question on lift kits and $$$

[Boz]

I've a 2003 Ford SuperCrew Lariat 4x4. I'm purchasing new rubber and will be using my stock 17" rims (17x 7.5) I'm going anywhere from a 33 to 35 " tire so long as it looks normal. Do not want rim over hang etc.

I am also considering a 3" lift but was quoted $2500-$3100 for one. Does this sound excessive? I haven't a clue.

Thanks,

Boz

[Boz]

This isn't my truck but one identical w/ exception of color. Mine is solid black.

This one has 16 x 10 " rims. These are 285's/75/16's

He also has a 3" lift in these photos.

[Boz]

Here's a stocker with fat rubber.

[kay75]

look on ebay there on there and are you goin with suspension lift or body lift? the body lift is alot cheaper like about 350 mabe a lil more but they arnt as good

[Boz]

I've done some research and am likely going with a body lift; WAY cheaper and I'm not an off road guy. I just want a taller truck.

[150aintenuff]

hope you dont haul loads.... body lifts SUCK they are notorious for breaking and really arent the right way to lift a vehicle.. and mild suspension systems are cheaper to install..

[Boz]

Only thing I haul is ass. Oh ya, and I tow my Venus.

I'm not dumping a ton of dough on a lift kit. I have spoken to a pile of guys on Ford truck world and all of those guys seem to like their body lifts; haven't heard a bad thing said about any of them. I have also heard that the bushings are rated at 50,000 lbs per sq. inch. Would have to haul a pretty heavy load to break stuff.

[ProComp]

If you don't have any other connections, get a quote on a body lift installed and tires at Extreme Performance Exhaust on McPhillips. Ask for Keith.
Not sure on the Ford, but if its a torsion bar front end, you may be able to crank it up a bit, block the back and run a 33". Cheapest route but it will ride a little rougher. Will look good though.

[150aintenuff]

Only thing I haul is ass. Oh ya, and I tow my Venus.

I'm not dumping a ton of dough on a lift kit. I have spoken to a pile of guys on Ford truck world and all of those guys seem to like their body lifts; haven't heard a bad thing said about any of them. I have also heard that the bushings are rated at 50,000 lbs per sq. inch. Would have to haul a pretty heavy load to break stuff.
OK what ever...... i guess a full tool box is a pretty heavy load..... all 250 lbs of it... they may have that strength but they are brittle... thus crack and brake...

crank your bars for free, add a 1 inch rear block and lift it for about 100.00... 315/75/16 (35)with 16X10 will fit and only rubs on the hardest of turns while under flex.. and then the rubbing is minimal on the iner rubber fenderwell

[Boz]

Procomp- thanks for the tip; I spoke with Sandale out in Grande Point but will give your guy a call.


150- I don't know you well enough to tell if you're being extremley sarcastic and a bit of a wiseass so I'm leaving you alone. What I know is what I read and what the boys on Ford Truck World informed me of. As far as tools, like I said, I don't haul anything. I tow my boat and pay people to fix ****.
I'm not into paying $2500-$3000 for a lift kit when a body lift suits my purposes.

[Boz]

BTW, the truck in the photos is what I have but he has a 3" body lift w/ 16x10's. The rubber is a 285/75. Seems to have lots of clearance in his wells. A beefier (sp) tire would be nice but as outlined, I do not want rubbing issues.

I have 17 x 7.5 rims.

[K-Dawg]

I am assuming you are paying to have which ever you buy installed. That sound a bit steep. I think the price for a lift kit is around 1800 bucks. And thats a 6 inch kit. I lifted my 1994 chevy for around 4500.00 and that was with rims, tires, and 6 inch lift kit. The rims were 400.00 apeice. Tires were 290.00 buy 3 get 1 free. And the lift kit was about 1800.00. But, I didn't pay for the install I did it all myself. If it is a torsion bar front end they are correct. You can crank them babies up and put a 2 inch block under the back. It will ride rough after that though. It also tends to increase wear on all the frontend parts. And a body lift is like a french tickler for show and not for go. Suspension lift is much more expensive but, the right way to do it. Bodylift will be just fine for what you are looking to accomplish. Also spend the extra money on a hide kit and make sure you get all the hardware to raise your bumpers. Good luck in whichever you chose.

[Boz]

Thanks for all of that info. I like the french ticlker description!

I am sure the body kit comes with gap guards and the bumper adjustments. What I'm also concerned with is gearing. I do so much highway driving for work, the entire idea might not be a good. All I want is my truck to sit a little higher. The guy I spoke with was talking some sort of comptuer modulator they'd install to compensate for the larger tires/desrease in power but again, too much hassle for this guy.

Maybe I'll start with rubber first and see how that looks. I'm thinking perhaps a 285/70 BF Goodrich A/T.

[ProComp]

Boz, Gap Guards are extra.
Save yourself the headache and go with the 285, crank the torsion bars and get a block made to level the truck out. Extreme makes the block and gets U-Bolts made to fit if yours are too short.
I went to 35s on my new Dodge and lost a good 5mpg and have a ton of headaches right now with it.

[Riverman]

Colin,

In the old days people used to use hockey pucks for body lifts. I'm sure you have a few of those around.....:)

[ProComp]

Colin,

In the old days people used to use hockey pucks for body lifts. I'm sure you have a few of those around.....:)

LOL, yes they did, and use to stack more then one too. Thats almost as bad as using lift blocks on the front straight axle, yikes.

[Riverman]

....and gets U-Bolts made to fit....I got some U-bolts made yesterday as I replaced all of them on my Viper trailer. Power Hammer Manufacturing, 86 DeBates St. in the Dugald industrial park. 1 day service too!

[K-Dawg]

Going to a 285/70 you should not have to worry about your gears. Your truck comes with 31's 265/75 on it. A 285 is only a 33. If you think a lift kit is expensive try about 1000.00 bucks to have front and rear installed. I know they make this thing for my truck were you can plug it in and it recalibrates the shift points you can recalibrate your speedometer. Do not crank up your torsion bars it will wear out your front end parts. Not to mention will ride like ****. If you do you will have to have the frontend realigned.

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="95%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Gear Ratio Guide for Larger Tires

When ever you change tire size from the original size to another there will be a direct effect on power and drivability. We have developed this chart to help you select the optimum gear ratio to put your performance back where you want it.
Using the chart below, first determine your original gear ratio and tire size and follow to the intersection that should be your approximate RPM at 65 MPH. Next find your new tire size and follow that across to the closest RPM to your original and that will be first choice.
If you are interested in a change that will give more power or better fuel mileage use the color coding as a guide.

<TABLE height=1 width=488 border=1><TBODY><TR><TD width=88 bgColor=#6699ff height=24> </TD><TD width=488 height=24>
Highway Driving, Good Fuel Economy
</TD></TR><TR><TD width=88 bgColor=#00cc66 height=23> </TD><TD width=488 height=23>Daily Driver, Best Overall Performance</TD></TR><TR><TD width=88 bgColor=#ff6666 height=24> </TD><TD width=488 height=24>Most Power and Towing, Reduced Fuel Economy</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
This chart is based on 65 MPH and a gear ratio of 1:1, on a manual transmission in 4th gear. Please NOTE: If you have an automatic transmission your RPM will higher due to slippage in the transmission and the torque converter. With an overdrive transmission your RPM in overdrive will be 15% to 30% less than indicated.
<TABLE><TBODY><TR><TD>Tire
Dia. </TD><TD><CENTER>Gear Ratio </CENTER><TABLE cellSpacing=1 width="100%" border=1><TBODY><TR><TD width="4%" height=12></TD><TD width="5%" height=12>2.35</TD><TD width="4%" height=12>2.73</TD><TD width="4%" height=12>2.94</TD><TD width="4%" height=12>3.07</TD><TD width="5%" height=12>3.21</TD><TD width="5%" height=12>3.31</TD><TD width="5%" height=12>3.42</TD><TD width="5%" height=12>3.55</TD><TD width="5%" height=12>3.73</TD><TD width="5%" height=12>3.91</TD><TD width="5%" height=12>4.11</TD><TD width="5%" height=12>4.27</TD><TD width="5%" height=12>4.56</TD><TD width="5%" height=12>4.88</TD><TD width="5%" height=12>5.13</TD><TD width="5%" height=12>5.29</TD><TD width="5%" height=12>5.38</TD><TD width="5%" height=12>5.71</TD><TD width="5%" height=12>6.17</TD><TD width="5%" height=12>7.17</TD></TR><TR><TD width="4%" height=12>22</TD><TD width="5%" bgColor=#6699ff height=12>2333</TD><TD width="4%" bgColor=#00cc66 height=12>2710</TD><TD width="4%" bgColor=#00cc66 height=12>2919</TD><TD width="4%" bgColor=#00cc66 height=12>3048</TD><TD width="5%" bgColor=#ff6666 height=12>3178</TD><TD width="5%" bgColor=#ff6666 height=12>3286</TD><TD width="5%" bgColor=#ff6666 height=12>3395</TD><TD width="5%" bgColor=#ff6666 height=12>3524</TD><TD width="5%" height=12>3703</TD><TD width="5%" height=12>3882</TD><TD width="5%" height=12>4080</TD><TD width="5%" height=12>4239</TD><TD width="5%" height=12>4527</TD><TD width="5%" height=12>4845</TD><TD width="5%" height=12>5093</TD><TD width="5%" height=12>5252</TD><TD width="5%" height=12>5341</TD><TD width="5%" height=12>5668</TD><TD width="5%" height=12>6125</TD><TD width="5%" height=12>7118</TD></TR><TR><TD width="4%" height=12>23</TD><TD width="5%" height=12>2231</TD><TD width="4%" bgColor=#6699ff height=12>2592</TD><TD width="4%" bgColor=#00cc66 height=12>2792</TD><TD width="4%" bgColor=#00cc66 height=12>2915</TD><TD width="5%" bgColor=#00cc66 height=12>3048</TD><TD width="5%" bgColor=#ff6666 height=12>3143</TD><TD width="5%" 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[ProComp]

Good info K-Dog. I ran cranked up torsion bars and an add a leaf in my brand new 98 Chevy extended cab for 60,000 miles before selling it and the BF All Terrains were still in good shape and I never replaced anything in the front end. I also did the same on my 03 Dakota that are known to have weak front ends and it was fine too.

[Boz]

Jeff,

As a matter of fact, I have 14 of them in a bag on the back seat of my truck!
You never know when the call will come in for a game of outdoor shinny!!
Really though, was that done?? Makes sense....in a way.

ProComp; thanks for the info. Gee, maybe I'm better off just to leave it be? It looks fine now but another couple of inches with less wheel well would be really neat.

K-Dawg- that's some pretty cool info. You can tell you've been around the block with this stuff before. Appreciate your time.

Sandale was to call me back today but I guess they got busy. They did have really good prices on tires though. Better than a place I checked in Elie by almost $100 a tire!!! Gonna have to inform them of that.

So what's the verdict? 2" body lift? Guess it's all dependent on my personal preference and risks associated. Why can't things be easy??!!


Boz

[ProComp]

Cosco for BF All Terrains. 285/70/17. If they rub, crank the torsion bars until they clear and raise the back with an add a leaf or block.
Ask on your Ford website if 285s clear. They likely do with a slight rub on full turn.

[Boz]

OK; I'll hop on there and see. I'll let you know what they say.

Cosco, eh? Who'd have thunk? Not me. Wonder if Earls sells tires.....

[inspectorlance]

I would avoid the BFG At tires. They are allways out of ballance, and will shake your front end appart if you do high speed freeway driving. (80 mph)

Ya cant do blocks in the front of these trucks, ya need new springs. I have had my 2000 F350 deisel for five years. I had a leveling kit installed shortly after I got the truck . The ride is much rougher with the new springs installed. Most the time on the freeway I cant even set my coffee cup down due to the bad ride, and bad roads around here. The 35 BFG AT's will barley rub on the leaf springs with the stock 16" rims. The best upgrade for these trucks are air bags in the rear.
Here is what she looks like with the 35's and leveling kit.

Lance

[K-Dawg]

If it's a half ton it's probable got torsion bars not coil or leaf springs. Be careful when you turn up the torsion bars. The travel stops will be much closer to bottoming out when you turn them up. If ya don't do many dirt roads or ruff roads it's probably not a big deal. Here's a good web site with lots of lift kits, tires and rims. Lots of other cool gotta have redneck stuff.

www.4wheelparts.com

[kay75]

love that sight were just about to order a super chip exaust for our new 07 4x4 hemi

[Boz]

I actually put that site in my fav's about three days ago. I never would have thought that I, of all people, would be looking to lift my truck and throwing larger rubber on it. I'm a "keep it stock" kind of guy when it comes to vehicles....usually.

[Techno]

Boz if you haven't lifted it yet you might want to compare hieghts with getting into the truck. Mine is just at the level where I can slip my ass on the seat with little trouble. While at work one of the trucks is so high it needs a step. I would hate having to climb into my vehicle everytime I wanted to use it.
Not that everyone does but its something to consider.

[Boz]

Hey Techno,

It's actually high enough where my 6 yr. old niece needs help in and I need to grab the handle they have on the pillar to get in. I don't have nerf bars or running boards yet but I could probably use them even w/o a kit of any sort.


Another thought is my office parkade. I need to be able to park in there and the sign states 6'6". I'll have to take a look on Monday to see how I do for room.


I'll post a picture of it once I take one this weekend.

[LeeRiverVector]

hi boz .. put air ride in the wifes dakota 4x4 easest way and the cheapest as far as i know and the ride is nice..

[Boz]

KK,

How much and who does it? How much lift did you gain?

[LeeRiverVector]

keith relf at extreme performance exhaust in wpg 2-3 inches of lift in the rear for about 475.00

[Boz]

www.f650pickups.com

Check this site out. It's UNREAL!!!! Even a Dodge/Chevy guy might dig this..........;)

[sho305]

We did a few Fords with hockey pucks, the old style truck in late 80s early 90s. It was really easy. Most of the time we used two. You could swap some of the longer bolts to the shorter ones, then had to buy the longest ones is all. You had to torch the 4x4 shifter sometimes as it hit the floor, just bend it up a little. There were a few other details, and if you wanted the bumpers up all the way you had to make brackets but they would go up part way. Had to check the fan and shroud clearance before you started it, some you had to trim. Oh, something you had to mess with the fuel filler too. A couple guys were very rough on the trucks and never had a problem. They would get them airborne and stuff.:)

It has been my experience that with the Ford 3/4-1ton SD the type of shocks make a big difference in ride. My inlaw has a '04 with stock Ranchos that rides much better than other ones I have been in, all diesels. Another guy has some expensive ones and his is better too. I put ford shocks on and they were good for 6-7K, then they went nearly back to the way it was before I put them on.