35's on stock ram
 

hey i just got a red 1998 ram 5.2 and i was wondering what i had to do to put 35's on it?

leveling kit?
lift?

let me know

v10 coils blocks in the back and matybe trim the front or a 3in body lift

is that it? if i did that what parts would i need to get

Depends on how you use it. If all you do is just putt around, and want it to look cool, then 3" suspension lift is about all you need. If you want to actually wheel it at all and have any kind of performance while driving, you will need:

-A good quality 5" suspension lift or combo of 3" susp +3" body lift
-4.56 or 4.88 gears (front and rear if a 4x4)
-Recalibrate PCM to compensate for tire rolling diameter
-Wider rims and less backspacing would help with the control arm rubbing you will have running 35's on stock wheels
-Brake upgrade

Plan to spend around $4000 or more if you do most of what's on that list, depending on how much you can do yourself (installing the lift, gears, etc...).
-A good 5" lift will run about $1000 installed, probably more.
-Gears will run about $1500 installed if its a 4x4, more depending on your location and if you throw in an LSD or locker.
-PCM calibration can run $50-100, more if you buy your own programmer.
-New wheels will probably run you about $600.
-Decent 35x12.50 tires will run you $1000 or more.
-When you increase tire size by more then about 3%, the factory braking capability starts to be compromised. Consider upgrading calipers, or at least get better rotors and pads capable of handling high performance braking needs. $500.


Good luck.

Plus not to mention the common wear items on the front suspension.
Track Bar
Ball Joints
U-Joints
Wheel Bearings
Steering rod ends
Steering box

Theres pretty much a right way and a wrong way to do it, or a half arsed way, which is the wrong way.
The right way gives you a truck that accelerates, handles, rides close to factory and keeps factory geometry angles, which makes it easy to mantain and minimizes wear. It isn't the cheapest way, but any job done correctly seldom is.
The half arsed method lifts your truck enough to clear the tires except when they rub (which is failure) and then gives you fits on a regular basis until you get either get mad enough to do it right, or sell the truck off to some ignorant schlep.

Please elaborate!

I imagine that the right way would be a coil lift with new tubular control arms, an adjustable track bar, new longer rear springs, and matched Bilistien shocks all the way around. And the wrong way would be a coil spacer and rear (stacked on the factory) lift blocks.

Ya think? If you're trying to fit 35's which lift do you think would work best?

Seriously, you wouldn't need the Bilstiens though. Nothing wrong with 'em but there's plenty of good shocks out there. They are pretty though.

I've got Bilistiens on right now and love them. Wouldnt go with anything else.

There are varying degrees of correctness, and it basically depends on how you plan to use your truck when you done lifting it. For example, not everyone needs heims on both ends of the control arms, or even one end. But if you wheel hardcore and like to flex a lot, that is one of the better ways to go. Same goes for long arms.

At a minimum, I think the right way with any lift is one that incorporates all the components necessary to ensure the front factory geometry stays within specs, and ride quality and braking performance are not sacrificed. This would include control arms, pitman arm, sway bar, tackbar, shocks, and much more. Just throwing in a bigger coil and hoping you can stuff big tires is never the right answer. For the rear, stacking blocks is never a good idea either as you mentioned. Even taller blocks to replace the factory block can affect the axle angle, requiring the addition of a shim (often called zero rate blocks) to twist the axle back correctly. AAL's or completely new leaf packs are the best way to go.

Additionally, lifting your truck and increasing tire size should be accompanied by a gear change. Otherwise, your overall driving performance and fuel economy will be in the toilet, not to mention the stress you are now putting on your drive train (i.e say bye bye to your transmission life). Those who run 35's with stock 3.55's and say they have plenty of performance are just living in denial and telling fibs on the forums. Not only does the math not agree with them, but plenty of people who have changed gears to match their tires can testify to the contrary. It's just a fact.

Another important aspect that needs to be considered when lifting is your braking performance. It takes vastly different amounts of braking capability to slow down 35" tires compared to your stock 31" tires. If you think factory brakes are fine when you are putting around town, try then adding a 5000lb trailer and heading down your favorite mountain pass. Or try doing 75mph, and having a deer (or worse another vehicle) come out in front of you. See how effectively you stop with stock brakes then.

So I agree completey with dsertdog. Problem is, too many people just do the bare minimun or go the cheap way, and wonder why they have issues down the road.