Hey, thanks for the great stages pictures of your lift. How much time investment was added to get you from pic #1 to pic #2?

 

Is your Durango a 2wd model?

 

In pic one to two is bl and ts. Body lift ran about $200 (ebay) self installed, only help was to get the 4x4 shifter welded. (Youve got to cut the shifter rod and weld in an extension due to the raised height, simple but i didnt have a welder availible) I did it in one day (6to8 hours)with the appropriate tools, in rainy cold misrable weather just by myself. Then next is the T/S lift (torsion shackle), took me 3-4 hours due to crappy hitch bolts and no proper tools, the shackles can run anywheres from $30-$50, 16 washers maybe $10 tops. I did everything myself with no help so in the end it only cost me around $260. and 11/12 hours. If you have a garage, and the tools needed (I couldnt use my air compressor, regulator went out) you could cut the time down pretty good.

 

Just registered today, but have reading your posts for awhile.

I have a 2000 Durango, 4WD.

****** Duranged408, Really like what you did, what you did is what I am looking to do.*******

I've read this post many times and searched the web for the kits mentioned.

I want to add a 5" lift with 33' tires. My budget is $1500. Would I be better to have someone do it for me (cost) or do it myself (time)?

I've looked atRough Countryfound their kit for $400 on JC Whitney....is it worth lt?

Is there 1 place to find (book,magazine, site)the answersneeded or advice?

Thank you

 

Welcome to the board Rob. Theres pretty much three possible ways to go to attain 5". It all depends on what your intentions are. The reason i went with the 3" body and 2" torsion shackle is because its the most "common" in our D's and closest to "factory" ride. That being no major work done to the front end to throw everything off. The Torsion bar is adjusted 8 full rotations adding the raised height in the front, some say it stiffens the front pretty good others, mention they notice no major change such as myself. I would recomend this (3"bl 2"t/s) to anyone because it can be done in the backyard with limited tools, and not to forget the cheapest. I have yet to install my 5.5" Tuff Country Suspension lift due to it being alot of work, i do everything myself. In the book, the suspension lists atleast 12 hours of work, rarely i think that would happen so play on a good three days if you do it yourself, i am not sure whata shop would charge forthe installation price of the suspension lift.I would suggest a magazine foraftermarket do-dads if you have a chevy/ford/ram, but the selection for gen-1 durangosare few and slim so your kinda out of luck. **** The Lift you mention from "Jcwhitney" is exactly what? 3" body lift? if so $400 is kinda pricey. Also is anyone mentions the 98/99 they are not compatable, rack and pinion..**** We have several pics over at Durangoclub.com if you like to take a peek at some options, get back to me.

 

Thanks Duranged408 for the advice. I'm not that much of a mechanic and my D is my daily driver, so I'm leery of doing the work myself. However, if the 3" body lift can be done on a weekend, I might give it a try.

I checked out Durangoclub.com, the club site for the Northeast hasn't been updated in a long time, but I found some nice pics.

I've checked many sites and most do not carry a 3" Body lift for a 2000 Durango, but I found a set from Performance Accessories for $240. Has anyone heard anything about them?

Also, is there any books about lifting, I've found a few articles, but nothing else (I'm a big reader). Plus, I'd rather spend $20 on a book, than $300 on the wrong parts.

Oh, does any of the kits for the Ram Pick-up fit the Durango? What is IFS? What is t/s?

Thanks for the info, I'm learning alot.

 

Performance Accessories is a top brand in body lift kits..

There are specific kits for specific vehicles because they include bumper brackets, steering column extender, and shift linkage extensions.. Make sure you buy the right kit for your vehicle.

IFS is short form for Independent FrontSuspension.. the durango has IFS as opposed to a solid front axle like what Jeep TJ, YJ, Cherokee have..

and T/S is short form for tosrion shackle.. Its the easiest way to lift the Durango.. You crank the torsion bars, and add shackle to the rear leafs.. do a search on here and you can find pics, and possibly a writeup from mtndwnut...

Reading onthis forum, you can learn A LOT about Durango's and vehicles in general.. I've been a member for about 18 months and I've learned too much, its scary.. learned more than I have in 4 semesters of university

 

X2
Performance Accessories BL is Top dog, my only recomendation
Durango/Ram BL lifts do not match, not recomended

You mentioned you have a limited budget to jack up your D. $1,500 wont get you too much esp if you will have a mech install. With that said your only low priced option is a t/s and 3" bdy lift, that is the current set up for my D and 100's of others. The T/S will run you $30/$60 for the Belltech 6400 shackles and washers, the body lift you saw. With paitence and tools it is a weekend job.

 

Ok, I've got a newbie question on this whole t/s subject. Are the torsion bars on the 4x2 as well? I found an old post that showed installing the shackles and I assume the Belltech 6400 shackles would fit the 4x2 as well. But I'm not familiar with the torsion bars and couldn't find a post with pictures to know what I'm looking for. I saw a schematic in one link, but it still left me in the dark.

Thanks in advance.

 

4x2's don't have torsion bars up front.. they have the conventional coil springs up front.. There may be a 3 inch lift kit from Fabtech available still... i think it runs around $800, but its been over a year since I came across that add..

The rears are the same on 4x2 and 4x4.. the shackles are the same and will work for you too..