I see almost everyone here has a lift kit on their 4x4. Not me. I have stock suspension w/ air bags in the front. Personally I don't like lifts, but I've only driven 2 vehicles with lifts in my life. I was far from impressed. All over the road if you went over 50 mph- what was the benefit of the lift?

So lets hear it, are you for them or against them.

 

More Lift=bigger tire
bigger tire=more mud and snow
more mud and snow=more fun!!!

 

400 the gen conversation section is where polls are done, not on the busiest board on site, Please move it there.:-)

John
jowilker
Club FTE since 01 01


66 F100s
In the still cool hours of the night,
you can hear chevys rusting away.

 

40079- I like the stance the truck has with a lift (four inches) and 35's, going thru deep snow and mud or just out in the woods is easier when tall. Before I purchased a lift however, I rode in a truck that belonged to a fellow who had driven lifted trucks for about ten years, and asked him about his truck and others he knew of, what brand of springs they ran, how did they like it, etc. I came away with they realization that most of us are not knowledgable enough to design a lift without help. I've seen some very bad homebuilts. After talking with my pal and looking around, I went with trailmaster, they are close to me here in michigan, and several 1/2 tons in town already had their stuff. Stay away from mixing parts from several different lift makers, that seems to bring trouble. My truck is doing fine, drives normally at highway speed and up to 110, still rode fine, but I just didn't feel the need for anything faster. DF

 

Suspension lifts are OK as long as they are done properly, Arched springs instead of blocks, longer coils instead of "twist-ins", and proper geometry. Body lifts are a pet peave of mine. A lot of them are sold based on cost, but then you have to extend brake lines, move fan shrouds, adjust linkage, move bumpers, etc,etc. Then you get to see "way" too much frame! A truck with a proper 4" lift and 35s impresses me more than a cobbled 15" lift and 44s. Plus, "KEEP THE TIRE WIDTH CLOSE TO THE BODY PLANE" I hate the "go cart" look of tires 4" past the fenders!

Nathan

 

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 21-Jan-01 AT 00:13 AM (EST)[/font][p]I don't understand the go-cart look that the honda crowd seems to strive for anymore. That and the fart can mufflers. Down the road from me a few miles is a teeny type with the loud exhaust and of course he comes home around midnight most nights. Some days I go to work about 2 or 3am and will detour out of my way to drive past his house. Ever heard a Powerstroke with straight pipes building 20+ pounds of manifold pressure?
www.acsol.net/~blackwlf/exhaust2.mpg

Back to the topic. Sort of.
Has anyone tried the airbags on the front axle? Mine is starting to sag a little in the front from the weight of the diesel and it either new leaf springs or trying out an air ride.

alanscott

[link:ford-trucks.com/users/alanscott/|http://www.ford-trucks.net/users/alanscott/clubftesml.jpg]...Click!

 

Have run one for many, many years. As long as you understand that it will drive differently, handle different and wear parts quicker than stock. Most expect the same ride, handling and low maint. of a stocker. In some cases this may be true(near stock comfort-handling) but I don't think in most. Some also don't completely follow thru on the lift, usually there are several other mods that should be done to steering, driveline and braking systems to keep the truck "safe". Lifts should be kept moderate and in-line with the expected use of the vehical. Personally, don't ever like to see the lift block thing, except stock blocks. Same goes with the body lift, and really don't ever like to see the two combined except for mud bog racing and such, where it's not driven on the street and there is a purpose for the set-up other than it seemed "cheaper" than lifting it with the suspension and having to make all those corrections to steering/braking/driveline. A properly installed lift with all corrections/modifications and proper wheel width, backspacing and tire selection can actually improve the rollover resistance as well as giving a good ride and articulation to handle whatever conditions may present themselves on road or off. As far as the air bags in the front coils, we have used them since the early 90's in E-350 vans to help compensate for the extra weight we carry on the front end with the "cherry picker" mounted just aft of the seats. These are used to level the vans and not to "lift" them as such, only problem is if they leak or blow-out, alignment does suffer, but, we use them vans hard and is nothing to put 250K on 'em before we have problems, mostly due to the quality of the fine roads we have 'round here-I think we are still rated #1 for the worst overall in the country, this is by the people who drive the country, over-the-road truckers! Was for at least 10 yrs. running! Hey, maybe that's why they took the "You've got a Friend" logo off the plates! Maybe they will leave the alignment shops and wheel/tire suppliers still have them-it would make sense. Sorry for the rambling!!