I ordered a 2.5" hell bent steel leveling kit. Do i need those sway bar link drops or longer shocks or anything else to go with the kit or can i just put them in and align it?

 

Good Morning. Not to say you shouldn't, but most folks I know just put them on and get it aligned. I never even aligned my truck. I just stuck them in and left it alone - for better or worse.

 

Need? No but it would help. I put the MAxx-links sway bar links on mine and it helped level the sway bar out. They're cheap and one of the parts that fail on the Dodge front end rather quickly anyway. THe shocks should be fine.

 

With a 2.5", longer shocks would be a must on my rig. The stock shocks are junk, anyway.

Sway bar links aren't gonna hurt, either...but are easy enough to swap later on down the road if you feel you need 'em.

The roads where I live are so terrible, an alignment won't last before you make it home.

 

Adjustable track bar is the first thing I would do and get the front end slid back in line. I did Maxx links because their cheap.

 

I put spacers in mine. I made two steel blocks to drop the sway bar on the frame. Later this interfered with my Boss Plow in case you care. You'll have to change the shocks really or risk bottoming them out. It shifted the axle about 3/8" so I lengthened the track bar by cutting it in half, turning a sleeve, and welding it back together. Most people would either live with it doglegging, or buy an adjustable track bar. Good luck.

 

My 2" will max out my shocks on droop on a big bump, so the 2.5" will do it more. Also 2.5" would probably need a trac bar upgrade.

 

thanks guys

 

would recommend bilstein 5100's, and tell your alignment guy you want between 0-4 degrees positive caster, if you can get it.

 

I totally agree.

 

Zero degrees? I don't think so. You want at least 2.75 if I remember correctly. Lots of guys run 4 to 5 degrees. Zero degrees means the truck has no positive caster at all, and these trucks need as much as they can get.

 

On my 2in level kit I used Bilstein 5100 2in over stock from autozone, $75.

 

5 degrees on mine = death wobble, 2.5 was as close to zero as they could get, no deathwobble. Leveling kits increase positive caster, which gives steering geometry more turn in and return to center, but decreases stability in the front end. Most leveled trucks will only be able to tune to about 2-3 degrees, and if not specifically addressed, will run about 5-6.
At least thats been my experience

 

...and how does this happen?

 

That's real cheap for 5100's, were they on sale?