I want to lift my 2003 1500 quad cab 9 inches. 6 inch suspension, 3 inch body. some people tell me all i have to do is put the lift on, while others tell me i have to do all this other stuff to it, the drive shaft. the steering the brake cables. im kinda new to this stuff so i dont really have a clue on what im getting myself into. im going with the 6inch fabtech lift on autoanything.com. and im putting in 3inch spacers for the body. im confused.

 

That much of a lift puts quite an angle on the drive shaft where it connects with the U-joint, and if you have a long bed with the carrier bearing part way back it too has too much of an angle on it - so those issues have to be addressed. Better kits compensate for the change by angling the differential a little so where the drive shaft connects to the diff the angle is more friendly, and by adding shims under the bearing and sometimes the tranny mounts so the angle at the front is a little more friendly to the joint and the bearing. Better kits also address the issue of increased distance brake lines have to cover, and they change the steering components to compensate for the problems you could have there. When you lift the body in addition to lifting the suspension, you add more potential problems - things like wires and cables and shafts that run between the two now have to stretch the additional distance, particularly if you exceed the splined joint that some parts have to allow for some movement.
Nine inches is a lot - your center of gravity is going to change in a way that the truck will handle differently - are you ready for that? If I were you, I'd ask to drive someone's who has the lifting you plan to do, so you can see if indeed it's going to ride the way you can live with, before you start tearing into it. And sometimes a good shop who knows what they're doing can provide specific information as to the effects of the kits they sell - something not all on-line vendors are willing to do. Again, ask someone who's had theirs done to recommend a good shop - or steer you away from the one they are not happy with...

 

Suspension Lift
Longer brake lines
Maybe longer driveshafts
Correct drive line angles
Steering component angles

Body Lift
Bumpers mount to the frame so the space needs to be filled
Gas fill needs to be extended
Any wires mounted to the frame need to be extended or released and rerouted

Is it possible to do the whole thing with a suspension lift? Looks a little better and more suspension travel.
Suspension travel only matters if you are actually going to wheel your rig though.

 

i have a buddy at work that lifted his silverado 9 inches. i will have to take it for a spin. sounds like alot of stuff that needs to be done, and now another thing that im wondering is if this is going to void my warranty? thanks for your input.

 

Anything that is affected by the lift will be fodder for voiding the warranty - primarily suspension parts if all you lift is suspension - even more if you lift body also. My personal opinion is that the Rams have pretty tough suspension pieces, so I'm not worried about the warranty on them. But the one thing that always takes a beating on any lift no matter how you try to compensate for it is the U-joints when you have 4WD - because angling to compensate for the rears puts that much more angle on the front. So be prepared to pay attention to them - get a grease gun and do your own lube jobs in between oil changes if nothing else - that way you can inspect and stay on top of any issues you may create with your lifting. As for ride, I like to take corners relatively quickly, and I can just barely feel the ill effects of my four inch lift doing so - I can imagine how a nine inch would affect cornering...
I also just re-read your original post - you have the 1500 so the suspension is a not quite as tough as the 2500/3500's - and the physics are different in that you have an independent front end while we have the straight axle up front. Try and find someone else who has the same truck and lifted it (a Silver is going to be different as Chevy's ain't the same as Dodge) - see what they say and maybe they will let you drive it around the block to see for yourself. Good luck - and be sure to let the forum know how it goes once you do what you do!

 

he has an 03 ram so he has a solid front axle. i think they didnt start putting IFS on the rams until 06.

 

when your goin with that much lift its best if you have someone who knows what they are doin do it for you. my buddy works for a guy who speacializes in monster lifts like 9' suspension lifts and air ride lifts and body lifts out the whazoo, in fact i think chuck told me they just put 49's on a 2500 last week, i havent seen it but that sounds sooo cool, and then there was the Jeep with an olds 442 in it....mean machine right there lads, kept breakin stuff tho....dont know why

 

i put a 6" lift on mine, and it still handles really well.. I am going to add 3" to it next year and 37's in stead of the 35's.. So it will be quite a bit bigger. I love how the truck looks and rides... 9" will be sick! go for it!

 

Sorry John, 03's have IFS. I have an 03 4x4 with IFS and hate it. I would love to have the solid axle of the new trucks..

 

My '02 4WD 1500's also had the IFS - first year out I believe. The confusion is that the 1500's had the IFS while the 2500/3500's held onto the solid.
Having had two 4WD IFS's and two 4WD Solids, I'd take the solid any day. Yes, the IFS rides smoother, but I always felt like it was too soft and would "bend" in a bind. And although it goes against most people's thinking, I like the way the solid corners at speed more than the IFS...