Dodge Ram Front Side View
Before the install, the Ram was bone-stock and the small tires had no attitude. Rancho and Mickey Thompson helped change all that quickly.
Dodge Ram Front Side View
Before the install, the Ram was bone-stock and the small tires had no attitude. Rancho and

The recent explosion of lifted trucks around the country has prompted major aftermarket manufacturers to flood the market with lift kits available in the suspension or body lift varieties. One such aftermarket supplier is Rancho. With a long heritage of off-road performance and truck specialty, we wanted to try out the Dodge Ram 2WD lift kit. Consisting of lift spindles, coils, new front subframe, adjustable shocks, and rear blocks, the Rancho lift kit comes installer-friendly with all the necessary hardware included.

Dodge Ram Front Side View
Four inches more, plus a great-looking set of Mickey Thompson Classic II wheels and Mickey Thompson tires, make the Ram ready for the sand.
Dodge Ram Front Side View
Four inches more, plus a great-looking set of Mickey Thompson Classic II wheels and Mickey

With the truck sitting higher, we also took the time to give Anaheim Wheel Center a call to mount up our larger Mickey Thompson wheels and tires for the Ram. The install was straightforward, and as you can see, the Ram looked great lifted with bigger wheels and tires. Read on as we take you through the install.

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    New RS9000X adjustable shocks, lift spindles, subframe, coils, blocks, U-bolts, and all required hardware are included to provide the installer peace of mind.
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    New RS9000X adjustable shocks, lift spindles, subframe, coils, blocks, U-bolts, and all re
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    Before we installed the lift kit, we made a trip to Anaheim Wheel Center to pick up the mounted and balanced Mickey Thompson wheel and tire combo.
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    Before we installed the lift kit, we made a trip to Anaheim Wheel Center to pick up the mo
  • Dodge Ram Front Side Lifted View
    Wheels and tires in tow, we made our way to The Custom Truck Shop, in San Dimas, California, to perform the install. With the Ram up on the lift, it was time to get to business.
    Dodge Ram Front Side Lifted View
    Wheels and tires in tow, we made our way to The Custom Truck Shop, in San Dimas, Californi
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    After removing the caliper, brake rotor, front hub bearing assembly, and shock, Sal used an impact gun to remove the lower and upper ball joints.
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    After removing the caliper, brake rotor, front hub bearing assembly, and shock, Sal used a
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    With the upper suspension arm out of the way and the spindle loose, Sal had access to the sway bar endlink.
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    With the upper suspension arm out of the way and the spindle loose, Sal had access to the
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    He then removed the sway bar endlink kit with the impact gun.
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    Sal was then able to remove the spring with all the tension relieved.
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    To install the subframe, the lower control arm was removed.
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    A transmission jack was used to support and align the subframe before tightening any of the bolts.
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    A transmission jack was used to support and align the subframe before tightening any of th
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    Once the proper alignment was achieved, Sal installed Grade 8 bolts to secure the subframe.
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    Once the proper alignment was achieved, Sal installed Grade 8 bolts to secure the subframe
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    Next up, Sal installed the higher tensile strength Rancho coil springs.
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    Springs in place, the upper ball and lower ball joints were attached to the lift spindle.
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    A&B The sway bar was first flipped over and the endlinks were then attached with the assistance of Tommy, from The Custom Truck Shop.
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    A&B The sway bar was first flipped over and the endlinks were then attached with the assi
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    B
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    Then Sal secured the outer tie rod end.
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    The lower ball joint was tightened to 60 lb-ft of torque.
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    Here is an overall shot before the new bumpstop and shocks were installed.
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    Sal attached the new angled spacer (bumpstop) on the lower control arm.
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    The new Rancho RS9000X shocks are fully adjustable with the supplied air lines.
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    The air line was attached to the shock and then was run for maximum clearance.
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    Sal installed the new Rancho shock and tightened the bottom bolt to 105 lb-ft of torque. After the shock was installed, Sal then attached the caliper, wheels and tires, and torqued the lug nuts. This completed the front install and Sal was ready to move to the rear.
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    Sal installed the new Rancho shock and tightened the bottom bolt to 105 lb-ft of torque. A
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    The original U-bolts were removed and thrown away. The riser block was then installed underneath the leaf spring and the longer U-bolts installed.
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    The original U-bolts were removed and thrown away. The riser block was then installed unde
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    Next up, the factory shocks were removed and the new RS9000X shocks were bolted in place.
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    The factory bumpstop was also removed and not reused. Sal installed the supplied Rancho bumpstop. The axle was now complete.
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    The factory bumpstop was also removed and not reused. Sal installed the supplied Rancho bu
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    A&B Special care was made to route the air lines for the shocks around any moving parts and out of the way of anything that could snag or puncture the lines.
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    A&B Special care was made to route the air lines for the shocks around any moving parts a
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    B
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    The shocks are supplied air from a 12-volt compressor. Sal fitted the lines into the junction box inside the cab.
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    The shocks are supplied air from a 12-volt compressor. Sal fitted the lines into the junct
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    A&B With the lines attached, the compressor was mounted inside the engine compartment, away from heat and moving parts.
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    A&B With the lines attached, the compressor was mounted inside the engine compartment, aw
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    B
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    A 12-volt source was found, and the wires from the compressor were attached.
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    Rancho also includes the air gauges as an option. Dodge Rams have the perfect location underneath the center of the dash, and Sal installed the cluster.
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    Rancho also includes the air gauges as an option. Dodge Rams have the perfect location und
  • Dodge Ram Wheel View
    To finish the install, the new wheels and tires were installed, and a length measurement was taken to ensure the axle's geometry.
    Dodge Ram Wheel View
    To finish the install, the new wheels and tires were installed, and a length measurement w
  • Dodge Ram Low Front View
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    The Ram's already large wheelwells look ready for the sand with the always-in-style Mickey Thompson combo.
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    The Ram's already large wheelwells look ready for the sand with the always-in-style Mickey
  • Dodge Ram Wheel View
    The factory 16x7-inch wheels and small tires were scrapped in favor of much more aggressive 16x8-inch Mickey Thompson Classic II wheels and Mickey Thompson Baja Claw LT305/70R16 tires. With 4 inches of lift, the stock wheel and tire combo just wouldn't look right, but the M/T combo looks right at home and gives the Ram some much-needed attitude. Our friends at Anaheim Wheel Center in Anaheim, California, mounted and balanced the package for us.
    Dodge Ram Wheel View
    The factory 16x7-inch wheels and small tires were scrapped in favor of much more aggressiv
SOURCE
Anaheim Wheel Center
1515 State College Blvd.
Anaheim
CA  92806
Mickey Thompson Performance
Stow
OH
8-00/-222-9092
mickeythompsontires.com
Custom Truck Shop By L&G Enterprises
882 Cienega Ave.
San Dimas
CA  91773
Rancho Industries
www.gorancho.com