Truck upgrade for occasional towing

[E-Ticket]

So I've owned the truck about a month. It definitely doesn't ride as nice as my 1500, I know it's a heavy duty truck. It's just a little frustrating to go onto hdrams.com and hear people say "it rides just as good, if not better than my 1500". Well your 1500 must have rode like shit. I've dropped the psi down on the front and rear tires and that helped. I'm researching suspension upgrades but I don't want to waste my money.

Anyone on here know much about the 2500 suspension options?

I’ve got a RAM2500 and unloaded it rides rough, even with tires aired down. When loaded / trailering, much smoother even on full tire pressure.

I looked at the internet “solutions “ but don’t want to spend money going down a rabbit hole with no guarantee of a better outcome. The only one I might try would be upgrading the shocks.

 

[TJuser]

So I've owned the truck about a month. It definitely doesn't ride as nice as my 1500, I know it's a heavy duty truck. It's just a little frustrating to go onto hdrams.com and hear people say "it rides just as good, if not better than my 1500". Well your 1500 must have rode like shit. I've dropped the psi down on the front and rear tires and that helped. I'm researching suspension upgrades but I don't want to waste my money.

Anyone on here know much about the 2500 suspension options?

Look at either Carli or Thuren suspension. Yes, they're pricey but I think if you got the Carli leveling springs and commuter shocks, you'd be pretty happy. They custom tune everything and stand behind their product. If you look at their youtube page, they run these trucks like prerunners when tuning shocks, they can handle some pretty wild stuff.

Depending on what you want to spend, you could have a really nice setup and go with softer leaf springs in the rear, and install their long travel airbags to level the truck when its loaded.

What would be your budget?

 

[DaveC]

I've got a Sierra 2500 and it's plush when hauling a heavy load or towing, but much more harsh when unloaded. As others have said, unless you change up leaf springs and shocks (which then may require adding air bags to accomodate towing or hauling, depending on how heavy), when unloaded, it's never going to ride as nice as a half ton. Lowering air pressure does help, and I've also learned to adjust driving habits around things like driveways, speedbumps and road imperfections that magnify the harsher ride aspects.

 

[GATORB8]

Shocks.

So I've owned the truck about a month. It definitely doesn't ride as nice as my 1500, I know it's a heavy duty truck. It's just a little frustrating to go onto hdrams.com and hear people say "it rides just as good, if not better than my 1500". Well your 1500 must have rode like shit. I've dropped the psi down on the front and rear tires and that helped. I'm researching suspension upgrades but I don't want to waste my money.

Anyone on here know much about the 2500 suspension options?

We've got a fleet of Rams, and there's zero chance you are getting a 2500 with a solid axle and rear leafs to ride like a 1500 with IFS and coils.

That said, I'd consider a nice set of shocks. That's the real difference in my HD ZR2 to a normal Chevy and it's by far the nicest riding HD I've ever driven, unfortunately the Multimatics on that aren't commercially available.

 

[RHanna]

How much did you drop the air pressure?

55 in the front and 45 in the rear. That still gives me a good amount of payload

Look at either Carli or Thuren suspension. Yes, they're pricey but I think if you got the Carli leveling springs and commuter shocks, you'd be pretty happy. They custom tune everything and stand behind their product. If you look at their youtube page, they run these trucks like prerunners when tuning shocks, they can handle some pretty wild stuff.

Depending on what you want to spend, you could have a really nice setup and go with softer leaf springs in the rear, and install their long travel airbags to level the truck when its loaded.

What would be your budget?

I have been looking at the Thuren pretty close. If I did go with it I would want the leveling kit with fox 2.0 shocks that are tuned for their coils (although there are a good number of people that don't like the fox shocks), adjustable track bar and sway bar. I think that's around 2000-2500. I would prefer just to change the shocks to bilstein 5100 or rancho 9000 and that would set me back about 400.

I appreciate all of the feedback. I don't plan on every offroading with this truck. The craziest thing I would do is pulling into an offroad park that might not have the best gravel/paths but even then I'd have my jeep with me in case I was ever stuck.

We've got a fleet of Rams, and there's zero chance you are getting a 2500 with a solid axle and rear leafs to ride like a 1500 with IFS and coils.

That said, I'd consider a nice set of shocks. That's the real difference in my HD ZR2 to a normal Chevy and it's by far the nicest riding HD I've ever driven, unfortunately the Multimatics on that aren't commercially available.

That's what is so annoying, I just can't believe anyone could get a ride as good as the 1500 without shelling out serious money.

 

[DirtDawg]

Factory ordered my 2014 F150 FX4 S-cab primarily for towing mid-sized RVs but with combo of Max Tow Pkg (PowerScope mirrors plus 3.73 e-locker) and Raptor-spec 6.2L engine. Being 1/2 ton rated, clearly doesn't have the chassis, brakes or payload of a similar F250/F350 but as shown, I've kept a Leer shell topper on it since new. With that engine and 3.73 gearing, FoMoCo tow rating of 11,200 lbs is plenty enough.

BTW, installed new Toyo Open Country A/Ts with Load C rating at 500 miles which rides and handles quite nice for a truck plus replaced the original shocks with Bilstein 5100s for further improvement. Not a daily driver, so otherwise always garaged with just 24k miles on it twelve years later. It remains my "More Practical Raptor"...

 

[suicideking]

Assuming your 1500 was a 5th gen, it had coils in the rear instead of leafs. Moving to a 2500, is more like a 'real truck' with the leafs. So that is going to be better for real truck things, but worse for DD. I just sold my '23 1500. One of the factors for buying it was that it would make a good DD compared to an F150 that had leafs, so more bouncy.

That's definitely the trade off with the 2500+ trucks. Definitely better for towing and using as a work truck. Worse handling (when not towing or hauling) and gas mileage though.

 

[GATORB8]

55 in the front and 45 in the rear. That still gives me a good amount of payload


I have been looking at the Thuren pretty close. If I did go with it I would want the leveling kit with fox 2.0 shocks that are tuned for their coils (although there are a good number of people that don't like the fox shocks), adjustable track bar and sway bar. I think that's around 2000-2500. I would prefer just to change the shocks to bilstein 5100 or rancho 9000 and that would set me back about 400.

I appreciate all of the feedback. I don't plan on every offroading with this truck. The craziest thing I would do is pulling into an offroad park that might not have the best gravel/paths but even then I'd have my jeep with me in case I was ever stuck.


That's what is so annoying, I just can't believe anyone could get a ride as good as the 1500 without shelling out serious money.

We went from 5100s to 5160s (Remote Res) on our JL that's probably 5500 lbs and there was a huge positive difference. I originally primarily did it for the travel advantage, but really was blown away. From my understanding, the benefits of the reservoir allow a lighter nitrogen charge and prevent the charge from causing harsh dampening when it gets closer to full compression.

IIRC, a set of 5160s is around $1k, and only a couple hundred more than the standard Fox 2.0 IFPs.

 

[RHanna]

Assuming your 1500 was a 5th gen, it had coils in the rear instead of leafs. Moving to a 2500, is more like a 'real truck' with the leafs. So that is going to be better for real truck things, but worse for DD. I just sold my '23 1500. One of the factors for buying it was that it would make a good DD compared to an F150 that had leafs, so more bouncy.

That's definitely the trade off with the 2500+ trucks. Definitely better for towing and using as a work truck. Worse handling (when not towing or hauling) and gas mileage though.

The newer ram 2500 has coils on all 4 corners. I knew mpg would go down and I'm ok with that working from home.

 

[speeding_infraction]

The newer ram 2500 has coils on all 4 corners. I knew mpg would go down and I'm ok with that working from home.

That is only an option that comes with the rear air suspension option. I thought they came with league springs standard?

 

[Zorba]

The newer ram 2500 has coils on all 4 corners. I knew mpg would go down and I'm ok with that working from home.

I'd have to be shown and convinced on rear coils on something I was using to tow with. The sample size of 1 that I've experienced - my TJ towing about 1K worth of trailer and cargo - I didn't like the feel of the whole thing. I would ASS-U-ME that a 2500 pickup would be better, but I'd want to try before buying...

 

[GATORB8]

Being 1/2 ton rated, clearly doesn't have the chassis, brakes or payload of a similar F250/F350 but as shown, I've kept a Leer shell topper on it since new. With that engine and 3.73 gearing, FoMoCo tow rating of 11,200 lbs is plenty enough.

The tow rating on my old 19' Ram 1500 was right around there, and was great with around 5k on the tail. No way I would have attempted 11k long distance.

 

[GATORB8]

That is only an option that comes with the rear air suspension option. I thought they came with league springs standard?

We've got two 2500 big horns here at the office, both are rear coiled no air. I could have sworn they were leafs too.

 

[bucky]

You have a real truck made to carry heavy loads. No suspension upgrade will fix your ride feel. Air bags just help with sagging under a heavy load.
My 19 F-250 4x4 is rated at 10,000# gvwr, has a 3400# payload capacity and 19500# gcwr. I run stock tires. When empty I run 50psi front and 55psi rear to get the best ride I can get. Fully loaded I run 70psi front and 80psi rear. My 14 F-550 rides as good as my F-250 because it has 2 stage springs and I have the longest wheel base available.
My 08 Sierra 1500 2wd rides great but I can’t carry much weight behind the rear axels. I can’t hook up my 7000# car hauler without the axels almost hitting the bumps stops.
It’s just the nature of the beast that the higher the weight capacity the harsher the ride.

 

[RHanna]

We've got two 2500 big horns here at the office, both are rear coiled no air. I could have sworn they were leafs too.

I think the ram 3500s are leafs.

 

[RHanna]

We went from 5100s to 5160s (Remote Res) on our JL that's probably 5500 lbs and there was a huge positive difference. I originally primarily did it for the travel advantage, but really was blown away. From my understanding, the benefits of the reservoir allow a lighter nitrogen charge and prevent the charge from causing harsh dampening when it gets closer to full compression.

IIRC, a set of 5160s is around $1k, and only a couple hundred more than the standard Fox 2.0 IFPs.

It would be about 500 more for all 4 over the fox.

 

[TJuser]

I have been looking at the Thuren pretty close. If I did go with it I would want the leveling kit with fox 2.0 shocks that are tuned for their coils (although there are a good number of people that don't like the fox shocks), adjustable track bar and sway bar. I think that's around 2000-2500. I would prefer just to change the shocks to bilstein 5100 or rancho 9000 and that would set me back about 400.

The Carli Commuter shocks are based on the bilsteins if i remember correctly and tuned to these trucks

Adding the leveling coils, you'll have more uptravel which means you can have a softer ride with those coils. I think upgrades in the front are most noticeable.

For the rear, the only thing you really might be able to do is remove some leafs to get a softer ride, then adding airbags to stiffen up the rear again when you need to tow

 

[RHanna]

Anyone that know what’s going on with these tires? Dealership says it’s cupping but when I google it, it doesn’t look the same

These tires were on the front. They are easier to see in real life. Apparently the stock tires on the ram 2500 really suck. Just wondering what could have caused it.

I brought the truck to the dealer because I was worried there was something wrong with the front driveshaft. They said everything looked good but blamed the tires

 

[speeding_infraction]

Anyone that know what’s going on with these tires? Dealership says it’s cupping but when I google it, it doesn’t look the same

These tires were on the front. They are easier to see in real life. Apparently the stock tires on the ram 2500 really suck. Just wondering what could have caused it.

I brought the truck to the dealer because I was worried there was something wrong with the front driveshaft. They said everything looked good but blamed the tires

View attachment 702878View attachment 702879

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Swap to the front and see if you keep having the same issue. If that doesn't fix it pull the front driveshaft and see if it goes away

 

[suicideking]

Are they Bridgestone dueler? Those are what came on my 1500 and they are trash.