I still don't have the fronts installed yet. Maybe this weekend.


What tire size do you think you'd go with. Sounds like the quicklifts give 2" or just under of additional clearance. I'm thinking about 295-70-18. That's just a little over a 34" tire.

 

I'm going to be running a 305/55/20 which his roughly a 33x12.50x20. Pretty common size.

 

So, I ended up with a 33x12.50x20 Iron Man All Country M/T and Gear Alloy Dominators 20x9 +0. Went with open-ended conical spline drive lug nuts in chrome and OEM TPMS sensors. The wheels came with hubcentric rings as well. Currently the only suspension upgrades installed are the Rancho quickLIFT fronts set to setting 3 and the Rancho RS9000XL rear shocks set to setting 3.

I've seen the upgraded front control arms with the uniballs but they seem to only be for those who are off-roading or are trying to run 2.5" or more on a leveling kit. It seems like the stock ones do fine unless you're doing a lot of off roading. Also, it's said the uniball ones can correct alignment issues, but my alignment is dead on. I've seen there's upgraded lower control arms too but they seem to be for those that are trying to use the Raptor suspension setup which also requires longer front CV shafts. Once again, setup for off-roading purposes. I also don't wish to go over a leveling kit as it's plenty enough for my daily driver. I know there's coilover kits and external reservoir shocks available as well, but once again, these are setup for off-roading and would be extremely overkill on road. I've seen the tie rod ends too but are also off-road geared. From what I've also found the off-road suspension parts tend to not be setup to handle loads and towing, so that's another reason I'd prefer to stay away from them.

It seems like my only other upgrades would be different spring packs in the back, rear helper springs, rear air bags, and different sized rear blocks. I'm gonna pass on the different spring pack in the back or add-a-leafs as I am happy how the truck rides now and don't want it to ride rougher. I do want to bring the rear up about an inch though from what it is now. I know I could do this with bags or a bigger block for sure and I've been told the rear helper springs usually will lift the rear 1/2"-1". I wouldn't mind some more load capacity in the back to match my load range E tires. Although bags are nice they require babysitting to a point and if they fail with a load on them you're kind of stuck. This is where I would like the helper springs much more.

So, at this point the only other thing I'm looking at would be the Supersprings for the rear. Is there anything else you guys think I should bother looking at to replace or upgrade? Thanks!

EDIT: I forgot, but I also need to recalibrate the speedometer. Most likely I'll pick up an SCT Tuner so I can have that ability plus a bit more power. Thinking of just going with the X4 at this point so I can eventually run custom tunes.

 

Sounds awesome. Looking forward to pics when you get them.


I did my front brake work 2 weekends ago, got held up on a stubborn rotor (before I learned a cool trick) so ran out of time to tackle the struts. I'll be working this past and this coming weekend, so I'm having a shop install the front struts/mount tires/align/etc. Its going in on Thursday. If I can get them to swap my brake fluid at the same visit, I'll be really happy with all the maintenance done on her.


I was thinking of going with 295/70R/18 (34.3") but had some last minute concerns about rubbing, so I've decided to play it safe with 275/70R/18s (33.2"). Also, as previously mentioned, the tire selection drops once you start playing too much with sizes, so this size also gave me some options. I went with General Grabber AT2s, primarily because the price was good. Looking forward to see how the LT tires and these adjustable shock/struts make it feel/handle. Really hoping the reviews about noise on these tires are true as well.


Will also mention that I had my rear shocks on the highest level and had to kick them down to 6 after feedback from Wife/Baby riding in the truck. Think I may be cranking them down further once the new tires are on.


All I'll have left is the preventative swap of the boots and plugs, and given I'm not having any issues I don't need to rush it. Will post some before/after pics once its done.

 

I'm gonna put some more pictures up today as the truck is currently behind me in the detail bay getting detailed. Sounds like you've got a good setup. With a 295/70 you'd probably not have quite the rub issues I did but still possibly require some valance trimming. If you didn't have mud flaps even less to worry about. I'm guessing you'll need to drop the shocks a bit further once you get the LT's on them. Those Grabber AT2's are fairly quiet for what they are, basically the same as the BFG T/A KO2. I settled at a 3 on my shocks, and am currently at 35 PSI in the tires. Will be going up to 40 as it rides pretty soft and a little more air won't hurt. Looking forward to your pictures! Good luck!

 

A little late to think about this, because everything is lined up for tomorrow, but I just measured my current wheel wells.
Front is at 36.75 ground to top/mid-well
Rear is at 37.75, same measurement.
So after the struts go in, I'll be going from -1" on the front to +1", if I get a true 2inches out of it.
Was hoping to avoid rear blocks....
Maybe I need to get rid of some crap I'm carting around with me.

 

[QUOTE=the_auto_tech;16255255]So, at this point the only other thing I'm looking at would be the Supersprings for the rear. Is there anything else you guys think I should bother looking at to replace or upgrade? Thanks!QUOTE]

Truck Camper Suspension - truck sway - truck sag - reduce camper roll | StableLoad
not sure if this is something you would consider as an upgrade to the rear, but it may help out with your thirst for more load capacity without sacrificing your current ride height and/or ride comfort.

There are a few people around here that I've seen post about this product and they had good things to say about them.

 

Sounds like you're gonna need some bigger blocks!

 

[QUOTE=awq134;16260337]Never seen this before, but I'm a bit skeptical. I would think the Super Springs are a better setup than these are.

 

So with the new struts and tires...(also went up in tire size)
Im at 39 3/8 in front.
And 38 3/4 in back. So nose-high by 5/8". The guy at the shop said I will probably want to wait a week before jumping into rear blocks, in case it settles any. Also...when I take one of the 3 toolboxes out of the back, I gained .5 inch yesterday in the rear. So if I shed some weight and it settles...I'll be level. Not opposed to blocks though

Initial impressions...getting out of a truck for 5 years and suddenly being taller, even by a few inches, makes for a bit of a surprise. The angle of the hood looking out is noticeable (not bad) just different. I didn't get out of traffic to give it a full test, but its a lot less squishy. Though...feel like it requires more steering wheel to make the same turns. Must have been rolling the walls of those P tires pretty hard.

Ride quality -rear at 6 front at 5. I love it. May be adjusting if the wife has issues, but I like it as is.

As for the look aside from the "true" level issue...I couldn't be more pleased. Really think getting the nose up made it look great, and happy with the look of the tires as well.

Pics and Highway report to follow.

 

For each set, Top is BEFORE, Bottom is AFTER.

 

Looks much more like a "truck" now. I always hated that bad rake the F-150 has, but I get it, it just means you can load it and it not sag in the back. I'd rather just go the route we are with the leveling kit and some blocks in the back.

 

Are we ever going to get photos of the Limited after all the mods? I'm excited to see how it turned out.

 

Here's a link to my photo album. Dirty truck though!


F150 Slideshow by templeton_cody | Photobucket

 

Looking good! how do the M/T's handle and how is the noise? The tires stick out a little further then I prefer but it looks mean. How much lift did you end up with in the front?