I’m literally sticking my toes into the surf as I explore WTH all is involved with leveling.
I’m by nature a conservative person so changes are not always easy with me. I also need to ask some questions that will make you roll your eyes. So bear with me and thanks for any advice.
1. On a brand new F150, will
leveling affect any aspect of your truck’s warranty?
2. Will leveling affect the mpg rate of the truck and if so so, how much?
3. What are some good( don’t need world class, but good to very good) kits that can get a 2” lift to the front.
4. What size tires can I eventually change to with a 2” lift without any rubbing?
See, these questions certainly point out my lack of knowledge on this aspect. But, that’s it for now. I’m sure this will lead to more questions. Thanks.

 

I am no expert on this but I'll give you my thoughts.
1. Your warranty should not be affected although you may run into some asshat service managers that may try to tell you it will (unless they do the install). The bottom line is that unless the aftermarket part or service actually causes a defect or harm, it should not affect the warranty.
2. Leveling by itself will cause a slight drop in MPG. Consider the fact that by raising the front of truck, it will cause more drag due to more air flowing under the truck instead of around it. There will be some that chime in and say it doesn't affect their MPG but keep in mind, most people who put on lift kits aren't concerned with MPG in the first place. The larger tires you are planning will most definitely cause a noticeable drop in MPG. My guess would be at least 2 MPG if not more.

 

I agree with 'HacksawMark' about your first two questions. As for levelling kits, Readylift and Rough Country are two names that many users here have installed with no problems, but if you're willing to do something a little better than just spacers, consider Bilstein 5100s. I researched levelling my pickup for probably a year before deciding on going with those struts instead of spacers and I couldn't be happier. They have four different 'levelling' settings: The lowest, which will keep your truck roughly stock height. The other three can raise the front of your truck 1.26", 1.75", or 2.1" (numbers are not exact, but pretty close). Here's a thread dedicated entirely to reviews from people on this forum about these struts: https://www.f150forum.com/f118/bilst...people-413181/

As for tire sizes, I've been working on a chart to easily find any level and tire size combination that people have shared on this forum, you can see it here: https://www.f150forum.com/f118/chart...ns-wip-449853/
Again, I considered what tire size to go with for a long time before deciding on 275/65/20. In my opinion, it's just the right look. Bigger sizes will surely fit but what looks good is very subjective, so look at the chart and decide for yourself. People on this forum have installed 285/65/20 (~ 34.6 x 11.2) and 295/60/20 (~ 33.9 x 11.6) with a 2" level, even 35 x 12.5 with Bilstein 5100s at the top setting. You didn't mention your rim size but 295/75/18 (~ 35.4 x 11.6) has also been installed by at least one forum member here with no mention of issues with a 2" level.

 

1. Leveling will not “void” your warranty, but may be a factor if you experience a failure related to the CV shafts or the ball joints. Keep the leveling kit under 2.5” and failures are unlikely.

2. 2” leveling kits should have little to no impact on fuel economy. Maybe 1mpg at most. Where most people take a hit on fuel economy is installing big heavy tires after they do a leveling kit. Pay attention to tire weight and you’ll be fine.

3. AutoSpring is a good balance of price and quality. Most leveling kits are just metal spacers. There’s not much to it.

4. I would keep it in the 33-34” tire range to avoid rubbing. The tire width and wheel offset (how close tires/wheels get to the inside of the wheel well) will have an impact as well.

 

1) You will have a difficult time having Ford replace your front end components for free such as ball joints, wheel bearings, etc, after leveling and installing larger tires.
They will happily fix your power windows for free on your lifted truck
2) leveling, no not really going to affect mileage (you didn't ask about tires and MPG though).
3) thousand of threads with that question already answered 3000 times
4) see #3

For consideration:
In your Platinum, you front drive line is always rotating. The more you lift, the greater the offset between wheel and differential. (inboard raises/outboard does not). To compensate, the CV joint is flexed more (it's no longer virtually flat). This allows the pleats of the CV boots to rub against itself. Eventually, it could wear thin and perhaps rub a hole in a crease. Is it going to happen next month, nope. In time though it could happen. Consider this one of the premature wear items by nature of the level system used. I don't believe it is something to worry bout but is something to consider. There are not threads every day stating they have holes in their boots, there are very few to be honest. I don't expect Ford would replace the CV on a leveled truck with the boot obviously rubbing on itself.

Optional answer you didn't ask.
Should I lift more than 2"?
No, not really. Leveling the front to the rear by 2" or a little more is an acceptable range before premature wear on some front end components begin to happen. Above these lift heights, ride quality will suffer more than the change from stock to 2".

Pro Tip: Measure the distance from center of your wheel to the fender lip at the front and rear tires. Do the math to see how much you need to raise the front to be level. Some vehicles sit different to where 2" up front gives a hint of negative rake. Some can raise over 2" and be just level. This method of measurement takes out inconsistencies with tire size, under/over inflated tires offering different heights, etc.

 

Thanks to the first 4 responders. For a rookie that is perfect starter info. And yes 275/60/20 seems like the best for what I would need.

 

Larry, couple things, you didn't mention if 4X4 or not, at least I didn't see it.
Spacers and Bilsteins have been covered, however, I've gotten to where I'll do nothing but full coilovers, easiest way to do it. More $$$ than spacers or Bilsteins, but if you're planning on doing it yourself, worth it IMO. I've done them all, more than once.
As for tires, size is also dependent on what wheels you chose. The more toward the negative side of offset, can get you in trouble. I'm using a 2.5" coilover setup, with +34 offset Raptor wheels, with 315/70/17 tires, right about 34.4" diameter. No rubbing or other problems, but I wouldn't go bigger. Some guys have run that same size on a 2" level, and say no problem. Myself, I wouldn't, although, I did run these same tires/wheels on a 2.25" setup, but had to remove the front mudflaps.
2.5" is the highest I'd go on a 13th gen, 2" on a 12th. People have gone higher, I know of a couple trucks in my area that are using 3" on spacers, they claim no problems, but not a good thing IMO.

 

Yes. John. It’s a 4x4 Platinum crew cab 3.5 eco with 6.5 bed. And someone else will have to install. Too old and don’t have the tools or equipment.

 

Never too olde, I'm 69, just did my 2020 two months ago, just takes a little longer.

 

Now you're just showing off, John.