Tried searching and didn't quite find what I needed.

Truck - 2004 F-250 XL crew cab shortbed, 5.4, manual tranny, manual hubs...pretty much manual everything. It's got 31K miles. I just got it a few days ago.

1. Can I fit 38's under a 6.5" Rubicon Express lift without rubbing while wheeling? (the 38's I want have a 37.7 O.D.) Most of the 8" lifts with 38's look like they have a lot of room leftover.

2. What gears? 4.88's seem about right...Going with a Detroit locker in back and either open up front or some sort of limited slip.

3. I'm looking at 38x14.5x16 Toyo M/T's, will I rub at full lock with a 16x10 wheel with 4.5" backspacing? I haven't seen any 16x10 8x170 wheels with less than 4.5" BS.

4. How about waterproofing? Anything special with the 5.4 aside from the basic stuff (t-case, diffs, distributor, ect.)?

Thanks. The truck will be my DD/fourwheeler.

 

4. One neat trick I learned on this site is to use Expedition inner fender well rubbers, they cover up the opening between frame and body in the front. Got them directly from Ford, and fit the SD's well. Might help a little with the waterproofing...but sounds like you are pretty serious...

 

One of the problems with the 5.4 or V-10 is that they have no distributor. Each plug has a coil that sits on top of it (COP). Those can be prone to shorting if wet and can be problematic.

I've never seen it on a Ford engine but I know other brands can be modified by relocating the coils to another spot and using plug wires to attach the coil to the plug.

 

You can fit 38s under a 6.5 but you will rub,especially if you wheel.You can allways go with some cutouts if want to go this route.
4.88 will get you close to stock(3.73)

 

Hmmm, didn't want to hack the fenders quite yet. With an 8" lift will 38's rub?

 

what size wheel spacers do i need to put 05 wheels on a 2000 superduty. 2inch?

 

One more Q. The RE 6.5" lift with shocks about $2,200. Can anyone tell me what the 8" Donahoe kit costs? They don't have prices on their website.

 

Take a look at TruckToyz.They are a sponsor here and will answer any question on pricing.They have a great rep and wont steer you wrong...2cents

 

Contact Fred Goeske at http://www.wheeladapter.com/home.asp, that is where I got mine. He sells one set a week, very common conversion. I run 2006 HD 20" wheels on my 2001 F350. Fred is a great guy, awesome to deal with, and the spacers are A1! I did not want to pinch pennies here...!

 

thank you very much for the info on the wheel adapters. what size did you use on your bad a## 2001.

 

hey post the pics when your done... sounds like its gonna look awesome

 

Nikolai,
You don't have to worry about waterproffing much. I mud bog with my 5.4 and get the top of the block and everything coverd in inches of mud. Then I just wash it off with a garden hose. I mean every thing, I just put a 1 gallon ziploc bag over the K&N filter and go to it. I have run in water deep enough to prove the headlights work underwater and had no problems.

All you have to worry about is enhaling water in the air intake or getting stuck going through and standing in water for a long time.

I have not even had this problem but I know this is the only other risk. The spark plugs are down in a hole and the coil pack has a boot that reach down to get to them. Some of my friends get mud and water trapped in those hole below and around the coil boots. It will make the coil misfire and drop a piston. If this happens just remove the coil pack, clean it up, blow the hole out with an air gun, don't remove the spark plug and before you put the boot back down the hole use a lot of extra high temp silicon around the boot so it fills the hole up completely. But make sure you don't get it under the boot between the plug and the contact because it is hard to clean off. I have helped my friends do this to some trucks and they never had a foiling problem again. I have just been luck and am only going to do it when I start having problems.

I am trying to make a gallery as we speak with pictures of my muddy engine. Check in a few hours and hopfully the pics will be there. And this time it wasn't even a lot of mud!

 

Thanks for the waterproofing tips. I ended up changing my plans a little. The Toyo's were freakin $$$ so I change my tires and I decided to stay with 37's so I didn't have to cut the fenders. This truck will be wheeled and I didn't feel 38's were worth the extra money (another $400 for larger tires and $500 for flares) It also sounds like anything wider than a 14.5 will rub the leaf springs.

I ordered the 6.5" Rubicon Express lift, Pro Comp 17x9 7089 wheels (all black), 37x12.5x17 Cooper STT's, 4.56 Yukon gears, rear Detroit and maybe a front locker still. I would love to have an ARB but they are $$$.

I'll post some pics in a couple weeks when everything arrives and gets installed.