Hey all

i just bought a 98 2wd dodge dakota extended cab. i want to lift it up but am unsure how much to lift it. also i need some inside information on what customizations i need to do to put a lift kit on a 2wd.

 

welcome welcome. with a 2 wheel drive i would say a body lift should suffice. oh, by the way, where in Illinois?

 

tinley park, its like 30 mins south of chicago

 

ive been reading online forums for the past few hours, but what all do i have to change to put a body kit on my truck. for example i read something about switching the rear leaf springs above the axel... what else is there

 

Switching to axle under spring is a bad idea for a 2wd. It will give you about 4-5 inches of lift in the rear that cannot be compensated for in the front and your truck will be pitched way down in the front.

A body lift requires no suspension modifications at all. You basically just need to unbolt the body from the frame and slide spacers inbetween and extend anything that needs extending to reach.

If your set on a suspension lift, you could get longer shackles in the back and 1-2" spacers for the coils in the front.

 

whats the pros/cons of a body lift? and the pros/cons of a suspension lift?

 

Pros for a body lift:
Cheap, easy, and gives you clearance for bigger tires

Cons:
Doesn't increase suspension travel or ground clearance (except for the clearance you get from bigger tires).

Pros for suspension lift:
Increases suspension travel. Adds ground clearance. Allows for bigger tires (which add more ground clearance).

Cons for suspension lift:
Unless you fork over a heck of a lot of cash for drop control arm mounts, lifting using springs cause a harsher ride and puts more wear on tie rods and ball joints. The expensive lifts (I don't know of any for the 2wd front suspension) keep the factory angles on all the components, but like I said, they are expensive.


If anyone can think of other pros and cons, feel free to add them to my list.

 

for a suspension lift i can only think of two different types the fabtech and doetsch tech
i believe they are pretty much the same, the fabtech just comes with ball joints and is more expensive
the con to these is you have to get new wheels with smaller backspacing
http://www.doetsch-shocks.com/17.asp
http://www.fabtechmotorsports.com/ap...tadurango.html

 

so if i wanted a 6 inch lift which i cant seem to find.... and dont think is made. is it possible to do a 3" suspension lift and 3" body lift to achieve the total of 6 inches i want?

 

i believe so