Well I just bought my 2001 Dodge Ram 5.2 v8 QC last Tuesday (unfortunatly its not a 4x4 but I had to make due, will explain later). I was wondering if lifting it would be practical? I've shopped around and I have found like only 2 kits that lifts up the 2 wheel drive truck. Any suggestions / places online to look at would be a great help...

As for why I only got a 2 wheel drive:
Well I drove a 1994 Chevy ext cab 4.3 v6. It had been in the family since 93 (bought brand new, 25 g's ). Anyways, It only had 135k miles on it but it was on its last leg. I took care of it (all the scheduled maintenences, oil changes on time, everything, you name it, its been done). However it overheated and the timing chain stretched, and up in the higher altitudes (nashville TN) it ran like ****, leaned out too much and finally i had to trade it in bc I was spending more money on it that it was worth =/. So i took the truck to Panama City, FL (where I was raised, and where my mom was willing to help co-sign with me) and it ran fine down there !?. Dealer offered 3400 for the truck (KBB only gave it 2700) so i took it for my dodge. The ram was only 13500 and it only had 60k miles on it! So i took what I could afford, paid the dude in cash and he dropped the price to 10k (After tax title whatnot). Will post pictures later

 

is there really any reason to lift a 4x2? you cant go wheelin in it.... usually anything you can do with two wheel drive you dont need a lift for anyways..... just my opinion though. good luck with the truck and get some pics up.

 

Here are the pics as promised (they were on girlfriends e-mail acct, had to wait for her to wake up =D )

[img=http://img462.imageshack.us/img462/305/picture5194ol.th.jpg]
[img=http://img462.imageshack.us/img462/920/picture5200jp.th.jpg]
[img=http://img453.imageshack.us/img453/5623/picture5210wm.th.jpg]
[img=http://img453.imageshack.us/img453/2791/picture5237ep.th.jpg]
[img=http://img453.imageshack.us/img453/6323/picture5244fd.th.jpg]


Enjoy =) Tell me what you think!

 

Very sharp truck!!!

How much are you looking to lift it? Alot? Or just close to factory 4x4 level?

 

Hmm, not too much, maybe 3 inches or so. Just enough to put like some 33's under it. Thanks for the comment!!!

BTW Where did you get the dodgeforums.com sticker? I want one!!! lol.

Oh yeah the third picture, you can see how the right exaust pipe tip is angeled up. I didnt put the exaust on there myself, i bought it that way =/ The dude who had it before me had chrome tips, they rusted so he painted it black. He also managed to get overspray on the bumper which came off nicely with some denatured alcohol and a rag. I'm gonna cut those stupid tips off and weld on some nice 8-12 inch long x 3 inch or so chrome tips. It may or may not give it a bettr sound? I dunno but hey it would look so much better.

 

In my experience with exhaust tips, the larger you go...the worse the sound gets. [&:] With a 318 (5.2), you shouldn't have anything larger than 3" anywhere on your exhaust

I'm also not a fan of chrome tips. Makes the vehicle look kinda cheesy. Either chrome the whole system...or leave it stainless. But hey, that's just me. [8D]

 

Hey thanks for the tip about the tip sizes Will definetly keep that in mind. I think I may go stainless, would better match the Diamond Plate on the truck. I think it has 2.25 pipes on it right now (I know for a fact that its not true duals, it splits before the axle, but still has a nice rumbly sound )

 

If you want a super cheap way to lift it up could get a 3" body lift. About $100 + the cost of some rear bumper brackets (probably $40). There can be some annoying complications though. For instance your exhaust is mounted on hangers to your frame. So when you raise your bed, the exhaust system will stay in the same plae, as well as the front and rear bumpers since they're mounted to the frame. Kits come with the brackets to raise the front bumper, but you have to buy the rear brackets like I mentioned. So your truck would look kinda funny with the exhaust tips sitting 3" below the bumper instead of being butted right up against them.

Know your saying to just simply raise the tips up by making the hangers shorter. Well theres a problem when you do that with tips out the back. Theres a huge shackle for your leaf springs right where the exhaust would need to go if it was raised. So you could technically go out the sides though.

But I'm no exhaust maker/pipe bender. Once you get it on there the only thing do do would take it your local exhaust makers.

I have one on my truck, so I know these are the problems you'll have But it is very inexpensive!!

 

hmm lifting it is probably not the best idea.. if you just wanna slap some 33's under there. like muddy said you're not going to be able to take it off road anyway. so i'd slap some of the new 20's under there and go for broke. and yeah that exaust... yeah gotta do something with that. be kinda cool to have diamond plate exaust.

you have probably already noticed the bad gas milage so the 33's will only make it worse with the lift too (areodynamics and all that)

just curious (and ever so slightly sarcastic) but does the 5.2 even have enough power to turn the 33's???

 

I have 33's on my 5.2 and it does jst fine!!