PharmacyFord

First post ever as a new member! Recently bought a 2016 F150 5.0L V.8 4x4. I want to know start researching some upgrades I can put on the truck to meet my needs. The unfortunate part with me, is I know so little about this stuff and automobiles in general. I just know I want quality, and longevity out of whatever I do.

A little about what the truck will be used for. This vehicle WILL be my daily driver. But, daily driving is usually limited to <25 miles. With that being said, the majority of what I do is hunting and fishing related. I am in the woods a lot, I am on dirt roads a lot. I live in the northern half of Maine and for 4 months out of the year, those same dirt roads will be covered in snow, but I will still be on them.

First and foremost, I'm looking for tires. Initial research has pointed me in the direction of the Nitto Ridge Grapplers. Could someone tell me their experience of these tires in the snow? Mud? I would be getting 10 ply E rated for sure, as I can NOT afford a flat on the majority of roads I'll be on. (No cell service for miles) Also, when it comes to tires, how does tire size relate to performance? What about wheel size? I have 17 inch atm. A guy I spoke with tried to put a quote together for me for 35s on 20 in wheels. Sounds great, but I really want to know how it alters performance.

Secondly, ground clearance. I am not looking for a big lifted truck. I just want a little more confidence when I see an unavoidable rock in my path. So far, a 4 inch has caught my eye. And the brand BDS keeps on popping up as quality. Can anyone elaborate on BDS suspensions? Also, can someone tell me the difference between upgrading to the fox 2.5 coil overs for the extra $ over just the basic lift? I don't know a lot about suspension and shocks and struts, etc. I just want quality. I want a suspension that can handle the constant rocky terrain and occasional unavoidable pot hole.

If it helps clarify, towing is not a huge priority for this truck.
Would love to hear all your thoughts. Very excited about this new truck. Thanks everyone!

Dredd75

First off...congrats on the new truck. I don't have personal experience with the ridge grapplers or bds so I am speaking purely from my own research.


Ridge grapplers are a hybrid tire. Hybrid as in a mud and all terrain tire. So you'll get some of the off road performance as well as the longer life of an all terrain tire without the loud road noise/shorter lifespan of a full on mud terrain.


Since the purpose of your upgrade seems to be performance driven, I would stay away from a 20 in wheel. I currently have 20's on my FX4 and plan on going down to a 17 along with the ridge grapplers(plus it's cheaper). Reason being, when you go offroad, a 17 in wheel with a 35 in tire will give you more sidewall resulting in more comfort offroad. A 35 in tire will always be 35 in tall, but with a bigger wheel will give less sidewall protection and less comfort offroad. Also, with a 17 in wheel, if really needed, you'd be able air down your tires a bit more which would create a larger point of contact.


I'm not as much into lifted trucks, but I've seen a lot of videos and I think it's safe to say that BDS is one of the top brands out there. From what I take, BDS paired with fox 2.0 shocks in the rear is one of the smoothest rides as far as lifts go. You may wanna double check, but I believe lift kits actually use a diff drop, so I'm not sure how that would work if you're looking for extra clearance.


The difference between the basic 4 in lift and the fox 2.5 kit is that the basic kit, adds a strut spacer over your stock strut. It won't increase performance, and will just lift the front end. The fox coilover will completely replace your front strut and would drastically improve your ride quality and off road performance. Given what you plan on doing, this may be overkill since the price difference is a substantial amount.


Hope this helps.

PerryB

I'd say pretty much the same. No personal experience with the Ridge Grappler but a lot of people have them and like them. I too would stay with the 17" wheel. With a 1.5" - 2" leveling kit you can fit either a 285/70-17 or a 285/75-17 (that's what I have) without rubbing issues. The 285/75 is a 33.8" x 11.5" tire. It's at the width limit of 7.5" wheel but still wears OK if you keep the pressure towards the lower end of the spectrum. With 10 ply tires you won't need to run tremendously high pressure anyway, 42-45 is plenty unless you're really loaded heavy. 35's are just too much unless you want to re-gear and tune. They'll really hurt your power and mpg.