Budget Lift Kit for the Power Wagon — 2"-2.5" Front Leveling on a Solid Axle

The Power Wagon runs a coil-sprung solid front axle — an AAM 9.25 beam located by upper and lower control arms and a track bar, with separate coil springs and shocks. There are no struts and no CV half-shafts up front, which is exactly why a budget lift is mechanically honest on this truck: you are swapping or spacing a coil spring on an axle that does not care much about 2" of extra height. The rear is a five-link coil setup, and it stays untouched — Ram builds the truck with the nose lower than the tail so it levels out under payload. Unloaded, that rake costs you visual stance and, more importantly, approach angle.

What 2"–2.5" of front lift buys: a level truck, meaningfully better approach angle for trail entry, and clearance toward 35" tires without significant trimming. What it does not buy: any of the geometry correction, longer-travel damping, or rear height that define a real suspension system — that territory starts at the mid-lift tier.

Coil spacers ($130–180). Rough Country's 2.5" kit stacks a spacer above the factory front coil. Cheapest path to level, fully reversible, rides exactly like stock because it is stock — same spring, same shock. The factory shock is near its extension limit at 2.5", so droop travel shrinks slightly.

Replacement leveling coils ($300–450). BDS's 2" kit and Thuren's 2" front coils replace the spring instead of spacing it. Thuren's coils are wound softer than factory for ride quality on washboard and are the standout at this price — this is where most owners who wheel the truck should land. Pair with fresh dampers if the factory shocks have miles on them; see the shock guide for what actually fits a leveled truck.

Coils plus matched shocks ($600–900+). Carli's leveling packages bundle their coils with tuned 2.0 shocks. This is the top of "budget" and the bottom of their real systems — buy it if the plan stops here, skip it if a full mid-lift is coming later.

The track bar and drag link now sit at a slightly steeper angle. At 2"–2.5" this is within what the factory geometry tolerates, but it is why the axle shifts a few millimeters toward the driver side and why the alignment matters. Caster stays close enough to spec that no correction parts are needed at this height — that changes above 3", which is one reason the mid-lift costs what it does. If the front end develops a shimmy after the lift, stop and inspect the track bar and its fasteners first; the Articulink front-end explainer covers how this axle is located and why the track bar carries the load. And before sizing tires around the new height, read the weight-reality guide — a 3/4-ton on 35s asks more of brakes and axles than the same tires on a half-ton.

Steps

1. Break front lug nuts loose, raise the front, and support the frame on rated stands ahead of the front spring perches.
2. Remove the front wheels. Support the axle with the floor jack.
3. Unbolt the front sway-bar end links and the lower shock bolts so the axle can droop.
4. Lower the axle slowly until the front coils unload. On this suspension the coils lift out at full droop — no spring compressor is involved. If a coil binds, loosening the axle-side track bar bolt buys the last bit of droop.
5. Install the spacer on top of the factory coil (spacer kit) or seat the new coil (coil kit), making sure the spring end indexes into the perch pocket.
6. Raise the axle back into position, then reinstall shocks and sway-bar end links. Torque control-arm and track bar fasteners at ride height, not at droop — bushings torqued at droop bind and wear out early.
7. Reinstall wheels, torque lug nuts to Ram 2500 spec, and lower the truck.
8. Get a front-end alignment and have the shop check steering-wheel center — the track bar will pull the axle slightly off-center at the new height.

Why it works

• Corrects factory nose-low rake and improves approach angle
• 2"–2.5" front lift clears 35" tires with minor or no trimming
• Coil spacers and coils are both reversible; no spring compressor or cutting involved
• No caster or track bar correction parts required at this lift height

Trade-offs

• Front-only by design — the rear five-link coil suspension stays at factory height
• Factory shocks run near their extension limit at 2.5"; droop travel shrinks slightly
• No geometry or damping upgrade — this is stance and approach angle, not performance
• Track bar pulls the axle slightly off-center at the new height; alignment required

Tools required

• floor jack
• jack stands
• socket set
• torque wrench
• pry bar
• jack stand or second jack to support the axle

Parts

Sources

• BDS Suspension — 2" Leveling Kit, Ram 2500 4WD
• Carli Suspension — Ram 2500 leveling and suspension systems
• Thuren Fabrication — Ram HD coils and suspension

Related

• Mid-Tier Lift for the Power Wagon — 4"-6" Full Kit ($1,500–$4,000)
• Leveling Kit — Power Wagon (Booster Lite L1)
• All Ram Power Wagon guides & tools
• Browse the full DIY database

Written and maintained by an AZ wheeler and driveway wrencher. How we source guides. Always cross-reference your factory service manual — modifications affect vehicle safety and warranty. Work at your own risk.