BigBadBeau

Id like to get thoughts on a 2013 F150 4 door Ecoboost build for rough Colorado 4x4 roads, high alpine terrain and side trips to Utah. I'd like to build a beast that still has a lot of road manners.

Suspension

3" Icon Lift and which stage?

or

6" coilover lift; which one?


Tire & Wheel Combination As It Relates To Suspension Build & Terrain


Thanks

4.6Intruder

The 6" lift would be better in the sense that it keeps the suspension geometry in it's designed specs not to mention the cv's will be happier which is my concern for the 3" setup. Why not a 4" lift? It's just a personal preference of course, but I don't like too much of a lift even though the 6" is only 2 inches taller. Freaking love Colorado and Utah. Pretty much any western/south western states really lol.

DirtDawg

My suggestion is to leave the truck alone and spend those $$ on a used jeep wrangler instead. If you're serious about "rough Colorado 4x4 roads and high alpine terrain", I think you'll soon discover that bigger isn't better when navigating narrow rocky trails. IMO, an F-150 is way too big for that. Even a bone-stock wrangler should serve you well for anything you might attempt in a fullsize truck...

MurderFX

^^^^this

PARIAH

Or... trailer a side by side

JLTD

Yep...but whether you choose to modify your F150 or get a Wrangler, get a set of gears; with larger tires and rough terrain, there may be times you might find that 4Lo and 1st gear isn't quite slow enough; plus with the NA Wrangler it will be working hard at altitude. Your ECO won't know the difference but the lower gearing will still be a boon.


edit: and Welcome to the forum....

DirtDawg

^^^ The reality is that buying a jeep and planning on even a mild build up is addictive. If one goes down that path, better to "overkill" a bit on gear (and gears) the first time rather than a do-over with wasted $$ and labor. Its good to have a margin of equipment capability beyond what is anticipated for what might actually be encountered on remote trails. I factory ordered my own jeep in 1999, which predated the TJ Rubicon intro by 3 model years. If funds allow, starting with a Rubi is best since its already equipped with adequate gearing in D44 axles, 4:1 TC, lockers and more. I built mine in 2000 with full Currie johnny joint suspension, 4.56 gears with ARB lockers, TeraLow 4:1 and plenty of armor underneath for protection on rocks.

For the OP though, I would still consider a stock wrangler to be adequate for his stated objectives...

Kenferg1

Having just returned from Colorado, I have to concur with the Jeep recommendation. Many trails are just too tight for a full sized truck.

BigBadBeau

I agree with the assessment; and it's certainly part of my dream arsenal. See my Jeep build forum post here: http://www.wranglerforum.com/f274/id...l#post26759017

Concensus, get better gearing. Are there any drawbacks going with a deeper gear axle ratio re: daily driving? At what point does the gear axle ration selection require an axle upgrade?

F150 Suspension
Yeah so what should I do with this F150, to make it burlier? ICON,Pro Comp, BDS or Ready Lift? If I go 6 inch lift with 35's on a 20" or 22" wheel can I lower the lift an inch or so to position the wheel more sleekly in the wheel well?

BigBadBeau

Yes a RZR 1000 or bad *** quad can get me through to the other side... well, guess I'll I add some of that to the arsenal list. This obsession is going way past the budget...