I thought about cranking the torsion bars, but after talking with some suspension shops, I decided not to. They said the ride definitely stiffens up after cranking them. My truck already rides choppy enough right now with the offroading shocks.

I could lift it, but I swear, everytime I think about doing it, Dodge comes out with something cooler. First, it was the Mega Cab, and now the Challenger concept. I'd hate to lift my truck now, and then trade it in a year or two.

 

I didnt read through most of the posts, but if you look at pretty much all vehicles produced today they come with a "forward rake" where the front is lower than the rear. And most lowering kits usually low the front more than the back. I dont think it looks bad.

 

FYI: There are a few companies that make aftermarket leveling kits for the 2002-2005 1500 Ram's. Take a look on ebay, and search for "dodge ram leveling kit". I have a found a few different models. Some are under $100, and consist of only the torsion bar cams, and others near $150 to $200, include the torsion bar cams, as well as rear add-a-leafs (or blocks... not recommended by me). In my opinion if you choose one of these setups, then purchase some longer shocks. I raised my truck 1.5" with the stock setup and now I can hear the shocks bottom out on pot holes (once in a while). Thats just my 2 cents.

 

Did you install the torsion bar cams? By chance, do you remember the name of the companies that make them? Is the front really stiff?

 

I know I was crawling under my 2wd truck and noticed how they installed the rear springs which I think is the cause for the power brakeing look of the truck. The springs do not connect to the truck but are actually about 3" short. From here it has a shackle extension which is the exact same thing I use to use on my Cherokees to get about 1 1/2" of lift in the rear. Wonder if there is a way to fix this? I'm not crazy of the idea of a spring spacer in the front due to the increased angle on the R&P. Seems to me it would cause it to wear out quickly.

I have the spring spacer in my 02 QC 2X4 and it doesnt increase the angle all that much. and the only way to make the back end lower is either with a leaf spring flip kit or just a smaller shackle. as far as I know you cannot remove the shackle and put the spring right to the frame, it will make your ride really bad and might mess up your axle. But I am not absolutly sure of that.

 

You don't want to fix/remove your shackles.
They are not extensions. They are an important part of the rear suspension.

The purpose of the shackles is to allow the tires to move backwards easily when they hit bumps to smooth out the ride. That is the theory at least. Besides allowing for smoother motion over bumps, the shackles also reduce bump steer.
Without the shackles there would be no give in the rear suspension at all.

 

Have you considered lowering the rear rather than raising the front?? I know that lowering kits are out there, and it wouldn't change the front suspension geometry that way.

 

Nah, I never really thought about that. I'd hate to lower the rear on a 4x4 truck - then when I did load it, I'd have to worry about the tires rubbing the fenders, my exhaust system being in the way etc. I think I'll just suck it up for a while and then throw a 6" Fabtech on it and some 35's.

 

I hate to dredge up an old post, but I have to ask. How difficult/easy is it to install and crank up torsion bar cams without the benefit of a garage, lifts, etc?

I have an '05 1500 QC that I would like to level out so I could run 33x12.50-R17's on it, but while I have sufficient tools for the job, my only place to work on the truck in either on a level street or a sloped driveway.

Of course, I could pay someone to do the job, but I prefer to DIY when I can. But I have limited experience with torsion bar suspensions.

 

I have a 2004 1500 QC 4x4, and after reading tons of posts on cranking the torsion bar, I decided to do it. Before the crank, I measured 22" from the center of the wheel cap to the top of the wheel well. I cranked 5 turns, and it raised it 1". It has been 2 weeks, and I have notice no difference in ride. I can tell it sits more level. I have about 1000 miles left on my stock tires, so I thought this would be a good time to try the crank to see if it messed up my alignment. So far so good. After I put new tires on, if I don't like the crank, I'll just crank it back down. Hope this helps.