Hey guys! 2017 f150 3.5L owner here looking to get into overlanding. Could anyone recommend a quality lift kit while still being cost conscious and decent set of tires? Just wondering where to start at price range for everything. Thanks!
Hi Alex,
I'm new here, but not to overlanding and wheeling. I just picked up a 2018 f150 3.5L so I'm right there with you in what I'm looking to do. I would say that if you want to keep your fuel mileage reasonable (as we all try to do), you'll want to do the following.
1. Don't go over 33" tires. I wheeled a 4Runner and Tacoma with 32" tires and I wheeled them harder than I plan on wheeling this truck. I never got stuck, and this was at offroad parks that have harder obstacles than real overlanding. Knowing your limits, having friends with you (important), and knowing your vehicle is more useful than just big ol tires. PLUS, those big tires will need a speedo re calibration, and you'll certainly lose a good deal of MPGs.
My Point: Good lines, friends for recovery, and smart driving usually overcomes humongous tires.
2. Lifts, really...lift as much as you need, nothing more. I think you'll do fine to just put a 1.5" front lift via a Bilstein shock, while replacing your rear shocks with Biltsteins and keeping the lift in the rear as is. For me, I actually am not lifting at all, in fact...I removed the 1.25" lift block in the rear of my 4x4 to give me a more leveled look. However, that's because I'm sticking to stock tires for now. I kept the blocks, and I'll pop them back in, likely with the Bilstein 5100's, or maybe the Fox 2.0 shocks if I want the fancier setup. Either way, 1.5" of lift front only lift will clear the 33's in the front and rear no problem.
My Point: Lifts only provide breakover-approach-departure. You rarely need that overlanding. Use as little as needed to fit your tires.
3. Tire selection. The Hankook Dynapro ATM tires that comes with the FX4 package don't exactly look mean, but will actually do pretty well. I ran into a similar issue with my 4Runner. The tires looked boring and aggressive, but they continued to annoy me by performing well. I upgraded them to a Falken Wildpeak AT3/W and they looked MUCH more menancing, and they perform GREAT, but they cost me 2MPG. That's sticking with a 32" tire..but they were E Load.
My Point: Unsprung weight KILLs MPG and power. Opt for light tires that provide protection you want and tread you need to accomplish goals. This one item will make or break the look of your vehicle, more than any one thing...but also cost you the most in driveability and MPG.
Lift Choices:
Spacer for Front (cheap...that's about it)
Bilstein 5100's (value, it's what I'd do)
Fox 2.0 (high quality, but coming in at 3x the price of the Billies)
Tires: (Keep it around 33" if you can, 35's if you're going for the look and more serious wheeling).
BFG KO2's (always popular, opt for load range C)
Falken Wildpeak AT3/3 (opt for SL, they are really sturdy sidewalls, comparable to most load C's - watch the weight, these get heavy fast)
Hankook Dynapro (Great lightweight tire for light wheeling and offroading - great MPGs - very quiet - reasonably inexpensive)
Nitto Ridge Grappler (MEAN looking - Load C, but are still heavy - not quite a mud tire but pretty dang good - fairly quite on highway - COSTLY)