Lifted drive train problems

[evldsl]

Does anyone know how high of a lift can be added without drive shaft problems such as out of balance or to short in length. I was thinking around 4" or 6" lift but perhaps the truck can be lifted higher without problems. this is a suspension lift only not body. the truck is a 2004. 5 ram quad-cab 4x4 srw short bed diesel.

 

[Spooled-up]

TDR Member Fozzy just posted pics of his 6" lift on this thread . He could probably answer that. We're waiting for him to get back from a trip where I believe he's towing his jeep for the first time with this lift. He could probably answer this question.



Member Gravedigger has a 4" lift and has pics of that on this site.

 

[y-knot]

I think the answer depends a lot on how well the manufacturer of the lift kit addressed the geometry and drive line angle problems. The more they addressed the issues the less the problem. But then again, the more time they devoted to the issues at hand, the more the lift kit would have cost. So like in anything else, you only got what you paid for. Cheap kit, poor results. A High end kit from a Well known manufacturer, will yield much better and livable results then a basic or up-start maker. So when you compare cost for that 4. 5 or 6" lift, look at the whole picture and not just who has the most inches for the least amount of dollars. In the long run the better kits will always pay off.

 

[CIverson]

On the old trucks about 5" was max (on 3/4 adn 1 tons) before you needed to start thinking about grinding the CV a bit for clearance, but after being grinded and balanced it was fine.



On the new trucks the geometry is very similar, but I'm not sure how the stock heights of the 2 generations compare. The only real difference is that the newer trucks use a high pinion front axle, which helps out the angles alot.



Seeing that superlift has a 6" out, I would venture to take a GUESS that about 8" is gonna be max (maybe with a bit of clearancing), as long as the shaft is still long engouh.

 

[bmarkert]

I have a superlift 6", had an initial vibration at 70mph, however once I cleaned the mud from inside my stock wheels the vibration went away and i'm very happy with thisproduct!

 

[XcumminsX]

After 5" with an auto transmission the front driveshaft may explode.



Nick

 

[CIverson]

Originally posted by Nick Sommer

After 5" with an auto transmission the front driveshaft may explode.



Nick

Any proof there? I think you got some bad info personally.



I highly doubt there will be any problems, especially not an exploding shaft, not to mention I've never heard of a shaft literally exploding. u-joints can snap, yokes can snap, the shaft could pull apart from separating, but there is no reason a shaft would explode unless it was not balanced, even then it would prolly crack your t-case before anything that severe would happen.



My last ram was a 98 gasser with 8" of lift on 38's (6" suspension). I had to clearance the Cardan joint, and then had it balanced. It saw speeds of 70 regularly in 4wd (d-shaft only spun in 4wd w/ the CAD) That truck had a steeper shaft angle than an 03 with 6" would see do to the high pinion axle.

 

[Spooled-up]

After 5" with an auto transmission the front driveshaft may explode.

I remember reading the same thing somewhere. There is an adjustment or additional part that will fix the problem though. I might have read it on the Kelderman website, but I looked all through it and couldn't find it. I'll keep searching.

 

[MCummings]

I think better wording for that Nick would be,,,



"The Driveshaft may fail. "



Allthough, an "exploding" driveshaft may be something I need to see one day.



A lift does not make your driveshaft out of balance either. It will only amplify a situation that exsists currently.



Merrick

 

[CIverson]

Kelderman lists in his instructions that over 5" requires a t-case indexing ring, I think that's where this came from, and I'm sure the reason that this was listed was that the cardan joint starts to bind, which can be remedied with some grinding and a re-balancing.

 

[realsquash]

I would think that a 6" lift *should* require extended flexible brake lines and driveshaft modifications to do it right. You'd have to move the front axle backward and the rear axle forward to make up for the lift if you planned on keeping the stock driveshafts and I don't know how feasable/lame that would be on this truck.



Andy

 

[CIverson]

Originally posted by realsquash

I would think that a 6" lift *should* require extended flexible brake lines and driveshaft modifications to do it right. You'd have to move the front axle backward and the rear axle forward to make up for the lift if you planned on keeping the stock driveshafts and I don't know how feasable/lame that would be on this truck.



Andy

The driveshafts should, and do on the 2nd gens, have enough room in the sliding portions (forget the names now) to accomodate that lift height.



Brake lines would be close to their limit as far as using brackets to raise the mounting points, which skyjacker has done for awhile and still does, although longer lines are better IMHO, and i think superlift offers some braided SS lines for the 3rd gen's now.