Hello all, i am new ram owner (01 1500 Laramie SLT)and have a couple of quick questions. i purchased my ram from a local dealership and it has no lettering anywhere on it except for a small Laramie SLT sticker on each side of the vehicle. my first question is what type of ram do i have? (worried about ordering a lift because some say will not fitthe off-roadedition)I have read thatafter 1999 thename laramie slt was shortened to just the SLT. if so, why is this sticker on my truck? my next question is if it is a laramie slt (or just slt) does it have a factory lift? it appears to have a 3" lift block in the rear but i can find no spacer in the front andthe front coils appear to be factory also. i understand that the above paragraph must be confusing but any help would be much appreciated!!!


some pics might help...

 

welcome to DF...

looks like a stock height ram to me...

 

There are usually three good places to check for info on your vehicle:

Under the hood along the frame rail near the radiator,in the glove box on a sticker, and a sticker on the drivers sidein the doorframeabove the door latch. If you need more than that you can always get a build sheet using your VIN.

 

Yup, looks all stock to me. That block in the rear is a factory block, and sets your truck to the factory ride height. Yes, technically it is a lift block, but it is not a lift beyond what it rolled of the factory floor with.

As for the SLT versus Laramie SLT, my understanding was that the ST was the base model, the SLT was the premium model, and the Larmaie SLT was the premium, plus a few other goodies. It was basically the top trim level (namely interior goodies) that a Ram came out with. That's the way I understand it.

It is likely not an off-road edition because there is no off-road badging (though that could have been removed), and the wheels are not correct for an off-road edition. I think you have just a standard '01 1500 Larmaie SLT. From your pictures, it appears to be in emaculate condition. That paint just shimmers. Give us the stats on it? How many miles? 318 or 360? It is a very nice looking truck, you should be very happy.

Also, you can get a full build sheet from a dealership or from their website at:
http://www.dodge.com/wccsapp/univers...amp;category=U

Just fill out the form, and tell them you want your factory build sheet info. In a few days, you will get a complete report telling you everything your truck rolled off the factory floor with. Welcome to Dodge Forum!

 

i am pretty impressed with all the quick responses and the general knowledge. i owned a jeep prior to my ram and relied on wranglerforum.com for so much information. (if you own a wrangler and you have not visited please go check it out!!!) the reason i thought it had a factory lift is that when i park next to any other stock ram mine is a good couple of inches higher and sits dead even with the off-road editions. but in the end i am very pleased to find out that it appears stock. so much easier to start from scratch, imo.

as for the truck...
- 2001 Quad Cab (Automatic)
- 360 gas guzzler
- 76k from 1 previous owner

tomorrow i am getting...
- dualed out with a 50series flowmaster
- westin nerf bars
- husky floorliners throughout
- installing a 800watt kenwood amp to power two kicker comp 10' subs in a thunderform box.

my next question is what is the cheapest way to fit 35's underneath? i am thinking about ordering a 2' leveling kit to balance things out for now (33's), but will i still be able to keep this on if i install a lift in the future? thanks again for all the help...

 

It is possible that someone put in taller coils, like from a 2500 for example. Those would still look completely stock, but could give you about 2" of lift. They also could have put in an AAL in the rear to bring it up some to match the front. Maybe that is what you have.. How many leafs are in the rear leaf pack? That will be the easiest way to tell. Also, what size tire are you running now?

To run 35's on a 1500 in general, you will need 4" to 5" of lift if you want to be able to wheel it and not rub when fully articulating. If you don't off-road, you can get away with as little as 3" of lift. However, a typical 35x12.50 tire on only 3" of lift require upgrading your stock rims to something with better backspacing to make it work correctly. Too much backspacing (i'd say more then 5.25"), and you will rub the control arms on full turn with the inside edge of the tire. You also could rub the fender on the door side, lower edge when turning fully with the outside edge of the tire. This of course depends on how wide the rim is too, but this seems to be true for most rims up to about 8" wide. Wider rims give you more problems with rubbing if you don't have enough lift.

The stock rims are 16x7, and have about 6" of backspacing. They typically will cause a tire as big as 35x12.50 to rub the control arms. Not sure if your rims are stock are not. They look kinda like the stock rims, but somewhat different too. A 315/75/16 or a 315/70/17 is sometimes a little better way to go because they are not as wide as the 35x12.50. Usually a 315 measures 12.4. I know, not a huge difference, but it could be just enough to make a difference as to weather you rub or not. So does the agressiveness of the tread (escpecially sidewall tread).

Also, if you plan to run 35's, you need to consider your gears. 35's with stock gears can be a dog, even with the 5.9 engine.

 

well, i am unsure if the previous owner added a different coil in the front or an add-a-leaf in the rear but i am currently running 285/75/R16 (cooper destinations), and have 4.10gears. i have no rub at full turn or while off-road...

 

Two things from looking at the pictures. First,the truck has the tow hooks that come along with a off road edition ram. Second, his truck has the red shocks that came stock on the off road package. I would say take a look underneath and check for a skid plate. If you have that, along with the other things from the picture and the 4.10 gears, I would say that you may have anoff road ram that someone took the factory rims off of to make some cash before selling you the truck. The stock off road rims get some pretty good returns when you sell them.

 

Good observations. I think you might be right. A build sheet from the factory wil tell you for sure.

 

take messurements... front bumper , back bumper , from ground to bottom of bumper and let us know ...