Hunterdave

Hi. I'm new to the forum so I hope that I'm posting in the right place. My knowledge about upgrades is limited so I'm seeking advice from you experienced fellas.

I trap full time in the winter and I routinely drive through the snow in open fields and a little bush. No serious mud bogging but I may encounter a bit from time to time. During the summer I do a little hauling but it's mainly just a commuter truck. Last year I bought a 2017 F150 XLT Sport with a 3.5L Ecoboost 4x4. I'd like to make the truck more functional for what I'm doing in the winter without compromising it too much for my needs in the summer. I am more concerned with function than aesthetics.

Here's what I'd like to do and I'm looking for advice on it and anything else that I may not have thought about.

1. Bilstein Shocks - I want to replace the factory shocks with Series 5001 ones to get an extra 2" of clearance in the front. I don't want to put in a lift kit and I realize that my diffs won't get more clearance. That's not a big deal because it's usually just snow that the diffs won't clear. My main concern is the feel of the ride with the front shocks raised to the maximum height. I know that I'll probably have to give up one thing to get the other but knowing what it is can help me decide on what to do.

2. Tire Size - I have to change the Hancook tires to something more aggressive. I've had pretty good luck with DuraTrac with traction in the winter and road noise in the summer. The stock size is a 32" 275/55R20 but I'm thinking of going 33" 275/60R20 to get another .5" clearance. I know that my speedo will be out slightly but that's not a big deal. Fuel mileage is also a factor. Is this a good plan and are there any other options that I should look at?

3. Bull Bar - I want to put on a Westin 32-2455L Ultimate LED Bull Bar 3" mainly for the extra lighting in the front but it'll also function as a bit of a guard for saplings, etc. I am more concerned with function than aesthetics. There are a couple of things that concern me though. I've read that the skid plate may interfere with the intercooler function. Is it advisable to remove that skid plate or is leaving it on not going to effect anything? Also, I have to remove my tow hooks to install the Bull Bar and getting stuck and needing a tow out concerns me. Would that Bull Bar hold up to being used to tow out a stuck vehicle out or is there a way to somehow manufacture a plate onto the tow hooks so they could be attached under where the Bull Bar attaches to the frame using longer bolts?

4. Skid Plates - I'd like to put on the factory skid plate package that comes standard on the FX4. I'm sure that it's not very complicated but I was wondering if someone might have the installation instructions available where I could see the proper placement, bolt pattern and torque specs.

Lots to sink your teeth into here. Any and all advice, recommendations and comments are greatly appreciated.

idrive

iTrader: (3)

Seems like you have it pretty much all worked out. For what you're after I don't see any problems or concerns.

Only thing I would tell you is the factory skid plates that come with the FX4 package are at best rather "wimpy". If you're just trying to keep the weeds, grass from rubbing the underneath then they're fine but for gravel, rocks etc they won't help much.

covertness

https://www.rcimetalworks.com/15-18-F-150_c23.htm

These are the skid plates you are looking for.

mikeinatlanta

Except the ground clearance I'm doing similar. Haven't played with the bilstein shocks but plan on going Rancho RS9000. Have had the same ones on my SCREW for 17 years. Love the ability to keep soft for road and offroad then crank up for loads and tow. Don't want to live without adjustable damping again.

Factory skid plates are a bit weak, but they do the job. May take some damage but that is why they are there. My factory plates are all kind of tore up but still working.

Not a fan of Westin bars. IMO they are non-functional decoration that cannot take actual usage that approaches their look. Wouldn't even call them a brush bar. More of a tall grass bar. I had one of their bars and a winch plate and they were destroyed on the first test pull with the winch (mile marker hydraulic).

Not the best in snow but good, and outstanding in mud. Have been through four sets of Goodyear MTRs on my SCREW. Highly recommend for true off road work.

tvsjr

1. You mean the 5100 series. That's what I did on the current truck, but I may step up to the 6112s next time around (replacement springs and struts).
2. You can and should fix your speedo - Forscan being the best option for this. This will also correct all your shift points, so you won't see nearly as dramatic a reduction in performance.
3. If you actually want protection, you need (at minimum) a real grille guard and, at maximum, a front end replacement. Look at the Fab Fours and Ranch Hand products. I've never been very impressed with Westin.
4. RCI skid plates are the only way to fly, if you don't already have the factory ones on there.

5.0_FX2

RCI Plates for sure and thats what I'll be doing.

I had 5100's on my last truck but went up less than an inch only so the ride was fine.

On my 18 I have 6112's in the front at the highest setting. The truck rides great. I have no complaints and I'm sure the 5100's will be the same for you.

I'm not a fan pf bull bars but they will be useful for lighting. I doubt you'll be able to put any decent pressure on a bull bar in terms of using it to pull out a vehicle. Stick the tow hooks for that.

DeltaNu1142

You might be interested in my build. I didn't do 5100s--for the time being, I'm running spacers--but my plan is to step up to 5100s or 6112s when the time comes to replace my struts, or whenever the urge strikes.

I'm running 305/65/18 tires, which are 33.6" in diameter and 12.2" wide. MPGs took a hit, but worse was the impact to driveability and shift points. I corrected my speedometer using Forscan to match GPS speed, but shifting was still very sluggish. I bought a tuner and the truck came alive. It drives far better than stock. If you're adding any significant diameter to the tires, I'd recommend a tuner... but if you're mostly bombing down snowy woods roads in 4WD, that might not be as important.

I didn't do a bull bar for the reasons mentioned above. I went with Fab Fours front & rear bumper replacements. The front uses the stock fog lights, and gives me lots of options for adding a winch or aux lights down the road.

I have the FX4 package. Most will tell you it's not worth the price tag. It's probably not--but the factory skids, as long as they don't tear away, will keep stuff from entering the engine compartment from below. RCIs would be a great addition.

03XColby

Hunterdave

Thanks for the advice fellas. I already have the factory skid plates and Westin Bull Bar so I'm going to have to go with those for now and upgrade if required.

Did you weld the tow hooks right to the brush guard? I'm going to talk to a buddy of mine to see if he can manufacture something for my tow hooks to bolt to the frame along with the bull bar and use longer bolts to attach them. I'll have to put the Bull Bar on first and see what we're looking at after that.

I had a look at how 33" tires would effect my speedo and it was 1 or 2 mph. I hadn't considered how it would effect my shift points though. Do you think that it would effect my performance enough to warrant purchasing a tuner?

2017ExecFx4

1. Bilstein Shocks - I want to replace the factory shocks with Series 5001 ones to get an extra 2" of clearance in the front. I don't want to put in a lift kit and I realize that my diffs won't get more clearance. That's not a big deal because it's usually just snow that the diffs won't clear. My main concern is the feel of the ride with the front shocks raised to the maximum height. I know that I'll probably have to give up one thing to get the other but knowing what it is can help me decide on what to do.

I did this - Bilstein 6112 up front, and 5100 rear. Availability seems to be causing people some headaches. I put the 6112 at the highest setting, netting 2.1'' of lift in the front. I am VERY happy with the setup.


2. Tire Size - I have to change the Hancook tires to something more aggressive. I've had pretty good luck with DuraTrac with traction in the winter and road noise in the summer. The stock size is a 32" 275/55R20 but I'm thinking of going 33" 275/60R20 to get another .5" clearance. I know that my speedo will be out slightly but that's not a big deal. Fuel mileage is also a factor. Is this a good plan and are there any other options that I should look at?

I can't comment on the DuraTrac; however, I put on 285/65/20 (34.6'') on the stock sport wheels, with the aforementioned Bilsteins - no rubbing or issues at all. The tires are Nitto RidgeGRapplers, which are pretty aggressive looking - but, still quiet on the road - we drive on the highway quite a bit. I have 3.5EB, 10 speed - lost about 1.5mpg in town - no discernable loss of mpg on the highway. The combo of the two (tires + Bilstein) gave me about 3.5'' more clearance in the front.

4. Skid Plates - I'd like to put on the factory skid plate package that comes standard on the FX4. I'm sure that it's not very complicated but I was wondering if someone might have the installation instructions available where I could see the proper placement, bolt pattern and torque specs.

Just a guess here...but, I would think aftermarket products would be of higher quality/durability.

Here is a pic of my truck w/ tires/Bilsteins: