New suspension advice?

[gradylaw]

I stopped by my local 4Wheel Parts the other day and told the guy I needed to make my truck ride smooth on the expansion joints when empty and be able to adjust up for a 2000# slide-in camper with some off roading thrown in.

Here is what he proposed:

-Skyjacker 2. 5" lift in front with spring (D2512S)

-Skyjacker Softride springs in back with "Super Duty Air Springs" to hold the camper

-Rancho 9000 all around (RS99221 + RS99198)

His list has more but that's the meat of it.



Is this a good setup?

We are leaving for a two week road trip vacation thru the Rockies, Sierras and who knows where in a few months so I will be doing something soon.

You guys have a ton of experience doing this stuff and I have none.

Any help sure would be appreciated!

 

[I-6DZL]

T-Rex!!

Not sure but sounds like you would really love the benefit from a T-Rex suspension system. I wish i could point you in the direction, or even give you advice from first hand experience, but i can't. What i can do is steer you towards a fellow member that builds these kits just for folks like you.



Good luck

Curtis

 

[GBaines]

T-REX is now KORE

I agree, but the company name is now Kore. They produce the ne plus ultra in great suspensions for our Rams. They will fine tune them for you specific needs and uses. I have one for my heavy expedition type camper and it is super. I have used it extensively in Baja and Alaska and Canada. It is great off road and on road!! PM me if you need more information, I do not work for them.

 

[jrobinson2]

T-rex is now KORE performance

The KORE system would outperform anything you listed, for a price...

I am very satisfied with my KORE system, it is an extremely versatile system that works perfectly empty, with my 2200 lb camper, or towing my gooseneck at 19,000lbs gross.

It works fairly good off road too



Jared

 

[gradylaw]

Thanks for the advice. I hadn't seen the new web site with different stage kits. It looks much better than what I was looking at. I don't think I really need the Race Kit so the question now becomes whether the Pace will do or should I spend the extra for the Chase kit? Looks like shocks is the only difference. I also did not see any provision for air bags or something to level the load with the camper.



jrobinson2, what did you do to get it smooth both loaded and empty?



Thanks again.

 

[JPS]

air ride

You might want to take a look at the Kelderman air ride system. Lots of info on TDR for it. Try a search for Kelderman!!! jps

 

[pwerwagn]

I believe the chase kit (the bilstein 7100 kit) has the most emphasis placed on expansion joint bounce than any kit. your right, you probably dont need the race kit. I feel that you will be way happier with even just the pace kit over what 4WP was tryin to sell you.

my . 002.



--Jeff

 

[Lorenz]

Ranchos are 3 for 1 march thru april. $89 at summit racing buy 3 get 1 free. you can adjust them, lifetime warranty, and there cheap.



I was able to get what your looking for for less than $500 and some elbo grease. even cheaper if you keep your eyes open.



*MY LIST*

Ranchos 9000



firstone air bags



-1 leaf spring out of the pack in the rear. on my 2500



on a 3500, the sping pack is softer stock with an over load leaf pack. You might try removing the overload and adding airbags. if this is still too hard remove a leaf from the back and the overloads?



Cheapest option and it works!!! It held up great on my 1 month honey moon through the sierras and arizona with my Lance 821 slide in camper. It's a smooth daily driver too!!



Adjustability is the key. You cant expect an non adjustable suspension to act great under 3000# and also just as great when you run empty. Airbags and rancho 9000 acomplish this well. I wouldn't suggest the skyjacker lift kit. its for looks but becomes usable with the airbags and adjustable shocks that your shop suggested.



If you go with the top of the line Kore kit spend an extra $500 and get the external bypass shocks in the rear. you can dial those in for a load or non loaded by yourself with the turn of a couple screws. Again, external valving is key.



Also with a 2 inch skyjacker lift, the next step is bigger tires to fill the void in the wheel wells. Its hard finding a load range E tire that are bigger than 31", which is stock.

 

[RWood]

it is accually pretty easy to fine load range E tires over 31", as long as you are willing to pay for them.

 

[jrobinson2]

My system has the current KORE front springs and rear mini leafs with the older King shocks valved very close to what Kent is currently selling.

The rear of my truck settled exactly 2" with the gooseneck loaded(18-1/8" from the top of the rim to the fender loaded, 20-1/8" empty, the truck weighed 6830 lbs empty and 9010 lbs loaded for a pin weight of 2180 lbs, the gross combined weight was 19640 lbs. The Kore system worked perfectly, certainly better than the ranchos on any setting that I ran before, my truck usually weighs 8900 lbs to 9300 lbs with the camper loaded, it sags less loaded with the KORE mini leafs than it did with the stock rear suspension, it rides better both loaded and empty than it ever did before with the stock shocks or the ranchos on any setting and handles far better. Kent has put considerable effort into making very sure that his systems "WORK" as well as they "play", I was very concerned when I bought my system that the work capabilities would be reduced and they have not been reduced at all, they have been increased. Anyone who says the KORE system is not better than stock for towing or hauling is making assumptions and probably has no experience with Kent's systems, he has put a tremendous effort into a true multi purpose system and it definitely shows when you put the truck to work as well as in the rough stuff.



Sorry if I come off like a cheerleader or something but I have used real trucks for real work my entire life and know fluff when I drive it, my truck works, drives and corners better than any other 2500 I have ever driven up to around 10,500 lbs gross, above that it starts to get mushy and air bags or different springs or heavier valving might help but I think that's well into 3500 territory anyway.

A 2500. 00 or 3500. 00 system certainly is not for everyone, the trucks in stock form work fairly well loaded in my opinion, a set of ranchos for the rear helps with rebound control loaded and I'm sure air bags are usefull in many applications also.



Jared "dont call me Gregg" Robinson

 

[gradylaw]

Couldn't find Keldernan's prices on their site but I recall seeing them before and thinking converting both ends was just too expensive for me with all that would have to be done. SLorenzen's cheaper options sounds like a great alternative too but I think I'm covinced to go with the Kore since it seems to be a total package tailored to our trucks. Now if I can find somebody in the Galveston/Houston area to install it reasonably (I don't even have a garage), I'll be set. I can already smell the credit card smoking!

Thanks once again for helping out.

 

[pwerwagn]

It is very easy to find load range E-tires over 31". And them being expensive isnt necessarily the case if you know where to look. You can get 305-70-16 nittos for about the same price as the stock replacement michelins. and they are load range E.



About Airbags:

One of our trucks (ford) has air bags on it. The trailers we pull weigh in at about 18,000 lbs consistently. the ford squatted bad with the trailer behind it. We put the load rite bags on it and now it is perfect. We only have to run 70psi (max 125) in the bags to get it to set level with roughly 2500lbs of pin weight in the bed. then you let them down to lower pressures and it rides great empty. This ford never had overloads, and the rear springs are obsurdly soft. So maybe removing a rear leaf (as long as axle wrap doesnt get out of hand) and doing airbags will be the best bet for you.

My vote is still KORE, though.

 

[gradylaw]

I currently have 285 BFG ATs which are D rated and are wearing well even when carrying the camper. My original Michelin 245s were E rated at about 2700lbs max. The larger BFGs are about 3300lbs. I'm not trying to open a can of worms but why do I need E rated ones?

I guess the last question becomes whether Bilstein 7100s are $1300. 00 better than 5100s. That seems to be the biggest difference (apart from necessary hardware) between the "pace" and "chase" packages.

 

[pwerwagn]

Well, the main difference between the 5100 bilsteins and the 7100's are the 7100's are valved for your truck. the 5100's are universal units that come from bilstein. the 7100's are valved by Kent specifically for your truck, your uses, desires, etc.

 

[Tcolesanti]

I have the KORE leveling kit/Bilstien 5100's, with air bags out back and 7' traction bars. It is everything I need for towing heavy and off roading a bit. Just my $0. 02.

 

[LightmanE300]

Don't quote me on this, but I thought I remember from my phone conversations hearing that after jan 1st, the 5100's would all have kore valving as well. All I have to say is I have a Chase system on the way and I can't wait!!!!

 

[pwerwagn]

Maybe so. I talked to SaraMae about the 5100's around december and she told me that they werent dodge specific. Maybe that has changed??? that would be nice!

 

[jrobinson2]

Kent posted in another thread that the rear 5100s he sells are custom valved to his specs and the fronts are standard valving, he also mentioned that some other Dodge 5100 options are a few months away.

I'm quite sure the only KORE system Kent custom tunes to the individual truck is the "race" system with the Fox shocks, I think the 7100 bilstien "chase" system is custom valved to KORE specs but not customer specific.



Jared

 

[pwerwagn]

Yes, you are right. I believe the 7100s are Kore specific but not customer specific. I worded that wrong to begin with.

 

[EKohl]

I am also having a hard time deciding if the extra cash is worth it for the Chase setup. Do I need the 7100's,no. Do I want the 7,100's & the cool looking shock towers,yes. Would have been easy to decide if Uncle Sam gave me a bigger tax refund this year.