Leveled vs Lowered
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,504
Likes: 8
From: Indian Falls, New York
A lot of truck, well mostly all, come with a slightly higher rear than front. What stance do you prefer, I can't make up my mind. From the front, *** slightly in the air looks aggressive and screams performance. From the side, leveled looks better. Compromise?
What's your preference?
What's your preference?
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 477
Likes: 1
From: Florida
Stance
A lot of truck, well mostly all, come with a slightly higher rear than front. What stance do you prefer, I can't make up my mind. From the front, *** slightly in the air looks aggressive and screams performance. From the side, leveled looks better. Compromise?
What's your preference?
What's your preference?
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 56,949
Likes: 2,718
From: Virginia
Ford did make the rearend higher, mainly for the loaded stance of the truck. The springs in the rear are progressive, very soft unloaded, stiffer as the truck is loaded. Riding around empty the rear is higher riding on the softer upper springs. Loading the truck down levels it out and the upper springs sit on the lower stiff spring.
When you level your truck, you are level when riding around empty, but sagging terribly if you ever load it down. I consider it a fad, and I actually think Ford is joining in on it, we just bought a brand new f250 at work, and it looks level from the factory. I bet it looks terrible when we get to load it down. The only way to get around this situation would be air bags in the rear.
The whole thing is much like a flatbed 18 wheeler. Ever notice how the trailer is curved upward unloaded? It flattens out with a load. I talked to a engineer and he said it would not make any difference as far as the strength of the bed is concerned, the flat bed is going to give and curve down under load. They just don't want it to curve down till it sags in th middle because it looks bad. So they curve it upward unloaded.
When you level your truck, you are level when riding around empty, but sagging terribly if you ever load it down. I consider it a fad, and I actually think Ford is joining in on it, we just bought a brand new f250 at work, and it looks level from the factory. I bet it looks terrible when we get to load it down. The only way to get around this situation would be air bags in the rear.
The whole thing is much like a flatbed 18 wheeler. Ever notice how the trailer is curved upward unloaded? It flattens out with a load. I talked to a engineer and he said it would not make any difference as far as the strength of the bed is concerned, the flat bed is going to give and curve down under load. They just don't want it to curve down till it sags in th middle because it looks bad. So they curve it upward unloaded.
Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,362
Likes: 22
From: Florence, SC
I personally think these trucks look better with the rear slightly higher than the front. Like Franklin said, Ford designed the "rake" to make the truck level when there is a load in the back. After all, these are TRUCKS we are driving.
When my Father originally bought the 1985 F150 I now own, the previous owner leveled the truck by putting in front coil spacers. These spacers not only ruined the ride, but if we even had so much as 100 pounds in the bed, the back of the truck would sag and look extremely wimpy, as if it could barley handle the weight. In stock form, these trucks will level out with even a small load in the back.
Keep the stock rake the way Ford designed them to be. Like you said, it looks more aggressive this way, it is better when you have a load, and I heard it also helps (a little) with fuel mileage.
When my Father originally bought the 1985 F150 I now own, the previous owner leveled the truck by putting in front coil spacers. These spacers not only ruined the ride, but if we even had so much as 100 pounds in the bed, the back of the truck would sag and look extremely wimpy, as if it could barley handle the weight. In stock form, these trucks will level out with even a small load in the back.
Keep the stock rake the way Ford designed them to be. Like you said, it looks more aggressive this way, it is better when you have a load, and I heard it also helps (a little) with fuel mileage.
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