Hey everyone, this is my first post so I'll introduce myself. I am 19 years old and currently in college. My first vehicle was a 2003 Chevy S10 that I drove up until about 3 months ago when it crapped out on me. I never really cared much about my truck and I just used it to get me wherever I wanted to go. So we got rid of it and picked up a 1998 Dodge Dakota SLT 4x4. We got it for a pretty good deal so my dad agreed he would pay for a new paint job and new tires for it when the time came. Well the new paint (black) is on it and it's almost time for new tires. I have now caught the truck mod bug and want to do a million things to it like I'm sure everyone here. I have already bought and put in a cold air intake and love the boosted power.

Since it is near time for new tires, the next thing I want to do is lift my truck and put (hopefully) a little bigger tires on it. That is what this thread is about and all my questions regarding it. Please excuse my ignorance and if my questions are redundant and stupid. Remember I am 19 and have never really been exposed to any of this except for what a few people tell me and what I've read on the internet.

So my ideal plan is to put a 3" performance accessories body lift on it and put on 33x10.5R15 BFGoodrich A/T's on it. (Search BFG 63540 for this exact tire). It currently has 31x10.5xR15's on it.

-So the first thing I want to confirm is that my new tires will fit on the stock wheels. I'm a poor college kid and am not looking to put new wheels on it. I just want bigger tires to put on the stock rims.

-Secondly, am I going to be able to put 33x10.5's on my truck with a 3" body lift with no problems? Basically, will they "fit" okay?

-Next concerns the lift. Just how big of a pain in the a** is it? My girlfriend's dad and his friend know a thing or two and recently lifted his truck with a suspension lift. They said they would be able to install my body kit for me, so I'm basically banking on just watching them and doing whatever they tell me. What are the major steps/processes in putting on a body kit? What are some things I should know before attempting to do this? It's pretty much crucial that we get it on in a max of 2 days and not run into any major problems that make it undriveable. I will come home one weekend and we will put it on and I HAVE to have it done and driveable to head back to college by Sunday night. Since it's almost 15 years old I'm guessing all the nuts etc. are gonna be hard as heck to get off. I just don't want to break something and not be able to get a replacement in time, therefore putting my truck out of commission and now I have no ride back to school.

-Next, it seems a lot of people that put on body kits also get a leveling kit. Is there any effect of these except to cancel out the nosedive look? My truck doesn't seem to have much of a nosedive look as it is but will putting on a 3" body lift somehow enhance the effect and give me one? If so, am I going to need to buy one of these kits or can I just crank up the torsion bars? I have read the pros and cons of cranking up your torsion bar but I don't think I fully understand the leveling kit/torsion bar thing. Also if possible can you direct me to a specific leveling kit I would need if I need one? I can't seem to find much specific info about ones for my 1998 Dakota.

-Lastly concerns the effects on my truck of doing all this to it. Does adding a body lift and 33's make my truck lose power and/or worse throttle response (felt power)? Will the loss of MPG be significant like 3 or more or will it be like 1? I've also read about when adding bigger tires you should regear your truck. I don't really know what this means but from what I gather it costs alot more money and isn't something easily done. Since I'm only adding 2" bigger tires and not changing the width, am I going to need to do this? I really hope not because if so I will probably go down and get 31" BFG A/T's instead of the 33's. But I would REALLY like the 33's if at all possible. Also I know changing tire size effects your speedometer reading and it needs to be adjusted. I plan on getting a Superchip Flaspaq Tuner sometime soon, maybe for Christmas. Would I be able to do that myself with the chip or am I gonna have to take it in and pay someone to?

So sorry for being so long winded. Once again, I'm just a dumb college kid that doesn't know much of anything about this and just want to make sure I'm 100% informed on what I'm doing and what's gonna happen before I drop a lot of money on it and have something not work together or worse yet, ruin my truck.

If you guys want to see, I can try to take a few pics tomorrow of my truck as it is now and I can post them up here, just let me know.

Thank you for any and all help and input!

 

The body lift is pretty straight forward. 2 people can do it in about 8-10 hrs. One thing to consider is while you have it apart you may want to replace the stock cab bushings. If you have a 4.7 you will need to extend the lower radiator hose and cut the lower shroud for clearance for the fan. If your going with 33's you might want to had some lift blocks and crank up the torsion bars.I have a 3 inch body lift and 2 inch blocks in the back and it is sitting on 31's. I haven't notice any failure in power or performance. There will be extension with the kit for steering shaft make sure to check steering shaft good. U-joints on Dakota's steering shaft are a weak point.

 

I had 32in bfgs at's on my 98 with just a torsion bar crank. Under full turn it rubbed some but wasnt that big of a deal to me. As long as you stay in the 10.50 area you shouldnt have any rubbing maybe a little. The way to level a dak is to crank the torsion bars that will get you level with the rear. It will require a alignment tho since you are putting new tires on it that should be done anyway. The body lift isnt all that hard to do if you spend a full day on it you can get it done. Pretty much loosening the mounts then jacking up each corner where the mount is and putting the spacer in it. Just have to watch out for pinching wires and hoses.

 

Thanks guys. I have a 5.2L v8 so I won't have to extend radiator hose and adjust to fit the fan?

Here's some pics of my truck as it is now.
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You will still have to notch out the fan shroud, not sure if the lower rad hose will have to be replaced. Steering shaft may be difficult if the joints are rusted, might require a good cleaning before re-assembly. Cranking the torsion bars will allow you to fit 33's with no problem. I put a 3" bl and new torsion bar keys with add-a-leads in the rear and run 33's with no problems with rubbing. Do yourself a favour and use grade 8 bolts for the body lift, I found in the kit I bought the bolts weren't strong enuff for my liking. Good luck....

 

Yeah I just did my body lift and it was alright - only problems were with the steering column. Its just a bitch to work with due to limited space and getting the extension on the shaft is a pain. I had to grind it down a little and use a BFG but it worked fine. Get that sucker tight or else you'll get the clicking in the steering.

As for the fan shroud - I took the entire lower part off because I had to cut a lot more than just a little "notch".

But you don't need to disconnect the fuel filler hose and drain the rad and all that jazz.

 

Thanks everyone. So can anyone confirm for sure or not if I will need to get a longer radiator hose? It does not appear it comes with my model of lift kit, but other models for different years include it so maybe mine doesn't need it? If anyone can confirm this it would be nice so I could buy it ahead of time and have it ready.

Also I'm a bit confused on the torsion bar thing? What exactly is the purpose of buying aftermarket keys to crank it up? I've read some people say they are exactly the same size as the stock ones and don't let you go any higher or make the ride smoother. Others say aftermarket keys don't let you go any higher but takes the stiffness out of the ride after cranking them. There doesn't seem to be much clarity here. Does anyone know the definite, sure answer to this? I would prefer not to buy aftermarket keys if they aren't gonna do a single thing different then if I would just crank the stock ones.

 

After market keys increase the lift without putting undue stress on the adjustment bolt and shocks. Cranking your stock torsion keys too far can damage the adjustment bolt, cause your shocks to travel outside of their travel, and cause the suspension to hit the bump stops prematurely. Aftermarket keys aren't that expensive and can save you money down the road on repairs. Make sure you get a wheel alignment after lifting the truck.

 

Alright thanks man.

Anyone know about the radiator hose?

Also, what do ya'll think about if I painted that gray lower front bumper black with some bedliner? Or would that look stupid? I've never really liked the gray look of it with my black truck.

 

Well we both BCdak and I have the 3.9. The 5.2 is the exact same thing with 2 extra cylinders so I don't think you'll need an extension.

Go ahead and jack the bed first, and when you do the cab keep an eye on the hose.

And yeah I'd definately paint that gray black. I agree with you... I don't like it either hahaha.