Hello eveyone I am brand new to the wonderful world of 4x4's and have many questions. First I would like to get a lift kit for my 4x4 1999 Dodge Ram 1500. Body or suspension? I have been looking and the suspension kits range from $800 to over $1800 for about a five inch lift? Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated. I want to put bigger tires on it also but have no idea where to start. I am in the military and stationed in Germany so getting packages shipped here is also a problem as some companies do not support the troops and won't send stuff to an APO address. ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
Thanks for the imput  

I do not want to sound like a Dodge basher but that model has a weak front axle design. The axle tube is notched on passenger side near diff for a axle shaft disconnecter and this make axle prone to bend/sag with lifts and big tires. Especially if you play hard. When shopping for parts, do get a front axle truss for this truck if you plan to see this through. (I have seen a LOT of lifted dodges with bent front axles that had that axle design)  

Ithink the 2001 model came with an upgraded axle package ,a Dana 44" which is supposedly stronger and bolts right up .Came on the "off road package". Also look at bushwhacker fender flairs ,they may have a cut out design that gives you more clearance for bigger tires! the current hot trend is a moderate lift w/ fender clearance for a more stabil ride and a tougher look.4 wheel parts Wholesalers.com has a pretty good sight to spend a while on.Ime pretty sure they can be of service to ya! welcome to the family! hope you enjoy 4 wheeling in europe,send us some pictures back here in the states!!!  

Thanks for the website info. I will send some pics as soon as I figure out where to go as allot of land around here is protected by German law. What about tire size I hear people talking about 33's and 35's exactly what does that mean? I have 265 75 16 on it now where do the 33in come from. I am really new at this.
Thanks  

The tire youve got now is roughly 31 inches tall.The 33-35 is how tall your tires are, a 285/70/16 would be around 33" tall give or take a few millimeters and a305 to 315 70-16 would be a 35" tire. the 70 part is a percent of the width of the tire,and the 16 is the rim size. now the 285 part ime not too sure of right now,(medicated),think its the width in mm section of the tire. Look in the cataloge you orderd from 4wparts wholesalers when you get it in Germany,you did order one ..?anyway their is a listing of equivalent tire sizes from american to metric,ex- 33-12.50-16 equals 285-70-16 etc. you can have a really tall aspect ratio tire(265-85-16 that means you get a really taller tire than 33" but stability may be affected cause of sidewall deflection/ rim width incompatability. All tires have a recomended rim range they can work in.Good luck wheeler!talk at chu later  

oops a ps. consensus also says that a 9" tire sidewall hight is about optimum for stability. Dont forget about if you want a all terrain or a much more agressive "mud terrain" tire, these are generic terms for the tread design.do they have lift hight laws,or a law that regulates how far a tire can stick outof the fenders of your wagon,if at all? important to check b4 you get spendy.superlift ,rancho,fabtech,are a few companys that do dodges lifts.get to know your equipment and familiarize yourself with it, it may ride like a sports car,but it will show you the underside if you drive it like one go to a local legal briar patch and learn the 4 wheel drive system,look or get the manual,but come on ,its all about common sense,youv already used it ,you found this forum. My personal thing is its not the tool its how u use it. youll be surprised at how much you can do with whatcha got! then when youve found your trucks limits, upgrade! happy wheelin!  

265x85=33.7x 10.5      7-8"
285x75=32.8x 11.5      8"
305x75=34x   12      8-10"
315x75=34.6x 12     8-10"  

Thanks to all for making things here a little bit clearer. I will check with local laws here to see if raising the truck is legal, but we can get away with a whole lot more than the Germans because the truck is regestered with the Americans on the base. Ok any ideas where to get some of the bigger tires out the maybe 33's or 35's remember the military does not pay real well so price is one of the main points in finding tires for me. I was also thinking about a 3in body lift and a 5in suspension lift, is that feasable? I read somewhere that some suspension lifts do not work with a body lift. So where do I stand with that combo? That is if the laws allow that much lift.
Thanks for the help  

look online at goodyear DEUTCHLAND,MICHELIN,SIMEX,ETC.THERES A POINT TO CONSIDER,The gears on your ram are set up for a certain range of tire size,if you go too big it will decrease the performnce so much it will be a dog.see what gears yu have first! in the drivers handbook or on the axles on a tag, then we can start narrowing down the size. heres a simple formula...12 X tire size= gears. So say you have a 33" tire then multiply it by .12" giving you rounda 3.92 ratio,this is close to a 3.73 gear ratio you may have in your truck. What size engine do you have in litre's. an auto matic or manual trans mission? these questions are important cause they will help in deciding what size u can run on your wagon.possible gas engines are   5.2 litre=318ci ,A 5.9 litre=360 ci or a 6cyl,cant remember the size. in the larger 3/4 tons you could get a 5.9 litre cummins. diesle 360 ci.find a mechanic friend and crawl round your wagon. check all the fluids,find designations of the axles,tranny,engine,make sure all is sound before you start modifying ,i know what a drag but it is a mony saver in the long run,then get back to us so we can help ya plan the monsta!  

thanks for the info I am planning a trip to the base auto hobby shop today to do just that, just kinda look it over and maybe start putting some wd-40 or similar product on some of the bolts so they will be easier to remove later. I will do a visual on the undercarage and see where I stand. I will make notes on part numbers etc and fix anything that may need fixing. I will also inquire about some of the German laws about truck height and such, I have seen some lifted trucks here on the base already and will ask some of the guys about some info or maybe a offroad club.  

OK the trip to the post auto hobby shop revealed nothing other than some rusted bolts everything appears stock. I spoke to the mechanics there and they said I can lift the truck as we do not fall under German law but not to high though. I will find out exactly how high is too high Wednesday when I go to the base registation office. I am planning on a 3in body lift and a 5 in suspension lift is that doable?
I also have a set of tires  and wheels picked out that are 305,s how high will that raise the truck with both lifts and the tires combined?
Thanks for all the great help    

IF YOU HAVE 31"TIRES IT WILL LIFT YOUR TRUCK AT THE LOWEST PART OF THE "PUMKIN" THE AXLE HOUSING. I THINK MEASURE THE SIDEWALL HIGHTH ON ONE SIDE OF THE ROLLING COMBO THEN COMPARE TO THE SIDEWALL OF THE OTHER TIRES, THIS MAY GIVE YOU AN APPROXIMATION OF THE LIFT.THE SUSPENTION LIFT WOULD PROBABLY GIVE YOU THE MOST PERFORMANCE FOR THE BUCK.THE CENTER OF GRAVITY GOTS TO BE COUNTERED BY WIDTH AT THE AXLE ENDS,AT LEAST THATS MY HUMBLE OPINION,AND ONE LESS THING TO WORRY BOUT, THINK A 1 INCH BODY LIFT WONT CAUSE TO MANY UNDER BODY MODS TO BE HAVE TO BE EFFECTED TO WORK,GOOD WHEELIN TO YA!  

Hey my name is alex and i kinda have the same problem with my dodge, Im trying to lift my truck but the 4x4 shop told me that with a 5in lift i will only get like 2in lift in the rear cuz my truck came from factory with a 3in block in the rear already, i want to run 35x12.50x18 i did all the measurments and if i do a 5in suspension lift i will clear the tires but with not much room to spare, does this sound right or is the 4x4 shop guy BSing me into buying a bigger lift?  

Hey Alex welcome to four wheeler-ing! i dont know about the 3" block in the back. but either here or the sister mag four wheel and off road, there is a article on how high a lift ya need. also look on the four wheel parts wholesale .com site and look and see if bushwhacker has a set of cut out flares for your year model truck. they give something like 2-3 inches extra tire clearance, so that may be a cheaper option than a bigger lift. ya want a low center of gravity as the tires you want will allow to get the safest handling potential. luck to ya and happy wheelin!
Another cool idea and its just me, but i like the wide tire look, Micky T's HAVE A 33 and 36 15.50 wide tires in 16-18 and 20" sizes.and have ld range D in the 16-18 inch size, the 20" have a load range E. whats all this lead to?
Tire life and performance. the higher load ranges have harder rubber compounds, on a 1/2 tonner, they will last longer and runn better at hot temps,as they have a better heat rating also. the tougher carcass also promotes less tire squirm, so they help[ yer truck handle better, and a final thought, gas milage, the higher air pressure will decreas rolling resistance. the 35.15.50.18 may already be ld range E. a final thought. the taller and skinneyer and harder the tire, the less rolling resistance there is to a point,= better gas milage.hap[py wheelin!  

thanks for the help, i will deffinetly cheack out that website, i also like the wide tire look as well, ive always ever owned and been around fords so this is my first venture into the dodge 4x4 sofar im liking it, thanks again for the advice.