mtrewartha
Observer
Well, I figure I've lurked around here long enough... I've gotten a ton of great info from this forum and it's time to actually post for once! Anywho, here's my setup and the evolution it's gone through since I bought it in July of 2013.
The truck's a 2013 Ram 3500 with the Cummins and the heavy duty Aisin automatic. I didn't really *need* the 3500, but I couldn't get the 2500 with the Aisin (I was soooo tired of the old, crappy autos these trucks had), so I sprung. This was not long after buying it:
After a few years, I grew tired of the stock stuff and financials started to allow for some modding. It started with some new kicks (20" Fuel Kranks and 35" Nitto Terra Grappler G2s) and a Hell Bent Steel 2.5" leveling kit with some Bilstein 5100s.
I ran this setup for a while and generally liked it. The G2s are phenomenal tires. Great traction both on and off road and they wear like iron. I've loved them so far (and to this day I'm still running the same set).
Then, I wound up rear ending someone on accident. Welp... time for a new bumper. I had wanted one anyways, so why pay out for a new stock one when the money could just go towards a new aftermarket one I'd eventually buy anyways? I looked and looked, but just wasn't really digging most of the offerings out there. Lots of stout, well made bumpers are available for these trucks, but many either look ridiculous or look the same as others. Then I realized I had heard AEV was now making Ram parts, and it was settled. I picked up their front bumper and threw that on.
Note there's no winch in there
We'll come back to that.
After leaving things be for a little while and getting the truck out regularly, I was getting pretty irritated with rubbing on the backs of the front fender wells at full lock, even without any suspension flex. Since I take the truck off road a fair amount and can't have that happening, I decided to take a leap in suspension... I'd always drooled over Carli setups and it was finally time to splurge on one.
So, after a few trips to High Country Performance 4x4 in Englewood, CO, I wound up with a Carli Pintop 2.5" diameter kit, which gives 3" of lift. Carli makes *awesome* stuff. It's super well tuned, very well designed, and very well built. These guys don't mess around and that's why I bought the kit. I couldn't be happier, but my wallet felt it haha. New 2.5" body remote reservoir shocks all around, a mini pack to replace the overload in the back, new coil springs in front, a new adjustable track bar, radius arm relocation brackets, sway bar drop brackets, and bump stop drops. Oh, and a blizzard decided to come in the middle of my install, too... whoops!
Once the wallet had recovered from that, it was time to put a winch in the winch bumper. Another trip to High Country Performance 4x4. Brought home this and installed it the next day. Luckily, I was able to sneak it in without removing the whole AEV bumper. I just unbolted the grille, popped it out, and dropped the winch in.
Last, but certainly not least, came the SnugTop. Rebel model, windoors on both sides, and the ProLock for free. Love it so far! Can't wait to get it all set up for storage. I do plenty of camping, fly fishing, and shooting, so all of those goodies as well as camping & recovery gear will eventually find a semi-permanent home back there. Oh, and the dogs now have a nice place to chill! Duke (lab) and Gatsby (Amish, corn fed labradoodle).
Finally, here's how it sits today, waiting to head back into Rocky Mountain National Park for some spring fly fishing and camping this weekend.
The truck's a 2013 Ram 3500 with the Cummins and the heavy duty Aisin automatic. I didn't really *need* the 3500, but I couldn't get the 2500 with the Aisin (I was soooo tired of the old, crappy autos these trucks had), so I sprung. This was not long after buying it:
After a few years, I grew tired of the stock stuff and financials started to allow for some modding. It started with some new kicks (20" Fuel Kranks and 35" Nitto Terra Grappler G2s) and a Hell Bent Steel 2.5" leveling kit with some Bilstein 5100s.
I ran this setup for a while and generally liked it. The G2s are phenomenal tires. Great traction both on and off road and they wear like iron. I've loved them so far (and to this day I'm still running the same set).
Then, I wound up rear ending someone on accident. Welp... time for a new bumper. I had wanted one anyways, so why pay out for a new stock one when the money could just go towards a new aftermarket one I'd eventually buy anyways? I looked and looked, but just wasn't really digging most of the offerings out there. Lots of stout, well made bumpers are available for these trucks, but many either look ridiculous or look the same as others. Then I realized I had heard AEV was now making Ram parts, and it was settled. I picked up their front bumper and threw that on.
Note there's no winch in there
We'll come back to that.After leaving things be for a little while and getting the truck out regularly, I was getting pretty irritated with rubbing on the backs of the front fender wells at full lock, even without any suspension flex. Since I take the truck off road a fair amount and can't have that happening, I decided to take a leap in suspension... I'd always drooled over Carli setups and it was finally time to splurge on one.
So, after a few trips to High Country Performance 4x4 in Englewood, CO, I wound up with a Carli Pintop 2.5" diameter kit, which gives 3" of lift. Carli makes *awesome* stuff. It's super well tuned, very well designed, and very well built. These guys don't mess around and that's why I bought the kit. I couldn't be happier, but my wallet felt it haha. New 2.5" body remote reservoir shocks all around, a mini pack to replace the overload in the back, new coil springs in front, a new adjustable track bar, radius arm relocation brackets, sway bar drop brackets, and bump stop drops. Oh, and a blizzard decided to come in the middle of my install, too... whoops!
Once the wallet had recovered from that, it was time to put a winch in the winch bumper. Another trip to High Country Performance 4x4. Brought home this and installed it the next day. Luckily, I was able to sneak it in without removing the whole AEV bumper. I just unbolted the grille, popped it out, and dropped the winch in.
Last, but certainly not least, came the SnugTop. Rebel model, windoors on both sides, and the ProLock for free. Love it so far! Can't wait to get it all set up for storage. I do plenty of camping, fly fishing, and shooting, so all of those goodies as well as camping & recovery gear will eventually find a semi-permanent home back there. Oh, and the dogs now have a nice place to chill! Duke (lab) and Gatsby (Amish, corn fed labradoodle).
Finally, here's how it sits today, waiting to head back into Rocky Mountain National Park for some spring fly fishing and camping this weekend.
