Lifting confusion
08-13-2009, 04:55 PM
#1
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Lifting confusion
Hi all. New to forum but not new to f150. Have 06 f150fx and have been thinking along time about lifting. Have narrowed it down to a 6 inch rough country lift kit with 35 or 37 inch tires. I am running into a problem with rim selection. The shop and kit says the rim must have a backspacing of 4.5 inches. My current rims have a 5.75 inch, so can't use them. But for the past weeks I have been looking at pictures and threads and I see alot of people with rims and when I look them up they don't have the 4.5 inch backspacing. I know some kits will require different than others but I've seen photos of rims without the so called required backspacing. 
Maybe I'm missing something.
Anyone use wheel spacers to accomodate their rims? And I have read about performance loss and mpg loss but how bad is it? Does it accelerate like a 4 banging economy car? Is 10mpg the norm? And how much of a difference is there between the 35s and 37s as far as performance? Hardly any difference between the 2 sizes?
And how much do gears cost and what size returns it back to stock or better? Is it worth doing? Thanks........I know there probably has been a million threads on this and I have been looking and searching and would just like a up to date info on this.........Thanks
Maybe I'm missing something.Anyone use wheel spacers to accomodate their rims? And I have read about performance loss and mpg loss but how bad is it? Does it accelerate like a 4 banging economy car? Is 10mpg the norm? And how much of a difference is there between the 35s and 37s as far as performance? Hardly any difference between the 2 sizes?
And how much do gears cost and what size returns it back to stock or better? Is it worth doing? Thanks........I know there probably has been a million threads on this and I have been looking and searching and would just like a up to date info on this.........Thanks
08-13-2009, 07:11 PM
#2
1st off, spacers aren't a good idea, i refuse to run them anymore. i had a silverado and ran the stockers in the front and they still had a tad of shake to them, i even deck milled to to like .005 flatness.
4.88 gears is the norm for 37's and on the highway expect 13-14 tops, city obviously less. gears will run you anywhere from 1000-1500 depending on where and when (if you have them do it when it's all apart). Very worth doing, it due time if you do not, you will rip wear out the transmission.
You will need 8" of lift to fit 37's, not a fan of the rough country lift either, it's cheap for a reason.
if you want 37's, go a procomp kit and put bilsteins up front set at 2 inches and swap in taller blocks in the rear with a aal. that is the cheapest route. or go with a fabtech kit with coilovers and crank them up, also you can run the stock rims with fabtech.
4.88 gears is the norm for 37's and on the highway expect 13-14 tops, city obviously less. gears will run you anywhere from 1000-1500 depending on where and when (if you have them do it when it's all apart). Very worth doing, it due time if you do not, you will rip wear out the transmission.
You will need 8" of lift to fit 37's, not a fan of the rough country lift either, it's cheap for a reason.
if you want 37's, go a procomp kit and put bilsteins up front set at 2 inches and swap in taller blocks in the rear with a aal. that is the cheapest route. or go with a fabtech kit with coilovers and crank them up, also you can run the stock rims with fabtech.
Last edited by ATOM; 08-13-2009 at 07:16 PM.
08-14-2009, 03:00 PM
#4
Well over time if will overcycle the transmission and end it's life early. guys run 3.73's with 37's, but if you tow at all, regearing is a must. i would just spend the cash and do it when it's all apart, save yourself a few bucks.
Last edited by ATOM; 08-14-2009 at 03:13 PM.
