hello:

I will be purchasing a new standard cab, 2 wheel drive with the 5.0 in the future for my business purposes. ive been spending some time over at the engine performance section of this site, and I just started reading about the lowering threads.

what I really want to do in relation to lowering my truck is for it to handle as best as a truck can handle. I understand it will never be a sports car, but I want to tighten up the handling as much as possible, and im not necessarily after the looks so much.

ive never owned a truck before, so I don't understand the difference between a 2/4, 2/5 or 4/6 drop, or even what it means, for that matter, but I would like to learn more.

ive read briefly that there are some coilover options for these vehicles, and I would be interested in that if it offers the best handling performance.

any assistance would be appreciated.

thank you!

 

2/4 is the drop front and rear in inches - so 2" lower front, 4" lower rear. 4/6 would be 4" in the front, 6" in the rear



Im not up to snuff with what works well with these newer trucks

 

Bunch of different kits, sway bars ,traction bars,shocks to tighten up handling .look at sites like maxtrac,Bell tech ,b woodys,and there's more

 

I have a 17, 5.0 RCSB. I used DJM front control arms with Bilstein 5100 shocks for 3 down in the front. Since I wanted to use my truck as a truck I went with a 4” rear kit from Belltech and used a set of Timbrens for the heavier loads. Order just the replacement “spring” not the kit for your year truck and bolt them in place of the bump stops with no other plates or brackets. Ck for 1.0 to 1.5” clearance to the axle at ride height. If you are tighter, test drive it first and if you think it is hitting them too much trim them on the open end. That is per Timbren. The rear shocks are also Bilstein and are not for a F-150. If you want the part number respond to the thread and I will dig it up. The suspension was done on day one and the truck has 55,000 miles on it now. I have never had a negative thought about the suspension mods I did.

 

Tires are a HUGE part of the handling equation, obviously, as that is what puts all that hardware into contact with the road. Generally speaking, lower profile "performance" tires will give you a boost in how the vehicle handles...but there are a lot of differences between brands, compounds, etc. TIRERACK or one of the other online tire stores typically has some good info. A 35 to 45 aspect ratio is what you are looking for.

 

Bajaman,
It is a work truck. I run a 245/70x18 on mine to smooth out the highway ride but it still handles good. I live in ETN and and the drive to town is 6 miles. There is a total of 1.5 miles of straight. Does the truck handle as well as my stock spring lowered Flex with 255/45x20s? No, but it handles a lot better than it should.