I purchased a 3.5" front and 2" rear leveling kit for my 2004 f150 4x4. I was getting some work done and my mechanic said there is no way this kit will fit my truck without changing the spindles because of the angle..will a different kit work say 2" or 2.5" front level spacers..also read that the leveling kits are blowing out ball joints and cv boots on the half axles..any help would b great or idea how I can get my truck higher with newer model spindles possibly from an Fx4 model or something..thanks

 

My 04 FX4 has a 2" leveling kit (spacers) and it works just fine...I opted for an aftermarket alignment kit to allow for any issues with alignment...not one single problem.

 

as you raise the truck up, the angle of the axle shaft down to the wheel/ tire gets worse (sharper angle). That is a fact of life. There have been guys that go up to 4 inches, but like you said, that can take its toll on ball joints and CV joints. There is no good way to get by this. You just have to live with shorter life (possibly) on parts. Alignment is another problem and has nothing to do with the axle angle.

 

you may be able to find aftermarket spindles to RAISE an inch. I have seen LOWER units advertised..normally for 2 wheel drive. Factory FORD parts are all the same.

 

If the truck is lifted, the axle angle will affect the the camber...the camber will change enough to require an alignment, and the factory camber bolts may be close to their limits of adjustability. I replaced the factory adjusters with aftermarket ones that address the potential problem.