First off this is my first post on the forum so forgive my if its not all correct. I have pretty good fabricaition skills and was debating on building my own leveling kit. So far it seems pretty straight foward i just need some measurements. My truck is a 95 dodge ram 1500 ex. cab. The measurements I need is the space from the top mounting surface to the bottom mounting surface of the spacer. Maybe also the size of the pipe in the center. I so far cut out the rings out with a computer operated plasma cam out of 3/8s plate. Might be overkill but i didnt have any 1/4 laying around. I was planing on using 4 inch sch. 40 pipe for the center and its out side diameter is 4 1/2 inches. I want to build a set simular to the HBS 2.5 in kit i jus need the measurements before i began welding them together. Any help would be great! im a welder by trait so making them strong enough is not a issue. thanks

 

Doesn't the lower plate need to be 'cupped' so the coils will be trapped in it? Or, is the pipe you are using large enough OD that the spring wraps it nicely?

 

On the HBS 2.5 leveling kit the lower plate is not cupped. the pipe i have laying around is 4.5 inch out side diameter if this fits securely inside the coil and rubber pad on top ill use it if not ill be bac to the drawing board.

 

Ok, that seems reasonable.

For the measurement, I would assume that it would just be the amount of lift you wanted out of it. Not sure how far you can go, and still be considered "safe"..... I think there are 3 1/2 kits out there in the world though, but, if you just want to level your truck, figger out how high you need to go in front, and make your spacer that measurement.

You can get 1 to 2.5 inches just by going to 3/4 ton coils as well. But, as you are probably getting materials an such for dirt cheap, if not free, and a bit of welding time can't cost ya that much, if anything at all...... spacers are definitely going to be cheaper for ya.

Oh, and Welcome to DF.

 

Being supplies arent going to cost me nothin ill build a set at 2.5 inches and if im not pleased with them ill build another set. Thanks for the help!!

 

I was looking into doing this. There was a website that sold the spacers, that said because it changed the geometry, the spacer was smaller than the lift generated. But, that doesn't make sense to me. It's a straight axle...

I can't find the site now.

 

i posted the same thing yesterday. didnt get very good responses. What I.D. and O.D. did you cut the rings to? And 4.500 inch od for pipe seems big but i may be wrong.

Let me know what you end up using.

thanks

 

hopefully it is that pipe size. since i just found a 9" long piece of it here at the shop. Im gonna grab it up before the scrap man. just incase i need it

 

I cut the the rings out at 7 inches thats the O.D. of the springs. The inside of the rings were like 4 3/4 inch so i could have some room to weld the pipe in to get full penatration. I finally got them together and took the shock tower deal off the top and marked my holes and drilled them with a 3/8s bit. The pictures on HBS shows that the top of the spacer is smaller then the bottom one, if they dont fit the top just right ill grind a bevel or the whole top side smaller to fit. Ill be putting them on some time this weekend and if i run into any problems or tips for the next person who decides to build some ill post them. Like Willstruck said I dont think the size of the spacers will generate more lift being its a straight axle so I made them at 2 5/8s in lift. The extra 1/8 inch for my ranch hand and possibly for the springs sagging over the years. If the pipe is too large to fit in the rubber top of the spring ill either build another set or take a flapper wheel on a die grinder and thin then up to fit. But its a work in progress ill keep yall up on it

 

Yea take a couple pics to if ya could. And let me know if the 4.500 pipe is the right size or if it'll need turned down. Thanks