hello everyone, i just joined today, i have a 1996 dodge B3500 extended cargo van with a 5.9 engine, 3:90 gears in the rear and only 281K miles on it.
i got lucky and found one with a rock solid rust free frame and floor, very little rust on the body.

my ram van has the 4000# front axle.
the back is lower than the front and it has newer heavy duty leaf springs with no sagging at all.
i noticed the rear shackles are aimed up towards the floor not down towards the ground, it looks like it is the correct way because there is the gas tank filler neck and other stuff that is in the way for them to aim down.

i want to install air shocks to raise the back up a little but according to the parts places they are not for the 4000# front axle.
what do rear shocks have to do with a front axle?
i have only found 2 shocks that are for the heavy front axle and neither are air shocks.
the rear height stays the same with weight or empty.

 

Shock absorbers are NOT designed to carry weight. Neither are the brackets they bolt to. That is just asking for trouble in a cargo van. Air bags, helper springs, overload springs, etc, are the way you want to go. Having a heavily loaded van rip the shock mounts off the axle is a lot more excitement than you really want to deal with.

Welcome to DF! Check out the Ram Van section for more specific info.

 

thank you, that makes a lot of sense and i should have thought of it.
i don't need anything breaking.

the springs have a lot of leafs already and there is no sagging at all.
even empty the van sits exactly the same, it is currently becoming a camper van and i have done a lot of building in the back with wood and the height is still the same.
i was going to bring the rear shackles down but the filler neck is right in the way.
it rides fine and handles fine but looks lower in the rear, the front is pretty high, i replaced my transmission gov sensor and the solenoids without a jack.

 

LOLOL. Yeah, I have a Ram 2500 4x4, and I don't need to jack it up to work under it either. Kinda convenient if ya ask me.

Best thing I could recommend then would be something like the Firestone Air bags. Just blow a bit of air into them, to bring the rear up.

 

thank you for the reply.
the bags are a little bit expensive but definitely an option i can look into.
it is not affecting the ride, only affects the looks of it, you can see the rear is lower.

 

Moved to the correct section.

 

Not going to post a link but if you go to YouTube it is user/pcdj64.
you get to see the van conversion into a camper.

 

Huh? It should be level if you have new springs in the back...


Also I have used coil-over shocks for years on all of my trucks/vans in my life.

On my van, we have a upper 1/2 bolt (2000lb tinsel capacity) and mounts welded directly to the axle (approx. 2000lb tinsel capacity)...so using the coil overs shocks isn't going to break anything, unless you have rust. But, they are supposed to be used as helpers...not a replacement for bad springs. Also, if you load your van/truck enough to break them, then imagine what you are doing to your bearings, body mounts, and ring/pinon - not to mention your transmission. Common sense should prevail - right LOL

Their advantages are - better handling, less body roll, better braking, and they help with the load when used properly. I have coil overs on all 4 shocks on my van and I really like it. But, in my case I have a 1500 van that weighs dry 5900lbs...so they really do help for daily driving.

 

the springs are not sagging and the rear shackles aim up.
if i aim the shackles down the back end will be pretty high but the left shackle will interfere with the filler neck.
the van has the heavy duty suspension with 4K front axle so i can't just throw any shocks at it, 90% of the rear shocks out there state excludes 4000# front axle.
there is no rust on the shock mounts so i don't think they will break from using OEM shocks but i am not sure about air shocks since they specifically state excludes 4000# front axle and the coil over shocks state the same thing.

 

What if the front is too high??
there is a lot of clearance between the tire and top of the quarter panel in the rear.