Mild Lift for F150?

[Delete Me]

Have a 2016 F150 5.0L 4x4 and I was wondering what would be considered a mild lift. Mild lift as in ... I want to run easy dirt/gravel stuff and not be testing my recovery skills. Heard that a "mild lift" would help. More dirt oriented tires would help too. My truck has 6k miles and is bone stock.

Since we are talking suspension lift. What about regearing? I bought this F150 off the lot and its really setup for highway fuel economy. I don't think it ever gets out of 6th gear. Not an exaggeration. Don't recall its gearing ... 3.3?. I was thinking any sort of larger tire, to go with the lift, would create a sluggish ride.

Maybe the solution I need is really just different shocks (to take any washboard hammering without puking) and more aggressive tires.

Thoughts?

Thanks, -FB

 

[The other Sean]

"Mild lift" Is a general term. I think what you want to focus on is not a measurement of height gained, but what you get with the parts installed. I would focus more on wheel travel and ride. I initially had a 2.5" spacer lift on my truck and it rode like you know what off road. I changed it out for a better designed system that nearly doubled the wheel travel while gaining about 1/2" in height. There is a night and day difference in how the truck performs both on and off road. But, my truck looks nearly stock as I only went "one size up" on the tires.

 

[Delete Me]

"Mild lift" Is a general term. I think what you want to focus on is not a measurement of height gained, but what you get with the parts installed. I would focus more on wheel travel and ride. I initially had a 2.5" spacer lift on my truck and it rode like you know what off road. I changed it out for a better designed system that nearly doubled the wheel travel while gaining about 1/2" in height. There is a night and day difference in how the truck performs both on and off road. But, my truck looks nearly stock as I only went "one size up" on the tires.

What did you install in your Nissan?

 

[Masheen365]

Really, you just need new tires from the sound of it. I have 35s on my 2014 F150 with a 2.5 inch level. To do it over I would just swap to a 33 and call it good. Maybe add the Bilstien 5100 at four corners and adjust the fronts to give me about an inch of level.

From my personal experience I don't need 35s. Even when I do go off road I've never had an issue with clearance that the big tires help with. I think if folks can get places in a Subaru, we should be able to get there in an F150.

 

[Delete Me]

Really, you just need new tires from the sound of it. I have 35s on my 2014 F150 with a 2.5 inch level. To do it over I would just swap to a 33 and call it good. Maybe add the Bilstien 5100 at four corners and adjust the fronts to give me about an inch of level.

From my personal experience I don't need 35s. Even when I do go off road I've never had an issue with clearance that the big tires help with. I think if folks can get places in a Subaru, we should be able to get there in an F150.

Yup, sounds about right. I'll also have a look under it for low hanging stuff. Its an FX4 with the shields. Not sure if you can order that apart from 4x4 but it has it.

Thanks, -FB

 

[Raul B]

A 2.5" (spacer or coilver) is all you need to run 35" tires. If you have any specific question feel free to ask. I have been in the Ford aftermarket business for over 10 years now.....

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[The other Sean]

What did you install in your Nissan?

I did what is called a "Titan swap" which you swap out the frontier Upper and lower control arms, inner and outer tie rods, front differential and axles for ones out of a Nissan Titan (it all bolts in). This increases your track width 3" per side. I went with SPC upper control arms and used 1st gen Tundra front shocks, 4 runner springs and custom strut mounts. So, wider track and an increase in wheel travel (from about 5.5" to 10") while not really increasing ride height.

Not knowing anything about F-150's, if I were you, I would research what is the limiting factors in the OEM suspension (in Frontiers it is upper control arms contacting the coil buckets) and see where you can increase wheel travel. Keeping all 4 wheels on the ground while off road, having the proper springs and shocks will benefit you more than extra inches of height or stuffing the largest tire under the truck ever will.

 

[Masheen365]

Yup, sounds about right. I'll also have a look under it for low hanging stuff. Its an FX4 with the shields. Not sure if you can order that apart from 4x4 but it has it.

Sorry, I was just reading this again and doing some thinking. Don't trust those factory skid plates. If the 15's are anything like my 2014 FX4, then the plates aren't much of anything. The metal ones are pretty flimsy, I definitely wouldn't feel good about taking a rock strike to them (or even a log). And the "skid" under the fuel tank is nothing but plastic. RCI makes what seem to be a decent product from the little research I've done. They have offerings for the 15s. You have the option of 10ga steel or 1/4 inch aluminum. @Raul B might have more insight on the necessity of these, he has much more experience than I do with these trucks.

 

[Raul B]

Sorry, I was just reading this again and doing some thinking. Don't trust those factory skid plates. If the 15's are anything like my 2014 FX4, then the plates aren't much of anything. The metal ones are pretty flimsy, I definitely wouldn't feel good about taking a rock strike to them (or even a log). And the "skid" under the fuel tank is nothing but plastic. RCI makes what seem to be a decent product from the little research I've done. They have offerings for the 15s. You have the option of 10ga steel or 1/4 inch aluminum. @Raul B might have more insight on the necessity of these, he has much more experience than I do with these trucks.

RCI is the way to go for skid plates on the F150. Mainly because they are about the only option we have for aftermarket skid plates.....


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[Delete Me]

Yup, the skid plates on my 2016 look like tin beneath the engine and plastic beneath the gas tank. RCI looks like the way to go. Can't imagine what Ford was thinking. I've seen heat shields that looked to be a heavier gauge.