Originally Posted by BostonBruins

I wouldn't lift it unless it's absolutely necessary. Trucks are set up the way they are for a reason. I've never had a lift and have no need for one. The way I see it, you're paying thousands for something that's going to make your truck work harder and cause more wear on everything else.

You don't need a huge lift and huge tires for bad weather conditions. Up here in MA we had the worst winter on record and none of my family's trucks got stuck - all completely stock... Ranger, F150, F250. No lifts, no oversized tires. Never got stuck a single time. If we ever did, I'm sure if we threw it in 4x4 it would've pulled itself out.

Put it towards the kid's college funds. You might want a lift but you don't need it if you're not doing any off-roading.

Originally Posted by Cpt.America

Hey everybody. New member here! I have some questions for you guys, hopefully you can get through them without hanging yourselves

Quick backstory, always been a car guy growing up, never a truck guy. Well, times have changed, family is growing, and as a new home owner, I needed a truck as WELL as a larger cab for the kiddies. Well, my obvious choice was a full sized truck, a vehicle that could fit the whole family AND make trips to the dump, home depot, etc.

So a few weeks ago, we picked up a 2012 3.5l ecoboost FX4, in black, with 19k miles. So far this truck is flat out awesome. First truck I have ever owned. I went from a tiny subaru, to a big ol F150... feels huge to me!

Anyway, I know almost nothing about trucks (i.e. brands of aftermarkets, dos, don'ts,), and I had a few questions I hope you guys can answer for me. I have been reading every thread I can find till my eyes bleed, but I still feel like I need some personal guidance. I just can't put it all together.

1.) I plan on saving my actual lift till my 100k warranty is a lot closer to being out... but I DO want to put on a leveling kit. (from what I have read, a lift = warranty zap!) I found a how-to video on youtube of a leveling kit, but they were grinding things off of something-or-other, so that wasn't for me.. I'd like a nice 2.5" leveling kit that can be swapped on OR off, without me having to cut up my truck. Brand? Link? 2"? 2.5"?

2.) I have the stock 20" scorpion tires, half worn, and I am pretty sure these tires flat-out suck. We don't get a lot of weather out here in western WA, but we CAN get some snow for a month or so, and I live in a pretty rural area where the roads aren't plowed, so I need a tire that can safely get my family through the crappy roads of dirt, snow, light mud, zombie apocalypse, etc. I am willing to sacrifice some comfort for some "ability", and that bad-*** look.

My dilemma is this. In the future, I want a real lift. Probably a 4 or 6" lift (I know nothing about lifts, I just love how they look, and know they will allow me to run a larger tire). I want to buy an 18" wheel NOW, that I can put tires on that will fit a leveled truck... that will ALSO work in the future with bigger tires, when I finally get my real lift, so I am only buying wheels once.

Does that make sense? So for example, is there a nice 18" black wheel I can get today that I can rock some 33"s on now (leveled, assuming 33s fit on leveled).. .but in the future, using the same wheel, rock some 35"s after I get a lift?

What tire would you recommend for this light mud/snow/highway duty? What wheel size 18x9? 18x10? 33s fit with just a level? I like that slightly wider bulkier look.

Sorry for the vagueness of my questions... I barely even know enough to know what to even ask!

Originally Posted by pimpjuice

2.5 front 3.0 rear on 35x20s

Originally Posted by fford

Did you have to do any trimming

Originally Posted by DylanCulbreth

The only level kit i know of that you have to cut the studs is a daystar 2" i know because i had one and well lesson learned the hard way i now have fox 2.0 on all 4 corners love the ride also but a 1.5" block in back to get some rake back

Originally Posted by motodmast

also, where are you from in WA? I'm in Enumclaw.

Originally Posted by Cpt.America

Yes, I think that was the video I saw. Turned me off right away.

So unfortunately after reading all the responses... I am right back to where I started.

Maybe my question should be more simple...

Q1) what is the largest tire I can run on an 18x9 with stock suspension, without serious rubbing issues? (id be OK with very minor trimming)
Q2) is 275/70/18 the same size as 275/50/20? (which i think is the stock size tire)

Originally Posted by pimpjuice

Ill be man enough to admit that I did it for looks. I wanted bigger tires (35's) with some nice wheels. That's the setup I wanted and in order to do that I needed at least a 2.5 level. So that's what I did and because I tow and put my atv in the back that's why I went with the 3.0 in the rear to give it the rake look I lost when I did the front level. Would I do it again? NOPE. would I ever lift it higher i.e 4"/6"? HELL NO. Im 6'5 and it sucks getting it and out of it now as it is. At the end of the day I dumped $2,322 into it to make it look like it does. For what? looks? sure I love the way it is and rides along with turning heads all day and money is only dirty paper until you spend it but I wish I would have took a nice vacation or something instead with that money like bought a nice little fishing boat. I actually now need to install air bags in the rear due to it sitting so low when I tow now. WAY to many guys go all out and fully lift their truck just for the looks. If you really want to do off roading and such I would highly invest in an atv or a Polaris rzr or something along those lines. I wouldn't beat up and ruin your daily driver that cost 30+k compared to a 3-5k atv. I could easily reverse everything on my truck. But its not worth it at this point. Ill get more for it just for the fact of how it "looks" and the dealers know that it will turn heads on the front of their lot if I decide to trade it in for a f250/f350 in the future.


Hope this helps.