2013 F-250 4x4 6.7L
Thinking about leveling the truck. Will most likely go with the Bilstein spring/shock kit or the Readylift kit with the springs and trackbar relocation bracket and Bilstien Shocks. I know the debate over springs or spacers. I'm going the spring route mostly because I don't like the idea of the shocks having that extra pivot point at the extenders. I also know The Bilstiens are longer and don't need the extenders and I'm still gonna go with the springs. Now need to debate that part.
my question is though, do I want to spend the money for an adjustable track bar or does the relocation bracket do well enough.
I don't do any serious off roading but I do haul dump trailers full of rock on occasion.
Also feel free to discuss the radius arms and what if anything needs to be done with them. I see alot of stuff about caster, but I wonder why I never see any kits that has the bushing to correct it.
You can opine about Bilstien vs. Fox shocks if you like, but I know don't need anything fancier than that.
Thanks!

p.s. feel free to post any links, especially if your getting a piece of that pie.

 

Get away from the track bar ball joint entirely and convert it to a heim joint. I can't remember the name of the company that sold the easy kit, but it was an entire replacement track bar. You'll be addressing death wobble twice a year if you don't. Worked at a place that had an alignment shop, and all the dudes that didn't want to lift it right were seen shortly after at the car lot trading in. I might be on the aggressive side since you just said "level it" versus 3-4" lift, but there is no better thing to do than doing away with that ball joint.
Stop by your local alignment shop, there should be caster/camber bushings available if needed, would be better to know before you get into it. I can't remember if the knuckle had to be pulled to do those or not.

 

I installed a Zone 4" radius arm kit on my 2015. It came with a new non-adjustable track bar to re-center axle. After install I felt bump steer (wander) over dips in the road.
The problem was that the track bar and drag link were not parallel. See pic.
Because those two angles are different, when the suspension traveled up and down over dips, the distance between them changed, thus turning the front wheels slightly, thus = bump steer.
That's the best way I know how to describe it.
I wound up with a track bar drop bracket that got the two rods parallel, and an adjustable track bar to get the axle perfectly centered. Results = no more bump steer.
Tracks perfectly straight, no death wobble, etc... Been almost 4 years and 30+k miles.
Drop bracket - Ready Lift
Track Bar - RC Track bar

 

Thanks. I had a 2016 f150 that had a cheap level when I bought it that resulted in almost dangerous bump steer. I know, different animal regarding the two suspensions, but I know for sure bump steer sucks and I want to get this level right.
I thought about going with both pieces.

 

With just a leveling lift, you may not need the drop bracket. As long as those two links are close to parallel you should be good.

An adjustable track bar though... can guarantee your axle is centered.

 

Adjustable track bar had pros and cons

cons, you need to do some analysis to decide what the adjustment should be. Additional points of failure..IE …ham nut and threads into collar wiggly woo.

Pros, you can adjust for your level lift..,and later if you want more gooder lifts, you can adjust for that.

drop bracket

pros, it’s preset depending on your lift…they are sold in specific lifts. Install it, nothing to adjust, no additional points of failure such as jam nut, threaded shaft into threaded collar wiggly woo, etc.

cons, if you change your lift, you will need new drip bracket for that lift


worth mentioning…these trucks come under castored to start with ( gliding all over the road complaints) , when you start lifting..if you are not happy with your stock castor…you will certainly be annoyed with a lift that does not include pinion arm drop brackets to put the caster back in…and then some if you want self centering driving.

AND, depending on where you started from as some changes were made by ford so that all trucks are not equal, the results on one year truck may not be the results on other year trucks…example…bump steer..some year truck are notorious for minor annoying bump steer to start with and if you change the angle of the drag bar, meaning..it’s no longer exactly horizontal…you will increase the bumpsteer if you had it to start with and/or introduce it if you did not. In my case, I had to buy a pitman drop bracket that inverted the position of the drag bar so that the link was perfectly level.


Also, as you lift, your steering wheel will loose center and there is a collar by the pax front wheel to adjust that…you may need to spray lube to break it free and don’t forget to retighten when you are done.

above is extreme cases…but worth mentioning.

 

Good info. Thanks.