leveling kit & towing
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Junior User
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Louisiana
leveling kit & towing
I have the daystar kit on my 4x4 lariat screw and I have noticed that the rear of the truck squats bad when I tow my boat. Has anyone added helper springs on the rear suspension?/ If so please give me some feed back as to performance and the brand/model you purchased. THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!
Freshman User
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I've been looking at these different threads concerning the Daystar and ProtechEZlift kits for my 04 FX4 SuperCrew. I have a few concerns. At first I had an interest in the Daystar kit until I learned that Protech was manufactured using billet aluminum. It seems to me that the aluminum will probably last longer that plastic.
My next concern is how will the truck handle pulling a 3000 lb. boat. After reading your thread I'm not sure that I want to install a lift kit if the rear squats lower than the front while pulling a trailer/boat.
I assume that the headlights had to be adjusted after raising the front. If the truck squats when pulling a boat then there's another problem concerning the headlights, especially at night.
Knowing what you do, would you recommend the lift kit?
My next concern is how will the truck handle pulling a 3000 lb. boat. After reading your thread I'm not sure that I want to install a lift kit if the rear squats lower than the front while pulling a trailer/boat.
I assume that the headlights had to be adjusted after raising the front. If the truck squats when pulling a boat then there's another problem concerning the headlights, especially at night.
Knowing what you do, would you recommend the lift kit?
Mountain Pass
Joined: Jun 2004
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leveling kit & towing
I believe the best way to level your truck is to use a weight distribution hitch. I use one on my 6000lb trailer and it levels my truck completely. Also by using this kind of hitch, the trailer does not sway to much and when not towing a trailer, the ride will not suffer from the beefed up suspension.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Apr 2004
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A weight distributing hitch doesn't do anything to the suspension so I don't understand what you're talking about. My truck will be here in 2 weeks, and I often tow a 3200 lb trailer and WAS interested in the Daystar. I might still be, but I'll be keeping an eye out on what people say for this.
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Junior User
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From: Louisiana
I am about to have the daystar kit removed. As far as a weight distributing hitch, i have no experience and I am not willing to go through all that. It seems easier to just set the front back down. I just hate the way the truck looks with the front end nosing down. Other friends of mine pull the same boat with their 04 150's (no daystar) with no problem. I think that the daystar is a mistake if you plan to pull anything over 3000#'s.
Junior User
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Anytime you're towing something of any significant weight you really need to know the tongue weight of your trailer and you need a weight distributing hitch. Too much weight on the tongue will be a safety problem no matter how high the back of your truck is unloaded or how stiff the rear springs are.
A weight distributing hitch does just that - it distributes the tongue weight across both the back and front axles of the tow vehicle. This improves the handling, steering and braking of the tow vehicle.
I've been towing a 23 ft enclosed race car hauler for years. With the race car inside along with all the tools and other gear the trailer is around six thousand pounds. I towed it once without using the spring bars on the weight distributing hitch. It was downright scary and clearly dangerous. Never did that again.
A weight distributing hitch does just that - it distributes the tongue weight across both the back and front axles of the tow vehicle. This improves the handling, steering and braking of the tow vehicle.
I've been towing a 23 ft enclosed race car hauler for years. With the race car inside along with all the tools and other gear the trailer is around six thousand pounds. I towed it once without using the spring bars on the weight distributing hitch. It was downright scary and clearly dangerous. Never did that again.
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Joined: May 2004
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From: Mirror, Alberta
Oops, wrong thread
My 02 5.4 idled roughly for quite a while after I got it. As far as I know nothing was ever done about it and it smoothed out and never missed a beat until I traded it on my 04. The 04 also seems to behave the same way. I am of the opinion that these motors need a while to run their best due to tight tolerances.
Last edited by bigdavewilson; Jun 17, 2004 at 07:58 AM. Reason: Sorry, somehow jumped to the wrong thread
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Apr 2004
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Tongue weight should be between 5 and 10% of the trailer weight. My boat has a custom trailer and it tows better than anything I've ever pulled before. My father has a 23' boat that goes about 5800 w/trailer. My '01 Dodge tows that just fine without the distributing hitch. I hope these trucks aren't struggling when towing. If they are, I just made a BIG mistake by ordering one. When rated at 9200, there's no way 3000 should even cause this thing to wiggle, mods or not.
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Thread Starter
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Junior User
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Louisiana
. I passed on my previous truck (03' f150 screw fx4 lariat to my son) and bought the 04'. My 04' is in the shop for warranty work, (bad bearings on front axle) 7000 miles, and had to pull my boat with my son's 03 f150. His truck is lifted in the front also. The 03' pulled the hell out of the boat and did not "sqat" down from the tongue weight". No problem at all. Did not even know it was there and got up to 70 mph and did not even come out of overdrive. Same 3.73 rear end w/ auto trans. Sorry guys, I hear and appreciate what your saying about the weight dist. hitch but I feel as though I should not have to do that to pull a 24' bay boat. I am just disappointed that the truck was supposed to pull better than the 03' and have more power but it doesn't live up to its promises. In short, this is not my vehicle of choice for towing. Looks like i'm headed back to the '05 6.0 deisel superduty screw fx4. And thats all I have to say about that!!!
Have a GOOD one!!
Have a GOOD one!!
Last edited by wscott10; Jun 17, 2004 at 01:09 PM.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 221
Likes: 3
leveling kit & towing
I think you misunderstood me about the suspension. What I mean is that if you use extra springs, load levelers, lift shackles, ....anything lilke that it changes the way your truck drives on the road. An example is a harder ride from less spring movement. A weight distribution hitch moves the weight to all 4 wheels and levels the truck. Also if you are towing anything up close to the weight of the truck or over the weight of the truck, the trailer can take over and move the truck wherever it wants to. A good weight distribution hitch has built in anti sway and does alot to prevent the sway. I've towed a large trailer for years and I would not tow without one. It even says in most manuals that a weight distribution hitch is recommended after a certain weight. I also think that a weight distribution hitch set up would cost alot less that spring work or a leveling kit.
Sailorman3
Sailorman3
