2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission D25 leveling springs Vs. Kore springs

[rivercat]

Any one have either want to comment?

I am looking to take my 5" lift off and want to keep my 35s so im checking out leveling springs. Kores set is advertised as riding as good or better than stock they have a dual rate and they sell the 5100 bilstens that are tuned to the heavier weight of the cummins.

I bought my bilsteins in a group buy, seems like the part number being specific to our trucks, wouldn't they allready be tuned to the heavy frontend of the cummins? I guess im asking is the shocks kore sells valved diffrent then the ones I have? its the same part #

anyone wana swap or buy a 5" lift ?

 

[Bob4x4]

KORE does not have their own valving Even on the 3"Fox shocks that have been opened up and inspected by those in the Know I changed out my 2nd gen from the kore to Carli a while back and got a huge improvement in street ride and significantly better in the dirt at higher speed as well. The kore system used front springs,rear mini pacs and fox 2" remote resevoirs. The Carli system is a comparable level with the addition of a full rear spring pack but using Bilstein 2" resevoir shocks. The front springs that Carli uses are better suited to the 2nd gens than the kore that I had

 

[rivercat]

yeah, could be the better ride is due to the much lighter wallet!

Seriously though why is carli Twice as expensive? I mean for 875 could you not do the cheapo spacers with like dual fox shocks.

I already have the 5100s all I want are better springs with the height for 35s.

No one running d25s can comment?

 

[rivercat]

anyone know if the kore springs are any better than d-25s? sure not up for paying $440 for just the carli springs

 

[Scrappy]

anyone know if the kore springs are any better than d-25s? sure not up for paying $440 for just the carli springs

YES they ARE better! The D25's are not heavy enough and will sag badly. my '03 had D25's on it at first and within about a year they sagged almost back to stock.

I replaced them with a Kore kit (a Chase kit) and the difference was night and day better. just buy the Kore leveling kit and sell one of your sets of shocks.

 

[Bob4x4]

If you want the best ride possible you will want a shock that has been valved specificly for your spring rate. It seems many people tend to think that a stiffer spring is the answer..... not so. You want the suspension to be able to move through all of it's travel. The shock is there to control that movement. The speed and terrain you wish to travel on also comes into play for the valving that will work best for you. Carli offers options that you will not find anywhere else. I have had 5 different front springs on the front of my 3rd gen as well as 2 different rear springs and quite a few different shock valving profiles. Before you use price as the primary deciding factor make some phone calls ,talk to people in the know,then make an informed decision.

Good luck and happy shopping

 

[Bob4x4]

yeah, could be the better ride is due to the much lighter wallet!



Seriously though why is carli Twice as expensive? I mean for 875 could you not do the cheapo spacers with like dual fox shocks.



I already have the 5100s all I want are better springs with the height for 35s.



No one running d25s can comment?

You can run 35's on the stock springs. If you don't want to spend the money on good springs hold off untill you do rather than blowing money on a lesser product.

 

[SRath]

+1 on post #6, Bob!

I learned on motocross bikes that "riding the springs" is NOT desirable. The spring should just hold the vehicle up at the desired height under the desired weight when static. (edit: I should add "and allow for maximum travel")

The shocks, through carefully selected valving, should do all the dynamic work.

That becomes a huge challenge when the weight varies so greatly as it does in pickups that haul loads and carry snowplows from time to time.

A race truck with a consistent weight has a much better chance at success in this regard. For the rest of us, we must setup according to our heaviest regular loads and pay the price when not loaded.

Adjustable air suspension and adjustable shocks like the Rancho RS9000's are about as good as it gets for work trucks that sometimes play. I do not know of any truly heavy duty variable-rate coil springs, but would sure like to find some. I also detest the factory lift blocks in the rear. Very unstable and they rob travel.

 

[Bob4x4]

+1 on post #6, Bob!



I learned on motocross bikes that "riding the springs" is NOT desirable. The spring should just hold the vehicle up at the desired height under the desired weight when static.



The shocks, through carefully selected valving, should do all the dynamic work.



That becomes a huge challenge when the weight varies so greatly as it does in pickups that haul loads and carry snowplows from time to time.



A race truck with a consistent weight has a much better chance at success in this regard. For the rest of us, we must setup according to our heaviest regular loads and pay the price when not loaded.



Adjustable air suspension and adjustable shocks like the Rancho RS9000's are about as good as it gets for work trucks that sometimes play. I do not know of any truly heavy duty variable-rate coil springs, but would sure like to find some. I also detest the factory lift blocks in the rear. Very unstable and they rob travel.

At the stock height a variable front coil will not have enough travel to show any benefit imho. I have Carli's 3rd gen variable rate Hemi coil on my 2nd gen and it works extremely well for my application. I drive it daily to work,some off roading and an occaisional tow pulling a 25' tt. For a heavy application the 3rd gen diesel coil works better. Both are about a 3" lift. On the rear of the 94 I have a full leaf pack from Carli that eliminates the block, works good empty and only drops about 1. 5-2. 0 when the 750lb tongue weight settles on it. On the 3rd gen I sprung for the Long travel air bags so I can level it out no matter the weight I add.

#ad

 

[SRath]

Suspension gurus are among the most highly sought, and paid, technicians when it comes to off-road racing. All the power in the world is useless if you cannot put it to the ground and control it. A race bike with superior suspension will destroy a race bike with superior power, riders being equal. Savvy racers on tight budgets put their money into suspension before power.



I got into doing our own bikes using Race Tech Gold Valves and valving guidelines and it paid off hugely in our racing success. I also learned how the innards in a shock are supposed to work and what needs done to tailor and tune them. I don't call myself an "expert" since I rely on the years of experience of Race Tech to guide my initial valving selections rather than my own "formula" that some guys think is necessary. I guess I'm a "cookbook chef". Why can't the aftermarket offer us truck owners such a rebuildable, tunable shock? One with external Hi and Lo Speed compression and rebound clickers like our bikes have for fine tuning to track conditions?



I like what you did with that '94, Bob. Currently, I am spending my kid's upcoming Christmas and, at this rate, college futures, on my front suspension and steering. The rear can wait, but will be addressed next year.



When I did my big Chevy K30/V30 crewcab srw suspension, all 4 leaf springs and shocks (oh so simple and the steering needed very little other than a drop pitman and quick-detach sway bar!), I opted for a simple soft-ride setup from Skyjacker, Rancho RS9000's, and firestone air bags in the rear. It is not a desert racer, or a rockcrawler. The steering and ride is SOOO silky-smooth and stable and versatile, though. It hauls any load I need levelly. It flexes and 4-wheels very well here in the midwest. It is stable and rock solid at all speeds. It does not break. It cost about $1000 back then (mid 90's) and is as sweet today as ever. I love that truck!



Long-travel air bags were not available (to my knowledge, and I looked hard) back then, so I did my own thing with custom mounts. I still don't know where you found yours?



As for the 3rd gen front springs, can you elaborate a bit on those? My '96 2500 was supposedly ordered with 3500 springs (a srw 1-ton). The fact that I have never had an issue with frontend sag, even with a 900+ pound snowplow hanging 4 feet past the frontend, or rubbing with 285-75R-16 tires (@ 33"), is proof to me that they are heavier front coils than other 2500's have. The rear has 3" wide springs with factory overloads.



I would like to fit 35" tires, but I also want to keep my COG (center of gravity) reasonable enough to carry a cabover camper. So not much lift.



You said the 3rd gen factory (3500?) front coils give 3 inches over stock on my '96? Two inches would suit me, but 3 isn't too much and it should give better coil action than spacers. Maybe I should look for some 3rd gen 3500 front coils?



It used to be that National Spring made excellent custom rear (and front) leaf packs based on your specifications for vehicle, lift desired, ride quality, load carrying, etc. for a very reasonable price. I don't know if they are still around, but I had hoped to eventually find such a setup to replace my factory boards and lift blocks.

 

[Bob4x4]

Sorry I didnt write that more clear. What I should have said is the Carli diesel coils will give roughly 3" lift.

The long travel air bags are a Carli design,their mounting will not work on at least some 2nd gens. They were designed for the 3rd gens

Long Travel Airbags for Dodge Ram Suspension - Air Assist For Dodge Ram



The shocks you describe are available for trucks but very pricey. Do a search for remote resevoir bypass shocks.

I have a slightly less expensive non bypass design remote resi 3" king-no external adjustments. (on the 05)

The Carli shop is going to be releasing a very high end kit in the future using bypass shocks



A friend of mine has The Carli 2. 65 bilstein kit on a 3rd gen with an overhead camper it handled very well for such a high center of gravity

 

[rivercat]

OK, you say you run the hemi coils, Is this what I need?

my trucks a QC SB and I dont tow over 3k or say 500# tounge weight. I want the same ride and handeling I had when the truck was new and on the factory michelins. I used to take curves like I was in a sports car. I literaly drove better drunk back then, then I can drive now at half the speed on the same roads/curves!

I Am gona get my truck back to where it was or bust. Bust being trade it for a 03 up

I plan to build my own control arms to stock length then install the lorenz or kore or carli springs and see what it does then. With a BD steering stabilizer and maybe a new gear box.

Them upper ball joints look good Bob, but man the price is tough to swallow

 

[Hammer]

I have ran the D25 coils on the front of mine now for a few years. I have had zero issues with them settling at all and have kept a watchful eye on them for that. The truck is at the same ride height today as it was back when we did the rear spring upgrade a while back. I can not compare them to the Kore or Carli parts as when I did my work I did mine on a budget and I could not see spending the crazy money they wanted for their parts.



I did the install of the D25's back in early 2007 and they have done all I have asked them to and even though SkyJacker's parts color are known to fade mine have stayed the same since the install... ... ... Andy

 

[BenjaminAbraham]

ill swap you the lift for stock

 

[Morphious]

I've had the D25's on my truck since 2001, the truck settled to leve and it's been that way ever since, I had a 275lb front bumper on the truck for about 6 of those years, now have a lighter front bumper at 175lbs. Truck rides like a buck board, but that's mostly the camper and towing package springs in the back of the truck. When I get 500lbs or more in the back, it rides smooth. I've been researching springs and shocks for my mud racer I'm building and will be calling bilstien about their 2" remote resivor shocks and the valving that I'd need for that application. I'm waiting to see what the height of my rebody ends up being, going from an extended cab long bed 96 body to a 46 dodge powerwagon body will be a dramatic weight reduction, so I'm hoping I can fit 37's under the big flat fenders with the stock springs in front to keep the same ride height.



Morphious