Hello all,
First post with my 2020 F150 born on the Fourth of July! Couple questions....
• Lots of rust on rear axle and diff with truck only being 2 months old. I’ve owned new super duty’s before and haven’t noticed this off the bat. Should I bring this up at first oil change
•Not much I plan on the STX other than spray liner, steps and lift. I’ve read up a lot regarding lift; so my question is:
Should I just get the Bilstein at the front and call it a day, or is a lift set like Fox 2.0 or the Elka, without new control arms worth it? I’m leaning towards the Elka after reading about poor customer service with Fox. Mostly a DD, but do want that slight improvement along with the occasional trail ride. Thanks in advance!

8 hour ride for my trade-in

 

Can't tell you if the shock upgrade is worth the money, to you. Hell I haven't even sprung for Bilstein's yet so

Surface rust back there is not a concern at all. Besides, with your listed location...you're going to see rust on the undercarriage sooner than later.

 

You probably can't go wrong with Bilstein. The others are overkill for a daily driver.

1) the rust is fine. What would you expect the dealership to do -are you asking them to scrape it off?
Metal rusts in no time, you could have rusty rotors in the morning if you spray them with water a night.
2) if it is rusty now at only 2 months, how much worse it it going to be before you get to an oil change. Depending on who you are for maintenance intervals, it may be 4 more months, or more if you go by mileage. If it's bad at 2 months, you'll be falling about in 6 months.
Now if the rust is exceptional, yes have it checked out. Surface rust though, not sure it's going to have issues.

 

Most leveling kits that go over 2" or so have the potential for poor CV shaft angles, and other suspension geometry issues. New UCAs don't solve those problems. What you intend to do with the truck should help guide you in deciding what leveling kit to purchase. Fox and Elka both have good reputations, as does Bilstein. If you want a direct bolt in for ease of installation, then Fox and Elka are good choices. I'm running the Bilsteins as I spend most of my time on the pavement, while pulling the pop-up camper up forest service roads a couple of times a month during the warmer months. I'd encourage you to read (skim though) the leveling kit thread to get a better idea of what others have done.

And congrats on the new truck!

 

Not a dealership concern, rather a Ford. My nearly 3 year old GMC hardly had any with diligent washing too. I’ll post a pick for more clarity. Rust is pretty substantial for something 60 days old. Thanks

 

You can also consider the Rancho Quicklift.
They do tend to lift the front a bit more, nearing the 2.5" zone, pretty consistently.
One of the guys here has been going that route for a while and enjoys the ride quality, etc.

 

It sounds like you've already made up your mind that it's a problem. If so, then working with your dealership to address your concerns is likely your best first course of action.

 

I think it’s normal for a Ford to be honest. I’m in the south and there’s more trucks than cars where I am. Fords seem to always have more superficial rust. At least in my experience. Not a cause for concern, but the GM trucks look much cleaner when I check out the back.