hey guys i know im new to the site but i am not a total noob and have done some research i am just looking for a little help. I have a 2004 ram 1500 4wd and i am looking to level the front. From what i have read the 02-05 has torsion bars in which you can just get the keys and tighten them up to almost 2" which would make it level. Is this done just to save money rather then buying the leveling kit? I originally just wanted to purchase a set of bilstein 5100 but i see they do not make them for the 02-05, instead i would need to get the bilstein HD which are not adjustable. Either way i am going to purchase shocks eventually as my truck has 102k on it, is the only difference between tightening te torsion bar to save money rather then buying the leveling kit? Hopefully you guys understand what im getting at. Thanks for the help :smiley_thumbs_up:
Leveling kit / Torsion keys
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Pretty much. There is no point in spending the money on new torsion bar keys (and even more for the tool to unload the torsion bar). 2" in about the most you want to go, and stock keys will give you that much adjustment. The aftermarket keys are indexed to allow you to have more adjustment (plus they claim to maintain the stock ride quality which is bs), but going over 2" isnt recommended, some will go as much as 2.5'' but it will stiffen up the ride quite a bit. I don't know much about those shocks, but you are due for new ones and you will notice a good improvement in the ride once you do replace them.
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I just installed the 2.5 readylift to my 2002 dodge ram. Pushing the stick keys to the max causes problems. The thing is if your truck had stock 15 inch shocks they will need 17in. I bought 17in pro comp for around 35 bucks. I still have the same stock ride. It is not bullshit.
Is there any difference between this rough country kit and the readylift one you have? This rough country one is half the price....
http://www.roughcountry.com/dodge_4wd_02-05_leveling_kit.html
http://www.roughcountry.com/dodge_4wd_02-05_leveling_kit.html
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I put the DayStar keys on my 2004, and you will need aftermarket shocks. Ride quality is the same, but make sure you get an alignment or your camber is going to be pretty bad. Just watch you CV boots, as they will wear faster due to friction. I put my leveling kit on about a year ago and you can see and feel the wear marks. I am now looking to put a lift kit on, one of the reasons being that they come with differential drop kits. They allow the CV's to be strait, which is alot safer for them.
This is what my truck looked like bone stock
![Vehicle Car Pickup truck Motor vehicle Landscape]()
and leveled
![Land vehicle Vehicle Car Motor vehicle Pickup truck]()
a side view
![Vehicle Car Pickup truck Off-roading Terrain]()
and the shocks I installed
![Tire Auto part Suspension Vehicle Bicycle wheel]()
This is what my truck looked like bone stock
and leveled
a side view
and the shocks I installed
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yeaiBoost...the two differences i see is #1. the ready lift key has a different angle than the rough country and has the ability (not recommended) to go higher than 2in. and #2. is just quality. You get what you pay for. Im not talking down on rough country its just more of a preference i guess...
I found them on ebay, seems they r the same price as on readylift website.. ksolt did you do rear shocks too? I have 102k so i figure they r all due for an upgrade.. im leaning towards readylift now i just need to decide on which shocks to get
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I did not do my back shocks because my truck stock was 2.5in higher in the back and that's what size kit i got for the front. But like i said i bought pro comp front suspension. Here is where i got them they are sold for 40 a piece and this is what readylift recommends
http://mudflaps.com/i-6707050-pro-comp-suspension-917553-shock-absorber.html
http://mudflaps.com/i-6707050-pro-comp-suspension-917553-shock-absorber.html
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747 Posts
Yes +1 on on the 2" longer shock. It will maintain your stock suspension travel limits and will improve the ride quality by keeping the shock within its operating range for optimal rebound and compression.
As far as the lifting the front end goes the end result is the same whether you buy new keys or crank your stock keys. All that you are doing is Pre-loading the torsion bar. How it's pre-loaded will not affect the end result (new key vs stock key) which is the ride stiffness. If you turn a bolt 6 turns to to apply 100lbs of additional pre-load or if you buy a torsion bar key thats indexed so that the additional pre-load comes from the angle of the key to get that 100lbs, it's still 100lbs if preload. 100lbs of additional resistance is 100lbs of additional resistance. I personally wouldn't waste the money on the aftermarket keys and the time to install them (done that before) but I would spend the money on the longer quality shocks. I have leveled out several rams using stock keys, among other trucks as well.
Just my .02 cents.
NWQRC ... thanks for the heads up, im just doing some research on where to bring my truck to get this done as im sure the delaership will charge me an arm and a leg. It looks like i can save some money on just crankin the stock keys versus buying a new set thats just gonna do the same. As long as i buy the bigger shocks i should be all set.
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