Please remember that just because you see it doesn't mean it works well! From what I've seen those that put big tires and lifts on their F150s are the ones that are replacing balljoints and wheel bearings. I'd think a 5.4L F250 would hold up better with those kind of mods.

 

I would go with the 05-07 F250 SC short bed 5.4L if you plan on 4-wheeling. It will be the lighter of the SD's and has the coil front suspension. You could easily go with 35's or 37's with as little as a 2"-4" lift but should swap out to lower gears as you mentioned and again go with the manual transfer and hubs. Another area you will want to change out is the crap ford shocks and steering stabilizer. Go with a tuner as well for a little more oomph.

The only area's of real concern with the 3V motors IMO is the spark plug replacement. It can be a pain or costly to have them replaced but not too big of a deal. Also any used SD you purchase check Ball joints, front end wear as well as getting an Oasis report.

 

I would definitely go with better shocks. I have Bilstein 5150's on my Blazer and they are great. I haven't had my spark plugs done on my 07 Mustang, but I understand they are a pain.

 

I have driven both the 5,4 and the 6.8, And the 5.4 is a good motor but is not good for a lift, big tires, brush guard and winch + hills.
add a load to that and you will not like it.
The V10 will get better mpg with a load than a 5.4 too.
That is what i have, and I love it.

 

I would stick with a Super Duty if you're going to lift a truck and put bigger tires on it. A lot of people put bigger tires on the F150's IFS front end. But to me when I start thinking about longevity, it's really hard to compare and IFS system to a good, old fashioned Dana 60 straight axle. Sure, Super Dutys have issues with ball joints too, but keep in mind the whole picture.

The 3/4 trucks get you, in addition to the holy grail Dana 60 front axle, available manual locking hubs, a lever-operated transfer case, a manual transmission, huge brakes, ability to clear 35" tires with a leveling kit, deeper gears from the factory, etc. Sink $1500 into an IFS lift and many times you get a bunch of drop down brackets and not much more suspension travel. Spend $1500 on a Super Duty front end and you get to use words like remote resivoir shocks, progressive rate coils, and increased flexability.

Whatever you do, get a crew cab. The interior room is amazing. The super cab short bed trucks have a wheel base of ~142" and the crew cab short bed has a wheel base of 156". When you're already talking about 12 FEET between the wheels, another 12" doesn't seem like too much anymore. The crew cab nets you the ability to take 3 adults easily.

I'll also say the 5.4L in '05+ trucks ain't too bad. Since you realize the benefits of regearing, I wouldn't overlook the V8. It'll save you some weight (especially over the diesel) and it should post better MPG than the V10. Just remember that gearing will be more important with the smaller engine.

 

So true on the F-150 lift kits. They are rather complicated to compensate for the IFS. I swapped in a D-60 in my Blazer, along with a Corp14ff in the rear, and they are very stout. The tough part has been finding exactly the vehicle I would want used. I'm now leaning towards the super crew SB with the V-10 but finding one in a color I like (white, tan, or gold) with decent options has been a challenge so far. I'm tempted to just go new even though it is a major expense. I am on the X plan so it isn't as bad as it could be, but still a sizable investment.

 

New,,, ouch.

Hang in there. I'm reasonably sure you will find a Truck that meets your expectations if you keep at it. I stuck to it for well over a year before I found my Truck. I'll bet many FTE users will back that up also.

Rick...

 

I was looking for just a basic 4x4 truck. I planed on doing the same as you. Then I saw a 03 F250SD 4x4 6.0l diesel. I was planning to get a truck that could do a little instead i got a truck that can do anything. By the way i have 325hp 560ftlb of torque and get 18mpg in town.
The 6.0l got a bad rep because people wanted to maintain it cheaper then ford recommended. You have to use OEM filters and change the oil at 5000miles. By 05 the 6.0L was all straitend out. the 05-07s were the best. and were strait axle Dana 60 fronts.
Its more truck then you need now but it will never be to little in the future.

 

Yeah some times its hard to find exactly what your looking for. You might be hunting for a while but if your willing to wait for the right one you'll eventually find it. Autotrader website I had used a lot. My ideal truck was an impossible one to find, I wanted the crew cab, 8', 4x4, but without all the bells n whistles (and not white). All manual setup for tranny and 4x4. No power nothing. I ended up buying new, and ordering it built to my exact specs. I got in the last week you could still order a '09 so the rebates were probably about as good as they get for ordering, plus I used the X-plan. No trade in. It hurts! But hopefully it will pay off with many years of service. I did make a couple poor choices on ordering though, even though I thought I new the trucks well I was surprised by a couple things (like no door pockets, no armrests or center console, and only 2 cupholders on a 5 passenger vehicle) on my base model XL. I came from a base XL F150 and had most these things, oh well thats my own fault and not really that big of deal I guess.

 

I guess I'm what you would call a "bells and whistles' kinda guy. I couldn't imagine ordering a new vehicle (not that I ever would go new) without loads of options.
The one option (if it was ever available) I would consider buying new for is a cruise control that would kick in at 1 kmh including in reverse!

Rick...

 

If you don't mind, how much did it cost you for a base XL? The truck you ordered was what I was looking for but ending up taking what was on the lot due to the late date - white.

Thanks.

 

PM me your email and I'll send you a pdf of the door sticker if you want. Mind you even an XL isnt cheap... but I think I did save several grand compared to what was on the lot. Keep in mind this is still an 4x4 CC, those two things do significantly raise the base price.

I did get some options, specifically things not so easy to add on, more 'functional' things vs creature comfort I guess is what I am getting at, like I added the V10 W/ 4.10LS, trailer brake controller, upfitter switches, etc. if I had to do it again I would seriously think about the power equipment package (if simply for the door pockets lol) and power folding mirrors. Most all the cosmetic upgrades of the upper trim levels I will change out to aftermarket stuff anyhow like the wheel/tires, bumpers, grille, etc.