The Ram 1500 rides on a coil-sprung, five-link live rear axle — a layout no other full-size American ute offers, as its rivals still run leaf springs. That coil rear gives the Ram a superb unladen ride, but it also explains the complaints Australian owners report most often: rear squat under caravan tow-ball weight, front sag once a bull bar goes on, and shock fade on long towing runs. Here is what causes each problem, and how to fix it properly.
Rear squat is the most commonly reported suspension complaint from Australian Ram 1500 owners, and it comes down to the platform's defining feature. Instead of leaf springs, both the DS and DT run coil springs on a five-link live rear axle. Coils deliver a beautifully compliant ride when the tub is empty, but they have less natural resistance to sustained vertical load than a leaf pack.
Australian towing habits expose this quickly. A 3.5-tonne caravan typically puts around 350 kg on the tow ball, and that load sits well behind the rear axle, multiplying its effect through leverage. Add a canopy, drawers, a fridge and a full tank of water and the rear coils compress noticeably. The result is a nose-high attitude, headlights aimed at the treetops, light steering, and a ute that feels vague and floaty when a road train passes.
The fix is to address the springs and the dampers together. A set of Tough Dog rear coil springs rated for load support restores ride height under tow-ball weight without turning the unladen ride to concrete. Pair them with Tough Dog adjustable rear shocks so the damping can be dialled up when the van is hitched and backed off for the daily commute. If the vehicle has been lifted or the axle no longer sits centred under the body, a Tough Dog adjustable Panhard rod brings the rear axle back into correct lateral alignment.
One thing springs cannot fix: your legal payload. Upgraded coils restore ride height, but the vehicle's GVM stays exactly where the compliance plate says it is.
The Ram 1500's front end uses coil-over struts and, in standard form, they are tuned for the weight of the standard bumper. Fit a steel bull bar, a winch and a set of driving lights and you can add a significant amount of permanent weight ahead of the front axle. Front sag and accelerated strut wear under accessory weight are commonly reported by owners who tour with a fully built front end — the struts sit deeper in their travel, ride down on the bump stops earlier, and wear faster than they otherwise would.
The answer is a strut designed to carry the load. A pair of Tough Dog adjustable front struts, supplied fully assembled, lets your fitter set the front ride height to suit the exact accessory weight on the vehicle. If you prefer a monotube design, the Dobinsons IMS adjustable front struts with 50–75 mm of height adjustment offer the same flexibility with remote-reservoir-style oil capacity for hard touring use.
Once the front is raised or re-levelled, wheel alignment geometry changes. A set of Dobinsons upper control arms for the DS and DT restores caster and camber to specification at the new ride height, which protects tyre wear and keeps the steering feeling factory-straight.
Shock fade on long-distance towing runs is another commonly reported issue, and it is not unique to the Ram — but the Ram's combination of high towing capacity and comfort-biased factory damping makes it more noticeable. A damper works by converting movement into heat. Tow three and a half tonnes for six hours across undulating highway, or drag a camper over corrugations into a Cape York camp, and the factory rear shocks can heat to the point where the oil aerates and damping force drops away. The symptoms are progressive: the rear starts to wallow, the van sways more readily, and the ute takes an extra body movement to settle after every dip.
Bigger-bodied aftermarket dampers deal with heat far better. Tough Dog foam cell rear shocks use a microcellular foam insert in place of a gas charge, which physically prevents the oil from aerating as temperatures climb — the classic fix for fade on long corrugated or heavily loaded runs. If you switch between towing and unladen driving every week, adjustable rear dampers remain the more flexible choice, letting you firm the valving only when the load demands it.
Not with a standard kit — and this is the single most important check to make before ordering anything. Some DT-series grades sold in Australia carry optional four-corner air suspension in place of coil springs. Every conventional lift kit on this page works by replacing coil springs and dampers, so on an air-sprung truck there is simply nothing for those parts to replace. Fitting coil-based components to an air-suspension Ram is not a bolt-on job and will trigger fault modes in the height-control system.
Air-sprung Rams also have their own commonly reported issues: compressor workload under sustained towing, height-sensor faults, and warning messages that drop the vehicle into a reduced-height mode. These are electronic and pneumatic problems, not spring-and-shock problems, and they belong with an air-suspension specialist or your dealer's diagnostic equipment rather than a set of aftermarket coils.
How do you know which one you have? Air-equipped trucks display selectable ride-height modes in the instrument cluster and have no visible coil spring at the rear axle. If you are unsure, or you want to talk through options for an air-sprung DT, get in touch with our team before you buy — a two-minute conversation is cheaper than a returned freight bill.
Suspension lift in Australia is regulated under VSB14 and the National Code of Practice (NCOP), applied with variations by each state and territory. As an indicative guide only: a modest suspension lift in the region of 50 mm is broadly accepted in many jurisdictions without formal certification, while larger combined increases in vehicle height — suspension plus tyre diameter — generally require engineering sign-off, and some states assess the total lift across suspension, tyres and body together. Rules differ meaningfully between jurisdictions and change over time, so treat every figure here as indicative and confirm with your state or territory road authority before you modify the vehicle.
Two related compliance points matter for Ram owners specifically. First, a lift kit does not change GVM or payload: the Ram 1500's payload is modest for the size of the vehicle, and once you add a canopy, accessories, passengers and 350 kg of tow-ball weight, it is commonly reported that owners are closer to their GVM limit than they expect. Second, when towing heavy, the GCM — the combined limit for truck and trailer together — can bite before either individual limit does. A weighbridge visit with the van hitched is the only way to know where you actually stand, and any GVM-related upgrade path should be discussed with a licensed certifier and confirmed with your state or territory road authority.
The heavy-duty Ram 2500 DJ deserves a brief note because it shares the 1500's most distinctive trait: a coil-sprung five-link live rear axle, which is genuinely unusual in the heavy-duty truck class. In Australian trim it tows up to 4.5 tonnes on a 70 mm ball, and its payload — commonly quoted at around 835 kg — disappears quickly once a big van's ball weight, a canopy and a family's touring gear go aboard.
Because the 2500 runs a live front axle on coils rather than independent front suspension, its upgrade path is different from the 1500's, but the goals are the same: control squat, resist fade and keep the vehicle level under real Australian loads. The Tough Dog complete suspension kit for the Ram 2500 DJ packages springs and dampers matched to the heavier platform in one box, engineered for the loads a 2500 actually carries here rather than the unladen freeway running it was tuned for at the factory.
For most Australian owners who tow or tour, yes — provided it is matched to the variant and the load. A quality kit does three jobs at once: it restores correct ride height under bull bars and ball weight, it replaces comfort-biased factory damping with valving that controls a loaded vehicle, and it adds usable clearance for tracks the Ram's size can otherwise handle easily.
For a complete one-box solution, the Tough Dog complete lift kit for the Ram 1500 covers springs and dampers at both ends. Owners who want monotube performance can step up to the Dobinsons IMS monotube lift kit, while DS owners chasing height adjustability should look at the Dobinsons IMS adjustable monotube kit for the DS, which lets ride height be fine-tuned to accessory weight rather than fixed at a single figure.
Three caveats before you commit. Confirm your variant is coil-sprung, not air-suspended. Keep the lift within the limits that apply in your state or territory. And be aware that modifications can have implications for manufacturer warranty coverage on related components, so it is worth understanding your position before the spanners come out. Get those three right and a properly specified kit transforms how a Ram carries Australian loads.
| Model | Years (Australia) | Suspension layout | Commonly reported issues |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ram 1500 DS | 2013 onwards (local RHD conversions from 2015) | Independent front with coil-over struts; five-link coil-sprung live rear axle | Rear squat under tow-ball weight; front sag and strut wear with bull bars; shock fade on long towing runs |
| Ram 1500 DT | 2019 onwards (RHD conversions from 2020) | Independent front with coil-over struts; five-link coil-sprung live rear axle; optional four-corner air suspension on some grades | Rear squat when towing; air suspension fault modes and height-sensor warnings on air-equipped trucks; strut wear under accessory weight |
| Ram 2500 DJ | 2015 onwards | Live front axle on coils; five-link coil-sprung live rear axle | Squat under very high ball weights; shock fade towing at maximum ratings; firm unladen ride |
No. Conventional lift kits replace coil springs and shocks, and air-suspended DT variants have neither in serviceable form — the air system controls ride height electronically. Fitting coil-based parts triggers fault modes. Check for ride-height modes in your cluster first, and speak to a specialist if your Ram runs air.
It varies by variant and hitch, so always confirm against your vehicle's compliance plate and handbook. As a guide, a 3.5-tonne caravan typically imposes around 350 kg of ball weight, which counts against payload. Upgraded rear springs restore ride height under that load but never increase the legal limit itself.
No. Load-rated springs restore ride height and stability when the vehicle is loaded, but GVM and payload are legal limits fixed by the compliance plate. Formal GVM upgrades are a separate certified process. Treat any figures you read as indicative and confirm requirements with your state or territory road authority.
Fitting aftermarket suspension does not automatically cancel a manufacturer warranty, but a manufacturer may decline claims on components it can show were affected by a modification. Quality, properly fitted parts minimise that risk. If warranty coverage is important to you, clarify your position with the supplying dealer before modifying the vehicle.
The DS is the earlier body style, sold in Australia from 2013 and locally converted from 2015; the DT is the current generation, arriving in right-hand drive from 2020. Your compliance plate and VIN confirm the series, and only DT grades offer the optional four-corner air suspension.
Add your favourites to cart
Log into or create your Afterpay account, with instant approval decision
Your purchase will be split into 4 payments, payable every 2 weeks
All you need to apply is to have a debit or credit card, to be over 18 years of age, and to be a resident of country offering Afterpay
Late fees and additional eligibility criteria apply. The first payment may be due at the time of purchase
For complete terms visit afterpay.com/terms
