Aftermarket Coils vs. Spacer lifts

[AH64ID]

I’ve considered the 0.5” coils for a while, but don’t think they will work for me with auto-level and using ALT ride height frequently. I’m also concerned about them being too soft with 5500-5800lbs on the front axle and driving/towing on some very nasty roads.

My truck in stock form rides better than any 2500/3500 or 250/350 I’ve ridden in, so I think I’ll stick with trying the Thuren sway bar for those rough dirt roads first.

1" Traxada
From a cost perspective this is hands down the cheapest option to lift your truck. Many people report that spacer lifts cause a rougher ride than stock. While this may be true in some cases I did not experience any change in ride quality. Maybe for the higher lifts (2"+) they ride worse?? I put roughly 6k miles on mine and really don't have anything bad to say about it. In my opinion the truck rode nearly identical to OEM. The only reason I said nearly identical is I also installed Fox shocks with the spacer so the ride did change slightly. So, if you are fine with the stock ride quality you should consider a spacer lift, you will get the look you want for a fraction of the cost.

I think the adage about a worse ride with a spacer stems from the short control arms that were found in 94-12 trucks.

I bought my 05 with a 2” level and didn’t realize the effect it had on the ride until dropping to a 1” level (better for towing). The ride was night and day with that 1” change, like going to a soft ride cool. The control arms were so short that a 2” lift made a big change in control arm angle, which has a negative impact on ride quality with stock coils. Soft ride coils were a must.

The 13+ control arms are long enough that the smaller 1-2” spacers don’t increase the control arm angle as much so the suspension still moves easier. Nothing wrong with them if you want to level, but retain OEM spring rates for hauling/towing.

 

[IndyRamMega]

I’ve considered the 0.5” coils for a while, but don’t think they will work for me with auto-level and using ALT ride height frequently. I’m also concerned about them being too soft with 5500-5800lbs on the front axle and driving/towing on some very nasty roads.

My truck in stock form rides better than any 2500/3500 or 250/350 I’ve ridden in, so I think I’ll stick with trying the Thuren sway bar for those rough dirt roads first.



I think the adage about a worse ride with a spacer stems from the short control arms that were found in 94-12 trucks.

I bought my 05 with a 2” level and didn’t realize the effect it had on the ride until dropping to a 1” level (better for towing). The ride was night and day with that 1” change, like going to a soft ride cool. The control arms were so short that a 2” lift made a big change in control arm angle, which has a negative impact on ride quality with stock coils. Soft ride coils were a must.

The 13+ control arms are long enough that the smaller 1-2” spacers don’t increase the control arm angle as much so the suspension still moves easier. Nothing wrong with them if you want to level, but retain OEM spring rates for hauling/towing.

Your assumption about the front coils not working with your air ride is inaccurate....and id like you to find someone that says their truck rides better in stock form than with thuren or carli under it....had the .5" coils on my 22 drw with self leveling air in the rear.....zero issues....and Ive had 20k hooked up to it with near 6k on the front axle....the truck rides vastly better....so again...although I know it's hard for you to believe....stock is not better....

 

[AH64ID]

Your assumption about the front coils not working with your air ride is inaccurate....and id like you to find someone that says their truck rides better in stock form than with thuren or carli under it....had the .5" coils on my 22 drw with self leveling air in the rear.....zero issues....and Ive had 20k hooked up to it with near 6k on the front axle....the truck rides vastly better....so again...although I know it's hard for you to believe....stock is not better....

I have a tape measure, it’s a simple measurement. 0.5” lift up from in ALT will give me squat… maybe that’s okay for some but not for me. It just looks dumb, IMO.

There can certainly be improvements over stock, no arguing there.. spent a lot of money improving OE over the years. That’s all application and component dependent thou. You’re going to have a hard time telling me that a softer coil with only 0.5” lift won’t spend more time on the bump stops at 90%+ FAWR on rough dirt roads at speed than the stock coil. Couple that with the fact that the truck would have a negative rake in ALT and it’s not worth it.

 

[Enve46]

Let's juts say I haven't gotten air born in it, but close.

yes, I flex out the suspension often. Don't think anything is loose. CJC says after about 30K miles, to look at replacing the track bar with one of theirs.
Lift I normally use to get under the truck is down right now. And I'm in the middle of a big move so tools are all packed and in storage.

Once settled in, I'm thinking track bars and new shocks.

NICE! Glad you're enjoying the truck. Id say you've probably worn those stock shocks out more than a track bar but CJC has more experience than I do. Ive also got a big move coming up that Im not looking forward to so I dont envy you right now!

 

[Crusty old shellback]

NICE! Glad you're enjoying the truck. Id say you've probably worn those stock shocks out more than a track bar but CJC has more experience than I do. Ive also got a big move coming up that Im not looking forward to so I dont envy you right now!

Yea it sucks. Sold house. Packed up everything in a 52' semi trailer. Filled it up. trailer is in storage near the new house.
Sitting in a rental house for a few more weeks. Then move to a new state and new house and get to unpack everything and get the house and garage in order. Then I can get back to work on my projects.

 

[Enve46]

Yea it sucks. Sold house. Packed up everything in a 52' semi trailer. Filled it up. trailer is in storage near the new house.
Sitting in a rental house for a few more weeks. Then move to a new state and new house and get to unpack everything and get the house and garage in order. Then I can get back to work on my projects.

Yea we are moving from Fla to TN, temporarily in townhome while our home is built to then move again 6-8 months later hahaha

 

[Crusty old shellback]

We are just going from SoCal to North Nevada. so not as far. Just renting a Condo on the beach for 4 months till we retire. Bought a 21 year old house on 3 1/8 acres up in the high desert/mountains. Beautiful views all around.