I want to do a leveling kit on my truck and get some bigger tires under it than the stock ones. What I want to do is get a 2.5" leveling kit, keep my stock King Ranch wheels, and go with either a 33" or 35" tire. I have a million questions. What leveling kit is the best? With a leveling kit I'd assume that I'd need new shocks. Are Bilsteins really worth the big money? How do I know what size shocks I'd need? I want to get new ones for both the front and the rear. What is a good tire these days? I do 99% on road both in the summer and in the snow, but want an aggessive look. Should I go with a 33" or 35" tire. Will a 33x12.5 or 35x12.5 fit on the stock wheels and fit under the truck with minimal trimming at most? Do I need bigger brakes? Will I need to regear? Need some opinons and pics!
__________________
2005 Ford F350 Crew Cab King Ranch FX4 4X4 6.0L PowerStroke V8 Turbo Diesel
4" MBRP 304 stainless dual exhaust. No muffler. 5" stainless tips.
I went with a Tuff Country 2.5" level & 285 75 18 Toyo Open Country's, basically a 34 X 11.5 X 18. I sit a half inch too high in the frnt from bein level so I'm changin out the 2.5" spacers for 2" spacers this next week
honestly you get what you pay for when it comes to leveling kits. I put a rough country lift on my truck and had a few problems with it(which they immediatly corrected and sent the right parts) but it is a pretty rough riding kit. as for the tires i would definatly get the 35s. i just put a set of kuhmo tires on mine and they are awesome. I cant beleive the improvement in ride quality from my firestones that i used to have.
with the leveling kit 35's will fit with minimal trimming. With my truck I got the rough country 2.5" and a set of bfg km2's and they arent bad. very aggressive and pretty good on the open road. I only drilled some holes in the plastic behind the tire and zip tied it back to the frame (didnt have any thing handy to trim) but it works and you cant tell it is there
truck and info is in the sig but i put 35's on it last week and have plenty of room, few more pics in gallery. Yes Bilsteins are worth the money, not sure if shockwarehouse.com is still having there buy 3 get one free deal on Bilstein HD's.
__________________ Robby 06 F250 5.4L SC LB 4x4 Plow Package, Leveling Kit, Bilstein HD's Cooper Discov STT 35x12.50x18's Rough Country Dual Stabilizer Kit K&N Drop in and Flowmaster Super 40
diesel shouldnt have any trouble, with my 5.4 I lost about 1.5 mpg going from 33's to 35's. my power from a dead stop is lower but passing cars on the highway is no problem still.
__________________ Robby 06 F250 5.4L SC LB 4x4 Plow Package, Leveling Kit, Bilstein HD's Cooper Discov STT 35x12.50x18's Rough Country Dual Stabilizer Kit K&N Drop in and Flowmaster Super 40
you wouldnt necessarily need to upgrade them, just maybe put a little better pad on. Im using Motorcraft pads and there fine. You will want to put a dual steering Stablilzer kit on though. the stock one sucks... its half the size of one of my RC ones.
My factory lariat wheels are 18 x 8 and the tires fit fine no trouble, if you have 18's there prolly the same size as mine.
I love the Coopers, the ride is awesome and the little Ive had them off road they were great. I use 2wd with them in place I would have to use 4x4 and a lot of skinny pedal with the Conti's. I have almost 500 miles on them.
__________________ Robby 06 F250 5.4L SC LB 4x4 Plow Package, Leveling Kit, Bilstein HD's Cooper Discov STT 35x12.50x18's Rough Country Dual Stabilizer Kit K&N Drop in and Flowmaster Super 40
I think a dual stabilizer is a little over kill for just 35s.
as rob said your brakes will be fine. as for the stock rims some people will say you need to upgrade to a wider rim but imo they should be fine as long as you do do run really low tire pressure offroad
my stocker was shot (#2) so I just went ahead and put a dual setup on. its much better and It got rid of the wondering. Just a suggestion.
__________________ Robby 06 F250 5.4L SC LB 4x4 Plow Package, Leveling Kit, Bilstein HD's Cooper Discov STT 35x12.50x18's Rough Country Dual Stabilizer Kit K&N Drop in and Flowmaster Super 40
Thanks for the suggestion for the steering stablilizer Rob. I have brand new Motorcraft pads on now (did them last week), so that'll put my mind at ease.
Now, shocks... how do I know what I need with a leveling kit? I want to do both front and rear.
__________________
2005 Ford F350 Crew Cab King Ranch FX4 4X4 6.0L PowerStroke V8 Turbo Diesel
4" MBRP 304 stainless dual exhaust. No muffler. 5" stainless tips.
__________________ Robby 06 F250 5.4L SC LB 4x4 Plow Package, Leveling Kit, Bilstein HD's Cooper Discov STT 35x12.50x18's Rough Country Dual Stabilizer Kit K&N Drop in and Flowmaster Super 40
This forum is owned and operated by Internet Brands, Inc., a Delaware corporation. It is not authorized or endorsed by the Ford Motor Company and is not affiliated with the Ford Motor Company or its related companies in any way. FordŽ is a registered trademark of the Ford Motor Company.
