I really want to eventually lift the big yellow beast. Curious as to if you have to get a full "lift kit" or if there are other things you can buy that will lift it that don't cost a small fortune?

 

I think body lift kits would be less expensive then the suspension lifts. Lifting the body gives you a taller truck without adjusting the suspension. The look is about the same, but it doesn't give you any more ground clearance. You should still be able to fit bigger tires on the yellow beast, if that is what you are after.

Price example, on eBay a body lift kit for 04-05 F150 is going for about $300
and a suspension lift for 04-07 F150 is going for about $1500.

 

What kinda sucks about the situation is that my mom got me new tires for Christmas & they've only been on there for about a week . I was thinkin about gettin a body lift when I got my income taxes back. Only thing that bugs me is wonderin how goofy it would look if I put a body lift on it with stock tires. I had sooooo much trouble findin tires at Sears & have decided the guy at Ford who put the 18" wheels on those trucks should be shot. My tires had to come from there cause they were goin on a Sears card. They only had 3 tires that would fit so I didn't have much to choose from

 

What size tire do you have on it now?

 

it depends what you want to do with your truck. hard core wheelin, i would opt for the suspension lift. if you just want a taller stance then a body lift or leveling kit would be fine. i installed a body lift on my old 90 f250 and it was a chore. body lifts are cheaper than a comparible suspension lift but you have to deal with bumper relocation and not all manufacturers want to touch that subject due to liability,also on the automatics you have to weld in an extention for your linkage, as well as rad shroud trimming and the stretching of ground wires. also suspension lifts don't give better ground clearance. bigger tires do.

 

If you are just going for appearance is the extra stuff you mentioned above more costly than the price & installation of a suspension lift? I think that is what she was after in her question. Which option costs less when all is said and done?

 

I have 275/65 18's on it now. The main thing I'm lookin for is just the bigger stance. Not really wantin to do any hardcore 4 wheelin in that truck for obvious reasons lol. I'm pretty familiar with the difference in body & suspension lifts but I'm not sure how a leveling kit works. I've seen before & after pictures & couldn't really tell any difference. So I'm guessin the only thing they really do is bring the front level to the back.

 

i would say the body lift would come out cheaper in the end,with the main problem being the bumper mounts. some kits may include them. on my 250 i just left the bumpers in their stock location. it did leave a 3" gap and looked kinda funny. the leveling kit would be the cheapest, but may not let here run the tires she'd like, i don't know how big she wants to go.the suspension lift is the most difficult and expensive but allows you to get new leaf springs and shocks for the application. i have a 2" leveling kit on it's way but the next time i go higher it's gonna be suspension lift. my personnel choice

 

That is correct, it "levels" the truck so neither end is higher than the other.
Your tires, as they are now, are equivalent to 32's. They would look okay, I think, until you could buy bigger tires without offending your mother, if you lifted/leveled your truck.

 

You could certainly go the leveling kit route, which in your case would allow you to clear 35's. It also would give you a much nicer looking stance. A body lift, while cheaper in initial costs, will run you more expensive in the install costs because they are such a PITA to install on these newer body style F150's. The problem with lifting your truck is once you start lifting you'll want to go bigger. Everyone that I have talked to who have lifted their trucks (including myself) all say it. If I were you I'd just save up some money while wearing out your new tires and get yourself a suspension lift.