Hi Guys,

I'm new on here and i have an '03 f250 King Ranch with a 5.4 and 101,000 miles. Im looking to get it lifted and i have no idea where to begin. I intend to put bigger tires on it and i dont really know where to start with that either. All i know is i would like to keep the lift under $500 and under 6" and labor doesnt matter because my dad is a former ford mechanic so he can do anything. I want the truck to have no rake after the lift so can anyone help me with figuring out what lift to go with?

 

you gunna need tires for 6" lift for sure..

even a 4" lift looks silly without large tires to fill the space.

also be prepared for a noticable power loss when going to a 4-6" lift and larger tires.

 

yeah a 4in is all i want but i dont know what route to take to do that for under $500

 

Like most mods, going smaller usually results in a better outcome. If it were me, I'd do a 2.5" leveling kit and 33" tires. That way you get a level truck, it looks higher than it actually is, and you can fit tires up to about 35" with just a $100 leveling kit. The larger tires will get you and additional inch of lift (half the diameter of the tire increase) so you'll wind up with about 3 inches of total lift without a huge drop in power and mileage.

 

since you have an f250, this should work well like it is for me. i took my stock F250 that sat level, and added 4" rear ready lift blocks (no stacking) for $140 (amazon) and i am now adding a front 2" Icon minipack leveling kit for the front for $230 (offroadwarehouse). Should be about 2 or so inches higher and for under $500. Plan on over $700 for above 4"

 

yeah that 2in kit with the 4in rear blocks sounds like it would look cool and not run up the price too bad...

Is there anyone else that has input on this?

 

The lift isn't the problem for cost......it's the tires.

I'd LOVE to lift mine,(they look AWESOME even with a small lift kit) but I got it to pull the trailer.

 

Ontariofarmer hit this one on the head. Tires are getting rediculously expensive. I bought my 2007 F-250 new and installed a set of Goodyear MT/R tires (305/70-R17) on a set of 17x8 aftermarket wheels. I don't recall the exact cost, but it was around $1,600 for the tires and wheels.

http://home.comcast.net/~dcabral99/Images/DSCF1014.JPG

Later I had a 6" ProComp lift installed by 4 Wheel Parts. I then bought a set of used 17x9 wheels ($600.00) and new 37x12.50/17 Goodyear MT/R tires. The lift, including installation labor was just over $1,400.00, but the tires were nearly $1,700.00 mounted and balanced.

http://home.comcast.net/~dcabral99/Images/DSCF3095.JPG

I only got about 16,000 miles on these tires and later bought a set of 37x12.50/17 BFG All Terrain tires at just over $1,200 installed. They were much better riding and after 25,000+ miles, still had a lot of life left in them.

http://home.comcast.net/~dcabral99/Images/DSCF0249.JPG

Just recently, I ordered a set of Toyo M/T (37x13.50/20) tires and Fuel Offroad (20x10) wheels at a cost of $3,100.00 -- tires were $540.00 each before tax, shipping, & mounting. When they arrived, I found they were way bigger than my old BFGs and didn't fit without major rubbing, and I ended up going back to 4 Wheel Parts to upgrade my lift to an 8"+ at another $2,400 installed.

http://home.comcast.net/~dcabral99/Images/DSC00174.JPG

My point is that if you want to keep the cost down, stay with a smaller lift (leveling kit) and "normal" sized tires. I've dumped way too much money into tires and lifts on this truck. For an '03, you should be able to get a 2-3" kit (front & rear for under $200.00, but you may need new shocks to go with the kit at an additional $150.00-$300.00 depending on what you buy.

 

tires are expensive. instead of getting a true M/T tire, get a very aggressive A/T

I have the original BFG M/T's (old design they don't make anymore). Not a fan at all. Loud, suck offroad and are wearing pretty badly. Only put 3,000 miles on them since buying truck and they are noticeably worn. Need them to last until Oct 2012 and then I'm replacing.


as far as lifts, just do a leveling kit and stay with 35" or smaller. I've got a 4.5" and I can easily fit 37's with my rims

 

This is a textbook example of changing your mind too often. Decide exactly what you want the first time and be done with it. An 8" lift for a leaf-spring SuperDuty (what the OP has) is under $1,000. Nice wheels (16" or 17") are about $1,000, then toss on another $1,200 for tires and your in it about $3,200 provided you can swap leaf springs (very easy). By my math, you put two different lift kits on your truck, plus at least three sets of wheels and tires, the last ones being the notoriously expensive 20's and you're saying that lifting your truck is too expensive. No, lifting your truck is cheap enough, changing your mind every time you see another set of wheels is what's expensive. I have no doubt you have a nice truck, but you also have spent the equivalent of a whole different truck on swapping parts. Measure twice and cut once, it's cheaper that way.

 

Yeah im planning on going with a leveling kit, probably an icon, and slightly lrger tires. Does any one know what the stock rims on an 03 king ranch are? And what a good larger tire size would be for these wheels and kit?

 

stock wheels should be 16"x7". you should be able to run upto a 305/70/R16 on them.. i have a few friends that do
2" icon leveling kit (found out it measures to 1.75")

 

Thanks for your analysis, but it is more an evolution of upgrades than changing my mind (I've had the truck since 2006, so it's not like I was changing stuff every couple of months). When I bought my truck, I couldn't afford to do what I really wanted to do with it at the time (similar to what the OP is faced with), so I did what I could with the budget I had at the time. I don't disagree that doing it once would have been cheaper, but that doesn't work for everyone's situations. The OP has a $500.00 budget today, not a $3,200.00 budget.

 

I hope you didn't take what I posted as being critical of you personally, because that's not what I meant at all. Instead, I was using your method of modifications as an example of how things get out of hand before you know it. I've been around cars and truck for over 35 years and this is THE number one cause of over-budget projects. How do I know? Because I've done it many times. The first thing is to be able to tell the difference between "want" and "need". Nobody "needs" a lift kit or big tires on a primarily street-driven truck. That being said, if you know you eventually "want" an 8" lift and 37" tires, then don't settle for a 4" lift and 32" tires "just for now". Save your money until you can afford exactly what you want the first time rather than throw hundred dollar bills in the trash. Saying that "it doesn't fit everyone's situation" is code for "I had to do something to make my truck look neat RIGHT NOW". Think long-term with every single expense and you'll be happier in the long run. I know eventually I want to lift my truck 6" and install larger tires, different wheels and lower gears. But I refuse to spend any money on mods until the truck is 100% paid for, so until then, first things first. But that's just my thinking, I could be wrong.

 

another thing to consider is this: How big a truck do you want? I've got a "small" truck that sits 7' tall, and the bed rails are 5' tall.that is the smart way...but the boring way

I agree though. I did 4" on my Bronco with 33"...lasted about 1 week and I was wanting 6" and 35"