Alright guys, i'm having trouble finding a leveling kit for my F350. So far i've come across;

Leveling blocks from the parts store - Pro = Cheap and available Con = I've read that lift blocks on a front solid axle can bind in 4WD and cause all kinds of trouble, not sure.

Tuff Country Add a Leaf's - Pro = Still pretty cheap, easy install Con - Lifts 2.5" and from reading old threads here on FTE they seem to sag in 6 months to only 1" of lift

Add a Leafs from Bronco Graveyard - Pro = Good Superlift Brand, lifts 3"-3.5" which would be perfectly level for my truck Con - Only available for the F250, e-mailed BG and they said it will fit but given the different spring rate of the F350 springs it won't provide the full amount of lift, not sure how much lift it would give. Doesn't come with new U-bolts.

Reverse shackles look real expensive for the lift you get and new springs for the front do too, not sure i've seen just the fronts for sale. For the price of these two options i'd be better off to save up for the 4" spring lift from bronco graveyard.

A lot of the small lift kits (2"-3") on eBay etc. want you to stack blocks in the rear on top of the factory block. That sounds scary but I could live with it if it wasn't for the wheel hop, i've got some of that already and I can't imagine what another 2" block would do. Is it a serious option to buy one of these kits and then install some heavy duty full length ladder bars?

I really don't want to go a full 4" because this is my DD and I don't want to go too extreme with the tires. Looking for 33's probably but 35's max. It's geared plenty low right now so a re-gear won't be necessary.


So what other options are out there that i'm missing?

TIA,
Joe

 

I lifted my 94 F250 with a Dana 60 with tuff country replacement springs and it hasn't sagged in 5 years. I'd say the any kit for a 250 would work the same for a 350, but I'd get full replacement packs. Those front packs have been holding a lot of weight for a long time.

At any rate, don't go with front blocks. They add exponential stresses to the springs, u-bolts, and spring mounts.

As for the rear, you shouldn't be lifting the rear if you're only leveling.

 

By leveling kit, you mean to raise the front to the same level as the back, correct?

If so, a RSK is a VERY good option. It will not only level the truck out, it will also improve your ride.

If that is too expensive for you, yo can cheap out and go the add-a-leaf route for 1-1.5" of lift Tis would be your cheapest route, but you will KILL what little ride you have.

As for blocks, that is a big NO NO on the the front axle. Illegal in most if not all states.

You can also get new springs for the front to do away with your worn out ones. You can get a stock replacement from FORD or your local spring shop. The local spring shop can also get you a 3 leaf front spring witch is basically a new leaf with a add-a-leaf already installed and it will be a hard ride

 

look at this one !
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-reversal.html

 

It looks like the add a leaf from Bronco Graveyard is probably going to be the best option for me right now. I plan on getting their traction bars soon after as well. They look sturdier than the Tuff Country bars and they're designed better so they don't affect articulation. I'm no engineer but it seems to me that if the traction bar doesn't allow for articulation then it would also be taking the brunt of any weight in the bed or trailer tongue weight of a trailer causing it to bend or break.

If the AAL's actually lift the front end about 3" should I look into a dropped pitman arm?

 

You are NOT going to get 3" of lift from an add-a-leaf.

1-1.5" is it

 

I've been doing some more thinking on this and I have a couple of new thoughts/questions.

#1. Are the mini leafs in this kit going to effectively cause the same problems a lift block would or are they somehow better? - 1980-1998 FORD SUPERDUTY 2" lift 4x4 F350 | eBay

#2. What if a person bought the AAL kit from Bronco graveyard and instead of adding it to the bottom of the pack under the two existing leafs, just replaced the bottom leaf with it? My thought is that it wouldn't stiffen the ride so much or even at all and it should provide more lift because it only has to (for lack of a better word) "convince" one spring to arch instead of two.

 

DUMB QUESTION , do you have a straight axle or a TTB front end ?

my opinion on those things from ebay is not to favorable , they bolt to the spring pack by using a new center bolt , so you would have to take the old center bolt out and then bolt those in !

are you talking about the long add a leafs from bronco graveyard ? if yes then thats what i would go with if you have a solid axle up front !

 

Those mini leafs are for the REAR, not the FRONT.

I would say the idea if replacing the bottom leaf with the add-a-leaf will Not work. I say this because then you Still only have 2 leafs carrying the weight, while the add-a-leaf was designed to Help 2 leafs, Not One

 

It's a solid axle. You have to use a new center bolt for the add a leaf's too... The mini spring packs would be easier to install because you wouldn't have to fight the non-arch of the existing springs with the arch of the add a leaf spring. They do look more legit than a lift block but i'm wondering if the truck would notice that I paid twice as much for them vs. blocks or if it would bind in 4wd just the same.

O Contraire, those are their solution for the front. Here is their whole truck lift kit, the scary stacking blocks kind. - 1980-1998 FORD F350 2" Full Lift Kit 4x4 | eBay

You may be right on the AAL thing, hard to know without them listing a weight rating on them which they don't because in the standard configuration it wouldn't matter. I thought that since they were 3" wide and full length that they might have a shot? You're thinking it would break?

I just saw your truck pics in the GVWR thread and that blue/white crew cab is gorgeous!

 

Maybe I should be asking about re arching the front springs, is that expensive and do they still line up for easy installation after the re arch?

 

They settle after being re-arched, kinda a waste of money.

FORD sells NEW springs for about 300. Would be a good idea to put in new shackle too.

And just because someone sell something on ebay, does NOT make it right. I would rather run stacked blocks in the rear than those mini springs in the front

 

I had not heard that re arched springs settle, I thought that was one of the "right" ways to lift, lol Thanks for the heads up.

Ford sells lift springs or just replacement springs?


I just can't get down with these $400-$500 leveling options. For $1,259 I can get a full 4" lift kit done the right way with new springs all the way around from Bronco Graveyard - 4" Ultra Lift Kit F350 4WD 1986-97 Monobeam Gas With a full lift kit all the way down to shocks and pitman arm for 1,200 I can't see spending $500 to lift the front a couple of inches. And like I said before the 4" would look cool but I don't want to assassinate my fuel mileage with bigger than a 33"-35" tire which would look too small with that much lift.

 

rearched springs will work some times but i have always had a extra leaf put in and have had no problems that way !

i have also used add a leafs , both the short and long ones , up front and in the rear and have also took 2 spring packs and stacked the leaves for extra height and weight carrying ability ! got my old 89 F250 4x4 out back with like 12 leafs in the rear , it has duals on it and use to pull our drill rigs so it needed the extra springs , it also has a straight axle in front with ranchos 4" lift springs !

my old 77 dodge 4x4 i had 2 add a leafs in the front of that one !

if you can find another set of spring , front rear makes no difference , worn out is fine also , you could cut the leafs down to look like the one on Ebay , then bolt them to your existing spring pack !

 

Ford sells NEW stock springs. Your springs are all sagged out from being 20years old. Put a new set of springs in and it will pick the truck up