AEV DualSport 4.5" Lift — Power Wagon (Full Short-Arm, L6)

The Power Wagon's factory upper control arm is the binding constraint at lifts above 3". Lift the truck higher than ~3.5" and the factory UCA actually contacts the coil spring at full droop. You need:

1. New coils sized for the lift height + loaded weight
2. Replacement upper control arms with revised geometry that clears the coils and restores ball joint working angle
3. Long-stroke shocks (Fox 2.5 or AEV-spec) with reservoirs
4. Correction brackets for the lower control arm mounting (if not integrated into the UCAs)
5. Sway bar drop brackets (factory sway bar geometry goes wrong)
6. Pitman + idler arm considerations for steering geometry
7. Brake line extensions (factory lines too short)

AEV DualSport RT 4.5" ($6,200 kit) — the reference kit. Includes everything above. Engineered as a system. Mile-for-mile the most popular real lift on Power Wagons. AEV is owned by AAM (the axle maker) so their geometry is dialed-in for the AAM 9.25" front axle.

Carli Pintop 4" ($7,400 kit) — the boutique alternative. Slightly different damping philosophy (Fox 2.5 with custom valving), tunable for desert running. The choice if you want adjustable shock valving and don't mind the premium. Both AEV and Carli are excellent — there's no wrong answer between them.

What this lift does that a 3" lift doesn't:

• Clears 37" tires with minimal trim (only the inner fender liner needs trimming)
• Adds 5-6" of effective ground clearance (vs 3" for the L4 kit)
• Larger shock travel = better high-speed off-road performance
• Restores proper UCA angle so ball joints last 50k+ miles

What it costs beyond the kit itself:

• Installation: 14-28 hours DIY; $1,500-2,500 at a shop
• Alignment: $150 immediate + $150 shakedown at 500 miles
• Re-gear to 4.56 (if running 37s): $1,200-1,800 (see pw-regear-456)
• 37" tires: $2,400-3,200 set
• Wheels or spacers: $300-2,000

Total realistic build cost for "4.5" lift + 37s + re-gear": $12-16k. Plan accordingly.

This is the lift for a Power Wagon you actually wheel hard or do extended overland trips with a loaded rig. For occasional weekend trail use on 33-35s, the 3" kit (pw-lift-mid-3in) is plenty.

This is a 14-28 hour expert-level job that disassembles the entire front suspension. The order matters, and a few steps are where DIYers get hurt or get it wrong.

1. Support the frame on jack stands and the front axle on a separate floor jack — the coil is captive and carries spring load until the lower control arm is dropped under control.
2. Remove the front coils and factory shocks, then the factory upper control arms. At this lift the factory UCAs are the binding part; they're coming out for the kit's replacement arms regardless.
3. Press in the new UCA bushings and install the replacement arms, setting the included correction brackets so the lower-arm and ball-joint angles land in spec. This is the step that determines whether your ball joints last 50k miles or 15k.
4. Install the new coils and long-stroke reservoir shocks, then the sway-bar drop brackets and extended brake lines. Don't reuse the factory brake lines — they're too short and will tear at full droop.
5. Set ride height, then drive it straight to an alignment rack. Run it for 500 miles and align it again — a fresh lift settles, and the shakedown alignment is what saves your new tires.

If you're running 37s with this lift, re-gearing to 4.56 is part of the build, not an afterthought — see pw-regear-456. Owners who want height without this much surgery should look at the pw-lift-coilover-swap or 3" pw-lift-mid-3in path instead.

The factory upper control arm contacting the coil at full droop is not a maybe — it's the whole reason this kit replaces the UCAs. If you try to reach 4.5" on factory arms or a spacer kit, you'll bind the suspension, wreck ball joints early, and lose articulation. Buy the engineered system or stay at 3".

Budget for the whole iceberg, not only the kit. The $6,200 box is half the story: alignment twice, 37" tires, a re-gear, wheels or spacers, and likely shop labor push a real "4.5-inch + 37s" build to $12-16k. Going in expecting the kit price and discovering the rest mid-project is how trucks end up sitting on jack stands for months. And after install, re-torque the control-arm and track-bar hardware after the first few hundred miles — a settling lift loosens fasteners that were dead-on at assembly.

Why it works

• Real 4.5-5" of clearance with proper geometry
• Clears 37s with minimal fender work
• Engineered-as-a-system kits — no mixing-and-matching
• Long-term reliability data from thousands of Power Wagon installs

Trade-offs

• $6-9k for the kit alone, $12-16k for the full build with tires + re-gear
• 14-28 hour DIY install — most owners pay a shop
• Mandatory shakedown alignment at 500 miles (suspension settles)
• Sway bar drop brackets affect on-road body control noticeably
• Brake lines need replacement (extended factory lines or aftermarket Russell stainless)

Tools required

• floor jack rated to 3500 lb
• jack stands x4
• spring compressor
• torque wrench (300+ lb-ft)
• press for control-arm bushings
• alignment gear
• extra hands

Parts

Sources

• AEV DualSport RT — Ram 2500/Power Wagon suspension system
• Carli Suspension Pintop — Power Wagon lift overview
• American Axle (AAM) 9.25" front axle — geometry reference

Related

• 3" Mid Lift — Power Wagon (Coils + Shocks + Correction Brackets, L4)
• Long-Travel Coilover Conversion — Power Wagon (L7 / Race-Prep)
• 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.