BigBadBeau

I think I've narrowed it to a BDS 6" Coillover Lift or the ICON Stage 2 3" Lift

BigBadBeau

But what about articulation? I suppose the more I fit the tire and wheel into the well the more I'm giving up available articulation?

LUVmyDUX

I agree with getting a smaller offroad Wheeler like a jeep, Toyota pickup, Nissan pickup, ranger etc but sometimes it's not in the budget to buy another vehicle for some.

Colorado wheeling is a lot like places we have here in Oregon. The key is big tires but you don't want to get a high center of gravity so I'd opt for some 2.5 to 3" coil over setup with new uca to get good articulation. I think 35 tires, body armor such as bumpers, skid plates, rock sliders, 4.56 gears and a locker. This would be a good setup

DirtDawg

OK, I now see that BBB has been discussing wranglers as an alternative on WF (I'm a forum member there but inactive for years). Good to see that dialog ongoing. My jeep is an old build (hey, like me ) which sports 33x12.5 GY MT/R tires on 15" MT Challenger forged wheels. I'm actually on my 4th set of those and considered going up to 35" on the current set. Really, no need though so I stayed with 33". I wheel each and every week here in the mountains of AZ (weather permitting) with local jeep club buddies - much of that being on rocky terrain. Never have I found a need for larger tires. The downside of 35" or larger (aside from inadequate gearing) is the effect of rolling weight on braking performance. Stock wrangler brakes weren't designed for such weight - even with 4-wheel disc brakes standardized in 2003 (same year as Rubicon intro). My TJ has stock rear drum brakes but I installed Black Magic front brakes many years ago and recently upgraded to the newest version calipers/pads for even more stopping performance.

Back to the subject of modding your F-150, I realize a lot of folks here like the look of lifted trucks. The reality though (IMO), is doing that does little to make one a suitable trail rig - especially if one cares how the truck looks after such use. The term "desert pinstripes" is well known, which usually refers to close encounters with sage brush. On the contrary, consider what narrow trails with cut-off tree limbs and old manzanita does to paint finish. Sagebrush makes "scratchy" sounds whereas on mountain trails, sounds you'll likely hear from that stuff will be "screechy".

BigBadBeau

Ok let me run this one by ya'll...

I like the the look of a 4" lift with 35's on 20's but I'd rather not build up a 4 inch kit, add coilovers and try to squeeze and trim 35's. However, I don't think 35's on 20's match the 6" lift aesthetically. I am of the opinion that a 6" lift looks best with 37's on 20's or 22's but I don't want that type of build on this F150.

My thought is to install a 6" BDS coilover kit and lower the coilovers 1" or 1.5" and thereby reduce the wheel well gap while utilizing 35's on 20's.

I believe utilizing a 6" coilover and lowering the coils a bit will give me the "stuffed wheel / tire" look and the performance I want.

What are the cons to this proposal? Is anyone else out there lowering their 6" lift to more sleekly fit the 35's on 20's combo? Will I have to regear any way with 35's on 20's?

MurderFX

your going to loose suspension travel with anything less than a 6" lift with 35s. Also with the right offset, 35s, IMO, (which may be biased), look perfect. As for gearing, if you want it to drive like stock performance wise with 35s, you will have and want to regear.



35s on 20s with a 6" lift.

LUVmyDUX

Truly, if your primary intent is to offroad with your F150 then I would go with 17 wheels and 35" MTs. I think stock raptors are on 17" wheels and 33" tires. While I do think 6" lift looks nice, I prefer 3" with 35s for offloading because I like the lower center of gravity.

DirtDawg

Just as a point of clarification, prior gen OEM Raptor tire size was LT315/70R17 which equates to 34.4" diameter per BFG A-T ko specs. Do those look "small" on Raptor with its raised Fox suspension? IMO, no. Raptor final drive ratio was 4.10 whereas with true 35" tires, 4.56 gears would be required. For a 20" wheel, BFG offers LT325/60R20 (35.3") which weighs 69.2# and MSRP $488/each - yikes!

There is "no free lunch" with lifted suspension, larger/heavier tires and higher numeric final drive ratio - all which will affect ride, handling, fuel economy and real-world towing capability. Its unclear to me what "performance" expectations you might have, but seems to me your stated preferences tend towards "looks" rather than "performance".

Save your $$ instead for a proper trail rig...