I'll be picking up a new truck here pretty soon. I've pretty much decided on an '06 F-250 PSD 4x4 that is at a dealer kinda close to me. I figured I'd start my research now for a few mods that I'd like to do in the nearish future.

So, what is a good 6" suspension lift kit for the truck that I'm looking at? And what would be a good place to buy/order the kit from? I'm kind of on a budget, but don't wanna go with a body lift, so I'm looking for a good, yet affordable, suspension lift. I'm also debating on whether I wanna run 35" or 37" tires on 20" wheels. I know this is more of personal preference, but which do you prefer of the two?

 

I'd go leveling lift and 35's as most budget freindly...20" tires are ridiculuosy expensive you might consider smaller rim as from what I've seen the bigger the rim size the more pricey the tire (plus I think it looks beefier with smaller rims) also consider how you will use your truck large lifts will not increase It's off road performance only body and frame clearance TIRES give you axle clearance and I don't think a 37" is worth the money for 1" versus a 35"

 

If I were you I wouldn't hesitate to go with the Icon 4.5" kit. It is widely considered the best riding kit out there for these year models. The '05-'07 model with a 4.5" kit and 35" tires looks awesome, and rides even better. What gearing do you have- 3.73, 4.10, or 4.30's? Most trucks have the 4.10 gears. Unless you have 4.30 you will see a noticeable loss of torque going bigger than 35's.

Keep in mind that fuel is not going to get cheaper, and the bigger you go the more fuel you will burn through. Everybody only thinks about the lift size when they get the truck, but let me tell you down the road you will kick yourself if you drop the mileage too much.

Here is some info on the kit.

This 4.5" System for the 2005-2007 Super Duty’s is one the best riding suspension systems ICON has ever developed. This system has been engineered using the highest quality materials and components. The front Dual-Rate coils-springs combined with our ICON Series Mono-tube shocks give these trucks the performance they so desperately need. This system comes complete with front coils, shocks, radius arm drop down brackets, rear blocks and u-bolts and our patented Adjustable Track bar giving the front end of these trucks perfect track alignment.
Technical Specs

* 50%increase in wheel travel
* Less body-roll than stock truck
* 4.5" more travel from ride height to front bump stops
* State-of-the-art dual-rate coil spring
* Lifetime guarantee that coil springs won’t sag
* Clears 35" Tall Tires & 37" Tall Tires w/ Minor Trimming
* No change in towing capacity
* No drive shaft modifications needed
* 100%Bolt-on system - no drilling,cutting or welding necessary for install
* Made in the USA

http://www.iconvehicledynamics.com/s...System-Stage-1

 

In my opinion 20" wheels make the trucks look Ghetto. Just go with some 17"-18" wheels. The tires for the 17" wheels were more numerous and better priced when I looked and you get more rubber sidewall for airing down safely.

 

I'm still shopping around for a truck, I'd like to have one here in the next week or two. But I'm thinking that I want the 4.10 gearing.

Fuel prices do suck right now, definitely, and will continue to haha. But since this isn't my primary source of transportation, it isn't a huge deal for me. The only time I drive is when I'm either taking more stuff than can fit in a back pack, it's raining, or have another person or people with me. Other than that I ride the bike.

I think that the 20"s would probably look decent with 37" tires, but I'll probably go with 35"s, so I'd most likely go with 18"s.

Ya, I'll probably end up going with the 35"s.

 

IMO, the most critical "decision" when planning a lift kit is the selection of the tire size. Everything else supports that decision. It sounds like you have decided on 35" tires but you also indicated that you may want 37" tires. While a 2" difference may not sound like much, it actually can have a huge difference in the supporting upgrades. For example, a 4"-4.5" lift kit is great for 35" tires but if you decide later to install 37" tires, you are going to have clearance issues with that 4"-4.5" lift kit. Also, the stress to the engine/trans/axles is much greater with 37" tires versus 35" tires. If you plan to install new axle gears, you want to make sure that you "commit" to the largest tire size that you plan to run so that you "do it right the first time." New front and rear gears will cost between $1,600 and $2,000... you don't want to do that upgrade twice.

So, I encourage you to really think about the future and start with the desired tire size... then go from there.

 

Would I be able to run the stock axle gears with the 35"s?...I'll probably end up going with a lift that will accommodate the 37"s even if I go with the 35"s just in case I decide to go up in the future.

 

What do you plan to do with the truck... towing/hauling, mudding/beach (I see you live in FL), off-roading, and/or just a daily driver?

 

A little of everything really.

 

My truck really look ghetto????????

 

To be honest it does. 20's look a little ghetto on a 4x4 unless your running 44's or bigger. Why run expensive rims with skinny tires in the mud? And no one in there right mind would run them in the snow unless there made of money. Slammed street trucks look nice with 20's. But the only 4x4's i see with 20's or bigger are either stock from the factory or are lifted mall crawlers that never leave the pavement. I personally don't see the point unless its a purpose built show truck. Regardless its your truck and your money so run what you want to run.

 

Based on your user name, it appears that you ride motorcycles... so do I. As you know, there is no "single" motorcycle that will do everything well because of the various designs. In theory, I would like to have four or five motorcycles... one for each application (sportbike, touring, cruiser, dual-sport, off-road).

The same can be said about trucks. What makes for a great mudding/off-road truck is not what's best for towing/hauling. This is why it is so important to determine how the truck will be used most of the time. It's a compromise but one that needs to be taken seriously.

Since you don't have the truck yet, I would first focus my attention on defining the "core features" of the stock truck. For example, do you really need a diesel engine or would a V10 gas engine suffice? There is a significant weight difference between these two engines that will affect you truck's ability in mudding/off-road conditions. Finding a stock truck with the right axle gears can save you up to $2K by avoiding the need to change axle gears in the future.

I started my research for a SD truck several years ago. I originally wanted a 4X4 regular cab truck (shortest possible) and planned to run 35" tires. I wanted a gas engine and thought that the 5.4L would have sufficient power for the 35" tires. I found a 2005 F350 4X4 with 4.10 gears and thought that I was good to go. However, the more I researched, I found that my original planned changed... I then wanted 37" tires. Finally, I wanted 40" tires and purchased them at a HUGE discount at 4WheelParts.com.

As you can imagine, everything changed at that point. The 5.4L engine was NOT going to be sufficient for the 40" tires. So I thought about installing a Whipple supercharger. But after doing my research, I found that was going to cost between $15K to $20K with upgraded engine internals. So, here I am "committed" to 40" tires but have a truck that needs to be replaced by one with a more powerful engine.

 

I'll probably do pretty much everything with it at one point or another, but not often. And It won't be daily driven because that's what the R6 is for. So it'll basically be used for rainy days or when people are with me. Also some occasional off-roading would be fun. I also would use the bed to haul a bike, or kayaks, and may tow a bike or boat trailer once in a blue moon...So I'm basically trying to make it look good, but still have functionality should I decide to do something weird haha.

As for looking for a stock truck. I've decided on an F-250 crew cab with 4.10 gears and Powerstroke 4x4. As far as mods, I'd be doing a tune and chip, lift, wheels and tires, and a few other cosmetic things. I think I've pretty much decided on an Icon lift, just debating between the 4.5" and 7" ones. I like the idea of the 7" because If I do decided to go with 37" tires, either right away or a little in the future, I'll already be set.

 

I don't run in the mud so I guess the 35x12.20x20 are skinny tires. Yes the rims were expensive as I had them custom built with the offset and backspacing I wanted so they would sit under the fender wells and not throw crap on the side of my truck. We all have different uses for our trucks. A true 4x4 that is built for the mud is a toy and I wouldnt use it as a daily driver, you beat them and break them. Sorry to also say but I have two sets of them as I have my studded snow tires on them for winter. I have a 4 place enclosed trailer for my snowmobiles that I drag over the mountain in the winter. I guess that is why there are so many sizes of wheels and tires so we can all have a different look. Now a 4x4 with 20's and performance/street tires look stupid/ghetto to me.

 

i think the look really depends on what set of wheels you pick. i myself have 37 X 13.50 toyo MT on 18" wheel. I have seen the same tire on a 22" wheel and it really looks awesome. By the way both sets were on a black wheel vs a chrome wheel. (my 2 cents)

so, depending on what size lift you get will dictate what tire size will look good with it or vise versa. (get the the bigger size, i was not happy when i had 35's on the truck)