Ask Us Anything: Ram 2500 vs 3500, Tire Pressure, Stock Height Ride, Carli/Thuren 8" or 10" lifts? 

Those dual dampers are horrible. I bought an 07 Megacab and it had a Rough Country dual damper on it already. After a few days I started having an issue with death wobble occasionally, none of my steering components had play, it was tight and rode fine. I took that thing off and just put an OEM style back on, it was like $50 at Oreillys and it fixed my issue. I think that dual damper was picking up the vibrations and bouncing it back and forth until I slowed down.

Those bags absolutely will have a negative impact on ride. There’s no way around it. It’s particularly noticeable if you’re running Thuren or Carli coils instead of the factory rear coils since they’re so much smoother.

Yep! We WISH more people read into this. We have calls every single day where customers are 70k into the wrong truck for their needs and should have bought a 3500.

Always go 3500 when pulling any kind of trailer. Better to have more truck then not enough! Yeah the ride is rough but towing will be much more enjoyable.

@@SLICKW1993 I wouldn't say always, I'm pretty happy with my 2500 and it's versatility on and off road as well as pulling the 13k toy hauler (bumper tow) on the weekends. Sure a 3500 would be even better for towing, but for ALL other things especially off-road I'd rather have the 2500. I will say if my trailer was any heavier, say 15k then for sure I'd be in a 3500 and I'd be running RAM's air assist rear end or Carli LT airbags with the leafs. Or I could get an F150, that's rated for 13,000 lbs these days....LMAO!!

That is correct.

Much appreciated!

The suspension is exactly the same on gas HD Ram and Ford truck! Carli and Thuren do slightly different shock and spring tuning to account for the weight difference, but the overall design is identical.

You aren’t alone 😂

We’re working on more Thuren videos! We just cover what customers have installed at our shop, so we actually don’t have a ton of say in what vehicles or parts we film- it’s up to our customers that do these builds!

Thuren is great!! Got the control arms & track bar on my '06 MegaCab. The powder coat has held up really well here in Nebraska, the body panels on the truck not so much.

One you put a carli set up on them they ride very similar! The dually trucks have a little added stability on road though because of the width.

Just Rams since the 2500s are coil sprung!

Thanks. So an overlander can still stay with a 3/4 (2500, f250) ton truck, as long as it’s an F250, because it’s leaf-sprung at the rear?

It isn’t as big of a deal as people make it out to be. It’s essentially the same as having a couple of friends in the cab!

Thank you for the clarification.

Hands down single wheel! Fitting a dually down technical trails is next to impossible!

Just get larger coils, front leveling spacers make the ride terrible

Sadly that’s pretty much your only option since those trucks have completely different leaf packs than the normal Carli systems, and the rear shocks have a completely different tune. Carli put a TON of effort into that kit. Your other best option is to do a basic Carli Fox 2.0 level.

CJC Off Road do you have a part number or link to that leveling kit because the carli website does not show any leveling kits for factory air assist 2019 3500. I would do that if its available.

Carli doesn’t typically recommend their normal 3500 leveling kits for those trucks since the rear shocks aren’t tuned for those air assist rear leaf springs, but the parts fit and it’s still an improvement in ride quality over stock.

Honestly with towing needs like that, you’d be fine going with a full 3.25” Carli system and just accepting a little squat depending on the pin weight of that GN trailer. We also recommend Timbrens for people that tow occasionally, since you can bolt them in for the tow and have no squat, then take them off for the rest of the time and have amazing ride. If you’re wanting to keep factory payload, then the Carli fox 2.0 level or King 2.5 pintop level will get you a better ride, but keep full factory towing. Keep in mind though that those factory rear springs will hurt ride compared to the four corner Carli systems.

All depends on what you’re doing! The 2500 rides smoother all around, but the 3500 will tow better and actually is capable of more rear travel. If you want to be comfortable, get a 2500. If you want to tow or run the truck hard off road, get a 3500.

@@CJCOffRoad What if you're towing under 10k lbs? Would you still say go with a 3500?

@@rookieallen8439 I tow a 13k lb toy hauler with my 2500 and I'm happy with it especially off-road and I don't even have a Carli setup yet.

We’d recommend doing a 3500 purely for the sake of having more loaded capacity with something like Carli leaf springs.

That’s no problem! It’s just the coil 2500s that falter with that kind of weight.

Nope! Unless you have a long bed, in which case Carli provides a carrier bearing drop.

It's VERY easy to improve the ride on the 2500 so that you have the best of both worlds with it!

A ladder rack will be just fine! However a whole flat of drywall may squat it a little ;)

I lost about 5gpm with a 5'' lift and 37

If MPG matters to you, definitely stay away from the MT tires because of the increased rolling resistance! Tread pattern aside, a lot of it has to do with driving style. For example, if you do a lot of stop and go city driving, you’ll take a significant hit with larger tires because of the added rotational mass and gearing change. If you do mostly highway driving, you actually notice very little impact from 37s or may even see an improvement because of the gearing change.

@@CJCOffRoad thank you so much for the input. I will be sticking with 35s and ATs then. Its too bad because the MTs are the best looking. But i have had my truck for 3 years and its only been off road twice very briefly. The biggest hurdle my tires face is snow and thats where all terrains shine. Plus i dont want to lose mileage. My F350 super duty which is tuned is only getting 13 average mpg. So id hate to see it get worse than that mileage. Thanks again for your input theyve helped me make my decision 👍

For tire pressure you always want to consult the manufacturer load inflation table. That will be the final word on the correct pressure for the given weight of your vehicle.

You can’t. The 1500s are completely different, and these shocks are only long enough for a 3” lift.

You can absolutely do it! We’ve even run 38s on the innov8 wheels. It just takes a little more trimming to make it happen.

Please email us at sales@cjcoffroad.com so we can help!

The HP improvement is small so you will never notice the gain unless you dyno the truck. Even a massive bump of 50hp is too small to notice without a dyno! The primary gain from an intake is extra sound from the turbo.

Ok I was kinda thinking that , thanks for your reply.

We are working on it! With everything happening with COVID, it is slow to get a response from freight companies.

Thank you 😊

Both will be a major step up from factory!

@@CJCOffRoad Then the deciding factor will be small business .I will order the Thuren Kit from CJC. Thanks

The Hemi, tradesman, long bed Ram 2500s will have the highest payload. Ram, lists the payload for every configuration on their website!

We actually recommend having a set of Timbrens that you install when towing and pull off when you’re empty for the 2500 trucks. The airbags dramatically reduce ride quality on 2500 trucks.

CJC Off Road do you have a spec for the timbrens you suggest? We ordered the 2.5” commuter system for a 2020 2500 from you yesterday. Thank you.

Darryl Davy I would talk to people that have airbags. I have the daystar cradle and the wireless one system. I have noticed no decrease in ride quality. I can go from 0 psi - 100psi with the push of a button. I can make my truck ride perfectly level while towing. Get on the Carli owners FB page. You’ll see people recommend airbags.

Are you wanting diesel or gas? Diesel is 3.73, gas is 4.10.

You absolutely can! The Carli coils also add +1 inch in the rear. If you do the -1 coils with the +2.5 front, the truck will sit front high. Keep in mind, if you run the +1 cari coils with a Carli level, you’ll have to run the leveling shocks up front, and the rear shocks from one of the 3.25 kits out back.

@@CJCOffRoad Okay if i were to do the carli 1in coils in the rear, am i able to buy just the rear shocks?

Yep! We can put that kit together for you if you call us.

If its a 5th wheel. 3500 no question.

I own a 19 2500 Cummins, and I tow a 32' toy hauler that is about 9500 dry and 13k loaded. I would consider this to be close to the limit of a 2500 and if my trailer was any bigger/heavier I would be in a 3500. I choose a 2500 because I like to off-road and long-term I want to downsize my toy hauler to smaller/lighter. That said it tows BETTER than expected, I was worried the coils would squat too much with 1200ish pounds tongue weight. With OEM suspension it squats less than 3" when loaded which is less than the Ford Excursion it replaces that had leaf springs with overloads and pretty much was on the bump stops pulling the same trailer. I actually have a lot of suspension travel left over with the new cummins. The only thing I know wont' be ideal after I go to the Carli pintop leveling system is my truck won't be level any longer when loaded, I'll be squating and nose high. But, I'm willing to live with that for all the other benefits that system provides.

That’s heavy for most higher level trim package 2500s depending on the tongue weight of the trailer, but no issue for a 3500. The Ram 2500s have a very low factory payload of about 1,600 to 1,800 pounds.

@@CJCOffRoad my 2020 Tradesman 4x4 Cummins crew payload is 2384. Perfect for me. Trim makes all the difference evidently.

1dumpedviper go look up Dave smith in Spokane Washington

@@jesscolliflower5531 Will do, thank you.

Yep, Dave Smith has some pretty impressive pricing.

CJC Off Road I looked at diesel power products over there while I was waiting for my dads surgery and came across some of your guys videos on how to install the cari ball joints. I’m also lookin to improve ride quality seems like you guys know what your doing with all the information and content you put out. Keep it up..

Give us a call if you ever have any questions!

You don’t want to. The ride with bolt on coil over conversions on a solid axle truck isn’t ideal since they dramatically reduce travel. The only exception is the Carli Coilover bypass set ups, since they completely re-locate the coil buckets, but there’s a lot of custom fab work involved.

king 3.0 is going to be "like" a coilover. the king 2.5 are "like" a coilover IMHO. I have them on my 19 2500. super stiff ride.

@@thehawkguy Nice!

@@CJCOffRoad kool

They can, but you won’t have the custom tuning that really makes the ride impressive. Thuren currently offers a 14+ Ram 3.0 front 2.0 rear option and Carli is about to release a full 3.0 dominator system for the 14+ Ram trucks. Both use King shocks.

@@CJCOffRoad thanks I appreciate it

We do! www.cjcoffroad.com/collections/2500-3500-hd

No videos or pics of any builds ?

"Overlanding" usually involves a lot of camping and cooking gear which can add a ton of weight. Compound that with a heavy camper and you're adding 1,500+ pounds to the back of the truck. The Power Wagon was designed to bridge the gap between a diesel 2500 and a jeep. With softer front and rear suspension a Power Wagon will sag under all of the mentioned weight. Also factor in the power loss form all of the additional weight. Ideally, a diesel 3500 would have the torque/HP, fuel mileage, and capacity to meet every single need. The King shocks under heavy usage will last a lot longer than stock shocks or smaller shocks, but the spring weights would be the limiting factor.

CJC Off Road I agree with everything you said but for me justifying the cost of a 3500 is tough plus the maintenance of a diesel compared to a gas. Also I don’t tow so wouldn’t upgrading a 2500 be more economical? Keep trying to sell me please lol.

You just have to be realistic with your end goal! If you want to have the truck loaded, then you have to get the 3500 sadly! Here’s one more thing to consider: the resale value of the diesel trucks is SUBSTANTIALLY higher than the gas trucks. So, aside from fuel savings, when you go to sell your truck, the diesel will be worth thousands more. That alone justifies the diesel in our eyes.

CJC Off Road thank you!

Payload is your limiting factor with the Power Wagon, and if you are loaded over your payload and ever have an accident on the highway guess who's at fault, even if you didn't cause the accident!

Daniel Dalluge The Carli/thuren and AEV parts do not mix. While I love AEV ‘s styling, their suspension parts leave me wanting more. The ride quality is basically like a stock truck, and it requires permanent cutting and modifications on the truck to run the AEV suspension. Basically the AEV ride is not even comparable to Carli or Thuren quality!

How much does it tow? I’m curious what these guys mean by “heavy” when talking about towing.

We have never been impressed with the air ride set ups. While there’s the stereotype that they’re like riding on a cloud, in reality you’re riding on a thick rubber air bag. Those bags don’t give or flex like a coil, so the off road and on road ride suffers. Essentially you can’t beat the sensitivity and performance of a coil set up. However, air set ups make a lot of sense in situations where towing and payload matter and ride quality doesn’t since they essentially give you the ability to change spring rates on the fly. That’s why you see air bag set ups on semi trucks.

So would air in the back and a Carli setup in the front possible ?

Sure! Ram offers that as a factory option too. The ride is not great though compared to a full 3” Carli sprung set up. If you’re looking at one of these trucks to use as a tow rig, buy a 3500 and not the 2500. The leaf rear handles loads better, and it gives you the ability to run Carli air bags to further supplement towing without ruining the ride. 👍

Why are you trying to get rid of the fuel heater?

Get the "Black Market Cat fuel filter".

@@CJCOffRoad I'm not trying to get rid of it, I'm asking if doing this will get rid of it. I live in Canada, kind of need the fuel heater...

Seriously, dude? Sell your truck immediately and get an Accord

Yes you do! These kits and tuning work no matter what fuel you’re putting in!

Derek Crismond what just because he has a gas engine ? Lol ur narrow minded af. If anything gas 2500s are becoming more and more practical because of all the bs emissions that come with the new diesels

@@zztop5911 Nope. Just the fact that someone would ask if a suspension package would work the same on a gasser as a diesel. My point was, if you don't know that those two things don't have anything to do with each other you should just ride a car that requires nothing but gas in the tank.

We answered that in the video!

Garret Kratzer quick answer is no, they make suspension kits, not lift kits. Their kits are designed for performance and the heights they have available is because thats the peak performance travel.

The biggest difference is the rear suspension and the ability to order the AISIN trans on the 3500.

Your right, but I’ll never understand why they have 2 versions of the Cummins and why the 2500 has 40 less HP and 150 less torque than 3500?

Then you look at an 2020 F250 vs the 2500 and it’s laughable.

Drive them and it’s a different story. You cant argue with the brute pulling force of the Cummins. The powerstroke is faster off the line and has more top end, but when it comes to brute yanking something up a grade, the Cummins is very impressive. The 10 speed trans in the new Ford has really narrowed that gap though!

@@josephscott8120 The base diesel in the 3500 is the same 370/850 Cummins as the 2500. If you opt up to the 400/1000 HO Cummins you get the Aisin trans which is heavier duty to handle the extra hp/tq of the HO engine.

If you ever have a question just call, dm us on social media, or email us!

Yep! You’ll want the high mount for Toyo MT tires and the low mount for everything else.

@@CJCOffRoad I have the thuren king low steering stabilizer and toyo at2s.