Questions About Shocks/Springs Ram 2500

[chet6.7]

I thank you all for the information,I don't want to spend any more money then I have to,but, I want to improve the capability of this truck with the weight it will carry. Right now when I go over a speed bump I have to crawl,almost dead stop,I would like to roll right over at 10 MPH. I also want to be able to run the washboard at Death Valley at 45 MPH and not worry about the shocks.Thuren mentions cooked shocks voiding his warranty.
I looked at the price of Thuren's 2.5 King's,and the price of the 2.0 Fox's with remote resivor's that he sells,when spending that much it just going to the Kings is the right choice.

 

[chet6.7]

FWIW

 

[chet6.7]

Some info on springs,no spring rates unfortunately. It is not easy to figure out what spring Thuren used for his 26% softer figure.
https://parts.allmoparparts.com/aut...ne/front-suspension-cat/front-suspension-scat

https://parts.allmoparparts.com/aut...gine/rear-suspension-cat/rear-suspension-scat

 

[ttengineer]

The video shows a pretty good difference.I have a Carli anti sway in the front and Thuren's bar in the back,they both helped.Thuren's front springs are 26% lighter,but I don't know what version of the many springs FCA uses he is comparing his against. I do give props to Thuren for making that info available. I asked one of the Carli guys on CF and he said that info was proprietary,as far as I am concerned it is BS.Years ago when I was looking at springs for my Mustang the makers gave the spring rates.The guys I watch from OZ all add higher rated springs as they add weight to the vehicle.I suspect Carli's are not that different,but they don't want to admit it,like I said BS.
On the bumper dropping because of the weight you can follow the link,he was surprised as well.

The video can not be used as a comparison.

It shows a Chevy which has an IFS suspension vs your Ram which has a solid axle coil suspension.

They will react entirely different since the suspension is not even close to comparable.


If you are wanting to do washboards at 45mph you’re going to need different coils AND shocks. For sure fox 2.5s. But kings are rebuildable and pay for themselves after the first rebuild.

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[Bayou Boy]

I tried lower pressures,I didn't like the way it cornered.

You're going to be hard pressed to make the truck ride good over smaller bumps without dropping the tire pressures. You bought a 4 ton HD 4wd truck. If you wanted a vehicle that cornered well while riding like a luxury car, you should have purchased something else. Also, higher pressures on washboard significantly increase the likelihood of flats.

Seriously, the truck will corner better than you think at those pressures, you just might not like the way it feels. If it corners flat, it's going to ride like crap. No way around that with a truck this big and heavy. You might need to reset your expectations of what you really need out of the truck.

 

[chet6.7]

This isn't my first 2500 Ram,I know what to expect,I never said anything about riding like a luxury car.
The tires are wearing evenly at the pressures I run. I tried the lower pressures and took some corners that I have driven in this truck and my previous Gen 2,it could not corner worth a darn. I will put up with a less complaint ride for cornering performance,cornering is important on the central OR and CA coast. In the dirt I will lower pressures,but on the pavement lower pressures didn't work for me. I have been 4 wheeling since the 70's,I have always run lower pressures in the dirt and higher pressures on the street. Unfortunately for my neighbors and I, the city put in an experimental speed bump on my block,it is higher/steeper then all the other speed bumps in town. Maybe rolling over that rim bender is asking too much at reasonable street pressures.
I may have to adjust my thinking on running washboard,but the way these shocks are marketed 45MPH didn't seem out of line. If 25MPH is the figure I can live with that. I understand the weight of the truck,the video I posted using Thuren springs and Overland shocks,that truck looks under shocked to me,which is why I am considering King 2.5's. I like that the Kings are tunable and rebuildable as well. Maybe I have bought into the hype and my expectations are to high?

 

[ttengineer]

No, I don’t think they necessarily are, I just think you could use a little more info on how shocks and springs work.

In layman terms, Shocks control coil springs, coil spring rate controls the ride ... on a Ram.

GM trucks are different.

On a Ram, the stock spring rates are very high, they do this to make sure that it will tow efficiently while not completely riding like a brick.

Thuren and Carli spring rates are lower, BUT, they use taller springs. This allows the suspension to travel more in both directions.

So for your application on a washboard road it would require more force to move the springs if you stayed with stock units. Read speed and weight. The King’s would be valved for either set up. But with the lighter rate springs it would be far more controllable. Shocks will just speed up or slow down the compression or rebound of the spring depending on how they are valved.

Now this is for linear rate springs. Progressive rate springs are a different animal but the basic principle stays the same.

I hope that makes sense.


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[chet6.7]

I just had the truck weighed,9630lbs,almost equally distributed front and rear. I talked with Chris today,we agreed,with the weight I am carrying using the stock rear springs was the best option. Also, we agreed the King 2.5's would be better as well. Chris said an ARB front bumper will lower their coils about 1/2 inch. Since I am using stock rear coils I am wondering about staying with stock coils on the front and just going with Thuren's King 2.5's front and rear. I know the softer Thuren front coils will be more compliant,but I wonder how that will work out with the stiffer stock rear springs. My Gen 2 had stock springs,it was too soft in the front and stiff in the back,it didn't handle that well.I don't want to have a truck that mismatched again.

 

[ttengineer]

If you are going to keep your OEM coils then buy your King’s from Filthy Motorsports. You will not have to wait for them to ship and they will be tuned to the stock coil spring rate.

http://www.filthymotorsports.com/King_OEM_RAM_2500_Shocks_p/king-25001-327.htm


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[chet6.7]

If you are going to keep your OEM coils then buy your King’s from Filthy Motorsports. You will not have to wait for them to ship and they will be tuned to the stock coil spring rate.

http://www.filthymotorsports.com/King_OEM_RAM_2500_Shocks_p/king-25001-327.htm


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I have been thinking about that option,until I weighed the truck I was still thinking about springs all around,hence Thuren.
I have watched all of Filthy's videos,some a few times,he does mention it could take 4 to 6 weeks during the busy season. I don't know when the busy season is but I suspect it is now.
I asked Chris at Thuren if the rear King 2.5's for the stock coils are tuned by Thuren,he said yes. I suspect Thuren will tune a front shock as well.
Do you think a Thuren tune is any better than a Filthy tune?
Do you have an opinion on the front,stay stock because of the weight or go with a Thruen spring?

I have noticed neither Thuren or Carli show a loaded truck in the videos I have seen. Carli has a picture of a loaded truck setting in a parking lot.
Thanks.

 

[TCICapn]

Your guess is correct, we're in the "busy season" now. If I recall correctly they told me it was something like Nov-May. I ordered my King 2.5's around this time last year and it took a good 6 wks to get them.

Can't say enough good things about Filthy though, Ben and I discussed my application for a good 45mins over the phone and he got all the particulars for a great tune. The ride is great empty or loaded, stock leafs in back, coilovers up front. I'd say you're likely to get a great tune from either Thuren or Filthy, probably can't go wrong either way.

 

[trooper+]

Don says somewhere that he doesn’t recommend his coils if you are running a bumper or winch. Things may have changed in the last couple years so take it for what it is. The carli full pack is decent for carrying a load from what I have heard with guys hauling welders and such. That being said, Don seems to be very willing to answer any questions you may have and would be the best person to contact to help you out together a suspension package that will do what you need it to do.

 

[ttengineer]

Don says somewhere that he doesn’t recommend his coils if you are running a bumper or winch. Things may have changed in the last couple years so take it for what it is.

Please do post where you’ve seen that as that is news to me.






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[chet6.7]

I Talked with Ben at Filthy Motorsports,I would not hesitate to give him my business,unfortunately, Kings are 5 to 6 weeks out. I am leaving the stock rear springs in, ended up ordering Thuren 1" front coils with Carli/King 2.5's from CJC.

 

[WILDPEAK]

@chet6.7 How is your suspension setup working ? I'm also looking for some load carrying capacity in the rear. Currently I have the OE 2500 coils with the AEV setup all the way around. Longer coils than OE near the same rate to avoid spacers (AEV method) combined with remote reservoir shocks would be my ideal/theoretical solution, but nobody seems to make this setup. The slinky Power Wagon OE / Carli / Thuren rear springs won't work for many of us (without air bags?), I have been down that road a couple of times now... Most of the power wagon guys like myself end up with Carli or Thuren suspension components but those weren't really designed to handle any load in the rear. Sliders, bed rack, tent, Decked loaded with gear...I'm always at 9k lbs on long trips, I'm not even talking slide-in camper wet weight here... I can't be that "abnormal" at least on this forum. I feel like AEV is the only turn-key load-carrying solution to fit larger tires, which is why I'm on AEV.

I have discussed this at length with Carli, there has been some talk about an "HD" rear coil in addition to their secret menu item slinky coil plus 1in, but I didn't have the patience to wait on this development. I'm not sure if it is in the works still or not.

Longer OE-ish-spec coils, beefy front control arm relocation bracketry, and most importantly a decent set of remote reservoir shocks that can handle a washboard road would much better componentry in my opinion. Im surprised this still doesn't exist on the market.