dalkins1

I just bought a nice 2004 2500 crew cab with 170k miles. I really want to raise the front up some to get it a better look. Can somebody lead me in the right direction on what to do. I have read many threads and think I should go with the daystar 2 inch lift and still not sure on the shocks. It is going to be a daily driver for the wife and kids so I want to do it right the first time. I would like to get a kit that includes the spacers and shocks.

Thanks for any and all help.

Blueboy

I have the same thing as a Day star 2" lift but out of aluminum
with blocks for sway bar end links. If you are interested I would
sell them.

dalkins1

Are the blocks for the sway bar links beneficial? What are you asking for them?,,,,

Also wondering if anybody has installed the bilstein 24-066464 monotube 5100's ? I found them on ebay and would like to make sure that they are the right choice.. Thanks

Z06-LITE

I have the Daystar 2" kit on my '04 2wd. No issues in six years.

dalkins1

Thanks for the info,,,,,, I am going to go with the daystar 2 inch, but am not 100% sure on what shocks to buy. I read on the bilstein 5100's that they need to be sized for the 2 inch lift of course,, but have not found what part # will work for this?

Blueboy

Some people posted that when they raised their front ends
after a while it bent there end links. you can buy just the blocks.

jimbo486

I installed the 2" Daystar spaces on a 2wd '06 my dad used to have. We found that once the weight of the front-end compressed the suspension, it really only added, maybe 1" over the stock height. In my opinion, I wouldn't go with the Daystar's unless that much lift is all you're looking for. If you're looking for more than that, you'll probably have to find a company with taller spindles. But that usually means longer upper control arms to compensate for the negative camber you'd have if you were to retain the factory arms and, of course, taller springs and shocks. Needless to say, the cost will be nowhere near the 2" spacers. Just some info for you.

We found Bilstein 5100 series shocks to replace the factory shocks with to accommodate the 2" Daystar lift. Yes, you have to find the correct length. Daystar does have shocks of their own (Scorpions, IIRC are what they call them) that work with their 2" spacer but I don't know who manufactures them for Daystar. Also why my dad and I researched the Bilsteins to find the right length of 5100s.

My dad has long since sold that truck so I can't offer much in regard to the correct part number for the 5100s you'd need. I believe we somehow found the dimensions of the OEM shocks and used Bilsteins website to find 5100s with a 2" longer extended length than the OEM shock. I can't recall for certain if 2" was the exact number, but it rings a bell. I may actually still have pictures of the OEM and 5100 shocks next to each other to show the comparison in length. When I have some time, I'll find it and post it for you.

BTW, Daystar USED to offer 2.5" spacers but soon found out that the OEM upper control arms were too short. Hence, why they discontinued them and now only offer 2" as the tallest spacer. Keep this in mind if you want a spacer over 2".

Lastly, if some have reported bent anti-sway bar end-links, they didn't use blocks to lower the anti-sway bar where it mounts to the frame.

dalkins1

Thanks Jimbo for the informative post.

leonesm

I've got a 2.5" lift on my '03 and have for about 230k miles now. I installed Bilstein 5100s on the front. The ones I used are are here

These say they are for a Ford truck but they're the ones CST offered with their 2WD lift kits. I did have to install different bar pins through the shock but other than that they are a direct fit.

jimbo486

Bilstein seems to have changed their website since the last time I looked at it. I can't find any information regarding dimensions of their stock height, OEM replacement 4600 series shocks on their own site. They used to have a list of dimensions for all of their shocks. I think the link in the post above from "leonesm" has the correct shocks. They're actually 5125 series to be exact. Here's another website I found with them which gives the collapsed and extended lengths. http://www.truckspring.com/products/...33-186504.aspx. Funny, Bilstein's site lists dimension for these shocks as well but, not the stock height, OEM replacements.

Here are the pictures I took of the factory shocks next to the 5125's. The ones we got have an "RCD" sticker on them. If you look closely in the picture on the above website, you'll see an "RCD" sticker on those as well. They more than likely are the correct shock and, therefore, the part number you need.

[click to enlarge]


For a visual, here's a before and after of the truck with the 2" Daystars. Granted, we put larger 280 tires on it compared to the factory 265 tires but, you can see that there is some lift to be had as the larger tire would have yielded a shorter distance from the fender to the top of the tire had we not installed the 2" spacers.

[click to enlarge]

rlhay2

Yes, it is an old thread! But thanks for the info!

Nsomniac05

Sway bars are designed with specific geometry in mind to counteract the movement of the vehicle in turns. When you move the axle farther from the components (lift kit) the geometry changes and components often need to be changed to achieve the originally desired effect (eg: the control arms stated earlier are meant to keep the axle moving only in a vertical plane and that plane cants forward when you change the position of the axle). When you have small lifts like the 2" blocks, the changes in the geometry are usually neglegible enough to not replace most components. However, the sway bar position is very important to achieve it's desired effect. You could get away with not installing the blocks, but the truck will sway noticeably more in turns, and the sway bar is more succeptable to damage under harsh conditions. The return is worth the low cost and effort to install the blocks.