Date Published: October 26, 2026 |  4 minute read | FAQ Article by Jarod Rosin at Redwater Dodge

Lifting a Ram 3500 Dually vs. Single Rear Wheel (SRW): Engineering, Spacers, and Everyday Practicality

Understanding the unique mechanical variables involved in a dually lift, including suspension compatibility, rear wheel spacer requirements, tire sidewall deflection, and daily driving practicality, ensures your customized heavy-duty rig performs reliably under heavy loads.  

Why Lifting a Ram 3500 Dually Requires Specialized Attention

Lifting an SRW Ram 2500 or 3500 is relatively standard across the aftermarket industry because the rear axle configuration mirrors standard light-duty trucks. A dually, however, introduces several structural and geometric considerations:

Massive Rear Axle Width & Fender Flare Clearances: The wide "dually hips" (extended fiberglass rear fenders) house four separate tires across the rear axle. Changing ride height alters the angle and alignment of the rear track, requiring suspension systems specifically calibrated for dual-wheel track widths.

Dual-Wheel Mating Surfaces & Offsets: Unlike an SRW truck where four matching wheels are installed, a dually requires six wheels: two specialized front wheels, two outer rear wheels with deep dished profiles, and two inner rear wheels. Maintaining proper hub-centric mounting and correct backspacing is critical to ensure proper tracking and stability.

Suspension Kit Compatibility: Not every off-the-shelf Ram 3500 lift kit is compatible with dual-rear-wheel models. Rear leaf spring pack configurations, overload springs, and factory rear air suspension options vary significantly between SRW and DRW trucks. Using a dually-compatible lift system guarantees that rear payload capacity and stability under fifth-wheel loads remain uncompromised.

Do You Need Heavy-Duty Rear Wheel Spacers?

One of the most debated topics among custom dually owners is whether rear wheel spacers are mandatory between the dual rear tires. As Jarod points out, the answer is not necessarily a simple yes or no, it directly depends on your lifestyle, tire size, and the type of work you perform with the truck.

Tire Size and Inter-Tire Clearance

When you install larger, wider off-road tires (such as 35-inch or 37-inch mud-terrain or all-terrain tires) on factory or aftermarket dually wheels, the wider tire carcasses sit closer together. Under normal unloaded driving conditions, there may appear to be a small gap between the sidewalls.

The Risk of Tire Rubbing Under Heavy Towing

When you hook up a heavy gooseneck cattle trailer, a commercial equipment flatdeck, or a multi-axle fifth-wheel RV, thousands of pounds of tongue weight press down directly onto the rear axle. This vertical load, combined with lateral forces during highway cornering, causes tire sidewall flex (deflection):

Friction and Heat Buildup: If the rear dual tires flex and make contact while rotating at highway speeds, the continuous sidewall rubbing creates immense friction and extreme heat.

Risk of Catastrophic Blowouts: Prolonged sidewall friction can wear through the rubber or induce structural casing failure, resulting in high-speed tire blowouts that can damage the truck's fenders, trailer, and compromise highway safety.  

The Engineered Solution

If you use your lifted dually for severe commercial work, heavy fifth-wheel towing, or heavy payload hauling, installing high-strength, hub-centric, steel-machined wheel spacers between the dual rear wheels is essential. High-quality spacers provide the necessary physical separation (typically 1.5 to 2 inches) to prevent sidewall contact even under maximum axle deflection. If you primarily use your truck as a daily cruiser with light recreational towing and narrow tire profiles, spacers may not be required.

Everyday Usability: Will a Lifted Dually Fit in an Alberta Car Wash?

Beyond mechanical considerations, truck owners frequently ask practical daily driving questions, most notably: Will a lifted Ram 3500 dually fit through a standard Alberta car wash?  

As Jarod explains, in most scenarios, the answer is yes, but it requires careful verification before pulling into the wash bay.

Whether a lifted dually clears a car wash depends on two primary measurements:

Vehicle Height vs. Overhead Clearance: Standard automated drive-through car washes in Alberta typically have maximum height limits ranging between 7 feet (84 inches) and 7 feet 6 inches (90 inches). A Ram 3500 equipped with a 4-inch or 6-inch lift and 37-inch tires can approach 82 to 86 inches in total cab height. Always check posted overhead clearance bars at the wash entrance.

Track Width vs. Tire Guide Rails: Automated car washes that use floor-mounted conveyor tracks or wheel guides often cannot accommodate the broad footprint of dual rear wheels or wide offset rims. For wide dually builds, touchless drive-through bays without floor rails or spacious self-serve wand-wash bays provide the safest, scratch-free cleaning experience.  

Custom Build Your Heavy Duty Rig at Redwater Dodge

Lifting a heavy-duty dually requires meticulous engineering, proper component selection, and specialized installation expertise. At Redwater Dodge, our factory-trained technicians build custom Rig Ready Rams to the highest mechanical standards, ensuring optimal driveline angles, speedometer calibration, and full towing readiness.

Whether you want to build a custom Ram 3500 dually from scratch or purchase a turn-key lifted rig off our lot, Jarod and our truck specialists are here to guide you through every specification.

Call our custom truck department today at 780-942-3629 or visit Redwater Dodge in Redwater, Alberta, to discuss your dream build!

Additional Relevant Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Can I lift a Ram 3500 dually that has the factory auto-level rear air suspension?

A1. Yes. Lifting a Ram 3500 equipped with factory rear air suspension requires specialized air ride spacer brackets and recalibrated sensor linkages to retain auto-levelling functionality. Redwater Dodge installs premium lift systems engineered specifically to integrate with factory Stellantis air suspension modules.

Q2. What is the maximum recommended tire size on a lifted Ram 3500 dually without trimming?

A2. On a standard 4-inch to 6-inch suspension lift, 35-inch to 37-inch tires with widths between 11.5 and 12.5 inches are the most common. Running a 12.5-inch wide tire on rear dually wheels typically requires a high-quality 1.5-inch to 2-inch steel rear spacer to ensure adequate clearance between the dual tires under load.

Q3. Are steel wheel spacers safer than aluminum wheel spacers for heavy towing on a dually?

A3. Yes. For severe heavy-duty commercial applications, gooseneck trailers, and maximum payload hauling, forged steel hub-centric spacers are strongly recommended over cast aluminum. High-grade steel spacers match the thermal expansion and load ratings of commercial truck hubs, resisting warping under heavy braking and tongue-weight stress.

Q4. Will a lifted dually experience excess rock-chip damage along the rear fiberglass fenders?

A4. Because the rear dual wheels sit wide, lifted duallys running aggressive off-road tires can throw gravel and road debris against the rear flares. Installing heavy-duty custom kickback mud-flaps and applying paint protection film (PPF) along the leading edge of the rear dually fenders provides critical protection on Alberta gravel roads.