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I have a 2016 f250, Lariat, super crew, 6.5’ bed ruby red, (did I get everything?!?), with 86k miles on it. I have done a fair amount of towing and a fair amount of off-roading (more trail/forest service than anything). The front suspension is shot and needs replacement. I hit some really bad washboard on a road trip 6 months ago and got a death wobble that has come back 3 times since then.
I’m overwhelmed by all my options…. I’m looking for the best place to source parts, I want to do all new front suspension components (tie rods, ball joints, steering stabilizer, hubs, everything). I also want to do shocks/springs front, and shocks rear. I want a good upgrade when it comes to shocks, what brand/model do you like?
I have the airbags already purchased for the back. Is there any reason I should do leaf springs when I do the back? Should I get a set with an extra heavy duty leaf even though I’m doing the bags?
I know this is a lot of questions, just trying to get all this work done at once and I’m finding SO much stuff/options that I really want to narrow it down.
If it were mine.....Rancho RS5000X or the adjustable 9000 series and Bilstiens are good nice. I had KYB Mono Maxes on my 99 4x4 SD and they were insanely stiff so dont go there. I do like airbags over timbrens or sumo's in the back and no, I would not replace the spring packs. Up front. DW is typically linked to a specific problem. As a Jeep owner where DW is far to common you get used to dealing with it. Typically on coil sprung jeeps its linked to a bad trac bar or its bushings or broken mounts even. Not always easy to diagnose. Parts wise, Ive used Moog but they aren't what they used to be quality wise. Might try Rockauto for OEM ford parts which is probably the best bet as we live in a world of cheap imported junk parts anymore. Surely you'll get plenty of responses in the days coming.
What rate front coils do you have and do you plan to replace with the same rate or different for your uses?
i don’t know… I have the stock suspension on it. I want to be able to tow to any/all stock towing capacities. I move every 2-4 years and do a full move with my own trailer so that’s why I bought the truck. I get paid to move, so they bought it for me by this point.
between moves I do a fair amount of back country exploring and camping, but I like driving slow, so I don’t need raptor suspension on there…
I experienced coil spring fatigue on my 01, after 200k miles on oil filed roads. However, replacing the springs with HD springs made a great difference.
I installed a set of Hellwig Helper Springs on my flat bed. LP-35 I think they were. Lifted the rear end and made a big difference on towing. The bonus is with a good set of helper springs you have the option for a camper exists.
Good ole ball joints, tie rod ends, drag link parts, and maybe some wheel hubs is all you really need to overhaul the front end.
I've always gone for Moog or Motorcraft and source either RockAuto Summit Racing, or straight from the Ford house.
Agree with the comment on Moog. It used to be a premium brand. I replaced the front end with all new components in my old CRV and within 6 months the ball joints went bad. Had a shop change them and they said the same thing. Moog is junk now.
Not sure who to trust now. The same shop did ball joints on my F450 and used Mevotech. Greaseable and has a good warranty. No idea where its made, but so far so good.
I’d recommend OEM / spicer, or XRF for front end parts (American Undercar sells XRF). Springs, OEM or call ATS or General Springs, and let them know what you do with the truck and ask for their suggestions. Rear depends on how sagged out yours are, and what type of weights you want to carry, vs what yours are now. Best to talk direct to the spring shop for weight options. Have your spring codes on hand when you call, it’s located on the VIN decal. If you’d like help with it, just post up a picture of it (black out the VIN number if you wish) and someone can point it out to you. (See pic below for example - spring code PPAA circled, only an example.)
I gave up on Moog several yrs ago.
XRF, I’ve not come across a bad review yet, and lots of good reviews (on here and other forums) and have had good after sales support. I don’t have enough miles for long term yet on mine yet to comment any further. I used them twice, everything was well made and fit well. No issues.
This is just my opinion, but Ive stayed away from air bags on gravel and rocky roads, out of fear of rocks tearing them. Ymmv.. (Your mileage might vary)
Shocks, suggestions and opinions will probably be all over the map. I’ve used bilstein, rancho, stock, Monroe, fox, KYB, elcheapos, others I can’t remember off hand, etc etc. all depends on what type of ride you want, and how much you’re willing to part with for them. Personaly, on my 250’s I just stuck with stock these days. Motorcraft on the 96, and rancho x on the 06. Plenty fine for the bush roads (fire roads), etc I run with it. I’m running bilstein and KYB on other vehicles, and they’re good too…
As far as hubs, do you mean lock out hubs? If you’re not having an issues, Personaly I wouldn’t worry about the stock ones. Warm, mile marker are options. If it’s unit bearings, I’d suggest oem again, or timken.
For everything else, bushings etc, I’d still suggest oem, it’s all still available, more expensive, but worth it imho. Alternatively energy suspension makes poly bushing, but I prefer oem rubber in somethings. Poly, energy suspension, are an option as well.
Steering gear box, if needed, I go with Blue Top. Excellent work, quick turn time, never had an issue personally. You can also get exchange units for quick turn times.
If you don’t have a set of manuals, Torque King 4x4 has a good website for sorting out front end / drivetrain parts. They are on the expensive side, but good parts, they should have everything you need too. Rock auto is good too, lots of options. Dealers are a good option too. I avoid eBay and Amazon these days, lots of fake parts out there…
Nice set up by the way, looks like a nice family rig you have put together!
When I replaced the ball joints on mine, I used XRF. As has been pointed out, Moog is no longer a premium brand. I'm still running the stock lockouts on my 04, but I did blow one out on my 2000 & replaced both with Mile Marker. Very easy job to swap out.
You’ve covered all the details, and it sounds like you're ready for a solid suspension overhaul. We’ve got you covered with everything you need and more, so let’s dive in.
For the suspension, given your mix of towing and off-roading, we recommend going with Bilstein 5100 shocks. They offer excellent performance both on and off the road, and they’re known for their durability, especially with washboard roads and trails like the ones you've been on. Pair those with Mevotech TTX tie rods, ball joints, and hubs for reliable, long-lasting components. These parts are a solid, heavy-duty choice for steering and suspension, particularly for trucks like your F250 that see off-road and towing action.
The Bilstein B8 5100 would be a solid upgrade for the steering stabilizer. It’s designed for heavy-duty trucks and will help keep your steering smooth and wobble-free, especially under load or off-road conditions.
As for the rear, since you already have airbags, you’re in great shape for handling towing. Adding heavy-duty leaf springs with an extra leaf can further boost load support and stability. However, with airbags already installed, this might be a scenario to look at helper springs. You could run with less air in the bags and use more of the springs for a more balanced ride.
Let us know if you have any other questions. We're here to help!
Thanks for the very helpful post with links. I have taken a look at most of these and based on your recommendations and some others I want to move forward with most of what is listed here.
I am having trouble finding all of the correct Mevotech TTX parts to replace everything up front. Since you did the work already, got me links to what I need and such I would love to get own the phone with you and verify the rest of the Mevotech parts that I'm missing and get everything ordered. You have a direct line/name/extensiono so I can get this ordered this week?
Feel free to get in touch with us at forumadvisor@summitracing.com. Don't forget to include your contact information in the email and, if you're already a Summit customer, your customer number too.
You’ve covered all the details, and it sounds like you're ready for a solid suspension overhaul. We’ve got you covered with everything you need and more, so let’s dive in.
For the suspension, given your mix of towing and off-roading, we recommend going with Bilstein 5100 shocks. They offer excellent performance both on and off the road, and they’re known for their durability, especially with washboard roads and trails like the ones you've been on. Pair those with Mevotech TTX tie rods, ball joints, and hubs for reliable, long-lasting components. These parts are a solid, heavy-duty choice for steering and suspension, particularly for trucks like your F250 that see off-road and towing action.
The Bilstein B8 5100 would be a solid upgrade for the steering stabilizer. It’s designed for heavy-duty trucks and will help keep your steering smooth and wobble-free, especially under load or off-road conditions.
As for the rear, since you already have airbags, you’re in great shape for handling towing. Adding heavy-duty leaf springs with an extra leaf can further boost load support and stability. However, with airbags already installed, this might be a scenario to look at helper springs. You could run with less air in the bags and use more of the springs for a more balanced ride.
Let us know if you have any other questions. We're here to help!
ball joints, tie rod ends and track bar go with kryptonite. Nothing is better out there and a no questions asked life time warranty. personally I'd do the snow plow X code fronts coils and do a long add a leaf in the rear. Shocks I don't know, it seems any more they all are junk and go bad way too soon https://kryptoniteproducts.com/
Have you used the Krypto? If so how many miles, yrs, etc. I’ve looked at it in the past for other projects but never used it.. pretty pricey. Ball joints price look reasonable - I thought they were rebuildable until I looked at the site.
EDIT: OP, If we’re going down this road, you may as well have a look at Dynatrac as well.. be sitting down when you see the prices. Those ball joint are rebuildable though. I’ve never seen, heard of, or read, one bad review of Dynatrac.
Im considering the spindle hub conversion kit for my ‘06.
