Jags

Hello! I'm new to the site, and have a few very odd questions that I've not been able to answer by reading hundreds of pages in different forums here. I would appreciate any help and insight I can get from y'all. I'm currently deployed, so I'm trying to get all my research done and get my parts ordered before my wife changes her mind about letting me order all the stuff I want!

I have a 2013 F150 SC FX4 with the 6.2. I intend to add wheels, tires, a programmer, and some sort of air filter/cold air induction system (I have already installed a 3.5" MBRP cat-back exhaust). I pull a trailer at the farm and to the boat ramp occasionally, but the truck is primarily used to drive me to/from work and for my outings in and around town. It rarely sees dirt and I keep it out of the mud (so far...).

My questions are as follows:

1) I believe I have settled on the Fuel Pump 20x9 wheels. The wheels have an available offset of +01 or +20 according to the website. I am not 100% sure how to decipher those numbers. I have seen a few trucks on here who have Fuel brand wheels at a 1" offset, but I am not sure if the numbers above are in another measurement system or if the +01/+20 is a system I'm not familiar with. I don't want to order the wrong thing. I don't want the wheels to stick out much, if any, from the body and the factory fender flares. I don't want my paint all messed up from stuff flung up from the road.

2) Regarding the lift/level, I'm torn. I love the look of a 4" lift with 35" tires (I have heard good things about the Rancho lift kits, though they're pricey), but am considering a leveling kit (either Rancho or Bilstein, I believe) and 33" tires both to cut down costs and because I'm afraid the truck will become uncomfortable driving on the highway if it's too high with very large tires. Opinions on ride quality with both options would be great. Also, if I do the leveling kit, I'm afraid that the weight of the larger engine might cause the kits to not have as much of a lifting effect as I'd like. Does anyone have experience with different kits with the larger engine? Which kit do y'all like best (level/lift and brand)?

3) I believe I'm going to get my tunes from 5star, as they seem highly praised on this site. Anyone got anything better or recommendations on what to ask for?

4) I think I may do the K&N 77 series intake, as I've had good experiences with the brand in the past. I'm open to suggestions on this as well from all you guys who are smarter than I am on this.

5) For tires, I love the Nitto Trail Grappler M/T's look, but don't know much about the ride quality or how long they'll last. Are these a good choice? What else is recommended?

Sorry to post so many questions, but it seems the more I read the forums on here, the more questions I develop. Another problem is that I can't go do my own research in person since I'm stuck in Afghanistan for a while longer, so I have to rely on the interwebs for all my info. Any input y'all will put in is appreciated! Hopefully I haven't asked too many dumb questions.

Thanks in advance!

Matt

smencinias

from one service member (Army SFC) to another, thank you and stay safe.
i know it doesnt help your current situation but i found that actually SEEING the wheels and tires helped me a lot. the combo that is currently on my truck was installed by the dealer prior to me buying the truck. i have 20X9 (initially thought they were 20X10) TIS 535's which are basically Fuel knock-off's. they have about a 4 inch lip and stick out just a little from the fenders (see my garage). im running 33X12.5 Toyo MT's. when they wear out im looking for some AT's, i dont see much dirt (street queen). i have always been baffeled by the +/- offset as well. as for the other questions, sorry, cant help ya.

Jags

Thanks for the info, smencenias! I have been hoping to figure out as much as I can on here, but I know you're right. There's no substitute for seeing things in person. Have you been happy with your leveling kit? Do you ever wish you'd gone with a full lift, or is it enough? (I had the leveling kit on my 07 SC, but have always wondered about sitting on 35's!)

I'm Army as well (CW2, I fly Kiowas now). Thanks for your service!

smencinias

i dont off-road enough to justify an actual lift. my level is enough for me. i wanted a nice level truck and the factory rake had to go. i initially planned on doing the work AFTER i bought a truck but i found one that was already installed so it saved me the time and effort.

The_YETI

Offset determines where the hub mounts to the wheel, in relation to the center of the wheel.

Long story short, offset is measured in mm (+20mm, -44mm, +1mm, etc.)

The HIGHER the number, the LESS the rim will stick out from the fender.
The LOWER the number, the MORE the rim will stock out from the fender.

My stock STX rims came with a +44mm offset, and now I put new rims with a -12mm offset. Here are some compare pics.

+44mm Offset


-12mm Offset

The_YETI

In terms of tires and level...

I am running 33" Falken WildPeak A/T's (275/60-20)
So far they have been fantastic. No road noise, great traction, aggressive look, inexpensive.

I also am running an AutoSpring 2.5" Level, with 3" Rear Block.
I have noticed i have much more bump steer, but other than that, I love the level.

Here are some pics for reference.

phantomblackgto

Matt, just want to say thank you for your service and stay safe!

1. The higher positive number for offset, the farther inward the wheel will track. If you don't want them to stick out as much, you definitely want the +20.

2. As for lifting/leveling, I chose the Bilsteins set at 1.5" of lift. I also put them in the rear. I still have about 1/2" of rake. Bilsteins ride great and would be good for what you are looking for. I've also heard nothing but good things about the Ranchos, but can't speak from experience. The Bilsteins are currently on back order, but I would think they should be available again soon. I decided on 33's since I didn't want any rubbing issues and to help not lose as much mpg. I went with 295/65/18 DuraTracs. I know you are looking at 20's. I really like the DuraTracs. I had them on my Toyota. I hear nothing but good things about the Nittos and Toyos as well, but I've never ran either tire. I went with Fuel Trophy wheels in anthracite. The Fuel wheels seem to be decent quality, and I think you would be happy with them. I have the Ecoboost, but don't think the 6.2 would make any difference.

3. I did quite a bit of research on tuners, and just got my 5* tunes. I haven't even loaded one yet, so can't yet speak from experience. It's hard to argue against them when they are the only one who offers a warranty on their tunes.

4. I also installed an MBRP cat back. I ordered an Airaid intake, but think I'm going to stay with the stock intake for now. Hindsight, I probably wouldn't have ordered the intake, but definitely think the exhaust is a good idea. I will eventually try the intake down the road to see if it makes any difference with a tune, but not holding out high hopes.

5. As for tires, see 2. above. I think you are probably looking at 40K for the life of all three. The DuraTracs are kind of a hybrid between AT and MT. They aren't terribly loud on the highway. I will buy them again.

For reference, my wheels are 18x9 +20 offset with 295 tires






Hope some of this helps. And, get home soon so you can start enjoying that truck.

dave91gt

To echo some of the comments. I have a 5.0 FX4 Screw. I added a 2" AS level and a replacement 3" rear block. For wheels and tires I went with Dick Cepek Torque (18" X 8.5, +20mm offset) and Trail Grapplers (295 70 18).
1. Truck turned out perfectly looks wise. I get constant comments about how "beefy" it looks. Even had a guy at a gas station this past weekend grab a notebook and wrote down my combo.
2. Fuel mileage- I was averaging 16-17 mpg daily driving before I touched it. With an UNCORRECTED speedo, I show 12.5 pretty much all of the time.
3. WV roads have brought bump steer into the equation. From reading on here, likely the shocks are not strong enough to control the heavy tires. Regardless, it is real and I have to pay attention on some parts of the interstate.
4. The Trail Grapplers are fantastic tires. Good in rain, snow, balanced perfectly and are wearing very well (I have 10K on them now). The downside is they are noisy. The level of tolerance is up to the individual. I am used to it but it is definitely there.
5. The other downside is my truck now has a lot of rattles that did not exist in the first 19K miles. Both front doors rattle at the latches and the door panels have their own rattles.
Power wise, surprisingly, I have no issues. Sure it lost a little but I have towed 7500 lbs with it. The 10 ply tires made a huge difference in towing stability.
On decent roads, the truck drives fantastic. I have zero rubbing (I recommend staying with a positive offset). Even at +20, the sides of the truck get lots of dirt and debris flung up from the tires.
The end result of this is I would do it again. I bought the truck with the intent of doing exactly what I did. I didn't expect the bump steer to the extent I see it (again, our roads are bad in WV). But I love the look and performance otherwise. I do not regret a level vs. a lift. Amazing a 2" level clears nearly 35" tires. I had 1 3/4 rake stock and that's why I did the rear block too. Best of luck with your decision.

Jags

Thank y'all so much for all the great info! I appreciate it a ton. I can't wait to get back home so I can eat some real food, drink a cold beer, and sit in the damn air conditioning in the truck! Haha

TheRangerOfDanger

don't forget that how a certain offset sticks out is totally dependent on wheel width. so if you see a pic and offset you like, make sure its the same width as the wheel you want or else you will have to calculate out the difference to get the equivalent amount the wheel sticks out.

More FYI:
http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech/...jsp?techid=101
http://www.1010tires.com/Tools/Wheel-Offset-Calculator