My mother's new husband recently bought a Dodge Ram 2500 with the creek crossing package - 4x4, body way above the axles, and a 6.4 Hemi. He like the winch in front. Maybe he likes the thrill. He let me drive it over Thanksgiving and urged me to get on it. It's fast.

Unfortunately, it's a half inch too tall to make it under the garage door on their new place. They're 20 miles away from Eugene and it's colder there than I would have thought. Major frost on his windshield in the morning.

Plus, it's a bit of a struggle for he and my mom to climb up into.

Sure seems to me that this truck could come down 3 or 4 inches. I'm wondering if it can be done in a factory approved sort of way, at the dealer, so as to maintain any warranty that may be in place. I think it was new when he bought it. Only has 1500 miles so it's likely.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

I don't know anything about Dodge trucks, but from looking at the photo it would seem this vehicle has been "lifted" - maybe not in the since some would think of "lifted", but it does not look like a std. setup for a pickup. The gaps between the coil springs seem larger than what a std. spring would look like.

He only wants to drop the height by a very small amount - seems like some shorter coil springs might buy him that.

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Mike Murrell
1991 300-SEL - Model 126
M103 - SOHC
"Fräulein"

Am i the only one who finds it hilarious that an old guy buys an overheight truck for river crossings and now needs his son in law to look into lowering it so he can actually get in it?

My suggesting is he just needs to deal with parking the truck outside and get some step bar extension steps so he can get in, OR he needs to trade it back for a lower version of the truck and buy a winch and install it on that one.

Lowering a brand new specially optioned truck for off road seems like it would devalue it.

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This post brought to you by Carl's Jr.

It is unfortunate. I don't know if hilarious is the word I would have gone with. He's 95 and not senile by any stretch but a bit impulsive. Amazing how strong he is for his age. He has a big ranch that he gets timber and grazing from. I went with him to his grand-daughter's place where he's fattening up 4 steers for slaughter and watched him pull on rubber boots and wade through the mud to get them some hay. Does it twice a day.

He's alert and witty but the truck decision was not especially prudent. I just hope I can go down and pay cash for a rig when I'm his age.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

A buddy of mine says he doesn't think winches are factory mounted. So it could be this was not exactly a new, stock truck. I also thought it was a bit high for right off the showroom floor.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

If it only needs to be lowered about an inch to get in the garage, cutting down the springs by enough to achieve that will work but it will miserably mess up the suspension if much more than that is removed. Smaller diameter tires would achieve the same kind of results. Each or both ways are ~ inexpensive as that kind of quasi fix goes.

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Toyota is a leader only because their drivers block everyone behind them. Oh what a feeling.

fwiw, dealers have other vendors put common accessories on new trucks with some frequency. I bought a truck a while ago and asked the dealer to add some goodies which could not be factory ordered. The goodies were installed locally and the additional cost was just added to the purchase price

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Toyota is a leader only because their drivers block everyone behind them. Oh what a feeling.

Ram Power Wagons have winches factory mounted behind the bumper.

So basically he bought the wrong truck? He bought the Power Wagon when he should have bought the regular 2500 or even better a 1500 with air suspension.


I'd trade it in, the hit he takes now will be less than later when he tries to sell it. If not he can probably pay someone to swap out the coils and whatever else they changed underneath. But again by the time he pays for that, and takes the resale hit it will be cheaper to just trade it in.

This is why you see vehicles on the lot with 1500 miles on them. Depending on options the truck should sticker for mid $60k; does it have the sunroof and leather? Ram Boxes? 8.4in Uconnect with navigation? Sale price before taxes was probably around mid $50k, since gas is cheap and that's a popular model he should be able to get a decent buck trading it off. Maybe high $40k range, to $50k.


It should be fast that motor puts out 420hp and it has 4.10s in it. Sway bar disconnects and electric lockers front and rear, as well as the winch and Bilstein shocks; its a serious off road vehicle. The only downside is the switch to Goodyear tires from BF Goodrich. That happened AFAIK for the 2016 models which that should be.

All that truck needs is a set of bead lockers and some better tires to be seriously unstoppable.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

In my truck dodge there is a 1" block raising the back end. That can be flipped to the top of the axle to lower the bed 1". It does not change the spring rate but does lessen the available travel. I had it that way for a while but when hauling large weights the axle would hit the rubber. That truck might have 4 to 6" blocks that could be removed or swapped out for shorter ones. Front springs might be special or might have blocks too (just guessing on the front).

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

That truck has coil suspension all around, not blocks like on the old leaf spring rigs.

Its more or less a G Wagon suspension and 4wd set up.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Really? Impressive!

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Add a central tire inflation/deflation system and let some air out to get in the garage. May be simpler to enlarge the garage opening.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Ballast.

1. Pull truck up to garage opening.

2. Engage "4LO" on transfer case, shift transmission into "1"

3. Depress accelerator pedal firmly until garage opening is properly enlarged. CAUTION: Press brake pedal firmly once enlargement is completed, unless carport configuration is desired.