I'll think of others) if I do the Bilsteins on the front and just go with 2.5" to start (since I'm not spending 1.5k on tires anytime real soon)

1. Would it look ridiculous?

2. Should I just go up to maybe 1 or 1.5" since I wont be doing the bigger tires yet?

3. How difficult is it to ADJUST the Bilsteins? (I believe you have to remove them)

4. Should I just go 2.5 and deal with it till I can get the tires?

I personally don't think it will look ridiculous with an extra 2.5" in front end clearance and stock tires but I have never seen one from the side profile. I'll look back at your posts in case there is/are pics that I missed, but do you have any of your truck with the 2.5" level and stock tires?
 
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