Buying a Lift for a Ram 3500 Dually: What to Measure First

By Olympic Equipment

A dually buying conversation often starts with width. That is useful, but it needs several definitions: body width, the outside rear-tire envelope, mirror width and the dimensions relevant to the proposed support system are not interchangeable.

Before you compare lifts

Exact pickup or completed work-truck configuration
Wheelbase, outer rear-tire envelope, mirrors and projections
Dated weight evidence and installed-equipment inventory
Permitted support arrangement, service tasks and bay routes

Identify the Ram before collecting dimensions

Record model year, cab, bed or installed body, wheelbase, engine and drivetrain. Identify factory or aftermarket wheel-and-tire changes. A Ram 3500 pickup and a completed chassis-cab work truck need to be described separately, even when both have dual rear wheels.

Use Ram and Mopar's official vehicle-resource route to obtain the applicable owner information, then ask a qualified service professional for the correct workshop lifting documents. Published specifications for one trim or configuration should not become the measurement sheet for a different truck.

Create a measurement sheet with clear labels

Record overall length, wheelbase, body width, the widest rear-wheel envelope, mirror envelope and total height including added equipment. Note bumper, hitch, rack and body projections. A simple plan-view sketch can identify which dimension each number describes without pretending to be an engineering drawing.

For a runway lift, ask the supplier which additional wheel and tire measurements are required to evaluate the permitted support arrangement. The complete dual-wheel setup must be reviewed against the exact model's instructions. Do not assume a published track dimension tells you the outside tire width or proves adequate runway support.

Document weight in the intended condition

Ask what measured total and axle-load information the reviewer needs. List a fifth-wheel hitch, toolbox, auxiliary equipment and other installed items, and explain whether the truck arrives loaded or unloaded. Record the date and condition of any weigh-ticket evidence so a later conversation does not silently change the load case.

Keep GVWR, GAWR and actual measured loads distinct in the file. Ask how the lift's capacity and load-distribution restrictions apply to this truck and the proposed accessories. A vehicle's towing capability does not supply the answer to a shop-lift buying question.

Review the whole support and service plan

If a frame-engaging lift is proposed, ask how the approved vehicle lifting points, arm geometry and specified adapters will be assessed. If a drive-on lift is proposed, ask about wheelbase, tire support, overhang and permitted loading. Neither a 'dually' product nickname nor another owner's installation photograph is a fit approval.

Tell the supplier whether you intend storage, inspection, wheel service or other work. Any auxiliary lifting equipment needs its own compatibility and capacity review. Keep the identities of recommended accessories in the quotation so the delivered equipment can be checked against the actual proposal.

Measure the route around the lift

Show the entrance, turning approach, driver-exit space and the workshop area required for tools and removed wheels. Have the installer assess overhead obstructions and the site's foundation and electrical information for the specific model. A truck passing between the posts is only one part of a practical bay design.

ALI identifies capacity, clearance, foundation and vehicle lifting-point access as buying checks. Read its buyer guidance.

For vehicle contact information, use the correct manufacturer documents and, where applicable, the current ALI lifting-points reference. Confirm every proposed model and accessory against its own instructions; the Olympic manual library is the starting point for those documents.

Discuss your vehicle with Olympic Equipment

Compare Olympic two-post lifts and Olympic four-post lifts with your vehicle record in hand. Ask which models, if any, merit a detailed application and professional site review. A product link is an invitation to compare equipment, not a fit approval.

Call 866-774-4531 or contact Olympic Equipment with your vehicle details and garage measurements.

Keep planning

Sources and scope

Public resources checked October 30, 2026. Vehicle portals help locate the right documents; this article does not reproduce a VIN-specific workshop procedure or certify any vehicle-and-lift combination.

Company educational article by Olympic Equipment, which sells the equipment discussed. Prepared with AI assistance using the linked public sources. Buying guidance only, not vehicle lifting, installation or repair instructions. Vehicle makes and model names identify the intended readers and do not imply manufacturer endorsement or approved compatibility. Cover graphic is an editorial illustration, not a lifting diagram.