This AI-generated draft has not been independently verified for your vehicle. Confirm engine, trim, build date, tool fitment and torque specifications against the relevant service information before buying tools or starting work.
The DT Ram 1500 makes this job easier than most trucks: the front spring and shock are a single coil-over that bolts in with three nuts up top and one long through-bolt at the bottom. Buy complete (pre-assembled) units and you never touch a spring compressor. The real work is supporting the lower control arm with a second jack and wrestling the unit out through the wheel opening without bending a brake line or ABS wire.
The thing people get wrong is the air-suspension trucks. If you do not put the 4-corner system into service/transport mode before you start, the compressor fights you and you end up with stored faults and a truck that sits crooked; and even with everything done right you need a scan tool to run the ride-height calibration when you are finished. Second most common mistake: skipping the alignment. Pulling the coil-over changes camber and toe enough to eat a front tire.
| Item | Type | Product search |
|---|---|---|
| Scan tool with Ram chassis coverage Air-suspension equipped trucks only (service/transport mode, ride-height relearn) Puts 4-corner air suspension into service mode so it will not try to level itself, and re-calibrates ride height afterward. | Required | search retailer |
| Breaker bar 1/2 in drive, 24 in Cracks the 22 mm lug nuts and the lower shock through-bolt loose. | Required | search retailer |
| Lug nut socket 22 mm 6-point, 1/2 in drive (thin-wall for alloy wheels) All DT 1500 wheels use 22 mm hex, M14x1.5 lug nuts. | Required | search retailer |
| Floor jack 2.5 ton minimum, low profile Lifts the truck at the frame; a half-ton truck needs real capacity. | Required | search retailer |
| Jack stands 3 ton pair, tall Supports the frame while the front wheels hang. | Safety | search retailer |
| Second floor jack or bottle jack 2 ton Supports and controls the lower control arm as spring load is released and reapplied. | Required | search retailer |
| Wheel chocks Keeps the truck from rolling with the front end in the air. | Safety | search retailer |
| Socket set, metric 3/8 in drive, 10-19 mm 6-point Upper mount nuts (15 mm) plus brackets, splash shields and wire clips in the way. | Required | search retailer |
| Socket and wrench for lower through-bolt 21 mm socket, 1/2 in drive, plus 21 mm combination wrench Holds the nut while turning the long lower control arm through-bolt. | Required | search retailer |
| Extensions and swivel/wobble adapter 3/8 in and 1/2 in drive, 3 in and 6 in The three upper mount nuts sit in a tight frame pocket above the tire. | Required | search retailer |
| Torque wrench 1/2 in drive, 30-250 ft-lb Lug nuts and lower through-bolt are high-torque and must be set correctly. | Required | search retailer |
| Torque wrench 3/8 in drive, 10-100 ft-lb Upper mount nuts and sway bar links are in the low range. | Recommended | search retailer |
| Stabilizer bar link tools 18 mm or 19 mm socket plus hex/Torx counterhold (commonly 6 mm hex or T50) Disconnecting the sway bar link gains the extra control arm droop needed to drop the unit out. | Recommended | search retailer |
| Pry bar 18-24 in Persuades the lower control arm and shock eye into alignment for the through-bolt. | Recommended | search retailer |
| Alignment punch / tapered drift 3/8 in Lines up the lower shock eye with the control arm ears so the bolt slides through. | Recommended | search retailer |
| Air line disconnect pick set Air suspension trucks only Releases the quick-connect air line collar at the front air spring without damaging it. | Recommended | search retailer |
| Penetrating oil Lower through-bolt and upper nuts seize in salt-belt trucks. | Consumables | search retailer |
| Wire brush Cleans the frame bracket and control arm bores so the new unit seats flat. | Consumables | search retailer |
| Anti-seize or clean thread lube Light coat on the lower bolt shank (not the threads under torque spec) helps future removal. | Consumables | search retailer |
| Complete front strut assemblies Pair, correct for engine/trim and suspension type (coil or air) Spring rates differ between 3.6, 5.7 and EcoDiesel and between coil and air trucks. | Parts | search retailer |
| Safety glasses and gloves Rust and road grit fall out of the wheel well constantly. | Safety | search retailer |
Fastener sizes are the same across 3.6 Pentastar eTorque, 5.7 Hemi eTorque and 3.0 EcoDiesel — 22 mm lugs, 15 mm upper mount nuts, 21 mm lower through-bolt hardware. What changes is the part: spring rates differ by engine weight (the EcoDiesel and Hemi carry more nose weight than the V6), and trims with the optional 4-corner air suspension use a front air spring/shock module with a quick-connect air line instead of a steel coil, which requires service mode and a ride-height relearn. Off-road and Rebel packages also use their own taller/valved units, so order by VIN.
| Wheel lug nuts (M14x1.5, 22 mm hex) | 130 ft-lb (176 Nm) |
| Shock/strut lower through-bolt and nut at lower control arm | verify in the service manual (high-torque, typically re-torqued at ride height) |
| Shock/strut upper mount nuts (3) | verify in the service manual |
| Stabilizer bar link nut | verify in the service manual |
| Air spring air line fitting / retainer | verify in the service manual |
No, as long as you buy complete (loaded) strut assemblies with the spring already installed. You only need a spring compressor if you are reusing your old spring on a bare shock, which is not worth the risk on this truck.
Lug nuts are 22 mm hex (M14x1.5) torqued to 130 ft-lb. The three upper strut mount nuts are 15 mm and the lower control arm through-bolt uses 21 mm hardware, though you should confirm on your own truck before buying sockets.
Yes, but you need a scan tool that can put the 4-corner system into Service/Transport mode and then run the ride-height calibration afterward. Without it the compressor will run while you work and the truck will store suspension faults and sit at the wrong height.
Yes. Removing the coil-over unloads and shifts the lower control arm, which changes camber and toe. Get a front alignment within a few days or you will scrub the inner or outer edge off your front tires.