I got a 6 inch Fabtech lift for my 05. I have a Pro Comp leveling kit on it now. Just wondering if I have to use my factory torsion keys with this lift? Also I was wondering who has a 6 inch lift with 35's on and 05 Ram 1500 and do you have any pics of it beside a factory truck or someone standing beside it? I want to get an idea of how big it will be. I already bought my parts but I'm deployed overseas and it will be awhile before I can have these parts on.

 

you really should put the stock keys back on. I'd say you could just get 2" bigger blocks for the rear and leave the leveling kit there for 8" of total lift, but that Fabtech kit sucks *****! It's gonna raise the CV shaft angles bad enough as it is.

A lot of guys report busted CV shafts when using the Fabtech kit for '02-'05 torsion bar IFS Dodges just running 35" tires (ask AF_Hemi, I think he's on a 3rd CV joint in about a years time). I've got a hunting buddy who has their Chevy/GM kit on his '98 Z71 and same problem, he's blown the passenger side CV twice in the four years he's had the kit on.

It's really a poorly designed, bargain basement kit and there is little wonder why Fabtech is in bankruptcy.

I hate to rain on your parade, but that's just the facts, man. If you can do it, send that kit back and get one that retains factory CV Shaft angles and preferably one that uses a full sub-frame instead of just a couple of crossmembers like that Fabtech kit does.

 

Its actually my 2nd in a year, but still way too often. The problem is, because of the angle it actually pulls the boot off. There is a band clamp that holds the rubber to the housing, and the strain of the joint just pulls the boot off the housing (outer cv usually). The half shaft i replaced it with came from cvman on ebay. I'm willing to put money on this one lasting a couple years. Its built extremely solid, the boot is longer so it wont slip off, and it cost less than the OEM replacement at $80. I cant say enough about it.

To the OP, you'll be ok with the Fabtech lift, but like Hammer said, its gonna put soem wear on your CV joints, and you'll be replacing them more often. Because of this, i would strongly suggest against keeping the torsion keys with the lift, because they will just hurt the angle even more.

 

If the Fabtech is so ****ty what lift to you recommend? I'm spending over 5K on my truck so I don't want to buy bad parts. I want something that’s going to last and I really want minimum of 6in of lift.

 

6" is really too tall for an IFS truck, you really need a solid front axle to pull it off correctly, but guys do it everyday. The only 6" kit I've seen (and I believe I've seen them all) is the Skyjacker, which incorporates all the things you really want to see in a strong lift. Stock or close to stock CV angles, full sub-frame instead of just a crossbar and leafs instead of blocks in the rear, new beefier knuckles as well as tie rods and ends.

Now will you have issues with a cheap kit like the Fabtech or Superlift (both the same company and both in bankruptcy, btw) or Pro Comp. Probably not, but I've NEVER seen an issue with a Rancho or Skyjacker kit. They also happen to be the two most expensive. I paid more for my 4" Rancho kit than just about any 6" kit on the market save the Skyjacker and maybe 1 or 2 higher end ones. But with the exception of using blocks in the rear (2" blocks I think are fine, I have a problem with 4" blocks that you would need with a 6" kit), I have all the qualities I was looking for in a lift kit.