mjhorgan

I tried to search the forums, buit I am not really sure what to search for. I have a 2016 Supercrew with 20in wheels power running boards, V8 engine, and a 3.73 rear end. I want to get a more aggressive look, so I was think g of upgrading the suspension maybe slight lift kits.. I do not have an unlimited budget.

Can anyone help with a few questions.

Does this make sense, can I keep the same wheels and tires, ot would theey look silly on a lifted trucks?

I have 6600 miles on the truck, would doing this upgreade void any part of the warrantee

How does this impac handling. Would the upgrade make everyday driving less comfortable etc..

Anyone have any advice on what direction I should consider.

Thank you
MIke

Scott91370

Most popular with factory wheel/tire sim front level,kit. Usually 2" and this will still give you a slight rake without too much space in the wheel wells.
Warranty... wow. If the dealer can prove the part caused the problem they can deny warranty. So if you a/c goes out they would have a hard time with that. But is an IWE goes out you're probably paying out of pocket.
I did a 2.5" front level and the ride did t change enough for my picky wife to notice.

J15

There are three ways to make your truck taller.

1. Leveling kit. These are typically spacers that make the truck sit higher over the factory suspension. Kits are under $200 and most dealers only charge two hours of labor for installation. Try to avoid going over 2" of added height here - it can stress the front end. If you only want an extra inch or two of truck height and you don't want to spend a lot of money or kill your mpg rating, this is the way to go.

2. Lift kit. This is a much more expensive, labor intensive process. You'll need to install drop brackets to relocate front end components and may be replacing suspension parts as well. Lift kits are usually in the 4-6" range. Generally speaking, factory tires will look small with a lift kit. Plan on spending another $1200 on bigger tires and taking a big hit in fuel economy.

3. Bigger tires. With a 3.73 axle you can comfortably get away with 35" tires. This tends to put you about an inch over stock height. Pay attention to tire weight. Those mud terrain tires may look badass but they weight over 70lb each. That kills your ride quality, fuel economy, and performance. Ideally you'll keep that weight under 60lb. Once you go much past 33" tires, you'll need a leveling or lift kit for clearance.

Regardless of lift or level, plan on paying for an alignment after install.

SilverSurfer15

^^ what he said, the cheapest bang for buck is to go with the spacers, or you could do bilsteins. And the tires.... agreed, the more aggressive the tread is the more resistance, so mpg goes down, ride quality goes down at low speed where the lugs are banging around, etc. A lighter all terrain will go a long way for mpg and ride.

Stock tires look fine with a 2" level IMO, maybe a little small but not silly/bad.

your warranty will be fine, you might lose converage on things like tie rod ends or CV axles, even thats a maybe as some dealers seem to not really care. I dont think ford requires any real paper work for changing out one under warranty. I wouldnt worry about that aspect of it.

its going to ride and steer a little different, I dont know how to describe it. Its going to be noticeable though IMO, it doesnt mean its a bad change but there is a change. a good alignment will go a long way in reducing the negative aspects.

tomjv

This will be un unpopular answer but; LEAVE IT ALONE.


1. "upgrade" - to me, an upgrade is replacing OEM with better parts. Certainly installing a set of Bilsteins, Fox or ICONs would be an upgrade. The stock stuff just sucks. I did ICON 2.5" shocks all around and couldn't be happier. The Helwig rear sway bar is generally considered an "upgrade". I have one and like it.


2. Need vs want - Personally, I don't do anything for looks. If I'm going off road and I "need" a lift or bigger tires, then OK. Otherwise, I'm not spending $2000 on looks. Guys are CRAZY over the rake . . . honestly, if I took time to notice it, I think I like it. I guess it reminids me of 70s muscle cars.
Further, IMHO anything you do with ride height will generally have negative results on performance(exclusive of desired appearance).
>bigger tires sop power
>aggressive tread patterns make noise at speed.
>higher truck sops fuel economy
>Everything you do, impacts something else. You change the suspension and get noises etc, the dealer will not talk to you. While MOST GUYS are happy with their setups, these pages are full of questions about issues due to these mods.


Bottom line - If you NEED it, research it and do it correctly. Make sure you stuff is compatible with eachother and your use is as per manufacturer intentions.


Nice rig BTW, same as me V8, 3.73s
TomJV

J15

The extra height from a lift or level does more than looks. It allows you to see over more traffic and know what's coming before it reaches you. When you're pulling a heavy trailer or the truck is chock full of people and cargo, being able to anticipate when you need to slow down lets you brake soft and early. You don't need to be a tailgater for this to benefit you. When I put marker lights on my roof, the extra height was just enough for me to spot my truck in big parking lots as well. Beyond technical reasons, it's just plain nice being higher off the ground.

SilverSurfer15

just playing devils advocate, for all the reasons you described, you bought the wrong truck. The F-250 does all that in OEM form.

J15

I have an F250 PSD

If you don't need the size and torque of the super duty, the half ton truck will be faster, cheaper, and far more agile. There's nothing wrong with buying a half ton and customizing to taste.

Stage3Motorsports

Check out our Project 2.7L. It has stock wheels with a leveling kit and a little larger tire.

http://www.stage3motorsports.com/Sta...ect-Truck.html

mjhorgan

Wow nice