2013 Ram 1500 MaxTrac 7-Inch Lift System Installation

Driving a lifted two-wheel-drive truck always sparks a debate over the hows and whys of such a modification. We’re not pointing fingers, but generalizations about lifting a truck without the benefit of a front axle are usually sparked by those in the climate zones where a four-wheel drive is more necessity than luxury. In the sunny Southwest, where desert sands far outnumber the snowflakes and the mud pools, a lifted truck is fun and the front axle is definitely optional. Spawned by the high-speed off-road racing in the area, two-wheel-drive lift kits have grown beyond the so-called prerunner style into systems capable of keeping up with similar four-wheel-drive kits for overall height. MaxTrac Suspension in Anaheim, California, recently developed a brand-new addition to its catalog of Ram 1500 accessories. Available for any cab and bed combination, the new 4-inch lift spindles and coils allow enough room under the 2009-2013 Rams for 37-inch tires. That’s pretty impressive for only seven inches of front and four inches of rear lift.

"Thanks to MaxTrac’s new 7-inch lift kit, this Ram 2WD cleared 37-inch tires with no rubbing and looked good doing it."

A new ride height allows you to completely transform the look of your truck with new wheels and tires. Making the most of the extra seven inches, we bolted the latest new tire from Dick Cepek -- the Fun Country. Marketed as an all-terrain tire, the Fun Country provides excellent off-road traction while not being too loud or riding rough. Best of all, Dick Cepek is making the tire in most of the popular sizes, including the 37x12.50R20 we installed on this Ram. Wheels make or break the look of a truck and we nailed the look this 1/2-ton Ram by bolting on a set of 20x9 BMF F.I.T.E.. wheels. BMF are the originators of the black wheels with real aluminum milling, and with the Ram’s five-lug bolt pattern, the F.I.T.E.. wheel looks awesome in a five-spoke design. To get the new suspension lift and wheels and tires installed, we contacted LGE-CTS Motorsports in San Dimas, California. Having been a staple in our pages for the last ten years, LGE-CTS has everything needed to transform your truck into a head-turning ride. We followed along as LGE-CTS Motorsports installed the MaxTrac system and showed us how easy it was to rise above the crowd.

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  |   7. Slowly lowering the floor jack allowed the tension to be carefully released so the coil could be taken off the Ram.

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  |   14. Lifting the rear suspension to equal the front was a much simpler affair. It began by unbolting sway bar endlinks from the frame.

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  |   21. Before: Our two-wheel testbed happened to be about as bone stock as possible. The only modification to the truck was dark window tint to ward off effects of the glaring Southern California sun.   |   22. After: Talk about a difference! You decide which ride you’d rather be behind the wheel of, but that decision is easy for us. Let’s go have some fun.