Im looking for the best lift to get to clear 37x13.50x 20's on my new 2005 dodge 2500 4x4 diesel. The fabtech is 5 inch, superlift is 6 inch, and the skyjacker is 5 inch.hey are all close in price. The fabtech is the cheapest, followed by the superlft $200 more and the skyjacker $100 more than the superlift. I am not going to be hardcore offroading this truck, and wont be towing much. Mostly street use, and a little beach drivin, muddin on occasion. What extras should I get if i get one of thes kits? Front and rear coils? Dual front shocks? Rear shocks? Upgraded shocks(billsteins) so it rides closer to stock on the street?

I dont know much about lifts, so all the help is very appreciated.

 

In general the kits are very similar in design and construction. The place where most people go wrong is they select a high end kit and run a low end (and low quality) shock absorber. The different spring rates used by the three companies you mentioned will affect how the front of the truck rides as much as the shocks. Dual shocks have two possible benefits... more damping to better control the compression and/or rebound and a greater resistance to overheating from extended use off-road. Normally the overheating of the shock is called "shock fade" or "fading". If you run a big tire off-road at speed you'll need more shock damping than a stock truck that never leaves the pavement. The ultimate setup would be a bypass shock (more $$$ and difficult to run on these trucks). In most cases the shock selection comes down to personal preference. If you look at the KORE kit the major improvement in ride quality comes from a front coil spring that has the correct spring rate and a 2.5" diameter race shock that has been valved just for this application. You won't find the best performance or tuneability in any kit that uses a non-user adjustable shock. Each truck and owner is a little different.

Most of the cheap kits on the market use a coil spring that's "close enough" and include shocks that just so happened to fit the application. The low end shocks used in the Fabtech kits are junk. That isn't an opinion, that's knowledge gained after years and years of selling their product. There is a big reason why Fabtech has started an in-house shock program. Superlift offers a Bilstein shock for use with many of their kits. The Bilstein 5100 is better than the Fabtech 7000 or 9000 series but has nowhere near the performance of a properly valved race style shock. It all comes down to how much you want to spend and what sort of performance you want.

Aloha

 

Thanks Aloha. What kinda setup would you guys suggest for someone like me who will not be offroading or towing much at all. I want the truck to ride as nicley as possible on the street but also to perform and not break on the rare occasions that i do take it to the beach or through a little mud.

I would also like to know what i should get with these kits so i dont spend extra that i dont need. Should I get coils for the rear as well. Should i get dual shocks up front? How about the back? Thanks.

 

The Tuff Country lifts are pretty good. They offer a 6/4 lift that makes the truck ride level. What gear ratio do you have? If you have 3.73 those 37s will make your ratio about 3.25. 4.10s are great for 37s as they make the ratio about 3.55. Either way it will work but it will be noticeably more sluggish if you have the 3.73 gears.

 

I agree with Aloha on the shocks making a big differance. My truck has the Superlift and the ride equals the stock ride. One other point to remember, to clear the 37's you'll need to have a wheel with as close to the factory 6-1/2" back spaceing as possible.

 

my .02 for what you are describing is the tuff country kit as it is cheap and if you are not wheeling much you don't need springs as stock suspention travel is sufficent. this is what I did to start with.

then spend the money you save on some bilstien shocks. I will do this next. I could not get them in time as I lifted my truck the next day after I bought it. so I went with what was in stock.

now if you do want to wheel hard I would run front and rear springs, single shocks (fox or bilstein). I would alot buy the billet upper shock mount like kore and another compay use in there baja style kit. Then you can beat the crapp out of you truck.

dual shock are mostly for looks which is fine but if you spent the money for the 4 crappy shock on 2 nice ones you would be better off.

I would probably go superlift if you want springs as 6" just give you a bit of margin for no rubbing on 37's. Mine never, ever rub. first truck I have had where I could not make a tire rube at full lock under full articualtion.

people will tell you that spacers suck but I have had my truck in the mud and sand. no problems but I was not abusing my truck like I would if it was a bit older though.

 

What ever lift you get (I used the skyjacker), DEFINITELY pony up for the bilstein shocks all the way around (single front), its a night and day difference from the generic crap sent with all basic kits, well worth the money, and guaranteed for as long as you own your truck.

 

i ran the super lift 6in on my truck i love the way it rides also like the fact that there are no coil spacers.

 

I've been looking for a while, and I can't make up my mind. I like the Kohre stuff, but its out of my price range. I also want to run 37s.

A local shop recommended the Superlift 6" lift to clear the 37s. My truck has 3.73s. I don't tow anything with it yet, but, I do haul a heavy toolbox often (2000lbs) in the back.

Have you taken your truck off road? Have not noticed any suspention noise and or vibraton?

Got any pics of it?

I would like to run dual (tripple they say with this kit) shock setup up front, and dual shocks in the rear. I like the look, but, I also would like to have the better dampening. I drive MANY MILES on gravel, washboard and mud roads. Hauling a load, its pounding on my truck pretty good, and the stock ground clerance is not enough.

Bilsteins are not cheap, but would they be a worty option for me?

Thanks guys.

 

i strongly agree about the superlift get the rockrunner with bilsteins the reason why is the links are adjustable and alot of place's i sell these kits to stack a daystar KC09101BK spacer with it the kit comes with a 4in block in back witch i
cant say i like but it does give u stock ride if u are worried about axle rap then then u can add the superlift traction bars or get the skyjacker addaleaf or 4in leafs
from skyjacker also the superlift is the only one that knows about the larger ubolts required for the 11.5 rearend all the other rear kits wont work with the ubolts sent and from what ive seen the procomp is not rated for a diesel but a good kit on the gas, the fabtech will sit low inback and i dont think it is a true 5.5 kit.no comment on the skyjacker dont know if good or bad but i hear their coming out with a 7in long arm.

 

Cool, thanks man.

So you are saying to get the skyjacker traction bars on top of the Superlift kit, and, to get the rockrunner option? Do those two add a big price to the kit?

I think I am gonna go with Bilsteins anyway, I like the review they have, and I have used their stuff in my old '94 Trans Am, the shocks/quality was good.

I also wanted to add firestone airbags, could I do it with the superlift kit if it uses the 4" spacer?

Thanks.


I have a hard time finding review on skyjacker as well..

 

IGOR, that was superlift traction bars skyjacker doesn't makem yet, if u want to run bags any of the rear setups will work but keep in mind if u run a addleaf or complete leaf setup u will have to run abag spacer which they do make and to my knowledge there is nothing wrong with them , btw PULL U 2 i was going by info in the computer at work that says '"do not sell for diesel" and what i was told the reason why is they were having a prob with the bolts pulling out of the spacer.
maybe caused by the weight and or vib of the mighty cummins,now they may have
fixed the problem i don't know but i bet if u call procomp they will deny any such problem "lawsuits"

 

pull u 2, how close do your tires come to rubbing, i am planning on putting the same tires and wheels on a 4.5 inch lift and was wondering if you thought it would work.