Rough Country Lift Kit - 2004 Dodge Ram 1500 - Install

Rough Country Lift Kit 2004 Dodge Ram 1500 Lift Kit

Rough Country Lift Kit 2004 Dodge Ram 1500 Left Side View

Most prerunners are two-wheel-drive vehicles, and we've featured quite a few in our pages. The "2WD" tag isn't a forbidden acronym here at OFF-ROAD, and as such we aren't limited to 4x4 tech in the way our sister publications are. Sometimes, readers tell us that, although they don't need a prerunner-level build for their 2WD truck, it would be nice to have some extra clearance and all-terrain tires. In some cases, the aim is to outfit the truck for some light off-road exploring, in others, improved approach and departure angles (and better tires) allow a truck to get to a better spot to unload dirt bikes or other toys. With this in mind, we got our hands on a Rough Country Suspension 6-inch 2WD kit that allowed 35-inch tires to be mounted on a buddy's '04 Ram 1500.

Rough Country has been making suspension components since, well...forever, and we've had good luck with its lift kits in the past. Besides that, Rough Country is one of the few companies that offers suspension support for the pre-'06 2WD Dodge truck. In 2006, Dodge trucks went to a new strut suspension that is shared on both the 2WD and 4WD platform.

We took a crack at installing this Rough Country Dodge kit in less than a day at our very own Source Interlink Tech Center located in our headquarters. How'd it go? Read on for a full report.

Rough Country Lift Kit 2004 Dodge Ram 1500 Tech Center

1. We accomplished our install at our new Source Interlink Tech Center. Our company got a full supply of Snap-On tools and Direct-Lifts to let us do entire installations by ourselves, time permitting....

To match the Rough Country 6-inch lift we got for our '04 2WD Dodge 1500, we acquired a pair of tried-and-true 35x12.50R17 BFG All-Terrains.

2. Massive spindles were included to replace the stock units, burly sub-frame supports dwarfed the OEM cross-members, and the coil springs were totally replaced instead of adjusted with a spacer. New sway bar links with ball joints were an especially nice touch.

In the rear, we opted for a 3-inch block and new shocks. Total cost on this kit? Only $900.

Before and After
To show the difference the Rough Country Suspension makes, we shot before and after pictures using the same stock wheels and tires.

The kit didn't seem to lift our front end quite the full 6 inches-something that we were pleased about. We didn't want too much of a prerunner rake on the truck.

And since tire and wheel packages play an important part in suspension tuning, we were able to feel the difference that the Rough Country Dodge kit made by itself. Being 6 inches higher, the body roll was increased a little, but nowhere near feeling unsafe. It did feel a little tighter-most likely due to the brand new Hydro 8000 shocks that replaced the original stock ones.

3. The new knuckles keep the upper control arms in the stock location, but allow for the subframe drop brackets. The steering connection point is also raised to account for the extra lift, but you'll still have to align the vehicle once the lift installation is done. To get the old knuckles off, you'll need to remove the nuts on the upper and lower ball joints, and use a large hammer to whack (hard) the knuckle around the upper ball joint and lower ball joint.
3. The new knuckles keep the upper control arms in the stock location, but allow for the s
4. Two new subframe drop crossmembers go in place of the original lower control arms. New hardware is included.
4. Two new subframe drop crossmembers go in place of the original lower control arms. New
5. The factory lower control arms slip directly into the Rough Country subframe crossmembers. The stock hardware is reused on the control arms.
5. The factory lower control arms slip directly into the Rough Country subframe crossmembe

6. The sway bar is retained, but moved forward an inch to account for the swing of the new knuckles when turning.
6. The sway bar is retained, but moved forward an inch to account for the swing of the new
7. Instead of spacers, brand new lift coil springs are used in the Dodge 1500 2WD suspension. An effective way to install the coils and then the new knuckles is to use a jack under the control arm to compress the coil spring. Make sure to leave the lower control arm hardware loose until you install the knuckle.
7. Instead of spacers, brand new lift coil springs are used in the Dodge 1500 2WD suspensi
8. Once the knuckle is put on the ball joints, you can tighten up the ball joint nuts, install the steering tie rod onto the knuckle, and install the provided Hydro 8000 shocks. Remember to tighten up the control arm bolts at this point.
8. Once the knuckle is put on the ball joints, you can tighten up the ball joint nuts, ins

9. The original unit bearings and brakes bolt directly to the new knuckles. The whole kit turned out well, and was subtle. Once we get some dirt on the new parts, the aftermarket suspension components will barely be noticeable.
9. The original unit bearings and brakes bolt directly to the new knuckles. The whole kit
10. In the rear, Rough Country included 3-inch blocks, new U-bolts (never reuse U-bolts), and new Hydro 8000 shocks to replace the stock ones. By lifting the front 6 inches and the rear only 3, the truck will sit more level.
10. In the rear, Rough Country included 3-inch blocks, new U-bolts (never reuse U-bolts),
BEFORE

AFTER
To keep our truck working with a low-profile theme, we called Buy Wheels Today and got a set of BWT Raptor 17-inch black powdercoated wheels to mount on our white Dodge 2WD truck. Since we were going from a smaller tire and bigger (20-inch) wheel package, we were going to be gaining more sidewall with our 17-inch wheel and 35-inch tire package. That extra sidewall equates to a softer and smoother ride.
To keep our truck working with a low-profile theme, we called Buy Wheels Today and got a s
Satisfied with the suspension install, we headed to the America's Tire Company location in Costa Mesa, California, so the 35x12.50R17 BF Goodrich All-Terrains could be mounted on 17x9-inch BWT 'Raptor' wheels. Satisfied with our handsome wheel-and-tire combo choice, we headed out to the dirt in order to get a feel for the new mods.
Satisfied with the suspension install, we headed to the America's Tire Company location in

Sources
BFGoodrich P.O. Box 19001 Greenville SC 29602 877-788-8899 www.bfgoodrichtires.com	America's Tire Company n/a 714-979-1155 www.americastire.com
Rough Country Suspension 1400 Morgan Road Dyersburg TN 38024 800-222-7023 www.roughcountry.com	Buy Wheels Today.com 3965 Virginia Ave Cincinnati OH 45227 888-861-4879 www.buywheelstoday.com