3yo video and the best one I’ve seen on this topic. Talking AND working. Good man. Good information and I appreciate it. Can you make one regarding the bumper. I’m interested in that as well. 👍
You are much more safety conscious than the guy who did the Rough Country video on the company web site showing how to install the 2" leveling kit, he did not use jack stands, he only used the floor jack. Good Job!
Quick tip hopefully someone reads this and it helps them out. Get yourself a big pry bar, 3 feet minimum and when you’re trying to get that new strut in/old one out wedge it between the A arm and sit on it. It’ll drop the lower arm enough with your weight where you won’t have to struggle nearly as hard wrestling it out.
Thank you. This made installing my own possible. I purchased Ranchos instead. Installing the left went well but on the right, the bottom forks were turned 90° the wrong way. Had to re-install the factory ones on both sides. Waste of 6 hrs. Your fun attitude in the video "ugga-dugga away" made me laugh and lessened the disappointment slightly.
Haha seems like a typical “it should only take me 1-2 hours” job gone right! These are the comments that make me want to do more of this kind of content! Thank you for watching and I’m glad I could bring some entertainment to your rough patch haha!
I just put simcoe HD springs on the rear of mine and it raised the back to 8" from fender to tire, the front is 5" from fender to tire so I'll be installing these this coming weekend
I paid a bit extra when I got my RC 6” lift and got the lifted struts over the strut spacers. Best decision I made. Truck rides like factory over bumps and on the road.
Absolutely do this. The pucks squeak and the ride quality is much better with the RC. I also changed my upper control arms too to improve the angle of the bolt.
The pucks actually work well, but you shouldn't go over 2" unless you change out the UCAs. You went 2.5" plus you have extra weight in the front from the bumper. I put in high-quality 2" Motofab spacers on my 2021 Ram 1500, and it rides just like stock. No issues at all.
measured the rear of my ram it sits about 3" higher than the front.. worried that if i get this 2 inch strut it will be to low in the front, and if i get a 3 inch strut it will be too high.. i read that this strut actually sits closer to 2.5". any ideas?
I'm about to put the same thing only 3 in in the front but I'm also putting 2 Inch spacers in the rear as well along with heavy duty springs in the rear. should leave me with 1 inch of rake still
19' Ram1500 'Classic' 4x4 5.7, 1yr. ago did a 2"level kit Fox Struts, stronger than blocks better for front end wear & towing, but DudE.. Still Stiff as Rocks..!
Bro this helped me out a lot my truck had the pucks and it looked like I was hauling ass sitting still and I bought the rough country leveling struts for my 2011 ram 1500
How have they been? Any issues with rough 4x4? Did you ever need to get new upper control arms to fix the geometry? I have a 2011 ram and am looking at these also.
Awesome! I just ordered the front struts and the rear shocks from RC. Also rear springs because I’m converting my factory air ride to coils because it’s been having issues. Can’t wait for the install.
@@MJAltairy I didn’t like the rear shocks, made my truck bouncy. Let RC know, they sent another set and still did the same. Ended up return them and running the stock shocks.
I have sold lift kits. I can say that the Rough Country loaded N3s can’t be touched by anything, in the same price range. I personally run them myself, and have the V2 in the rear. A lot of people seem to instantly go with Billstein 5100s, because of the name, but these ride better in my opinion, as far as a mostly road commuter. You are also upgrading the coils, as you will have to spend about 3X the price to get a coil over 5100. People typically back what they buy, and Billstein is a good product, but value wise, Rough Country has better options.
Really can’t complain for a kit that’s ready to install right out the box! No adjustments needed, spring compressor or buying different components to get a complete strut assembly together! Ready to bolt right in!
Eyeing these struts the last couple days to level my 2017 ram. I’ve got the air lift 1000hd in the back. I haven’t leveled it yet because just worried about stressing the upper ball joint like I’ve heard a lot of but these shocks seem to fix that issue. Nice truck tho man and thanks for the review. I’m leaning towards getting these
I know it’s only been about a week with these shocks, but the ride quality has been wayyyyyy better than it has for the past year and a half with the leveling pucks that i had originally. This truck “floats” now over bumps and ruts. Even highway driving drastically improved which I didn’t expect. Highly highly highly recommend these. I paid full dollar for these so im not sponsored by them haha!
Crazy I just stumbled onto you vid. I literally just installed same coilovers and exact same front bumper. But I installed the aftermarket upper control arms from them and the bilstein rear coils with the extended rear shocks from rough country. Not even got it back from shop yet
Great looking truck! I did spacers with my other trucks but just got a new to me 18 Ram Sport and got these same struts put on. So much better. But with mine installed the passenger side wheel sticks out a little over 1/2” than the driver side. Trying to figure out why. Alignment done as well. Any ideas?
Hmm thats interesting. Is the whole wheel sticking out or possibly just the top? How does the truck drive? Could possibly be an alignment issue. Any previous accidents that would’ve possibly caused the body to shift a little over the frame?
@@MJAltairy no accidents that I’m aware of. Truck drives straight and on point. I’ve been doing research and finding out when you lift front end the axle pushes to one side. Adjustable track bar fixes problem. But there for Ram 2500s. Can’t find anything on a 1500. Thanks for replying.
@@markdalesandro7 yeah that’s because they’re solid front axles vs our independent front suspension setup. I was reading online about guys who lower their rams and face a similar issue with unequal sides but that’s all i could find. It probably doesn’t really affect anything as long as it drives good. Let me know if you end up figuring it out!
@@MJAltairy I saw the same thing. From what I read it doesn’t affect anything. More of a you know it’s off by 1/2” and it’s gonna drive you crazy but no else will know. Lol. I’ll update if I figure it out.
@@markdalesandro7that's for the back axle only, not the front. Panhard bar size needs to be longer when lifting suspension. Adjustable panhard bar will correct axle offset when lifting or lowering.
I just ordered the 2.5 inch front end leveling struts for my 16 ram1500 sport and got me some fuel wheels I plan on smoking out the headlights and tail lights
Hell yeah that’s gonna look sweet! Make sure to tighten that upper balljoint with pressure on the lower control arm (basically gotta tighten it with truck at it’s height when under load).
i just got n3 2” leveling struts from rc, first time buyer. my nissan titan is a 2013, but they sent me 2017 struts, idk if it was a mistake or it’s supposed to be like that?
Does anyone know if you can use the 2" loaded n3 gen 5 on a Gen 4 Ram 1500? I have an opportunity to pick up a set of struts from a friend, but not sure if they will fit on the 2017 Ram 1500. I was told you just spin them around and the logo is on the inside. Can anyone verify this?
Is this a good option for somebody that just drives the truck on roads and occasionally through a field for hunting? I have a Silverado but have been considering these rac shocks
I didn’t at first because i didn’t think it would make a big difference but I ended up getting one eventually and it rode so much better! So yeah, I’d definitely recommend getting an alignment afterwards.
Purchased the same struts. I have read that it's recommended to also replace the upper ball joint/arm as it can pop out if your wheel goes near full extension, ie, down a hole.
@@--emt I got the ready lift ones. Oem ball joints literally ripped out of oem control arms and i done off road ever. Just normal driving. They were over stressed. The pressed in oem joint pulled which could have been Catastrophic
@@stealthdoocatee Did you have a 2" lift or how many inches did you lift it because I guess 2" Barley puts any stress on the ball joint if you go 3" then I could definitely see that happening my question I guess to you is did you purchase these exact 2" leveling struts and that happened to you? On the stock UCAs?
I currently have stockers on the back and I do have the airbag airlift kit in the rear springs to help with heavy loads and towing. I think bilststein had a good set for rear shocks tho.
You gotta put some heavier springs in the back bro, it really helps with the loaded squat. I'm surprised those air bags don't fix it for you. I did some TuffTruck springs and some Bil 5100's in the back and it rides better than stock honestly. My factory rear springs were all worn and rusted between the coils, obviously fully compressed A LOT! I do tow a utility trailer and haul tools 90% of the time tho.
I actually would not recommend doing that on a 1/2 ton truck. You can, but you are sacrificing ride quality significantly, and for what. You are no my towing heavy anyways.
Mine rode smoothly with the rough country loaded struts and factory control arms, but as soon as I added the new rough country control arms my ride seems rougher. That’s crazy! Furthermore I didn’t realize that they would lower my front end, I like the look better with the motofab pucks rode rough yes but the stance looked better!
looks good i have the 2020 ram wanting to level it i think thats the way to go instead of the puck did you put the front bumber on whosor were did you get
I just ordered those yesterday. I’m excited about not having to compress the springs anymore lol also, what size rims and tires are you running? I like your setup!
I got em linked in the description to the exact setup but the tires are 35/12.5/18 Thunderer MT tires and wheels are 18x10 Moto metals with a -25mm offset I believe.
If you’re talking about the factory air suspension, yes the cold weather tends to freeze up the lines once moisture enters the system. The airlift I’m talking about is the helper airbags which is really just used for additional support when dealing with heavy loads or a heavier trailer to help minimize the rear from sagging so much. The cold Michigan weather didn’t really seem to bother it much.
Great vid my only question is the upper control arm is pivoted more with the increased 2 inches. Are you having any issues with them? I think if I do this kit I am gonna do the rough country uca so I don’t have to worry about it later.
It is pivoted more but it’s definitely better than when I had the leveling pucks installed. I am planning for UCA’s next but it seems alot of the UCA’s are for 3+ inch lifts. Would it be fine to run something like that even though I have a 2in leveling kit?
@@MJAltairy idk if you ever got your answer on this but from I've been seeing those UCAs for the 3" only fit the 3". You can supposedly compound a spacer on top of the leveling kit to make up for it but that seems sketchy AF and RC does not condone doing this.
@@Admiral_Potato41 have you found the answer about using a Uca that was designed for 3 inch lift? I'm also curious. Could you get away with using it for a 2.5 inch strut
You can continue to use stock UCAs for a 2" level. You are not putting enough stress on the ball joints, and they are only slightly articulated. Anything taller is where you start to run into issues.
Great video! I have the Puck on my 2016 RAM. I hate it like you said. But I'm wondering if I should spend more on FOX shocks or go with the RC's. What do you think in hind sight?
It’s been a year with them and i’ll say for the money it was worth it however the “ride” did kinda stiffen up over time. My next setup, id like to try Bilsteins next. I just liked the RC because it was ready to install out of the box.
Hey man first time on your channel. Do You need to replace your upper control arms for these. and how does this compare to factory stock shocks( before you put the pucks on) is it better now then that ride also I'm looking for a smooth ride well close to oem as possible
If you plan on going crazy with off-roading, I recommend getting upgraded UCA’s. I’ve been rocking the stock UCA’s for a while now and have been fine so far (knock on wood). These honestly don’t kill suspension angles and you can see how easy it was for me to install the UCA into the spindle. Where as with the pucks i was wrestling the heck out of the upper ball joint to get into the spindle. Drive-wise, these feel similar to stock with just a little bit of stiffness but really not that bad at all. The pucks are just horrendous and super uncomfortable. You as well as your truck will feel every bit of imperfection on the road with pucks.
@@MJAltairy Thanks for the reply man yeah I'm not going to do the pucks I just didn't know how the ride quality was with these shocks also about the upper control arms I heard that they can slip anything over 2" of height to correct the angle. Some say yes it's mandatory some say no lol
My rubber bushing was seized were the bottom strut bolt goes and a dealership said I will need to buy the whole A arm but nope I bought a new bushing and cut out old one and was off to the races
With the RC strutts, does your spindle bind on the lower control arm when you turn all the way left or right? Or does it stop at full turns like when it was a factory height?
I haven’t paid attention to that but i do know that it was happening due to the marks I’ve seen on the front of my lower control arms. I thought it was happening from my previous 2.5 leveling kit.
It's only recommended when going above 2.5". Using pucks has nothing to do with it. It's all in height. Pucks are essentially doing the same exact thing as the leveling strut. All you're doing is pushing the body up 2". Stock UCA is fine with 2" pucks or struts. Don't run a wheel and tire with a huge negative offset and wheel spacers if you don't want issues with your front end. I have 2" motofab spacers with zero issues and stock ride quality. Ran another set on my Jeep Grand Cherokee for over 5 years with zero issues also. People will always say a strut is better because they are trying to justify spending the extra money. If your stock struts are not worn, then spacers are fine as long as you buy quality ones.
Nice video. I just put the exact samething on my 2018 . But for some reason it raise the front of my truck 3 inches. Did you have this problem? Now the back of my truck sits lower than the front. Any ideas?
I never got around to measuring my truck after the install but I’d imagine it would take some time for the springs/coils to settle/lower a bit after the install. Maybe give it a few days then measure? Also, did you make sure to tighten the upper ball joint with pressure/weight on the suspension?
Holy shit man you’re upper arm are done..look at that balljoint all loose and wobbly. So i got bilstein 5100 for about 70k now and I’m experiencing a slight vibration to it, could it be that they’re worn out ?! I was trying to go this toute now, I’ll possibly loose some heights but it shouldn’t feel weird and shaky anymore
Must be the older Rams? I put a 3" in the front and a 2" in the back on a 2020 Ram, and it still ride pretty smooth with 33"? Definitely wouldn't go with RC anything?
Highly recommend one! I drove mine without and alignment for a while and it took a toll on my tires and would sway to the drivers side alot. A good alignment was a night and day fix!
@@joseromero1400 just very slight rubbing on sway bar and fender liner at full lock turns. Nothing crazy though. I’ve been rocking 35’s for 2+ years now with no problems!
I bought the same leveling kit. Did you have any issues doing the alignment? I just call a shop and I was told that I might have issues to get the alignment done.
I unfortunately don’t but it helps to jack up the rear end of the truck as high as possible (not from the rear axle but try jacking from the rear hitch) so that the springs are stretched out and for the airbags, squeeze them as tight as possible then use 2 zipties to hold it in it’s shape then try installing them. Cut the zipties off the airbag once you’ve got the airbags in the springs!
@@MJAltairy did you buy the red ones ? Or the black ones? My truck is set up like yours with the cap and I will occasionally fill the bed, so the air bags would only be to keep it from sagging.
@@salgonzalez908 i got the red ones. I think i put the link in the description for them. I only have them filled whenever i tow or have some weight in the back otherwise it creates a stiff ride.
Were you running the stock upper control arms with the pucks? Thinking about buying these struts in the 2.5" but don't want to have to buy new uca's too
@@tbot6666 yeah I honestly prefer the 2in. I had the 2.5in and it kinda brought up the front end up a little too high for my liking. Crazy what “.5in” could do lol
It brings it up a good enough amount to level out the factory rake these trucks have. Actual measurements I’m not sure but I’d assume in the 2-2.5 in range of a difference when compared to stock.
Great video and ride review. I’m in the market for these as well my 2015 Ram 1500 has a 2.5 level and the ride is rough, no pun intended... have you thought about replacing your upper control arms too?
Yes i've always kept my eyes out on my upper control arms, specifically the upper ball joints because they can sometimes "slip" out a little and that's why I wanted to get away from using the puck style leveling kit. This is my second ram 1500 that ive owned (previous was a 15 ram quad cab) and I have yet to notice any ball joint issues. The ball joint issue usually comes to play if you're pretty rough on your truck with offroading it and what not. But one thing you'll notice while installing a kit like this rough country kit is the "ease" of sliding the assembly in compared to installing the stock setup+leveling pucks. And with the truck down on the ground, not only will you notice the drastic improvement in the drive experience but you'll right away notice less "stressful" angles on the suspension compared to when it had pucks. Just my 2 cents.
3yo video and the best one I’ve seen on this topic. Talking AND working. Good man. Good information and I appreciate it.
Can you make one regarding the bumper. I’m interested in that as well. 👍
"Throw in a sticker!"
Jegs- (starts putting the entire roll of stickers in the box)
😂
You are much more safety conscious than the guy who did the Rough Country video on the company web site showing how to install the 2" leveling kit, he did not use jack stands, he only used the floor jack. Good Job!
Thank you!
Really good job explaining every part, made it so much easier than other videos out there. Thanks for your time making this, it definitely helped us
Thank you! I’m glad i could help!
Quick tip hopefully someone reads this and it helps them out. Get yourself a big pry bar, 3 feet minimum and when you’re trying to get that new strut in/old one out wedge it between the A arm and sit on it. It’ll drop the lower arm enough with your weight where you won’t have to struggle nearly as hard wrestling it out.
You probablylove to sit on it
Agreed, the 24” pry bar I used was a struggle.
Thank you. This made installing my own possible. I purchased Ranchos instead. Installing the left went well but on the right, the bottom forks were turned 90° the wrong way. Had to re-install the factory ones on both sides. Waste of 6 hrs.
Your fun attitude in the video "ugga-dugga away" made me laugh and lessened the disappointment slightly.
Haha seems like a typical “it should only take me 1-2 hours” job gone right! These are the comments that make me want to do more of this kind of content! Thank you for watching and I’m glad I could bring some entertainment to your rough patch haha!
I like that you mentioned what size tools you need. Great job, nothing to difficult for someone who likes to work on their truck themselves.
Remove axle nut and push axle back. It will give you a lot more clearance. I’ve seen where pushing down on the lower arm will separate your axle.
Probably not a bad idea! Gotta try that next time!
Happened to me i cried lol
If they're worn out they will separate...
"let's see if I wasted my money or not!?!?" 🤣🤣 Thanks for the review man
I have literally same thing going on with my ram, you just convinced me to get these. Thanks bro 👊🏼
You won’t regret the purchase! Anytime!
I just put simcoe HD springs on the rear of mine and it raised the back to 8" from fender to tire, the front is 5" from fender to tire so I'll be installing these this coming weekend
Looks great dont forget to get your truck wheel alignment. But I'm glad I came across your video. Thanks.
I paid a bit extra when I got my RC 6” lift and got the lifted struts over the strut spacers. Best decision I made. Truck rides like factory over bumps and on the road.
Did u buy just the front struts that are at a 6 inch lift? And did u do anything to the rear suspension
Glad you made this video. I have a 2019 Ram classic.. I think I’ll go this route instead of the pucks like I’ve been seeing in a lot of other videos
Also what your wheel and tire set up
Absolutely do this. The pucks squeak and the ride quality is much better with the RC. I also changed my upper control arms too to improve the angle of the bolt.
@@Baldysyoutubechannel definitely going to do it as soon as I get some extra cash
@@DanielRodriguez-bv9ud yes. Save up. Believe me you'll be much happier.
The pucks actually work well, but you shouldn't go over 2" unless you change out the UCAs. You went 2.5" plus you have extra weight in the front from the bumper. I put in high-quality 2" Motofab spacers on my 2021 Ram 1500, and it rides just like stock. No issues at all.
It is all preference, and glad they work well for you. I personally think, that these are a true upgrade, since the coils are being replaced also.
Thank you! I have finished mine today with your help buddy!!
Glad i could help!
measured the rear of my ram it sits about 3" higher than the front.. worried that if i get this 2 inch strut it will be to low in the front, and if i get a 3 inch strut it will be too high.. i read that this strut actually sits closer to 2.5". any ideas?
I'm about to put the same thing only 3 in in the front but I'm also putting 2 Inch spacers in the rear as well along with heavy duty springs in the rear. should leave me with 1 inch of rake still
Great video. Can you let us know how they have held up?
@@omarmontiel7892 i have since sold the truck but they were way better than the pucks as far as ride quality
19' Ram1500 'Classic' 4x4 5.7, 1yr. ago did a 2"level kit Fox Struts, stronger than blocks better for front end wear & towing, but DudE.. Still Stiff as Rocks..!
Bro this helped me out a lot my truck had the pucks and it looked like I was hauling ass sitting still and I bought the rough country leveling struts for my 2011 ram 1500
Yeah I didn’t realize how bad the pucks were till I experienced it for myself. I’m glad this vid helped out! Appreciate it!
How have they been? Any issues with rough 4x4? Did you ever need to get new upper control arms to fix the geometry? I have a 2011 ram and am looking at these also.
Glad to see i wont need to take off 3000 parts (like other videos show). Thanks...enjoyed the video. (Lafayette, LA)
Great job. Just got the 2022 and looking for the best option to level it up. Yup that’s what I’m gonna do.
You’re making me buy stuff for my truck. lol. Great video.
😂 we’re all in this together lol. But mann im telling ya, the ride quality is 100 times better than what my spine was dealing with before
Awesome! I just ordered the front struts and the rear shocks from RC. Also rear springs because I’m converting my factory air ride to coils because it’s been having issues. Can’t wait for the install.
@@robotops2929 gotta let me know how those rears turn out for ya
@@MJAltairy I didn’t like the rear shocks, made my truck bouncy. Let RC know, they sent another set and still did the same. Ended up return them and running the stock shocks.
@@robotops2929 oh dang! Are you still rocking the front RC struts tho?
I have sold lift kits. I can say that the Rough Country loaded N3s can’t be touched by anything, in the same price range. I personally run them myself, and have the V2 in the rear. A lot of people seem to instantly go with Billstein 5100s, because of the name, but these ride better in my opinion, as far as a mostly road commuter. You are also upgrading the coils, as you will have to spend about 3X the price to get a coil over 5100. People typically back what they buy, and Billstein is a good product, but value wise, Rough Country has better options.
Really can’t complain for a kit that’s ready to install right out the box! No adjustments needed, spring compressor or buying different components to get a complete strut assembly together! Ready to bolt right in!
Nice job dude. Super helpful. Beautiful truck.
Thank you!
I know you tightened everything, but why in the world would you not torque it to spec?
Eyeing these struts the last couple days to level my 2017 ram. I’ve got the air lift 1000hd in the back. I haven’t leveled it yet because just worried about stressing the upper ball joint like I’ve heard a lot of but these shocks seem to fix that issue. Nice truck tho man and thanks for the review. I’m leaning towards getting these
I know it’s only been about a week with these shocks, but the ride quality has been wayyyyyy better than it has for the past year and a half with the leveling pucks that i had originally. This truck “floats” now over bumps and ruts. Even highway driving drastically improved which I didn’t expect. Highly highly highly recommend these. I paid full dollar for these so im not sponsored by them haha!
@@MJAltairy seems like the best value for the best quality level for sure. Not a lot of reviews on them though nice job
Getting my 3 inch rough country installed tomorrow. N3 struts, upper control arm and shocks Don't know how I feel about it yet.
Crazy I just stumbled onto you vid. I literally just installed same coilovers and exact same front bumper. But I installed the aftermarket upper control arms from them and the bilstein rear coils with the extended rear shocks from rough country. Not even got it back from shop yet
That’s awesome man! Gotta let me know if the rears and the control arms are worth the upgrade!
@@MJAltairy I sure will. I felt like I'd rather have articulation in rear instead of the air ride so my ride may not be as good as yours
@@rockingarchangel i hear ya. I don’t have the factory air ride on mine, i just got those helper airbags in the springs to help with towing mainly.
Hey man, was wondering if you still have these struts ? and if they're still awesome ? I'm still looking to get them for my 2017 Ram Sport.
I have em and i still like em for the value. However for my next truck, i think id like to try the Bilstein’s since people sweat by them.
Great looking truck! I did spacers with my other trucks but just got a new to me 18 Ram Sport and got these same struts put on. So much better. But with mine installed the passenger side wheel sticks out a little over 1/2” than the driver side. Trying to figure out why. Alignment done as well. Any ideas?
Hmm thats interesting. Is the whole wheel sticking out or possibly just the top? How does the truck drive? Could possibly be an alignment issue. Any previous accidents that would’ve possibly caused the body to shift a little over the frame?
@@MJAltairy no accidents that I’m aware of. Truck drives straight and on point. I’ve been doing research and finding out when you lift front end the axle pushes to one side. Adjustable track bar fixes problem. But there for Ram 2500s. Can’t find anything on a 1500. Thanks for replying.
@@markdalesandro7 yeah that’s because they’re solid front axles vs our independent front suspension setup. I was reading online about guys who lower their rams and face a similar issue with unequal sides but that’s all i could find. It probably doesn’t really affect anything as long as it drives good. Let me know if you end up figuring it out!
@@MJAltairy I saw the same thing. From what I read it doesn’t affect anything. More of a you know it’s off by 1/2” and it’s gonna drive you crazy but no else will know. Lol. I’ll update if I figure it out.
@@markdalesandro7that's for the back axle only, not the front. Panhard bar size needs to be longer when lifting suspension. Adjustable panhard bar will correct axle offset when lifting or lowering.
I just ordered the 2.5 inch front end leveling struts for my 16 ram1500 sport and got me some fuel wheels I plan on smoking out the headlights and tail lights
Hell yeah that’s gonna look sweet! Make sure to tighten that upper balljoint with pressure on the lower control arm (basically gotta tighten it with truck at it’s height when under load).
@@MJAltairy alrighty thanks I gotta go pick them up at luckys next Saturday
i just got n3 2” leveling struts from rc, first time buyer. my nissan titan is a 2013, but they sent me 2017 struts, idk if it was a mistake or it’s supposed to be like that?
I might do that to my truck i did the level kit and truck now has over 200k might be good time to do that and get rid of the hockey puck
Does anyone know if you can use the 2" loaded n3 gen 5 on a Gen 4 Ram 1500? I have an opportunity to pick up a set of struts from a friend, but not sure if they will fit on the 2017 Ram 1500. I was told you just spin them around and the logo is on the inside. Can anyone verify this?
Is this a good option for somebody that just drives the truck on roads and occasionally through a field for hunting? I have a Silverado but have been considering these rac shocks
Absolutely!
I got 2” struts and UCAs for this level and been riding nice and squeaky free for 5 months.
Did you get an alignment after installing the rough country shocks and struts? You didn't mention if that was necessary.
I didn’t at first because i didn’t think it would make a big difference but I ended up getting one eventually and it rode so much better! So yeah, I’d definitely recommend getting an alignment afterwards.
@MJ Altairy ok MJ thank you for your reply
Well done TY ..love your front bumper
Appreciate the kind words!
Do you need an alignment after installing these
Thank you that helped alot. Except i have to replace my axles wile i have it apart. have the 2.5 strut lift for the front and rear of the truck.
Purchased the same struts. I have read that it's recommended to also replace the upper ball joint/arm as it can pop out if your wheel goes near full extension, ie, down a hole.
Mine pushed completely out . 100% necessary to replace the uppers. I went with uplift uppers. World if difference now!
@@stealthdoocatee i have a 2017 ram do you have a link to the UCA you got Why is it necessary to replace only if you're going 2" of lift?
@@--emt I got the ready lift ones. Oem ball joints literally ripped out of oem control arms and i done off road ever. Just normal driving. They were over stressed. The pressed in oem joint pulled which could have been Catastrophic
@@stealthdoocatee Did you have a 2" lift or how many inches did you lift it because I guess 2" Barley puts any stress on the ball joint if you go 3" then I could definitely see that happening my question I guess to you is did you purchase these exact 2" leveling struts and that happened to you? On the stock UCAs?
Have you changed the upper control arms? Looks like alot of easy movement in that ball joint
👍good job on explaining, what kind of shocks should I use on the rear? I got 2014 everything stock right now
I currently have stockers on the back and I do have the airbag airlift kit in the rear springs to help with heavy loads and towing. I think bilststein had a good set for rear shocks tho.
You gotta put some heavier springs in the back bro, it really helps with the loaded squat. I'm surprised those air bags don't fix it for you.
I did some TuffTruck springs and some Bil 5100's in the back and it rides better than stock honestly.
My factory rear springs were all worn and rusted between the coils, obviously fully compressed A LOT! I do tow a utility trailer and haul tools 90% of the time tho.
I gotta check them out!
I actually would not recommend doing that on a 1/2 ton truck. You can, but you are sacrificing ride quality significantly, and for what. You are no my towing heavy anyways.
great video, I have an ‘06 ram do you think these would work or should I do alittle more homework?
I think they’re different but id say some more HW wouldn’t hurt
Mine rode smoothly with the rough country loaded struts and factory control arms, but as soon as I added the new rough country control arms my ride seems rougher.
That’s crazy!
Furthermore I didn’t realize that they would lower my front end, I like the look better with the motofab pucks rode rough yes but the stance looked better!
looks good i have the 2020 ram wanting to level it i think thats the way to go instead of the puck did you put the front bumber on whosor were did you get
My brother wants to lift his 1500. Do you get any coil bucket contact with this kit?
I had roughe country one's on my 2017 ram they went out after a year 👎. Now I've got the bilstein 5100 , should've gotten them first time.
2 year warranty on struts, why didn't you have them replaced under warranty?
Remember to get an alignment also
I just ordered those yesterday. I’m excited about not having to compress the springs anymore lol also, what size rims and tires are you running? I like your setup!
I got em linked in the description to the exact setup but the tires are 35/12.5/18 Thunderer MT tires and wheels are 18x10 Moto metals with a -25mm offset I believe.
Do you still like your RC N3 struts?
Do they work on a 2wd? I can’t find any for a 2019 classic 2wd 5.7 level.
Still happy with these? Looking at a set for mine!
Ok so you put the new struts in without the spacers? and still have 2 inch lift?
Yes these struts are already designed with the extra 2 inches.
Yes, via stiffer springs!
Excellent video Bro. I'm getting ready to do this job and you made it a lot easier to see what we are against. Thanks Bro.
I know I’m a little late but does the leveling kit fit 2wd drive ram too ?
I don’t think so. I think this kit’s only for 4wd models.
are those Thunderer Trac Grip MT tires? they look exactly like mine.
Yup they are! Can’t beat them for the price and quality! They’re actually not bad at all!
What part of the country do you live in? I understand the air lift suspension you seem to be happy about isn’t so good in colder climates such as ND.
If you’re talking about the factory air suspension, yes the cold weather tends to freeze up the lines once moisture enters the system.
The airlift I’m talking about is the helper airbags which is really just used for additional support when dealing with heavy loads or a heavier trailer to help minimize the rear from sagging so much. The cold Michigan weather didn’t really seem to bother it much.
What is the long term review of these shocks? I'm thinking of getting some for my truck as well.
Great vid my only question is the upper control arm is pivoted more with the increased 2 inches. Are you having any issues with them? I think if I do this kit I am gonna do the rough country uca so I don’t have to worry about it later.
It is pivoted more but it’s definitely better than when I had the leveling pucks installed. I am planning for UCA’s next but it seems alot of the UCA’s are for 3+ inch lifts. Would it be fine to run something like that even though I have a 2in leveling kit?
@@MJAltairy idk if you ever got your answer on this but from I've been seeing those UCAs for the 3" only fit the 3". You can supposedly compound a spacer on top of the leveling kit to make up for it but that seems sketchy AF and RC does not condone doing this.
@@Admiral_Potato41 yeah that seems sketchy affff 😂
@@Admiral_Potato41 have you found the answer about using a Uca that was designed for 3 inch lift? I'm also curious. Could you get away with using it for a 2.5 inch strut
You can continue to use stock UCAs for a 2" level. You are not putting enough stress on the ball joints, and they are only slightly articulated. Anything taller is where you start to run into issues.
Great video! I have the Puck on my 2016 RAM. I hate it like you said. But I'm wondering if I should spend more on FOX shocks or go with the RC's. What do you think in hind sight?
It’s been a year with them and i’ll say for the money it was worth it however the “ride” did kinda stiffen up over time. My next setup, id like to try Bilsteins next. I just liked the RC because it was ready to install out of the box.
@@MJAltairy Fabulous thank you. I will go with the Bilsteins as well thanks for saving me time and money!
Hey man first time on your channel. Do You need to replace your upper control arms for these. and how does this compare to factory stock shocks( before you put the pucks on) is it better now then that ride also I'm looking for a smooth ride well close to oem as possible
If you plan on going crazy with off-roading, I recommend getting upgraded UCA’s. I’ve been rocking the stock UCA’s for a while now and have been fine so far (knock on wood). These honestly don’t kill suspension angles and you can see how easy it was for me to install the UCA into the spindle. Where as with the pucks i was wrestling the heck out of the upper ball joint to get into the spindle. Drive-wise, these feel similar to stock with just a little bit of stiffness but really not that bad at all. The pucks are just horrendous and super uncomfortable. You as well as your truck will feel every bit of imperfection on the road with pucks.
@@MJAltairy Thanks for the reply man yeah I'm not going to do the pucks I just didn't know how the ride quality was with these shocks also about the upper control arms I heard that they can slip anything over 2" of height to correct the angle. Some say yes it's mandatory some say no lol
@@--emt it’s definitely not mandatory but it’s recommended. Above 2in, I’d say yeah look into UCA’s though lol
My rubber bushing was seized were the bottom strut bolt goes and a dealership said I will need to buy the whole A arm but nope I bought a new bushing and cut out old one and was off to the races
With the RC strutts, does your spindle bind on the lower control arm when you turn all the way left or right? Or does it stop at full turns like when it was a factory height?
I haven’t paid attention to that but i do know that it was happening due to the marks I’ve seen on the front of my lower control arms. I thought it was happening from my previous 2.5 leveling kit.
@@MJAltairy ok thanks👍 I didnt want to spend the💰💰 on these if the factory lower arms bound up on the turn stops. Nice looking truck man👍
@@davidnelson5460 yeah i’ll try to check it out in the AM and get back to you! Appreciate it man!
Do you need to replace the upper control arm? I know it is recommended when using pucks. Wondering if it applies here and changing angle.
It's only recommended when going above 2.5". Using pucks has nothing to do with it. It's all in height. Pucks are essentially doing the same exact thing as the leveling strut. All you're doing is pushing the body up 2". Stock UCA is fine with 2" pucks or struts. Don't run a wheel and tire with a huge negative offset and wheel spacers if you don't want issues with your front end. I have 2" motofab spacers with zero issues and stock ride quality. Ran another set on my Jeep Grand Cherokee for over 5 years with zero issues also. People will always say a strut is better because they are trying to justify spending the extra money. If your stock struts are not worn, then spacers are fine as long as you buy quality ones.
Do you have any rubbing with your -24 offset wheels?
Very light rubbing on the fender liner at full lock. Could easily be trimmed though
Nice video. I just put the exact samething on my 2018 . But for some reason it raise the front of my truck 3 inches. Did you have this problem? Now the back of my truck sits lower than the front. Any ideas?
I never got around to measuring my truck after the install but I’d imagine it would take some time for the springs/coils to settle/lower a bit after the install. Maybe give it a few days then measure? Also, did you make sure to tighten the upper ball joint with pressure/weight on the suspension?
Holy shit man you’re upper arm are done..look at that balljoint all loose and wobbly. So i got bilstein 5100 for about 70k now and I’m experiencing a slight vibration to it, could it be that they’re worn out ?! I was trying to go this toute now, I’ll possibly loose some heights but it shouldn’t feel weird and shaky anymore
Must be the older Rams? I put a 3" in the front and a 2" in the back on a 2020 Ram, and it still ride pretty smooth with 33"? Definitely wouldn't go with RC anything?
Where did you get that front bumper? I need it!
I should have the link to it in the description. It was off Amazon.
Quick question do u have to do and aligment after?
Highly recommend one! I drove mine without and alignment for a while and it took a toll on my tires and would sway to the drivers side alot. A good alignment was a night and day fix!
Looks good man. Where did you get the black grille?
When you do the leveling kit do you have to get a front alignment?
It’s definitely recommended!
Beautiful truck
Great video. It’s gonna help me a lot. 👍
California Lean? Baby it’s the Carolina Squat!!
Lol i stand corrected.
Do you know if 35s will fit with this kit?
Yup, i’m rocking 35’s in this video as well!
@@MJAltairy any rubbing at all or any trimming needed? Thank you.
@@joseromero1400 just very slight rubbing on sway bar and fender liner at full lock turns. Nothing crazy though. I’ve been rocking 35’s for 2+ years now with no problems!
@@MJAltairy did you have to do any trimming? I’m debating between 33s and 35s. Thank you
@@joseromero1400 nope no trimming at all. I really like the 35’s on these trucks. 33’s look small on them in my opinion.
Are you running stock upper control arms? If so have you had any issues I’m looking into getting the same loaded struts to install on my 1500
Yup, been running the stock ones this whole time
Recommend newer upper control arms?
Yes, definitely won’t hurt or at least new upper ball joints. unless your current uca’s are newer then I wouldn’t worry about replacing them.
I bought the same leveling kit. Did you have any issues doing the alignment? I just call a shop and I was told that I might have issues to get the alignment done.
Nope, didn’t have any issues
Thanks, just what I need!!!!!!
Do you have the air bag install video?
I unfortunately don’t but it helps to jack up the rear end of the truck as high as possible (not from the rear axle but try jacking from the rear hitch) so that the springs are stretched out and for the airbags, squeeze them as tight as possible then use 2 zipties to hold it in it’s shape then try installing them. Cut the zipties off the airbag once you’ve got the airbags in the springs!
@@MJAltairy did you buy the red ones ? Or the black ones? My truck is set up like yours with the cap and I will occasionally fill the bed, so the air bags would only be to keep it from sagging.
@@salgonzalez908 i got the red ones. I think i put the link in the description for them. I only have them filled whenever i tow or have some weight in the back otherwise it creates a stiff ride.
Does anyone know if your truck has to be 4x4 for these to fit or will they fit a rwd ram as well thanks in advance
This specific kit is for the 4x4 models
How are you liking them? I have the same level 2.5" for my truck with the puck and debating if I should get those rough country ones?
I’m tellin ya, the difference is night and day! I wish I went to these struts from the get go, drives soooo much better!
Were you running the stock upper control arms with the pucks? Thinking about buying these struts in the 2.5" but don't want to have to buy new uca's too
I was and it was a rough ride. I highly recommend the 2in over anything else unless you plan on lifting the rear as well.
@@MJAltairy I don't plan on lifting the rear, just wanting to level out my rake.
@@tbot6666 yeah I honestly prefer the 2in. I had the 2.5in and it kinda brought up the front end up a little too high for my liking. Crazy what “.5in” could do lol
Did you put any rear lift blocks on your truck.
No, just airlift helper airbags. amzn.to/3UHF6X5
How are the ball joints since you installed these?
Still solid! These struts don’t strain them as much as the pucks would.
@@MJAltairy right on..I got a 2022 ram and that’s probably the route I’m a go with..thanks for replying
@@alejandrocardenas9801 most definitely!
Still don’t understand how people think the struts aren’t going to stress the BJ’s but the spacers will! The height is the same either way.
Good video bro good to know about the spacer and the Strat option 👍
I got 2.5 like this will it pick up my truck how much inches
It brings it up a good enough amount to level out the factory rake these trucks have. Actual measurements I’m not sure but I’d assume in the 2-2.5 in range of a difference when compared to stock.
Great job, I ordered some as well.
Looks like your sway bar end link is broken
@@franklee9127 i just had it loosened up for the install
Great video and ride review. I’m in the market for these as well my 2015 Ram 1500 has a 2.5 level and the ride is rough, no pun intended... have you thought about replacing your upper control arms too?
Yes i've always kept my eyes out on my upper control arms, specifically the upper ball joints because they can sometimes "slip" out a little and that's why I wanted to get away from using the puck style leveling kit. This is my second ram 1500 that ive owned (previous was a 15 ram quad cab) and I have yet to notice any ball joint issues. The ball joint issue usually comes to play if you're pretty rough on your truck with offroading it and what not. But one thing you'll notice while installing a kit like this rough country kit is the "ease" of sliding the assembly in compared to installing the stock setup+leveling pucks. And with the truck down on the ground, not only will you notice the drastic improvement in the drive experience but you'll right away notice less "stressful" angles on the suspension compared to when it had pucks. Just my 2 cents.
Awesome! Thanks for the reply!
Hey brotha what size wheel set up do you have with this kit?
18x10 wrapped in 35’s
Front end alignment needed after the install?
Definitely does help!
@@MJAltairy thanks.. im getting ready to install that exact strut on my '17
Do they fit. 2wd
Could you fit 35s using those struts
Yup, I’m rocking 35’s in the video!
The airbags got link
Yup they’re the “Rear Airlift” airbags link in the description of the video
Great video, thanks for doing it.