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1987 - 1996 F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks 1987 - 1996 Ford F-150, F-250, F-350 and larger pickups - including the 1997 heavy-duty F250/F350+ trucks

Lifting with just leaf spring possible?

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Old Feb 1, 2013 | 09:52 AM
  #16  
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Originally Posted by kidkyle21
Yes I do have the 351w but how would a 4 in the front and 6 in the rear level the truck ?
From the factory, the rear of the truck sits 1-2" high because of a 2.5" block in the rear. If you take the block out, the rear end would actually sit 0.5 to 1.5" lower than the front.

Based on the experience of TJC with his diesel F250, 4" lift in the front and a 6" lift in the rear left him sitting with a 1" rake. The diesel is muich heavier than your 351, so the front end won't sink quite as far as his did. This should mean you're sitting close to level with the 4" and 6" springs. This is probably due to different spring rates and configuration for the springs so the rear may not lift a full 6" or the front may lift a little more than 4" leaving you with a level truck.
 
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Old Feb 1, 2013 | 09:55 AM
  #17  
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From: Windsor
Originally Posted by DIYiT

More commonly, for the rear, you can easily gain 2" of lift by just getting an F350 lift block; it puts your block at 4" instead of the 2" block in your F250 as is. As for new springs, you can go with any F250 or F350 springs from 1980 all the way through 2006. The 1980-1997 are going to be a direct bolt in, while the 1999-2006 are going to require you to drill out the hanger hole for a metric bolt. Super Duty springs are designed to be a more progressive spring pack than what you currently have, so the ride will improve. However, the only way to know the rated capacity of the springs is to get the door code tag for the springs to keep the rating the same as what you currently have. You cannot know the model/rating of the spring unless you have the door tag rating.
So technically what your saying... is that i can order 8" lift springs on BDS website that are made for a 99-04 F250/350? And all i have to do is make the hanger bolt hole bigger?
 
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Old Feb 1, 2013 | 09:58 AM
  #18  
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Originally Posted by firerescue9
So technically what your saying... is that i can order 8" lift springs on BDS website that are made for a 99-04 F250/350? And all i have to do is make the hanger bolt hole bigger?
As long as the BDS 8" lift spring is a direct drop in for the 99-04 trucks, yes. The B code Super Duty rear spring is a popular swap (which I will be doing after my Dana 60 SAS) because the springs are cheap from guys who lift there Super Duties, and it requires only drilling out the hangers to slip them right in to our trucks.
 
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Old Feb 1, 2013 | 10:18 AM
  #19  
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Originally Posted by DIYiT
As long as the BDS 8" lift spring is a direct drop in for the 99-04 trucks, yes. The B code Super Duty rear spring is a popular swap (which I will be doing after my Dana 60 SAS) because the springs are cheap from guys who lift there Super Duties, and it requires only drilling out the hangers to slip them right in to our trucks.


How do the BDS SHOCKS COMPARE to rancho or skyjacker
 
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Old Feb 1, 2013 | 10:52 AM
  #20  
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Originally Posted by kidkyle21
How do the BDS SHOCKS COMPARE to rancho or skyjacker
No clue.

Bilstein 5100 is commonly recommended for lifted applications. I'm currently running the Bilstein HDs (purple & yellow) for stock height applications which (I've heard) is the same as the 5100, but with a shorter stroke for stock suspension. I'm very happy with the HDs but they aren't cheap.
 
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Old Feb 1, 2013 | 01:38 PM
  #21  
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Originally Posted by DIYiT
From the factory, the rear of the truck sits 1-2" high because of a 2.5" block in the rear. If you take the block out, the rear end would actually sit 0.5 to 1.5" lower than the front.

Based on the experience of TJC with his diesel F250, 4" lift in the front and a 6" lift in the rear left him sitting with a 1" rake. The diesel is muich heavier than your 351, so the front end won't sink quite as far as his did. This should mean you're sitting close to level with the 4" and 6" springs. This is probably due to different spring rates and configuration for the springs so the rear may not lift a full 6" or the front may lift a little more than 4" leaving you with a level truck.

i never noticed that block there before so i reuse those blocks or replace them with 2'' blocks i could get a 5'' leaf for the 6'' for the rear i would retain that rear sitting a inch or to higher correct?

and with a 5-6'' life will all the other needed parts be long enough to reach rive shafts and things like that?
 
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Old Feb 1, 2013 | 02:38 PM
  #22  
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Originally Posted by kidkyle21
i never noticed that block there before so i reuse those blocks or replace them with 2'' blocks i could get a 5'' leaf for the 6'' for the rear i would retain that rear sitting a inch or to higher correct?

and with a 5-6'' life will all the other needed parts be long enough to reach rive shafts and things like that?
You already have a 2" block for the rear axle. From the sound of TJC's setup, you shouldn't need a block to keep a slight reward rake if using a 6" rear spring and 4" front spring with no blocks. 4" lift springs front and rear with your factory 2" in block in the rear should net the same result.

As for the drive shaft, I'm not sure. I don know you'll want extended brake lines on the front axle for sure, and possibly on the rear as well.
 
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Old Feb 1, 2013 | 03:01 PM
  #23  
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Originally Posted by DIYiT
You already have a 2" block for the rear axle. From the sound of TJC's setup, you shouldn't need a block to keep a slight reward rake if using a 6" rear spring and 4" front spring with no blocks. 4" lift springs front and rear with your factory 2" in block in the rear should net the same result.

As for the drive shaft, I'm not sure. I don know you'll want extended brake lines on the front axle for sure, and possibly on the rear as well.
Cool i am probably over thinking this whole thing but when your dropping 2-3k on this i wanna only have to spend that once lol

after looking at summit i saw they had a 6'' lift kit with the lift in the front coming from the i-beam drop bracket and it also included new leafs all the way around it was 1400 and some change im thinking i might go with that but the TTB at 6'' as me worried what exactly is the issue i mean ill never be doing any heavy mudd bogging or rock crawling basicly trail riding with some tire deep mud or water and mostly a daily driver

If i have to ill do the dana swap but id like to save it for down the road

at which point i was going to put a i think it was dana 80 with 4:10 gears so i could have a dually and at that point it wont be a daily driver
 
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Old Feb 1, 2013 | 07:54 PM
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Thanks a bunch DIYit..
 
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