I have an 09 F-250 Superduty Quad Cab 4x4 with the 5.4 Gas Motor. I am interested in Lifting the truck and getting some bigger tires as well. My questions are

I have the 20" facotry rims, what size tires can I go up to with the stock rims?

What is the best 4inch lift kit, I don't want to go bigger than that and will not be running 38 inch tires. I would like to buy a complete kit with all the suspension, block and shocks included with instructions and all parts. I have read a bunch of threads about the kits, but am having a tuff time narrowing down which kit will have the, "get it in the mail and then install with all parts included, feel"

Any help would be great, thanks T

 

u need to list a operating budget..

there are literaly tons of choices for a lift kit in the 4" range..

i have a 4" Procomp lift in my truck and im completly happy with it..

 

Are you interested in selling the factory 20's ?

 

I would get a leveling kit with rear blocks, Bushwacker cut out flares and 37x12.5x20 tires.

 

I have a 6" suspension with 37's... bought my kit for a little under 900 shocks,front leafs, blocks in rear, stainless brakes lines, pitman arm, everything! bought it from national tire and wheel... nice kit happy with it but i also had to buy a new adjustable track bar! check out ntwonline.com they have some nice deals! good luck! ps. before i bought my lift i had 315/70/17's on stock suspension!

 

Ok, I will try and answer a few question by others, and then add some other thoughts.

My budget would be able to cover almost any kit within reason. Nothing on the Air Ride Suspension side or the very costly kits in the 2400 range. But I don't see why $1500 or less would be out of the question. I originally asked about a 4" kit just because I don't want to run into extra issues with bigger lift kits. I was thinking that a 4" kit would have a basic set-up with no need for major headaches. I don't know what I am talking about when it comes to these kits and how easy one it versus another. So please school me, if a 6inch kit is the same as a 4 and doesn't need extra set-up, then please let me know. Don't forget that I have the 5.4 motor as well, so I will not have the Diesle power to help with the very oversized tires and massive lift also....

My plan is to use a friend that is a Local Mechanic with a lift and all available tools. I want to be able to order a full kit and then take it to this shop and install in an evening after shop hours. I would like to be able to show up at his shop and have everything that we need to finish the job in one shoot.

In reference to the Wheels and Tires. I'm not against selling the 20's. But I would want a 20 inch rim on the bigger tires anyway. I haven't been able to get a straight answer on the wheel question yet. What is the biggest tire that will fit the factory 20's? Would it be more cost effective to sell the factory 20's and shop around for a wider rim and tire set-up.

I would say that more than 90% of the time this Truck will be on the road and I am just doing this for the look, over the function of off-roading. I'm sure this is a terrible statement for most offroad fanatics, but I use my truck for everyday work and family hauling. Not really, trying to tear my truck up in the Mud. That doesn't mean I won't get a hair in my *** and take it offroad from time to time. I want Clean and proper if you can dig that.

Thanks for the responses so far and keep them coming, I would like to turn this thread into a build thread at some point with before and after pics and information sheet.

Tdog

 

What gears do your axles have... 3.73 or 4.10? Since you have the 5.4L engine, I would recommend 35X12.5R20" tires. Anything more and you will need to re-gear the axles for performance. The 2009 Super Duties have a wider front wheel well so you won't need a lot of lift to clear the 35" tires. You should be able to install a 2.5" Icon leveling kit with minimal effort.

Icon Vehicle Dynamics 2005-2010 FSD F250 2.5 inch Leveling System - 2008-2010 F250/F350 SRW 4wd Lifts - Truck Toyz Store

 

Furian's got some good advice. seminaryranger has a truck set up similarly and it's a nice compromise between full-blown offroader and daily driver.

That Icon lift/leveling kit is what I had in mind when I suggested a leveling kit.

 

I just checked out his ride and it does look good, I am going to send him a PM and ask a few questions.

Thanks for Icon Link, I think I'm getting close. Thanks Fellas

 

Remember,
Going 4" or 6" may become difficult when loading. If you use the truck for work or even a daily basis for family the 6" would have it's issues.

I agree, go to a smaller lift or leveling kit. Remember additional costs for tires, mount, balance, alignment etc..= $1000+ easy.

Check out tirerack.com for research on available makes, prices, reviews of tires etc.. Not sure of your rim width but you door jamb data will give you that or someone here. Im sure there are hundreds of tires available for your size. Just a couple of the popular brands are Nitto Terra's or Grapplers, BF Goodrich AT's.

Tires by Brand at Tire Rack

 

Thanks Dave, that is helpful info. I think I am going to go with the 2.5 leveling kit with 5" blocks. This would keep me in the usablity range I am looking for and also making the truck look great. I have heard good things about the Grapplers.

 

Just checked on the rims and the size is,

20x8.0 J

The stock tires are

275/65-R20

Just for Info

 

Another ?, what is the purpose of the E Rated Tire. Can I go with a non E Rated tire?

 

E has to do with the "ply" or load rating. A D load range may carry the weight, but you'll want to confirm it's rated to 3195 lbs or so, but it will have a "softer" sidewall. It will provide a more comfortable ride (probably), but will flex or roll more if you're towing a trailer or carrying a camper. I have D right now and don't like them. I'm going back to an E. However, many people prefer the D. You don't want a lower weight rating though, so you need to make sure the D will carry the weight (i.e., 3195 lbs per tire). Some D tires are rated lower than that and most E tires will start around 3195 lbs per tire.

Another thing to consider is the rating of the wheel. Your stock wheels are rated to carry your truck, but not all wheels are. I just went looking at wheels yesterday and was shocked that some wheels I thought were really nice (and fit) were rated at 2200 or 2400 lbs, much less than the tires on the wheels. So, keep your stock wheels if you can, or at least make sure the tires AND wheels you buy are rated for your truck (not just fit, but rated).

 

Thanks for the shout out.

Since you and I both have an '09 truck with the 5.4L V8, we will probably end up with similar results. I can tell you that the ICON 2.5" leveling system is a nice kit, but it is pricey compared to other kits. Mine ran me right at $1400 shipped and ready to install back in February of 2010. I bought from TruckToyz in McAllen, TX but the kit can be sourced elsewhere, too.

Since our trucks are gas powered and, therefore, somewhat lighter in the front compared to our diesel brothers, the 2.5" front lift coils actually lift closer to 3.5" total front lift. I ended up netting right at 3" of lift with my crew cab truck. You might get a little more if you have a single cab or supercab.

At any rate the guys who sold me the lift strongly recommended the 5" rear block instead of the standard 4" lift block that would be used for F250 trucks. The slightly taller 5" block keeps the rear of the truck in proportion to the front- it looks level and not low in the back end. They also recommended the adjustable track bar to keep the front end in proper alignment and the axle centered under the vehicle. In other words, the truck drives and tracks nice down the road.

The kit I received came with everything I needed to install it in a friend's shop in about 5hrs. The 4.5" kit includes radius arm drop down brackets which means you'll have to grind/drill out the rivets holding the factory brackets to the frame, so that may take some additional time. The 2.5" kit included castor cams which mount near the upper ball joints on the front axle. This was by far the most difficult part of the kit for me and my friends to install. Even though my truck was fairly new and clean and not rusty, the OE castor cams were a pain to separate from the axle "C". We ended up letting some penetrating oil soak and finally getting an air-chisel after them.
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All in all, I think Furian has some good advice: a 35x12.50R20 tire would be a real good place to start. You can fit that size on your factory 20" rims, although you MIGHT rub the radius arm at full steering lock. You can clear those tires with either a leveling kit of your choice or with a 4" lift.

Whatever you do, get load range "E" tires! Your 2009 truck has the TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) that will beep and drive you crazy if the tire pressure gets below, say 60psi. Most "D" rated tires have a max inflation pressure of less than that minimum, and "D" rated tires could cut into your trucks load capacity.

Be sure to look at tire specs before you buy. I cannot stress how important that is with a heavy duty truck like the Super Duty, even with just the baby 5.4L! Post up your ideas on here and there are a lot of good people who can help you get straightened out.

And finally, remember that you generally get what you pay for when it comes to suspension components. While it is possible to overpay and get ripped off, cheaper is not always necessarily better. If you just want to run up and down the road, the less expensive spacer leveling kits will be perfectly safe and fine. The ICON stuff is a little more cash because it include new coil springs up front, but they ride pretty good and those Bilstein shocks are the cat's meow when you start pushing the truck hard off road. It literally gobbles up bumps the factory suspension would be slapping the bumpstops on.
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Hopefully this helped some. It's just my experience. Let us know how we can help before you make a change to something so crucial as your truck's suspension.

Regards,
Chris