Question for all the lift gurus...

Would it be better to use a combination of suspension and body lift to achieve the desired height, or is it better to just go all suspension? I want to clear 36" or 37" tires on my 04 CTD. I understand that the more suspension lift you go, the more involved it is in terms of parts, drive angles, etc, etc (and increased cost). I am thinking maybe a 4-4.5" suspension lift and a 3" body lift might suit me better than a 6-7" suspension lift. What do you guys think?

I don't plan to offroad the truck hard or anyhting, more interested in the looks.

 

you can clear 37's with a 6" lift as long as you use the correct backspacing on the wheel. Even without that, it barely rubs. Most kits come with drop blocks for the driveline so that's not so much a problem.

I don't know what year truck you have but, the body lift for a 2500/3500 is very detailed. There's a LOT that needs to be relocated to do the job. I wouldn't trust just anyone to do it and unless you know a good bit I wouldn't recommend DIY.

You can go to performance accessories website ( the kit I'd recommend ) and look at the installation instructions. I know a guys who had his friend help and it took them 10hrs straight to get it done. A suspension lift will be much easier. To answer your question... either or both is just your preferrence.

 

Big xnay on the 4.5 backspacing. I made the big mistake myself and had to hammer the feders into the cab, and they still rub when I turn to lock and theblack thing on the bottom of the front bumper gets ripped off as well. Really made me upset when I had to hammer on my brand new truck. I would of just gotten smaller tires, but they wanted to charge me extra to ship the ones I ordered back. Freakin turds. I dont think 37s will rub if they are on the OE wheels or wheels with less than 4.5 backspacing. Dont make the same mistake I made. I'm scarred for life, having to hammer on my brand new baby.

 

guess it depends on how you have the steering setup. I have 20x10's with 5.5 backspacing and mind barely rubs. I offset the alignment a little which is probably what helped aqnd it still drives straight

 

suspention is the only way to go. i did one body lift on my 75 and that will be the last, there is alot of things you have to modify or destroy to get it to work, things like fan shroud, tranny lines, steering shafts, fuel filler hoses, the list goes on and on.

 

Well, as mentioned in my post, my truck is an '04. It's a quadcab 2500. I've been doinga lot of looking and so far I like the Mickey Thompson MTZ tires. I'd probably go with the 375/60-18's. I'd even prefer to stay with the stock 17 inch wheel size, but I can't really find a wheel or even a tire in 17 inch that I like, so a move up to 18 inch would be ok. I definitely don't want 20 inch wheels. I know it is subjective and everyone has their personal taste (so no offense to anyone intended), but I personally don't like the look of large diameter wheels and low profile "off road" tires. It just doesn't look right to me. The MTZ's are quoted as 36" diameter. I want to clear them with no rub (I don't want to be cutting fenders or beating them in to make the tires fit). As for the wheels, I like the Centerline Wilderness Series Eclipse. They are available in 17", but can't find tires I like in that size, so I'll go 18".

I've also toyed with the idea of the fiberglass fenders from Glassworks Unlimited or DRC. I know these offer increased clearance as well, so I could probably get away with less lift and still clear the tires.

I also like the bumper fromRoad Armor, especially the new one with the "Lone Star" guard. It reminds me of the Offroad Alloys aluminum bumper, which I really liked, but no way in hellam I paying $11,000 fora front and rear bumper.

The only part I don't know about is the lift. I can talk all day about engines and all that, but I'm a dumb noob when it comes to 4x4's and lifting trucks. This is my first 4x4 vehicle ever. I just want to be sure that when I do it, I do it right. I don't want to cut any corners or end up with somehting that's a horrible beast to drive (it will be my daily driver). I've driven friend's lifted 4x4's many years ago and some of themwere absolute crap and somewere actually better driving and riding than stock. I just don't know all the brands and names and types of lifts and all the things I need to be concerned about with them.I'm sure the technology has changed a lot since those older years as well.

 

Yea I suggest staying with suspension. body lifts look kinda cheezy. well I dunno about on a ram but I know on jeep wranglers they look ridiculous. mainly because the body mounts are easily seen around the vehicle.