2019-2025
2009-2018
2002-2008
Installation Time
(approx) 2 Hours
Difficulty Level:
Light to Moderate mechanical skill required.
Installation Guides
No guide available for this part yet.
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Rough Country N3 Loaded Front Struts for 3-Inch Lift (12-18 4WD RAM 1500 w/o Air Ride)Find parts that fit my vehicle
Item R125289
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$369.95 pair
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Product Videos
(1)Justin: Hey, everyone. I'm Justin with americantrucks.com. And today, we're taking a closer look at the Rough Country 3-inch Loaded Lift Struts here with the brand new springs and top mounts, fitting all 2012 through 2018 Ram 1500s without the factory air ride setup. Now, you should be considering the Rough Country Loaded Struts here for your Ram if you're looking for a turnkey, ready-to-install package that will level or help lift your rig and make enough room for a set of 35x12.50s while also improving the ride quality and ground clearance in the process.So big features to consider here with the Rough Country options, again, will be the complete, ready-to-install package right out of the box that will replace your stock, high-mileage front strut assembly and spacer combination with a brand new combo that will ultimately make room for a larger wheel and tire, in this case, again, a 35x12.50 without trimming, depending on your offset. Now, the ability to run a larger tire is made possible by the Rough Country loaded lift struts here, again, that's gonna raise the front end of your RAM 3 inches, making for a more aggressive stance, of course, but also improving things like your ground clearance in the process. Now, as an added bonus, by upgrading the front suspension with a more, let's just say, performance-oriented design, the ride quality and handling will certainly improve both on and off-road. Now, I do wanna point out here, guys, that, again, Rough Country does mention interested RAM owners should only consider these options here if you've already lifted your truck 3 inches and are looking to replace, again, maybe a factory strut and spacer combination or something of that sort. But they really do encourage owners to install something like this if you've already essentially lifted your truck and are looking to replace some components.Now shifting gears and talking construction here, guys, and the Rough Country kit does include a pair of nitrogen-filled shocks here with a one and three-eighths-inch bore size. These will certainly offer, I would say, more consistent performance both on and off-road without a lot of cavitation like you might see with the factory twin tube design. Those aren't always great for performance applications for obvious reasons. And the Rough Country options here will not only be a much better-performing design or damper both on and off-road, but the valving is gonna be geared specifically for the included spring here and it will ride, I would say, a little firmer than stock, but that firmness is what you're really looking for when it comes to more off-road control. We did mention the springs here, guys. It does obviously include a brand new set of springs for the front in addition to the included top mounts here for the spring and strut combination. And that is nice, right, because it's a turnkey package, again, ready to be installed right out of the box without having to rent a spring compressor, or do any extra work, or anything that might take up a little bit more of your time when it comes time for the install. Also here, guys, you are looking at kind of a slightly textured or hammer-tone silver powder coat on those dampers. And the entire kit is gonna be backed by a three-year limited warranty just in case you run into any issues.Now, coming in at or around the $400 price point here, the Rough Country Loaded Lift Struts, I will say, will fall right in that middle of the pack when it comes to overall pricing between some of your strut spacer options on the lower side, typically $100 to $200, if that. But then on the higher side of the pricing spectrum, you can look into a full-blown coilover, and those will typically be a bit more money at the end of the day. Now, that being said, guys, there are a few different lift struts available here at americantrucks.com for the RAM from different manufacturers, including other Rough Country options, for instance, for different front-end heights. Rancho has a few options in addition to even a couple from Eibach. So, definitely take a look at our full selection here for your RAM before you're making your final decision, and just make sure you're grabbing the right setup for your application and your lift height.Now, moving into the installation, and the site is gonna call this a strong two out of three wrenches on the difficulty meter, taking you a couple of hours to complete from start to finish. Now, I will say again, I said it a couple times throughout the video, the nice thing going with a kit like this is that everything is assembled for you. You're simply just going to be removing your front stock assemblies, replacing it with the new Rough Country unit. To give you a better idea of how this will all go down in the garage or driveway at home, let's throw it over to an AmericanTrucks customer for our detailed walkthrough and tool breakdown.Man: All right, so here's everything we used. 24, 21 wrenches, ratchet, couple of screwdrivers. You need a few different ones because, you know, you got to wiggle out the struts. Pry bar, breaker bar for the hard-to-break bolts. We have a few sockets, 24, 22, and 21. You have an extension swivel here just to get in tight spaces. Two swivel sockets, deep swivels, 17 and 15, air tool, And that's pretty much it. So just remove the upper control arm. And this here is a 24-millimeter wrench. Now, we're just going to break that loose. All right, I'm going to remove the upper control arm using ear muffs just because of the noise. And got to hit it here a few times until it breaks loose. This is a 21-size millimeter socket with a breaker bar to crack the caliper bracket off. Do both of the bolts, break them loose, then use a ratchet to make it a little easier for yourself for the rest of the way. One. And two from the bracket. I should be able to just take everything off, and just don't let it hang. Just find a zip tie or wire tie and attach it to something on the frame or over here just so it doesn't...All right, so now I'm removing the tie rod. It's a 21-millimeter socket. A air tool if you have it, if you don't, you can use a breaker bar and a ratchet. There you go. Okay, so this is a 24-millimeter socket and a 21-wrench for the strut. Nuts on this side. Got to come around the other side to get the bolt. And then you just have to bang the bolt there. You might need a pry bar to get the little bit extra here. You just gotta play with it. Hammer, screwdriver just to get that last little bit out and get it with your hand. Okay, so this is a 17-millimeter-deep socket with an extension. Fasten to three-eighths and I'm going to take the top of the strut mount out. And we're gonna do the same thing for the other side. Just be careful of the antifreeze lines, but it's right past that. Same size, three bolts.All right, now using a pry bar, I'm gonna try to remove the strut. Okay, so these are the original struts they had in the car. They had these spacers in here to make up for the 3-inch lift. The Rough Country actually comes with the lift added to it. So it just makes it a lot better, you know, it rides better. And it's much easier to install that way. Okay, so now installing the strut. Just find which way the pattern goes, try to match it up with this. Pop it in there and you can actually see right through here, right through the wheel well, I would keep a nut in my hand. Put the nut on, and that will hold it in place. All right, so now I'm just gonna get the strut into place using a pry bar. And then just line it up to the right spot. I would use a smaller screwdriver at this point just to get it into the right spot.Okay, so you're probably going to want a friend for this part here. I'm just going to pry down on this to give me the little extra room so you can slide the bolt through. Okay, let me see that part there. Okay, and you might need somebody to help you on this last part. I'm going to pry this up while somebody just bangs in the bolt, the last few inches. All right, good. Okay, now we're gonna get the upper control arm back on. Gonna have to use a pry bar. Just get it down far enough just so you can get the threads caught. Okay, so you're gonna want a friend to help you with this, to hold the strut down because again, this is a cone. And as soon as you get that tight, tighten up the knot. Okay, so now moving on from the control arm, this was a 24-millimeter socket with a swivel extension just to help me get the angle on this. And now I'm going to be moving over to the tie rod. This here is a 21-millimeter socket. Like the control arm, this is also a cone. So you're gonna wanna have somebody helping you pushing this down so the bolt doesn't spin while you're trying to tighten it. I would suggest air tools when tightening these. If you don't have that option, you can still tighten it with the ratchet. Just find a good spot for that. Give it some pressure.All right, so now I'm just going to tighten up the bottom of the strut. This is a 24 socket, 21 wrench. Now I'm going to move on to putting the caliper back on. I used a zip tie here so it wasn't left hanging, so there's no pressure on the brake line. So, just make sure you do something like that. Push that right back on the rotor. Line up the bolts in the back. Always keep them in your hand. Okay, now let me just go grab the socket for it. All right, so now I'm gonna tighten up the caliper bracket, 21 socket, ratchet. All right, that's it. Tighten up the top of the strut using a 15-deep socket and an extension.Justin: That will wrap up this review and install of the Rough Country N3 Loaded Front Struts for 3 inches of lift, fitting your 2012 through 2018 Ram 1500 without air ride. For more videos like this, make sure to keep it right here at americantrucks.com.
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2012-2018 4WD RAM 1500 Rough Country N3 Loaded Front Struts; 3-Inch Lift Review & Install
16:07
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Product Information
Features, Description, Reviews, Q&A, Specs & Installation
Features
- Front Lifted N3 Struts
- Enhances Handling, Ride Quality, and Stability
- For Vehicles with 3-Inch Lift
- Durable, Non-Adjustable Struts
- Made Out of High-Quality Components
- Has a Silver Powder-Coated Finish
- Uses a Nitrogen Gas Charged Design
- Installation Requires Moderate Mechanical Expertise
- Sold in Pairs
- Covered by a 3-Year Limited Warranty
- Fits All 2012-2018 4WD RAM 1500 Models Without an Air Rides
Description
Improves Handling and Ride Quality. Impress the other motorists on the streets and trails by installing these Rough Country 3-Inch Front Lifted N3 Struts to your RAM 1500 truck. These struts are specifically designed to provide your lifted vehicle with better handling and stability, giving you a smooth OE ride quality that fits your raised truck. With these enhancements, you can dominate the toughest terrains with complete confidence.
Heavy-Duty Struts. Rough Country constructed these lifted N3 struts from high-quality and heavy-duty components. The struts have massive bores, hardened chrome piston rods, and leak-proof piston seals, so they’ll stay in great shape even when you’re driving on rugged terrains. What’s more, they’re structurally engineered to fit your lifted vehicle, so they can handle the weight of your truck’s setup.
Direct, Bolt-on Installation. These struts are designed for bolt-on installations, so you don’t have to drill or weld anything to keep them secure to your truck. However, moderate mechanical expertise is needed to ensure that the procedure is done correctly. The task can be completed in no more than 2 hours.
Backed by a 3-Year Limited Warranty. This pair of lifted struts is covered by Rough Country’s 3-year limited warranty. Get more information about the warranty’s terms and conditions by contacting customer support.
Application. These Rough Country 3-Inch Front Lifted N3 Struts fit all 2012-2018 4WD RAM 1500 models without an Air Ride.
Fitment:
- 2012 Dodge Ram 1500
- 2013 Dodge Ram 1500
- 2014 Dodge Ram 1500
- 2015 Dodge Ram 1500
- 2016 Dodge Ram 1500
- 2017 Dodge Ram 1500
- 2018 Dodge Ram 1500
Rough Country 501086
CA Residents: 
WARNING: Cancer and Reproductive Harm - www.P65Warnings.ca.gov
Installation & What's in the Box
Installation Info
What's in the Box
- (2) Front Struts
4.6
Customer Reviews (91)
Review Summary
Installation Time: Afternoon
May 7, 2023
2012 Express - KyleThuringer
Installation Time: Afternoon
Loaded struts
Installed the rough country 3inch front lifted the n3 struts and Installed the rear bilstein coils springs to complete level out my truck. The ride is amazing.
Handling 5/5
Fit 5/5
Quality 5/5
Bang For Your Buck 5/5
Jan 2, 2023
2018 Express - ChrisRobbins
Installation Time: Afternoon
Solid Shocks
If you want a level appearance I suggest a 1.5 rear lift and rear shocks as well. Rides a little more stiff on small bumps but larger bumps are much smoother than stock. Took about 2.5 hours to remove and replace both struts and upper control arms.
Handling 5/5
Fit 4/5
Quality 5/5
Bang For Your Buck 5/5
Nov 19, 2022
2015 Laramie - Bryson00
Installation Time: Less than 1 Hour
Great product
Very simple to install if your handy with tools. Improved my ride quality from my old factory strut. Highly recommend if your considering these.
Handling 5/5
Fit 5/5
Quality 5/5
Bang For Your Buck 5/5
Jun 24, 2022
2014 Express - fangledfuzzynut
Installation Time: Afternoon
Good Quality struts!
Very easy install even for a simpleton like me! If your planning on buying these would definitely recommend at least a 1.5 leveling kit for the rear.
Handling 5/5
Fit 5/5
Quality 5/5
Bang For Your Buck 5/5
Mar 18, 2022
2013 SLT - Calebjones
Installation Time: Afternoon
Caleb’s lift
Bought the rc n3 3in lift was very easy to install in my driveway and very affordable.
Handling 5/5
Fit 5/5
Quality 5/5
Bang For Your Buck 5/5
Oct 16, 2023
scshtkbait
Installation Time: Afternoon
New struts
Came as described, easy to install. Great ride. Nice ride height.
Handling 5/5
Fit 5/5
Quality 5/5
Bang For Your Buck 5/5
Sep 8, 2022
FC350
Installation Time: Afternoon
leveled the truck
Seems to work as intended, raised the front level with the rear
Handling 5/5
Fit 5/5
Quality 5/5
Bang For Your Buck 5/5
Nov 9, 2024
Review shared from Rough Country N3 Loaded Front Struts for Stock Height (12-18 4WD RAM 1500 w/o Air Ride)
2012 Laramie - Smitty201212
Installation Time: Afternoon
Perfect
These loaded struts are amazing. They ride amazingly well, even with the leveling kit on them. The N3's I would definitely recommend.
Handling 5/5
Fit 5/5
Quality 5/5
Bang For Your Buck 5/5
Nov 4, 2024
Review shared from Rough Country N3 Loaded Front Struts for 6-Inch Lift (09-11 4WD RAM 1500)
2010 SLT - Winkster
Installation Cost: 250
Installation Time: Shop Install
Standing tall
Every thing worked and fit perfectly ????????????????????????
Handling 5/5
Fit 5/5
Quality 5/5
Bang For Your Buck 5/5
Jul 28, 2023
Review shared from Rough Country N3 Loaded Front Struts for Stock Height (12-18 4WD RAM 1500 w/o Air Ride)
2016 Express - JoshuaC
Installation Time: Afternoon
Rough country N3 Struts
Very nice looking as well as great drive on street with much better off-road handling and over bumps and uneven terrain.
Handling 5/5
Fit 5/5
Quality 5/5
Bang For Your Buck 5/5
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