Dodge 3″ Pintop 2.5 System, Diesel, 2013+ 3500, Auto-Leveling Air Suspension

Description

2013+ 3500 Ram 3500

This is our Jack-of-all-trades system designed for the air-assist Ram 3500 owner needing massive capacity who’s unwilling to sacrificing handling or ride quality to get it. Raising the Ram platform then adding the 2.5” diameter shocks will support the argument that these trucks should come equipped with 2.5” shocks from the factory. Combine this with elimination of the funky, factory leaf springs in favor of a predictable, progressive pack and all supporting components for the air system to work flawlessly and we’ve come up with the perfect solution for those unwilling to settle for good enough.

Your truck will sit 3”-3.5” higher in the front (cab configuration dependent) with 50% more suspension travel than the factory platform thanks to the taller, lighter rate coil springs. The new 3500, air assist Rams tip the scales with a maximum payload exceeding 6,000lbs. in most configurations. We went back to the drawing board with Deaver Spring and designed a progressive leaf spring pack that lifts the rear 2.5” while drastically increasing unloaded ride quality and maintaining the truck’s capacity. We accomplish this by slightly altering the rear position sensor to ensure the bags are deflated at the new ride height; thus, you’re riding on the progressive springs creating a larger up-travel distance before engaging the airbags for a better ride (less air-spring ramp) Another benefit, these leaf springs are designed to handle the capacity of the truck – should your air-system fail for any reason, you’re not stuck on the side of the road – if loaded to capacity, it’ll squat but you’ll make it home. So what’s the downside? As the weight of the truck is being held by the springs at ride height, your “ALT Trailer Height” button will not function when unloaded to drop the rear 1″ for trailer hookup. This button will function normally when the truck is loaded to tow or haul at the 1″ lower height, if desired, but a couple more cranks of the trailer jack handle was a small price to pay for a better unloaded ride and a safety net for your 3500.

With this leaf pack in place, we went to work on the factory air system. After several revisions, we found the perfect spacer height to achieve full travel of the new leaf springs with the factory bag and built a relocation bracket for the rear height sensor to ensure proper operation of the load leveling system. As the front radius arm drop brackets interfere with the factory air tank, we include a custom bracket and airline to relocate the tank to the spare tire area. The spare tire cavity on these trucks will not accept any larger than a stock size spare; given the recommended 35”-37” tires with this system, it was the logical choice with the nullification of the factory spare. Another perk, it alleviates the Amp Research Step and air tank interference

(worth mentioning as both test trucks, Single Rear Wheel (SRW) and Dual Rear Wheel (DRW), were equipped with these steps that still contacted even with Amp’s bracket).

This system boasts Carli specific, blueprinted, King 2.5” shocks on all four corners. In an effort to provide customers with the best product, we designed a custom piston to determine proper base flow rates to ensure the shock works well in the heavy duty truck platform; we then tuned the shocks around the custom pistons based on the only thing that matters to us, seat-of-the-pants feel. This tuning IS SPECIFIC to the Air-Assist Ram 3500s. We round off ALL our King shocks with oversized shafts machined and polished from a solid piece of 17-4 Stainless Steel. Unlike King’s standard shafts, there is no coating to wear off, weather is far less likely to hurt them and if there is a small chip, you can round the edges with emery cloth to ensure the seal housing isn’t damaged as they’re not brittle like the stock, hardened shafts. The shocks are finished with King oil good to -55° F. Note that all King shocks are built with a plated steel body. If subjected to inclement weather for extended periods, we recommend wrapping your shocks in 3M to provide a moisture barrier that’s replaceable.

When pairing added down-travel with the taller ride height, the position of the factory, front sway bar will need to be altered as well. For this, we offer two options; Billet Sway Bar Drop Brackets or the replacement Torsion Sway Bar (Installed on both pictured vehicles).

When lifting the front end of a straight axle truck, the front axle is pulled off-center unless the proper linkages are addressed. Three inches of front lift equates to an axle shifted toward the driver’s side ¾” and, in the radius arm equipped Rams, lightened caster and slight rearward axle shift. This system includes an Adjustable Track Bar to push the axle back toward the passenger side and provide a stronger link with less deflection for the lifted application. We also include Radius Arm Drop Brackets to recenter your caster adjustment and shift the axle forward to its new center of travel. Everything is included to support flawless operation of all components.

Optional Fabricated Radius Arms (Previous Picture) and Low Mount Steering Stabilizer Shown (Above)

Wheel and Tire:
This system fitment is the same for the SRW and DRW.

Single Rear Wheel:
Up to a 37” tire when utilizing wheels that are no more than 9” wide with 5.75-6” of backspacing. A 12.5” wide should fit with no rubbing on the factory radius arm and only minor trimming required, while a 13.5” will require more trimming and slightly more offset to fit properly. 35” tires will fit with VERY minimal, if any trimming. We Recommend running an 18” diameter wheel for optimal ride quality (more rubber = better small bump compliance) on a 35”-37” E-rated tire running 45psi front, 40psi rear when unloaded.

Dual Rear Wheel:
Up to a 35” tire when utilizing wheels that are near stock backspacing. DRW Wheels are a different animal, entirely. Some want to remove the front Dually spacers and run standard wheels, others run dually wheels with a slightly increased width to run a wider tire. Our recommendation is to increase the width to run a 12.5” wide tire, but keep the offset/backspacing as near to stock as possible to ensure the rear track width remains as narrow as possible. We Recommend running a 17”-18” diameter wheel for optimal ride quality (more rubber = better small bump compliance) on a 35” E-rated tire running 45psi front, 30psi rear (DRW ONLY) when unloaded.