DROPPING A DUALLY | Installing a Belltech Suspension Kit on a 1994 Dodge Ram

Chris Hamilton . November 15, 2023 . Diesel World

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Making its debut at the 1993 North American International Auto Show, the redesigned 1994 Ram was a sales success and was named “Truck of the Year” in 1994. Sales increased from 95,542 units in 1993 to 232,092 in 1994, 410,000 in 1995, and 411,000 by 1996 when it was prominently featured as the hero vehicle in the film Twister. Sales of this generation peaked at just over 400,000 in 1999 before declining. The purpose of the difference between the light-duty and heavy-duty 2500 trucks was for the heavy-duty 2500 to take the place of the discontinued one-ton single-rear-wheel trucks. Rear axles for the light-duty 2500 trucks were semi-floating, while the heavy-duty 2500 rear axles were full-floating.

As always, to start this suspension upgrade we are going to park the vehicle on a smooth, level concrete or seasoned asphalt surface. We also put blocks behind the rear wheels and made sure the truck was in park.

Here you can see the finished look we are going to achieve. 3 inches doesn’t sound like much, but it makes a massive difference in appearance.

* Note: The main difference between the full- and semi-floating axle setups is the number of bearings. The semi-floating axle features only one bearing, while the full-floating assembly has bearings in both the inside and outside of the wheel hub.*

Lowering these massive metal movers needs to be done right the first time- no cheap do-it-yourself route, or hack jobs like cutting springs. Belltech’s complete component lowering kits include all the parts and pieces you need to achieve not only the look you want, but the ride quality, performance, and safety you need, all at a price almost anyone can save up for.

For the front, we are installing Belltech’s coil drop kit, Part #4776. This also comes with new shorter bumpstops that replace the old ones.

Using a properly rated floor jack, lift the front wheels of the vehicle off the ground. Place support stands, rated for the vehicle’s weight, and in the factory specified locations.

The kits are made up of a variety of combinations of individual lowering components as well as all the grade 8 installation hardware and alignment pieces necessary to achieve the advertised lowering amount. They can be installed with your basic list of tools, along with a weekend of cold drinks and helpful friends.

This particular truck is a business vehicle that is on the road more often than not. It needed to be reliable, non adjustable, and comfortable. A Belltech suspension system – combined with a set of American Force dually wheels – is all that it took to turn this weekend warrior into a daily diva. Let’s follow along with the full install process!