It was supposed to be simple; installing DJM's 2/4 drop kit into the '97 Dodge Ram was only a matter of new coil springs up front and hangers and shackles in the rear. The procedure for installing the DJM parts was pretty straightforward. New shocks are recommended in the rear, and new front shocks are optional. Although the red Ram was meticulously maintained and in excellent condition, eleven years of service made removal of the old rusty bolts and rivets very difficult. So much for simple.
You know what they say about the best-laid plans of mice and men. In any event, a job planned for a few hours took almost a day and a half. The festivities were conducted at the Rapid Transit Auto Center in San Pedro, California, and presided over by very experienced master mechanic, Ralph Isaula. No amount of sweat or four-letter words made the job go any faster or easier.
Except for the rusty hardware, the installation went relatively well. Unfortunately, the Ram's fuel tank, located on the driver side, is so close to the leaf spring main bolt that it cannot be removed without moving the gas tank out of the way. Despite the aforementioned wrinkles, the bottom line is that the big Dodge was lowered exactly 2 inches in front and about 3 1/2 in the rear; it looked sensational and it rode and handled as well as it looked. There isn't much more one can ask of a 2/4 drop kit.
The accompanying photos and captions tell the rest of the story. Check 'em out.
What's In The Box?
The 2/4 lowering kit from DJM Suspension includes new hangers and shackles to drop the rear and new coil springs in front.
 |  |  1.The well-kept '97 Dodge...  1.The well-kept '97 Dodge Ram 1500 extended cab with matching camper cap arrived at Rapid Transit to be lowered 2 inches in front and 4 inches out back. At stock ride height, the front measured 20 inches from the center of the wheel to the lip of the wheelwell, and the rear measured 22 inches. After the measurements were made, the truck was tossed on the lift and the wheels removed. |
 2.Mechanic Ralph Isaula decided...  2.Mechanic Ralph Isaula decided to tackle the back of the truck first. The leaf springs need to be removed so the stock shackles and hangers could be swapped out for the DJM units. Since the truck is on a lift, the rearend was supported with a transmission jack. Usually a squirt or two of lubricant and an air impact gun is enough to loosen the hardware. The impact hammered away making a bunch of noise and luckily the shackle nut finally broke free and came off. |  3.The nut was off, but the...  3.The nut was off, but the bolt wouldn't budge. No amount of wiggling or hammering would get it out. A handheld torch and a big ol` pry bar finally freed the stubborn bolt. The heat was carefully applied to the outer sleeve on the leaf spring making sure not to melt the rubber bushing while another technician pried on the head of the bolt. If that doesn't work, you can either cut off the head with a grinder or get two big breaker bars and try to snap the bolt off. |  4.Removing the hanger, which...  4.Removing the hanger, which obviously hadn't been touched in the Ram's eleven years of life, proved to be a pain in the butt as well. An air grinder was used to remove the head of the rivets holding the hanger to the frame. Then an air hammer with a pointed tip was used to drive the rivets out. With the rivets out, the hanger was whacked from every conceivable angle until it came off the frame. |
 5.The new DJM hanger is bolted...  5.The new DJM hanger is bolted into place easily with new hardware. The new hanger features a raised mounting location for the spring which makes up parts of the rear drop. Applying an anti-seize compound to the mounting hardware will aid in removing the parts later on. |  6.Here's a look at the stock...  6.Here's a look at the stock shackle (left) compared to the longer DJM shackle. The new shackle also moves the spring closer to the bed floor, providing the rest of the rear drop. |  7.To prevent vibration and...  7.To prevent vibration and to assure proper alignment of the driveline, a 3-degree pinion shim is bolted in place. |
 8.The passenger-side fuel...  8.The passenger-side fuel tank must be moved out of the way so there is enough room to remove the main bolt of the leaf pack. Both tank straps were loosened and the tank slid over just enough to get the bolt out. If you don't want to mess with your tank, you could always cut the head off the bolt and push it through the other way. If you do that, make sure you get an acceptable replacement bolt. |  9.The last new parts to be...  9.The last new parts to be added to the rear suspension were the shorter DJM shocks (white). The shorter shock won't bottom out in the smaller mounting confines, and it has specific valving for lowered trucks. |  10.The front of the truck...  10.The front of the truck came apart without a hitch, so all the tires were slapped back on and the truck sent to the alignment rack. |
The Final Word
After getting realigned, the truck was 2-inches lower up front and 3-1/2-inches lower out back. It still rode nice, but it definitely had a more performance feel and ride. The job was much harder than it should have been thanks to all that rust. A little perseverance, a few four letter words, and some power tools finally got it done.