School me on leveling kits

[hallett21]

Given how great the freeways are here in So Cal I’ve been looking at front end upgrades. You guys all say Carli is the best.

Would a 2.5” lift/level on a 16 ram 3500 really cost 9k in parts?

Pintop Leveling System

This system is designed for the customer who refuses to keep the rubber on the tarmac and has an eye for quality and appreciation for bang-for-their-buck. At the heart of this system is a 2.5” lift, Linear Rate Coil Spring paired to matched travel King 2.5”

carlisuspension.com

 

[Cole Trickle]

Carli makes nice stuff that works good. I imagine at 9k you are talking the fancy kings all around and fancy kings don't come cheap.

 

[GreenEnergy28]

Carli is top of the food chain but if this is just a road warrior then it is way overkill.
2.5" Icon coils with Fox 2.0 shocks. I ran that combo on my Ram 2500 with 35's. Great improvement over stock and truck sat level.

 

[East Wood]

i put the bottom of the barrel Carli leveling kit on my 2020 2500, with the track bar, torsion sway bar and lower steering stabilizer. i couldnt be happier. I kept stock towing and threw some bigger tires on there. all in i was around $5,500

 

[East Wood]

i put the bottom of the barrel Carli leveling kit on my 2020 2500, with the track bar, torsion sway bar and lower steering stabilizer. i couldnt be happier. I kept stock towing and threw some bigger tires on there. all in i was around $5,500

 

[HCP3]

I agree with most here. Go with the Carli 2.0 Fox's kit and track bar.

 

[hallett21]

I drive 30-35k a year. Some of it on remote “off-road” job sites.

Looking at a set it and forget it system.

 

[hallett21]

I agree with most here. Go with the Carli 2.0 Fox's kit and track bar.

So that’s not the “pin top” option. I honestly don’t know the difference

 

[2FORCEFULL]

no matter what you decide.... please please please.... adjust your head lights!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[East Wood]

mine was just front springs and shocks front and rear. I think with minor off roading its ok, but maybe look at the back country setup? may be some sag with towing but the Timbren bump stops will solve that from what i hear.

 

[hallett21]

no matter what you decide.... please please please.... adjust your head lights!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not a problem. I hate when I get blinded.

I don’t mind the height, was just trying to get more travel.

 

[GreenEnergy28]

So that’s not the “pin top” option. I honestly don’t know the difference

The "pin top" kit runs King reservoir shocks. Overkill unless for mostly highway use and low speed off highway.

https://carlisuspension.com/product...m/dodge-2-5-leveling-system-2019-3500-diesel/

 

[HCP3]

So that’s not the “pin top” option. I honestly don’t know the difference

Assuming you are 4X4 and diesel.

You will also need to add the track bar. That goes for any lift you do on a solid axle.

Leveling System

This system is designed for the customer that keeps their truck on the road with an eye for quality and appreciation for bang-for-their-buck. Utilizing Carli SPEC 2.0″ Diameter, Internal Reservoir shocks, we’ve developed a tune that delivers all-around comfort and ride quality designed for...

carlisuspension.com

 

[hallett21]

Sorry it’s dirty. 4x4

 

[JL95]

For $9k I would need coilovers in that bundle

 

[Backlash]

To do it right won't be cheap. Even with top of the line shocks like King, they will need service eventually. If you're going to do it, then do it once the right way. You'll be happier in the end. No sense paying $6K for a mediocre kit, when later on down the road, you'll have to upgrade the entry level components. You already know you'll end up spending more money in the long run. King for the win, F the rest!

 

[81Sprint]

I did a Thuren kit on my '21 Ram 3500, with Fox 2.0's. Rode great, no where near 9k. I have heard Carli makes nice stuff just pretty spendy

Thuren Fabrication | High Performance Suspension

We Sell Direct! Shop our line of High Performance, Highest Quality Off-Road suspension, specializing in Dodge Ram trucks. From improving your daily driving street ride, to all out Off-Road performance, we have you covered!

www.thurenfabrication.com

 

[Sherpa]

2' coil spacers and have an alignment done to straighten your steering wheel. kit is 60 bucks, install yourself.

alignment 250. you did say "leveling kit right"? for 9 grand you should get a weekend in italy while it's installed.

 

[FlyByWire]

Get in touch with CJC. I just did mine… it’s awesome. They will tell you flat out, if your truck stays on the pavement, there’s no need for the Pintop king kits. I went with the Fox 2.5 level, track bar, and steering stabilizer.. I’ll add the torsion sway bar soon enough as well (I hear it’s incredible)

Night and day difference.

 

[COCA COLA COWBOY]

I did a Thuren kit on my '21 Ram 3500, with Fox 2.0's. Rode great, no where near 9k. I have heard Carli makes nice stuff just pretty spendy

Thuren Fabrication | High Performance Suspension

We Sell Direct! Shop our line of High Performance, Highest Quality Off-Road suspension, specializing in Dodge Ram trucks. From improving your daily driving street ride, to all out Off-Road performance, we have you covered!

www.thurenfabrication.com

I've heard the Thuren is just as good. I'm glad you posted this. I have a truck coming in next month and $1420 I can stomach!

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

For what you do with that thing just get the Fox shocks, 2.0 or 2.5, whatever fits your budget. You are not bombing around off-road with that truck, you just want it more supple feeling.

These guys will spend every dollar you have if you let them

 

[COCA COLA COWBOY]

Get in touch with CJC. I just did mine… it’s awesome. They will tell you flat out, if your truck stays on the pavement, there’s no need for the Pintop king kits. I went with the Fox 2.5 level, track bar, and steering stabilizer.. I’ll add the torsion sway bar soon enough as well (I hear it’s incredible)

Night and day difference.

View attachment 1149619 View attachment 1149620 View attachment 1149621 View attachment 1149622

Are those 35's or 37's? Looks really good!

 

[FlyByWire]

Are those 35's or 37's? Looks really good!

Those are 37’s. Thanks!!

 

[Icky]

Get in touch with CJC. I just did mine… it’s awesome. They will tell you flat out, if your truck stays on the pavement, there’s no need for the Pintop king kits. I went with the Fox 2.5 level, track bar, and steering stabilizer.. I’ll add the torsion sway bar soon enough as well (I hear it’s incredible)

Night and day difference.

View attachment 1149619 View attachment 1149620 View attachment 1149621 View attachment 1149622

That's what they told me as well. I asked them what kit will keep the ride as stock as possible so the wife doesn't complain

 

[Brokeboatin221]

I have thuren, threw my swag bar away 4yrs ago and rides great. I live in the mountains and daily drive mine up and down the hill. I’m running fox IFP shocks with steering stabilizer and metal cloak arms. Carli is nice but to much coin for me. My buddy has a 16 with Carli long arms and sway bar kings yadda yadda and says he’s not impressed. Not trying to start a war just my experience.

 

[HCP3]

2' coil spacers and have an alignment done to straighten your steering wheel. kit is 60 bucks, install yourself.

alignment 250. you did say "leveling kit right"? for 9 grand you should get a weekend in italy while it's installed.

An alignment won't fix the axle shifting to one side after the lift. You need a longer trackbar.

 

[Croz]

I vote king, but I’m biased… You can save a ton of money on fox, I went fox coil overs and upper control arms with my wife’s 4runner, and it’s night and day difference. I know these aren’t a 3500 size truck, but I have both brands and both are great IMO, anything cool needs maintenance…

 

[hallett21]

For what you do with that thing just get the Fox shocks, 2.0 or 2.5, whatever fits your budget. You are not bombing around off-road with that truck, you just want it more supple feeling.

These guys will spend every dollar you have if you let them

Are they just a straight swap or does someone need to dial in the geometry?

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Are they just a straight swap or does someone need to dial in the geometry?

Shocks would be a straight swap. If you are just trying to level it throw in a small spring spacer, or new front springs, get the adjustable track bar and alignment and run it.

Carli Suspension 2014+ Ram 2500 Leveling Kit Carli-SPEC 2.0 Shock Package

Unlike most leveling kits, Carli uses a completely custom built shock with lengths and valving specific to their leveling kit, and the 2014+ Ram 2500 platform. The result is the best and most controlled ride possible! These shocks offer fantastic on road ride, improved handling for basic off...

www.cjcoffroad.com

Thuren will have the lift springs if you want to swap springs and you can get all the parts from them as well

2013-2024 Dodge Ram 3500 Front Coils

Discover Thuren Fabrication's soft-rate coil springs, offering a perfect blend of comfort, performance, and control. Designed for Ram's 2013+ radius arm platform, the front coil spring mounts at an angle, presenting unique design considerations. Upgrade! #ThurenFabrication #SoftRateCoilSprings...

www.thurenfabrication.com

My concern is that most of these springs are softer than stock, and your truck is heavier than stock so you may not get the advertised lift out of a given spring.

 

[Backlash]

I vote king, but I’m biased… You can save a ton of money on fox, I went fox coil overs and upper control arms with my wife’s 4runner, and it’s night and day difference. I know these aren’t a 3500 size truck, but I have both brands and both are great IMO, anything cool needs maintenance… View attachment 1149626

Beautiful truck!!

(Sorry for the derail!)

 

[FROGMAN524]

Carli makes nice stuff that works good. I imagine at 9k you are talking the fancy kings all around and fancy kings don't come cheap.

FYI I had King 2.5 resis all around on my 2016 Denali HD. 3 of the 4 leaked within a couple thousand miles of street use and they said they would warranty them but it would take months. I ended up paying out of pocket to have a local King dealer rebuild them at $100 a piece. Fox 2.5s on this truck and I love them, no issues.

 

[FROGMAN524]

Those are 37’s. Thanks!!

Do you feel you need to regear with 37s? Has it killed your mileage and acceleration?

 

[CLdrinker]

For $9k I would need coilovers in that bundle

CJC made a video why coilovers on straight axle street truck do not work better.

 

[Cole Trickle]

@pronstar

 

[ONE-A-DAY]

I have never had any issues with the more basic approach from Rough Country, the spring spacers. I put a 2.5" kit on my new Ram dually and its fine, rides the same as stock. Changed out all of the shocks to Bilsteins while I was at it.

 

[CLdrinker]

2' coil spacers and have an alignment done to straighten your steering wheel. kit is 60 bucks, install yourself.

alignment 250. you did say "leveling kit right"? for 9 grand you should get a weekend in italy while it's installed.

No he does not need the 9k kit at all. Brett sure he don’t want to hit whoops at freeway speed in his service body.

He only needs the budget kit that is like $1500

 

[CLdrinker]

I have never had any issues with the more basic approach from Rough Country, the spring spacers. I put a 2.5" kit on my new Ram dually and its fine, rides the same as stock. Changed out all of the shocks to Bilsteins while I was at it.

That’s what most people do and it’s fine. I have done spacers on many trucks.

But with Carli or Thuren springs it’s a completely different spring rate not just taller. Do the ride improves allot. With that softer spring rate the benefit of high end shocks becomes more effective.

I really want to put Carli on the new truck but if I do it will need 37’s to look right and I don’t want to loose power or mileage that bad just to look cool.
(I’m getting old)

 

[hallett21]

Shocks would be a straight swap. If you are just trying to level it throw in a small spring spacer, or new front springs, get the adjustable track bar and alignment and run it.

Carli Suspension 2014+ Ram 2500 Leveling Kit Carli-SPEC 2.0 Shock Package

Unlike most leveling kits, Carli uses a completely custom built shock with lengths and valving specific to their leveling kit, and the 2014+ Ram 2500 platform. The result is the best and most controlled ride possible! These shocks offer fantastic on road ride, improved handling for basic off...

www.cjcoffroad.com

Thuren will have the lift springs if you want to swap springs and you can get all the parts from them as well

2013-2024 Dodge Ram 3500 Front Coils

Discover Thuren Fabrication's soft-rate coil springs, offering a perfect blend of comfort, performance, and control. Designed for Ram's 2013+ radius arm platform, the front coil spring mounts at an angle, presenting unique design considerations. Upgrade! #ThurenFabrication #SoftRateCoilSprings...

www.thurenfabrication.com

My concern is that most of these springs are softer than stock, and your truck is heavier than stock so you may not get the advertised lift out of a given spring.

Think I could maintain what I have and get a Cadillac ride?

 

[pronstar]

Budget and ultimate goal dictate which way you go.

When I had my Ram 2500, Carli used my truck to help develop the valving on their 2-inch Bilstein and King options.
When paired with their coils up front and full deaver replacement leafs in the rear, as well as modest psi in the tires (38 front / 30 rear IIRC) it rode better than stock, no question.

But it wasn’t a plush ride, just a decent ride.

If you want the best ride that’s a significant improvement over the same with 2-inch shocks, you need to step up to 2.5” or larger.
It will ride amazingly well.
And it will be a massive improvement if you do any off-roading, like no comparison.

And believe it or not, 3” and larger Kings ride even better than 2.5s on the street.

Plus I smoked the seals of their 2” Bilsteins and Kings bombing down high-speed fire roads, so for my use they weren’t an option.
Heavy trucks will smoke Tacoma-sized shocks…and even TRD Pro Tacomas use 2.5” Fox shocks.

I run Fox 2.0 on my wife’s Suburban on street tires.
But my Silverado in 33” MTs and 2.5” Kings rides better…the wife even notices the improvement.

Is the cost worth it?
It is to me, but it may not be for you.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Think I could maintain what I have and get a Cadillac ride?

If it were me, I’d do the shocks and a 1-2 inch front spacer lift, buy whatever is needed to align it (adjustable track bar possibly) and run it. It will be a huge improvement alone.

Additionally I’d consider new front springs to the above, but I’d call them to see what their thoughts were. The spring and shocks will ride even better than just shocks. If you are trying to level, the truck, you may get a 1” lift spring that lifts the front 1/4” would be my fear .

In that application I see no need for coil overs.

 

[pronstar]

The advantage of coilovers is an adjustable ride height. I didn’t run coilovers on my Ram, and their King Kong 3.0 setup wasn’t a coilover when they offered it.

 

[FlyByWire]

Do you feel you need to regear with 37s? Has it killed your mileage and acceleration?

No. 37s are pretty much the standard on the Rams these days. I ordered the truck with a higher ratio because I knew I was going to put 37s on it. My last one was 3.43’s or what not, and it was fine with 37’s as well.

I’m sure fuel mileage took a hit, but the truck had 213 miles on it when it got leveled / tires, so I can’t give an accurate comparison. It’s got more oomph and acceleration than my 2016 did, but that’s just via seat of the pants dyno only.

 

[Bowtiepower00]

I ran Thuren front coils, track bar, and “overland” white body shocks on my 16 2500 and the difference in ride quality was impressive. That was with 35” tires on an 18” wheel.

My 3500 SRW has spacers on it, with Fox 2.0 remote res shocks, and it rides like shit, comparatively- even with factory rear air ride. It has 35s on 20” wheels, which doesn’t help.

I don’t think a pin top kit is necessary for a work truck, but it’s not my money. Kings are awesome, but will require maintenance from time to time.

I would go with a lesser Carli system, Backcountry perhaps, or with Thuren.

My 3500 will get the Thuren treatment at some point, this time around I’ll probably go with Fox shocks, sway bar, and Boogie Bumps from the start.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

I ran Thuren front coils, track bar, and “overland” white body shocks on my 16 2500 and the difference in ride quality was impressive. That was with 35” tires on an 18” wheel.

My 3500 SRW has spacers on it, with Fox 2.0 remote res shocks, and it rides like shit, comparatively- even with factory rear air ride. It has 35s on 20” wheels, which doesn’t help.

I don’t think a pin top kit is necessary for a work truck, but it’s not my money. Kings are awesome, but will require maintenance from time to time.

I would go with a lesser Carli system, Backcountry perhaps, or with Thuren.

My 3500 will get the Thuren treatment at some point, this time around I’ll probably go with Fox shocks, sway bar, and Boogie Bumps from the start.

Them 20s are yore problem You took away 1 inch of supple rubber and steel belting between you and the road.

 

[HBCraig]

Given how great the freeways are here in So Cal I’ve been looking at front end upgrades. You guys all say Carli is the best.

Would a 2.5” lift/level on a 16 ram 3500 really cost 9k in parts?

Pintop Leveling System

This system is designed for the customer who refuses to keep the rubber on the tarmac and has an eye for quality and appreciation for bang-for-their-buck. At the heart of this system is a 2.5” lift, Linear Rate Coil Spring paired to matched travel King 2.5”

carlisuspension.com

It might be worth a shot to hit up @LakeMead Boater
He hooked me up on my kit for my F150. Big time. He's a good dude

 

[Bowtiepower00]

Them 20s are yore problem You took away 1 inch of supple rubber and steel belting between you and the road.

I know, they (Methods and Nittos) were on the truck when I bought it. I would prefer a set of 18s like I ran on my 2500, but good god the prices on wheels are insane. I’m not spending 5k on wheels and tires when the ones that are on it are just fine.

A set of 37” Toyo MTs and 17” wheels is the proven go-to, but I use this truck primarily for towing, so I need to be able to fit a full-size spare under the bed. And I can do that with a 35.

 

[DarkHorseRacing]

Why does everyone put MT tires on a truck and then say they want to use the truck to tow with?

I understand the MTs are the cool trend now and they look cool, but I can’t imagine they are a very good towing tire. I would think more of a regular AT tire would be better for towing and still have some off-road ability.

What am I missing? (Besides the truck and boat load of money to do this?)

 

[Bowtiepower00]

Why does everyone put MT tires on a truck and then say they want to use the truck to tow with?

I understand the MTs are the cool trend now and they look cool, but I can’t imagine they are a very good towing tire. I would think more of a regular AT tire would be better for towing and still have some off-road ability.

What am I missing? (Besides the truck and boat load of money to do this?)

I run ATs, but the Toyo MT- specifically the 37x13.5R17 was designed for heavy diesel trucks with a 4300lb load rating and good wear. A lot of AT/MT tires can’t handle the weight of these heavy trucks and wear quickly.

 

[Havoc Powesports]

2022 ram 2500 1.5 front coil spacer, front shock extenders with factory offroad shocks, rough country adjustable track bar (don't need to remove to make adjustments) used this due to axle shifting 3/8ths of an inch with 1.5 level pucks. rides like it did factory. All for. about $600.00 alignment and all. 3rd truck to do it on.

 

[CSmith]

Here's my old 2019 ram 3500. Pintop 3.25 kit on kings. Full leaf pack in the back on 37's, literally everything I could throw at it besides the radius arms. Truck rode like an absolute dream. From your old posts of how much time you spend in your truck I would absolutely do it. I know some people don't like to justify the cost but to me, I spend just as much time in my truck as you and I would do it all over again no questions asked.
The diesel you don't have to worry about regearing for tires. My truck had over 1,000 ft pounds of torque you have to be pretty damn picky to worry about regearing for that IMO.