You love your lifted Dodge Ram and quite frankly, we do too. With that said, there are lots of things you could do that will make us not like your lifted your truck as much. So, how about we remain friends and you avoid doing these mods if you can help it, mmkay?
Dodge Ram 1500 lift kits are great, but there are plenty of mistakes you can make. In fact, and custom job can be ruined without the proper care attention, and without the appropriate levels of taste! So while we’re focusing on lifted Dodge Ram trucks, some of these could apply to trucks with lowering kits, or any custom truck out there!
Chrome (Too Much)
Don’t get me wrong; we are a fan of chrome. It looks great in moderation on a vehicle. It can give an average looking car the class it needs to jump to the next level. The great thing about chrome is that you only need a little to make a big impression.
When it comes to your lifted Ram, it is easy for you to go overboard. It’s almost like an addiction for some people once they get started. A little chrome here, a little more there and suddenly you’ve decided the entire truck needs to be chrome!
Have you ever seen a lifted Dodge Ram 1500 Big Horn in all chrome? We have! Someone needs to intervene and tell you to stop. That’s what real friends do, so today, we’re here to be that friend for you.
Cut that shit out right now.
Even if you don’t do your truck completely in chrome, you can still do it wrong. For example, stay away from that stick and peel trim that looks like chrome. That’s just plain tacky. Just because they made an easy to use chrome trim doesn’t mean you should actually use it on your crew cab.
Vertical Doors
Vertical doors are called by many names. You might find them as scissor doors, Scorpions or Gullwing doors. Whatever you’ve named them, don’t install them! I don’t care what anyone tries to tell you; outfitting your lifted truck with these doors will not make it look like a Ferrari.
The reason you own a lifted Dodge Ram 2500 is because you are rough and tough. You are not meant to look high-class and luxurious. Scissor doors look great on a Tesla but not pickup trucks.
So, if vertical doors are a must for you, buy a Model X, but be aware that we’ve heard they are not free from glitches.
Excessive Use of LED Lights
By now you probably think we don’t believe in making your lifted Dodge Ram look good, but that’s not true. You can get one hell of a look to your pickup when done with taste. This, however, is not a good example of what a classy truck would look like.
This look with all the LED lights makes me think I’m visiting a tanning salon. That’s just far too much light for a truck, especially once you’ve installed the Dodge Ram lift kit.
Here’s a good rule of thumb for you to follow. If your truck’s lights are as bright as the street lights, you’ve gone too far. Not just that, but you might find yourself with a hefty fine as well as many local authorities are outlawing the use of LEDs due to distraction.
If you hope that your lifted pickup looks like a nightclub, then this is the perfect look. If, however, you want to portray an off-road beast instead, stay away from the lighting and spend your money on something that is worthwhile.
Cheap Cargo Net
This mod just doesn’t make any sense for your lifted Dodge Ram. Why in the world would you want to remove the solid and sturdy rear gate which latches securely to hold all your belongings and replace it with netting?
First, have you ever tried to put one of those nets on? You have to stretch it so far; it becomes clear that it could easily snap. When that happens, there goes everything in the bed of your truck down the road. Granted, this shouldn’t occur if you use a high-quality cargo net, but we are talking about the cheap versions.
Furthermore, installing a cargo net does not improve your fuel economy or performance. Tests have shown that the net will have the opposite effect; causing an increase in turbulence and drag.
More importantly, the cargo net just looks silly. Skip this option.
Fake Hood Scoop
This upraised component that is placed on the hood has no purpose at all. While it’s meant to mimic a true cowl induction hood, this fake piece of material can’t direct any air flow to the engine.
The purely decorative addition doesn’t enhance your performance in any way and is a waste of money. Not just that, but anyone that looks under your hood will know you are a fake. Refrain from adding stupid accessories to your quad cab and invest in something that makes a difference.
If you want to throw your money away on useless things, I will happily accept donations. Instead, why not use that money for something worthwhile. You could easily install a cowl induction hood that has a purpose and it will look good. Fake air intakes…no thanks!
Chopped Muffler
Chopping your exhaust with a hacksaw or removing the muffler doesn’t make you cooler. Furthermore, why do most people that engage in this idiotic task feel the need to brag about it? They always seem to be the loudest and most boisterous – sort of like their trucks.
Sawing apart your tailpipe doesn’t make your truck perform better. All this does is create a loud and obnoxious sound to those around you. Your truck is not a Harley and it shouldn’t sound like one either.
Vertical Exhaust
Speaking of exhausts, let’s get something else straight. Running vertical exhaust pipes out of your truck bed normally looks ridiculous. I’ll admit there are times when it can be done tastefully on a Laramie Longhorn, but that isn’t normally the case. Think about how you feel when you see that four-inch chrome exhaust coming from a compact car. That’s what it looks like to others when you install a vertical exhaust.
In addition, if your lifted Ram is a gas-powered truck, it sounds horrible as well. If this is something you feel must be done, consider a custom exhaust job instead. You could get an aggressive muffler and then run the pipes up the side of your cab. That’s a far better option.
Truck Nuts
Wow….do you see what this guy did? Not only does he have the vertical exhaust from above, but then he had to show how classy he was and add some balls to the trailer hitch. Now, he just needs to add a suspension lift to his 4×4 crew cab and put the testicles on the bumper so the balls are right in your face when you are behind him.
This has got to be one of the weirdest truck mods available. Some people just have too much time, energy, and money in their lives. If you get a new Dodge Ram 1500 4×4 truck, don’t ruin it with these awful accessories.
Little Tires
See what happened here? This guy took a very nice lifted pickup and left little tires on it. If you can afford to purchase a lift kit but aren’t sure you can do the tires at the same time…wait. Save your money until you are able to do both at the same time.
Driving a 6 inch lifted Dodge Ram with little tires reminds me of those clowns on stilts – it belongs in the circus. Lifted trucks should look classy, not cheap.
You need bigger tires. You need bigger wheels. Wheels, tires, come on – they’re not something you can ignore! If you’re driving a massive Ram 1500 4×4 crew cab, it needs to roll on something appropriate in size, right?
Murals
You like to hunt – we get it! Does everyone on the road need to know what your hobbies are? Adding artwork to your otherwise stunning truck just creates an eyesore to those around you. This doesn’t enhance the appearance of your Ram.
This is almost as bad as having a topless woman painted on the truck. It’s just as tacky.
Instead, why not spend your money on things that actually improve your ride, like some tidy fender flares, new running boards, floor mats, seat covers, upgraded front bumpers, upgraded rear bumpers, Tonneau covers, or brand new bull bars or roll bars for when you’re thrashing through rough country roads?
What to do With Your Lifted Dodge Ram
Now that we’ve truly beaten you over the head with what not to do, here are our three top tips on mods for your lifted Ram. If you have the money to make upgrades, make these the most important.
Start off with a bed liner. Many manufacturers already offer this when you make the truck purchase, but there are many beds mats and floor options out there. You can choose a spray-in or plastic insert for your Big Horn. Just be sure to research them carefully as they both come with their own list of pros and cons.
Your next upgrade would be a toolbox in the back of your Mega Cab. Most people own trucks because they have to get a job done. A toolbox provides an obvious home for those tools, but it’s great to store just about anything in. I’ve even seen people use the storage space as a little cooler, which works great for truck camping trips!
Remember earlier when we said to do the tires at the same time as your lift? That’s because the tires are going to make or break the entire lift, so choose wisely. Ditch the all-terrain option and put something rugged and tough on your ride. This holds true when you lift a Jeep Wrangler as well, or a GMC Sierra.
It’s your turn! What are some mods you’ve seen on Ram vehicles that you wish didn’t exist? Or how about mods that everyone should definitely install like upgraded control arms or aftermarket differential ring pinion setups? Sound off in the comments below!
