2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Lift it or Leave it?

[JesseJ]

My tires are shot, need replaced before winter sets in. Question is, should I lift it with a lift kit, or maybe just a leveling kit or just leave it alone? I wouldn't mind a bit of lift but not looking for anything extreme. I obviously need to decide before I drop a good chunk of change on tires. Thoughts, opinions from those who have lift kits on their trucks?

 

[fkovalski]

In my opinion, the second generation Dodge CTD is one of the best looking trucks around. In many ways, I sometimes regret selling my '01. 5- it had some of the best features (short of a 12V) that were incorporated into a body wrapped around a Cummins.



That said... the stock ride height only enhanced the setup that came from the factory. If I still had my '01, I would have kept it at the stock ride. if you are truley bent on doing something... the leveling kit for the front is the only add- on I would do.



This is just my opinion... I am am a factory- stock proponent... be it a 63 Corvette, 94 Lincoln or 01. 5 CTD.









.

 

[Woodenhead]

I've asked myself this same question a few times as my buddies are always on me telling me my truck "would look so good with a lift". Yeah lifts look cool but I'm happy with 285-75 tires. $250 is enough cash for a tire for me, 315s or 35's would just cost that much more and for what?



My trucks high enough. I can hook to a goose neck or 5th wheel and it sits level. I can reach into my box (using my running boards ). It handles well on corners especially with 10 ply tires and doesn't skate on the road.



My buddies 6" (maybe 8") lifted F350 Ford on the other hand. Can't get into the box without a friggin ladder. Cost him a fortune on big fancy mud tires that wear out way faster than my M55s. Wobbles around all over the road when rolling around corners. Is only good for pulling his little 2 sled trailer because a goose or 5th just aint gonna work. Looks cool and is good for sight seeing in the interstate traffic in the hot summer days :-laf.



I think you have the right idea not wanting to go nuts with it especially if you actually use your truck. A leveling kit and 285s or maybe 315s would look good but keep it at a useable height still.

 

[VHolloway]

keep it stock unless you want to burn up some money to keep up with the your so called buddys



I love it when i see some GQ dressed up guy start his diesel it turns over 4 or 5 times before it starts

then we start our truck with one turn

they just look

my trick is I wate for the fass to show psi on my fuel pressure gauge then tap it

it works for me



plus these gq know it alls don't even cool a truck down

shame on the mess these people don't even have a clue and they think they are all that

 

[JesseJ]

Well, I already have 285/75R16 tires on it now, they set me back about $700 I believe. I agree bigger tires look good but they will kill your wallet. I was actually leaning towards maybe just a leveling kit up front. I could run a little bigger tire but not go crazy. I like the fact that the bigger tires have brought the rpm's way down from stock tires on the interstate and I was hoping one more step up in tires would drop it just a little more. If I tow anything, it's usually just a pull behind. On very rare occasions it might be a gooseneck but 99% of the time it's just a pull behind. Since I'm leaning towards just a leveling kit, does anyone know how much bigger I can go with tires on a leveling kit before I start rubbing the wheel wells up front?

 

[GiesJ]

IMHO 285s look great, are enough tire but not too much and do what they need to off road. I'm on my second set of Cooper Discoverer STs and the first ones lasted almost 60K of mostly hard, Wyoming miles. 140 a tire plus ship and mount.

 

[AKaiser]

IMHO 285s look great, are enough tire but not too much and do what they need to off road. I'm on my second set of Cooper Discoverer STs and the first ones lasted almost 60K of mostly hard, Wyoming miles. 140 a tire plus ship and mount.

Dad bought his used 95 with 285s on it, and it makes the truck look tough. It's a 1/2t farm pickup. No lift, and it kinda sits low even compared to my 99 I just sold in Nov. I'm not sure if that was how it came, or if the original owner, a mature farmer himself, had it dropped a little. It's a 4x4. Sure is easy to get in/out of.

 

[TSBrown]

I like the way mine looks with a 4. 5 lift and at 75 its only turning 1700. performance wise it hasn't hurt it much at all. now the downsides if you tow the rear springs are too soft 5th wheel you would probably be better off getting that tow buddy thing. The lift also exaggerates the crappy steering set up. I got at least 3g's tied up in the steering and it still aint right. If i had to do it all over again i would have stuck with the leveling kit just stay away from 10" wide rims.

 

[JWashburn]

I'm the functional kind. My Dad used to say, "If it won't go where I want then I'll get something that will. " In my case its more like if it won't do what I want then I set it up so that it will. What would a slightly larger tire do for you that the 285s won't? When did you last turn around because the 285s wouldn't go where 305s would?

I suspect that the 285s will do all you want them to do.

 

[JesseJ]

You have a good point. I've had to turn around before, but it was because the tires just weren't meaty enough. I saw some cooper discoverer sst's or stt's? yesterday. Those look like very meaty tires. I'm not sure how you could get 60k out of them. I guess I'm looking for something a little more meaty than an all terrain tire but I'm not after a mud terrain tire.

 

[JZumpf]

Im running 315 procomp xtreme at's on my '97 without any lift and love it. I had 285's on it for a while, and to me the wheelwells still looked empty. The 315's fill them up nicely.



#ad

 

[JesseJ]

Do you have any more pics of the actual tires, to get a better idea of the tread pattern? How well have they held up to more power and how many miles have you gotten out of them? How much did they set you back?

 

[JZumpf]

Not handy but ill snap a few tommarow for you. I bought a set of cosmetic blems from 4wheel parts for about $650 for the set shipped to my door. So far i only have about 2000 miles on them, but about 850 of that is towing and they arent showing any wear at all. They are almost silent on the road (being directional helps) and they ride great. MUCH better road and dirt manners than my old Goodyear MTR's, but they are still an A/T in the mud. Though they do work better than the BFG A/T's i ran before the MTR's. All in all im very happy with them.

 

[TJSHOTROD]

Lift it they look good.

 

[MarkMiller]

If you want a lift just do it. If not don't. There are always people on both sides of the fence. And somebody always has a buddy with (insert wtf here). Nobody actually knows what its like to lift unless they have done it.

If you do lift, you should know it is not an easy undertaking and will take time patience and expertise and lots of tools. My 99 rolls on a 4. 5 inch skyjacker and after the springs broke in it actually rides nice(all lift springs ride kinda iffy at first, take some time, the good ones get better, I thought my syjacker's were crap at first but they have gotten much better). I tow with it. A gooseneck, usually overloaded too. 15k. Not all the time mind you but a couple of times a year. I drag all kinds of little stuff around, atv's, dirtbikes, horses, concrete mixers, water tanks, etc. . I lifted mine because i like the way it looks. I like the way it handles deep sand when I go surf fishing, it goes pretty much where ever I have the idea to point it. You will need to do your homework on the steering thorugh. I run PSC box and pump, Thuren trac bar and DSS box brace. Once it is all done take it to a heavy duty truck spring and alignment shop. They will do a much better job than chuck at Midas.

I put on my own lift. I also have a shop on my farm with a lift, a couple of welders, vertical mill and a few other doodads to make life easier. Don't try to do it in the driveway. It may be a drive but 4 Wheel Parts has a chain of shops nationwide and they are usually really good.

No it isn't the most economical thing with all the wind resistance but it still gets 18mpg. Yeah the tires make a little noise and I keep a 4 inch drop hitch in the rear to fend off cars and make it easier to get into the bed and I run Nfab nerf bars with steps so I can get in the cab but it's my truck and I like it just the way it is. I have been thinking about 40 inch tires recently though

 

[JesseJ]

markmiller--



This is exactly what I'm after. Viewpoints from both sides of the fence. Like yours, about what you're going to have to do to the steering if you lift a truck. That was my whole point with this, get some opinions from both sides and figure out which way would be better, not neccessarily cheaper, but better in the long run. Thanks for the input.

 

[MarkMiller]

Glad to help. Just want to help keep people from being surprised. If you do lift you should examine the manufacturer and figure out what they designed their kit to do. i. e. Kore chases desert trucks at stupid speeds through the desert and doesn't need big rubber. Rancho is like Kore, less the high speed but designed to ride really well. SJ makes em for offroading at lower speeds and pavement running(decent flex but keeps the truck from swaying and hopping), etc. . I have also had Pro Comp stuff for my Jeeps and have always been pleased with it.

***Don't forget that you will have to make your own carrier bearing drop bracket. I made mine from a piece of 1. 25 square tubing. Works fine and cost 3 dollars. Also, the drop trac bar brackets are a joke. Just get a Thuren. My SJ trac bracket is a doorstop now.

 

[JesseJ]

Well I guess that's kind of what I was concerned about. You're telling me I'm going to have to do all this stuff to the front end if I lift it to get the steering right. Another guy who responded earlier said he had 3k tied up in the steering and it still wasn't right. That was my main conern, how much more money will need to be put into it besides a lift kit to get all the steering stuff correct? That's why I'm leaning towards just a leveling kit, just gives me a little more room for a tad bigger tire and won't screw everything up.

 

[Spunkys Ram]

As soon as my rubber wears out (end of the year), it's going to get a leveling kit and 35's with a new adjustable track bar... already have a DSS.



35's and leveling kit look really good. IMO

 

[JWashburn]

I've got the 19. 5s on the '97 9 months a year. The other three I've got Hankook 235/85-16 Dynapro MTs. Last winter I fed the cows in a foot and a half of snow with them, and hunted elk here in Colorado. Maybe the answer is two sets of tires and wheels instead of a lift and one set of tires.