My truck (2005 Club Cab) does not seem to have the all-too-common "rake" of which many seem to complain. It seems to sit pretty level at the moment, at least to my eye. Perhaps that's because of the weight of the A.C.E. cap/topper with toolboxes and bed slider. So, a "leveling kit" is something of a misnomer in my case.

I nevertheless want to get just a bit more clearance between me and the ground, so I'm considering the Daystar 2-inch Front Leveling Kit plus some 2-inch blocks in the back. I'm thinking that this will leave the ride quality essentially unchanged, as I'm adding no preload to the front coils; nor am I changing the arch or rate of the rear leaf springs. I can add Air Lift #59555 bags at a later date if I want, in order to keep the rear from squatting when towing.

I still have at least two specific questions, however:

1) I know that the air bags will fit properly on a standard-height Gen3 Dakota. I'm not clear how the Air Lift brackets will work with a lifted truck. I'm a bit concerned that I'll run out of frame rail and won't be able to reposition the brackets properly to compensate for the lift. I've written to the tech support folks at Air Lift about this, but I'd like your opinions as well. Do I just increase the height of the optional spacers ("Part Q" in the PDF) -- above the leaf springs and below the bags? (Longer U-bolts, of course.)

2) Do folks do the "Daystar + blocks" lift WITHOUT replacing the shocks? Or MUST the shocks be replaced/lengthened at the same time?

And in general:

Are there any glaring deficiencies in my plan?

 

Duh . . .

In re-thinking this, just in the few minutes since I posted it, I realized that the lift blocks will NOT change the leaf-spring-to-frame distance at all. And that's what counts for the Air Lift.

The air bag kit should fit just fine with zero modification or adjustment.

I was (mistakenly) thinking that the bags sat on the axle TUBE.

 

You can do the Daystar Leveling kit and the blocks without changing the struts.

My suggestion is that you change the struts when you do the leveling kit!!!

Good Luck!!!

 

Forgive me, but I'm having difficulty reconciling these two statements. Sounds like you're saying it's not necessary; but you recommend I do it anyway. (Up front at least.)

The lift in front is just a spacer ATOP the strut, right? So there's no additional extension of moving suspension parts. Everything will sit and operate in its normal position/range.

In the rear, the same is true for the leaf springs. They'll be in the same, normal position relative to the frame. But since the rear shocks go from the frame to the axle tube, their "at rest" position will be two inches "more extended" than usual, right? Sounds like the rear shocks will be OK under compression, but that I'll run out of "droop" prematurely unless I lengthen the shocks?

 

In one of my old trucks, the rear shocks run from the frame to the U-bolt plates -- which sit atop the leaf springs, which in turn sit atop the axle tube.

Adding a block between the spring and the axle in no way changes the frame-to-spring dimension; hence, the at-rest position of the shock is unchanged as well.

Adding a lift block to the rear of the Dakota, however, WILL change the at-rest position of the Dakota rear shocks? Since they're affixed at the bottom to the axle tube (rather than to the springs)?

Sounds like I should be looking for a new/longer rear shock?

Just thinking out loud and looking for someone to double-check me, to confirm or deny my logic.

 

what he means is replace the factory struts with rancho or monroe. and yes, the daystar sits on top of the strut. There are some that sit on the coil spring. You can tell by looking at them. If it has threaded studs on it, it goes on top of the strut assy. If it is jusy a donut it sits IN the strut on top of the coil (thus compressing the coil). as far as the rear shocks go, put the blocks on and drive the thing with the stock shocks. if they last, they last, if not, get longer ones, thats what I would do anyway....

 

Forgot to explain myself! Thanks Kent!!!