Hey guys, I have been looking and talking with some people. I have been told I can't lift and put wheels and tires on this truck due to it being a v-10 and not having enough power left to tow or do anything with it basically. So first things first, anyone with a lifted 08' V-10? I am looking at a 6 or 8" lift, and a set of American Force all terrain wheels and tires. Secondly, is there anything like a turbo or supercharger setup that anyone builds? I am open to maybe having a shop custom build me a setup as well if I won't have enough power to run a nice setup of wheels and tires. All help is appreciated.

 

Ha! Don't believe everything that you are told... Your 6.8L V10 engine is more than sufficient to haul/tow even with a lift kit. However, you need to be more specific as to the size tires you want to run and the current gears in the axles. Also, what is the maximum weight that you anticipate hauling/towing?

 

I currently have 4.10's and am willing to take them all the way to 4.56's if I have to. The guy who told me not to go for it is the head diesel tech for the ford dealer, and he does all the work for Eric at innovative diesel.... he is a rather reliable source, but I feel its more like he just wants another diesel to work on at the moment.

Secondly the tires I am looking at 37-13.50-22 I don't think I want to go with a 40, but I might. Also, I am looking at doing a 26-28' Enclosed toy hauler so somewhere around 9k-10k pounds

 

You can use the link below to calculate the desired RPM's with the tires/gear ratios you mentioned. Our trucks have a "Transmission High Gear Ratio" of .72, which is required to calculate the RPM's. There is a big difference between 37" tires and 40" tires. I've already purchased 40" tires for my truck (not installed yet) and plan to run 5.38 gears.

RPM Calculator

As for wheel well clearance, again, there is a big difference between 37" tires and 40" tires. With 37" tires, you need a minimum of 6" of lift. Going with more lift (7"-8") will provide better clearance and articulation. If you go 40" tires, you will need something in the 9"-10" lift range. I've purchased the Bushwacker "cut-out" flares and plan on using a 7" lift kit with the 40" tires. However, you can use just a 4.5" lift kit with this configuration.

As for turbo/superchargers, no one makes a kit for the "3V" 5.4L or 6.8L engines in the Super Duty trucks. I've been searching for one for more than a year and they do not exist. So, you are limited as to the aftermarket mods for the 3V Tritan engines. IF you really need that much HP/TQ, then a diesel engine is the way to go. Maybe that's why the tech recommended the diesel engine.

 

He was much more concerned with the weight of the wheels and tires being too overwhelming with the lift to be able to even drive the truck normally. Being that it is a dually and I will be towing eventually with it I don't want to end up in a situation where I can no longer tow with it. Pricing out the diesel was just going to be way too much in that situation as well. What about a custom turbo kit and custom tuning?

 

Wow, I totally missed that you have a dually truck... Personally, I would do a 4.5" Icon lift kit with 35" tires. You will have a more aggressive look and still maintain the functionality of the truck. There is an FTE member that installed a 6" lift kit and 37" tires on his dually but I can't remember his user name. It really turned out nice!

Tuning is easy. There are several quality tuners on the market. I would recommend getting a tuner with custom tunes. That will wake up your V10 engine. A custom turbo kit is another matter. CTS (?) makes a "universal" turbo kit that could be an option.

 

Not wanting to start a war, but it looks like your guy is a die hard diesel fan. Gearing is probably the best way to go with the tire size your wanting. Spend some time in the V-10 forum, you'll learn a lot!

 

Try posting this in the V10 forum as was said above. Also, your best source for Q&A on this would probably be Mike at 5 Star Tuning. They are a site sponsor and do a LOT of tuning for the V10 guys here. I have not heard anything but good things about him, the company, and their custom tunes. I see no reason that a V10 with custom tunes and the proper gearing wouldn't handle what you're proposing.

Not doubting your dealership guy but he sounds biased toward the diesel. I have a diesel myself but will tell you that the V10 is an absolute powerhouse of an engine and should be able to handle that without a problem. I've seen many lifted duallies and not all of them are diesels. Talk to the guys in the V10 forum and contact Mike at 5 Star. These will be your best sources of information on this.

 

Thanks for the info guys. Yeah I know for sure my guy is a die hard diesel guy, but with good reason. Eric is going to be running bottom 10's with his new setup on his 1 ton, thats a hell of a diesel if I say so myself, and thats BEFORE the nitrous...

 

dont go above 6"s of lift..

in fact i'd suggest sticking to a 4-5" kit, for a dually that has to tow..

7-8"s plus big meats and towing, are not a good combo...

as far as loss of power gonig to 4:56's is the right call for up to 35"s...which would look/work great on ur truck with a minimal 4"s lift..

it will look mean and still be completly functional...

 

I wouldn't be as concerned with power as I would with stability with that kind of trailer. That is A LOT of weight for a lifted truck with big wheels to pull safely, as the higher off the ground the truck is, the less stable it's going to be.

This means that you're likely going to have some handling issues to deal with if you go through with it. So long as you regear for the tires, power won't be an issue. Something to remember with a dually is that the tires can NOT touch, even a little bit. If you put wider tires on and put some weight on the truck, the tires will bulge and they may touch; this will cause catastrophic tire failure with little warning.

Be VERY careful with what you choose to do with your truck. I'd recommend not lifting it at all if you're gonna tow more than 5-6K.

 

The engine isn't what's going to make or break whether you can run the wheels/tires and tow that you're talking about. It'll have to be about gearing it correctly.

I'll add, to each their own, but I would never try to drive a trailer you're describing with a truck you're describing, not on a regular basis.

 

Don't forget I am going with an aftermarket set of wheels to fit these tires with spacers so that the tires wont rub, but like I said, I don't want to end up in a situation that I can't tow this trailer with this truck.

 

Here is the link to the STS site for the "universal" turbo kit.

Squires Turbo Systems - Universal

 

I had looked at that also, just not sure how the engine itself would hold up to the turbo