Lift or level for 33's?
03-16-2014, 11:48 AM
#22
Senior Member
on my 2009 GMC Sierra.. i did the icon coil-overs w/o the upper control and after 32k miles the driver side upper ball joint was toast. now, on my 2013 F150 i did the upper control arms w/o hesitation (both trucks have 33" tires)
i have let a couple guys with the bilstein kit drive my truck w/the icons and they all walk away saying the same thing, "your truck rides so much better than mine".
different strokes for different folks.. but i love how easy it is to dial in the ride you want with just a floor jack, icon spanner wrench and a rubber mallet. just crank them down for a firmer ride, flatter cornering, raise
the front to compensate for the weight of a winch, lights, gear, etc.. or just back the coil-over off to soften up the ride and drop the front end.
you will change your alignment specs from factory if u lift the front regardless off the lift type or brand. just find a good alignment shop whos willing to work with you to dial it in and just watch the tire wear over time. then save the final specs and shove it in your glovebox when done.
in the end.. it took me about 3 weeks and a few alignments to get it finally right (now im just watching tire wear). i found my particular F150 vs. my GMC much more fussy & temperamental to work on. however, now that its done, this truck is now an absolute blast to drive and dare i say somewhat sporty in the twisties.. rides better than the 2012 mercedes GL next to it out the garage too but run-flat tires really suck on pot holes.
good luck & have fun!
i have let a couple guys with the bilstein kit drive my truck w/the icons and they all walk away saying the same thing, "your truck rides so much better than mine".
different strokes for different folks.. but i love how easy it is to dial in the ride you want with just a floor jack, icon spanner wrench and a rubber mallet. just crank them down for a firmer ride, flatter cornering, raise
the front to compensate for the weight of a winch, lights, gear, etc.. or just back the coil-over off to soften up the ride and drop the front end.
you will change your alignment specs from factory if u lift the front regardless off the lift type or brand. just find a good alignment shop whos willing to work with you to dial it in and just watch the tire wear over time. then save the final specs and shove it in your glovebox when done.
in the end.. it took me about 3 weeks and a few alignments to get it finally right (now im just watching tire wear). i found my particular F150 vs. my GMC much more fussy & temperamental to work on. however, now that its done, this truck is now an absolute blast to drive and dare i say somewhat sporty in the twisties.. rides better than the 2012 mercedes GL next to it out the garage too but run-flat tires really suck on pot holes.
good luck & have fun!
Last edited by RESQLAB; 03-16-2014 at 12:12 PM.
03-16-2014, 04:18 PM
#23
Senior Member
Thread Starter
03-16-2014, 04:52 PM
#25
Insolent Member
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KYmxracer52 (03-17-2014)
03-16-2014, 07:54 PM
#26
Senior Member
03-16-2014, 07:56 PM
#27
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Perfect! That kinda opens up a window for me to run 35's. Just a small window though. Lol. I've ordered a 6.2L in my truck, but want to keep every bit of that power and not throw it away on larger tires.
03-16-2014, 07:57 PM
#28
Member
I am running Camburg UCAs and Fox 2.5 IFP fronts. You don't need UCAs for proper alignment but they will last longer and are rebuildable. The Fox 2.0 shocks are also an option that is a little cheaper.
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KYmxracer52 (03-17-2014)
03-16-2014, 08:00 PM
#30
Senior Member
A 34.xxx is not a 35. A true 35" tire is bigger than 35". Also when you through in tire design fom dif companies you can't say a real 35x12.50 will fit. Our fleet trucks have to mount them in bed. We call ford, order truck, have it delivered to truck accessory place to be decked out and they have down everything they could to squeeze a spare in there.